Wind turbines are available in a variety of sizes, and power ratings. Each turbines production capacity ranges from a few kilowatts (kW) to 7.5MW. Typical commercial wind facilities are 1.5 MW. These are modular and quick to install hence they can be rapidly deployed. A 10 MW wind farm may take only 2 months to be built. The commercial operation of the first wind turbine was of 15 meters diameter in the 1980s, and the average size of wind turbines has grown by 10-fold in the last 30 years. It is nearly 152m today and the new extra large turbines could approach 305m in diameter soon.
Wind energy is a source of renewable energy (naturally replenished). It is caused by the movement of wind due to the uneven heating of the atmosphere, irregularities of the earth’s surface and the rotation of the earth.
Wind is usually measured by its speed and direction. The speed is measured by an anemometer and the direction by the vanes. After measuring wind data for at least one year, the mean annual wind speed can be calculated. Wind statistics show the best sites to locate wind farms per the best wind resources. They also provide further information on how the turbines should be positioned in relation to each other and what should be the distance between the turbines.
The simplest way to think about this is to imagine that a wind turbine works in exact opposite manner to the way a fan works. Instead of using electricity to make wind, as in the case of a fan, turbines uses wind to make electricity. Almost all wind turbines producing electricity consist of rotor blades which rotate around a horizontal hub. The hub is connected to a gearbox and generator, which are located inside the nacelle. The nacelle is the large part at the top of the tower where all the electrical components are located.
Wind energy is a source of renewable energy (naturally replenished). It is caused by the movement of wind due to the uneven heating of the atmosphere, irregularities of the earth’s surface and the rotation of the earth.
Wind is usually measured by its speed and direction. The speed is measured by an anemometer and the direction by the vanes. After measuring wind data for at least one year, the mean annual wind speed can be calculated. Wind statistics show the best sites to locate wind farms per the best wind resources. They also provide further information on how the turbines should be positioned in relation to each other and what should be the distance between the turbines.
The simplest way to think about this is to imagine that a wind turbine works in exact opposite manner to the way a fan works. Instead of using electricity to make wind, as in the case of a fan, turbines uses wind to make electricity. Almost all wind turbines producing electricity consist of rotor blades which rotate around a horizontal hub. The hub is connected to a gearbox and generator, which are located inside the nacelle. The nacelle is the large part at the top of the tower where all the electrical components are located.