Wind turbines convert wind energy into mechanical or electrical energy. They have been used for centuries as windmills to grind grain and pump water. In recent years, wind turbines have become a major source of power generation worldwide. There are two main types of wind turbines: horizontal axis wind turbines (HAWT) and vertical axis wind turbines (VAWT). HAWTs are more efficient but expensive to transport and install, while VAWTs are less expensive and require less headroom but have lower efficiency. There are also non-standard designs, but they have not yet seen widespread commercial acceptance.
A wind turbine is a large, rotating device that converts wind energy into mechanical energy. This mechanical energy can then be used for simple mechanical tasks, such as turning large wheels to grind grain, in which case the wind turbine is referred to as a windmill. It can also be used as a source of electrical power, either for a nearby application, or after being transferred via high voltage lines to a central switching station, in which case it is referred to as a wind generator.
The wind turbine has been in use for centuries in the form of a windmill. Many parts of the world still use turbines extensively to grind grain and pump water. Windmills allow people without access to electric pumps to draw water from deep below groundwater level, helping to ensure access to clean water and protect against waterborne diseases.
In recent years, wind turbine as an electric generator has started to be used as a significant source of power generation all over the world. In the global shift from fossil energy to more sustainable forms of energy, wind energy has become a major player. It’s relatively affordable, can be used in many different regions of the world, and can be quite efficient. While there are some environmental concerns about wind generators, they are generally minor and more than 120 gigawatts (GW) of electricity is produced worldwide through the use of wind energy.
The turbines themselves can be separated into two distinct groups: horizontal axis wind turbines (HAWT) and vertical axis wind turbines (VAWT). Most of the turbines people are used to seeing are HAWTs, based on the familiar windmill design. Modern HAWTs are usually three-bladed, atop huge towers to take them to an altitude where wind shear is much higher.
Most HAWTs are computer controlled to turn into the wind automatically, to make the most of whatever wind is present. HAWTs do not require any kind of backtracking, as their blades always move perpendicular to the wind. As a result, all the time they rotate they generate electricity, unlike VAWTs. However, HAWTs are incredibly expensive to transport, as they are huge, and it is common for 20% of the total cost to be spent on transport alone. Additionally, their height can make them unsightly, and installation is a difficult, expensive, and time-consuming process.
A vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT) on the other hand has the rotor shaft sticking straight up in the air, with fins catching the wind and spinning the entire shaft. The most common type seen is the Darrieus wind turbine, which looks more or less like a large egg beater. VAWTs require much less headroom, are much less expensive to transport and install, and are capable of producing electricity in much lower wind speeds than HAWTs. Their overall efficiency is around 50% of that of HAWTs, however, and because they are lower to the ground they tend to experience much lower wind speeds.
In addition to the two main types of wind turbines, which make up the vast majority of turbines in the world, there are also a number of non-standard designs. These tend to be variations of HAWT or VAWT, such as the wind generator or ducted rotor turbine. Even stranger variants have been proposed and in some cases tested, such as the magnetic levitation wind turbine and the airborne wind turbine. Most of the alternative designs, however, have not yet seen widespread commercial acceptance.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
