What is a wind turbine? It is a device that uses wind energy to produce mechanical energy, which is then converted into electrical energy.
It can also be known as a windmill or wind generator, even though there is a small difference between them.
A windmill produces mechanical energy from the wind and a wind generator produces electrical energy.
Are there different types of wind turbines and if so what are they? There are two basic kinds: • Horizontal axis turbines - The blades of these wind turbines rotate horizontally.
• Vertical axis turbines - The blades of these wind turbines rotate on the vertical axis.
The turbines whose blades rotate horizontally are more efficient than the turbines operating on the vertical axis and so are more commonly used.
Why would you install one, what would the advantages be? The major advantages of having a wind turbine installed: • Save Power: They use wind energy to create electrical energy.
By harnessing a free resource such as the wind, the energy itself that is captured and produced, is free.
They are very cost-effective in producing electricity, and therefore save power and help produce more.
• Low cost: The original purchase and installation costs plus maintenance, are the only costs in having a wind turbine.
There is no fuel required and the wind energy captured and converted is free.
• Environmentally Green: They produce no harmful substances or have any negative impact on the environment in any way.
They are a long-term viable green option of obtaining electricity.
• Continuous power supply: By having a wind generator you can store electrical energy converted from wind energy and therefore do not need to rely on local energy sources.
Any time there is a power outage, you have a back up supply and so will not be affected by dips in supply.
So what do you need to consider when installing a turbine? Installing a wind generator is an excellent solution to providing a cheap, green and sustainable source of electricity for personal, community and global use.
For it to work well, there a few things that need to be taken into consideration before installation.
These two requirements need to be met before proceeding: • The installation site must be an area of at least one acre.
• The wind speed in that area should be at least an average of 11 miles per hour.
Other things to take into consideration are to make sure that the tower and base of your windmill are sturdy enough to withstand wind turbulence, and make sure that the height of the tower and the distance between the cells and the wind generator are at the optimum length.
Not only will you save on power by installing your own wind turbine, but you will have the added satisfaction of doing something good for this planet you call home.