Courtesy of Inhabitat
Wind turbines can be thought of as a reverse fan. Instead of using up electricity to make wind, turbines harness the motion energy of the wind and transforms it into electricity. When wind turns the blades of the turbine, the blades spin a shaft, which is connected to a generator that makes electricity.
Today, there are two types of wind turbines that are used. Horizontal-axis turbines include a blade or rotor, which converts the motion energy of the wind to rotational shaft energy; a drive train that includes a gearbox, which amplifies energy output of the rotor, and generator; a tower that supports the rotor and drive train; and other miscellaneous equipment (e.g. controls, electrical cables, and ground support equipment) (Turbines Info).
Vertical axis wind turbines are the second type. Vertical axis wind turbines are less efficient than horizontal axis ones, which is why most people have only seen horizontal-axis turbines (pictured above). The most commonly used vertical axis wind turbine is the Darrieus model. In this turbine, two vertically oriented blades revolve around a vertical shaft. Using the same process of airplane wings during lift off, the turbine's blades take advantage of a "lift" force that is created when air is passed through the blades. Instead of flying away though, the blades are attached to a generator shaft, and the air passed by is converted into rotational momentum which turns the generator (Mother Earth News).
Courtesy of InDepthInfo
Wind energy has been used as early as 5000 BCE to propel boats along the Nile River. Later on in 200 BCE, windmills were being used in China to pump water, and vertical-axis windmills were grinding grain in Persia and the Middle East.
Courtesy of not-about-books
In America, colonists used windmills to grind wheat and corn, pump water, and cut wood at sawmills. However, after electricity was developed, wind plants that could be connected to electricity grids were invented, creating a new use for wind power.
During the oil shortages of the 1970's, the use of wind turbines to create electricity seemed to be a very viable option. The government took advantage of this and from 1974-1980 they worked closely with the industry to develop large commercial wind turbines. After this program, 13 experimental turbines were put into operation, and many of the multi-megawatt turbines used today came from these first 13 turbines.
However, when the oil shortage was over and prices decreased during the 1980s and early 1990s, wind power became viewed as uneconomical. Despite this, wind energy flourished in California due to federal and state tax incentives which were implemented to encourage the use of renewable energy sources. Sadly, the use the wind energy slowed dramatically after these incentives were removed (energy.gov).
Wind energy, has many advantages that are similar to other renewable energy sources. Wind energy is a clean source since it doesn't require the use of any destructive chemicals. Also, relying on wind energy lessens our needs for fossil fuels from outside nations, helping our national economy. Furthermore, wind energy has seen enormous growth in the last decade, with an increase in wind power capacity of an average of 30% per year. Wind energy accounts for about 2.5% of the total worldwide electricity production. Lastly, wind turbines can be built on existing farms where farmers can reap benefits but not lose a lot of their land.
Wind energy also creates many disadvantages. First, wind doesn't generally blow reliably, making it difficult to have a consistent source of energy when the weather isn't cooperating. Second, the sharp blades of wind turbines can be a threat to wildlife, specifically birds and other flying creatures. Third, wind turbines make a sound that is between 50 and 60 decibels which although not extremely loud, can become a nuisance. Finally, wind energy can only be harnessed in certain locations where the wind speed is high enough. Most of these areas are in remote areas, which means new infrastructure needs to be built and maintained in order to bring power to residential homes in the city.
As this blog comes to a close, I hope my posts have opened your eyes to the myriad of renewable energy sources available. Maybe in the future you'll take advantage of some of them to power your house, or vote on legislation regarding the use of these renewable energy sources.
On a road trip to Indiana, my family and I passed a massive wind farm. Those wind turbines are massive and it comes as now surprise that they are capable of producing that much electricity at such a scale. I think I also saw some in the mountainous low populated areas of Pennsylvania. It is nice that America is continuing to move towards renewable energy.
ReplyDeleteAnother issue we see with wind turbines is the idea that a lot of people think they're very unsightly, and ruin the appearance of the mountains they are sometimes put on. I saw a billboard driving on a PA highway that said something to the degree of 'keep our mountains beautiful'. I was surprised, since I always thought they looked kinda cool. There's a stigma here that some people have to get over.
ReplyDeleteWind turbine field are impressive, almost imposing when in person, but it has always been hard for me to imagine they could produce a lot energy. How successful have existent wind farms been? Also, as you noted, it is funny to think about how many power sources are indirect solar, with only maybe geothermal, nuclear, and tidal otherwise. You could even argue those are derived from solar energy of the last star in our stellar neighborhood.
ReplyDeleteI've always thought wind turbines were an interesting idea for a perfectly clean power source, but they do seem to have their fair share of issues. Like you mentioned, I've heard plenty about wildlife issues, and the irregularity of weather conditions makes wind energy somewhat less feasible. Perhaps a more robust collection of turbines, coupled with another source (perhaps natural gas) during times without wind would be an interesting combination to explore.
ReplyDeleteFirst off, I thought the title of this post was amazing! I also really liked the cool picture of the vertical axis windmill...I never knew these things existed! It was good to learn a bit of the history behind these devices as well. Overall a solid post; it blew me away....(sorry).
ReplyDeleteI like that you made sure to bring up what disadvantages wind power has. I can only imagine the really annoying sound that the wind turbines make- probably really annoying
ReplyDeleteI simply love you title, I actually chuckled for a few minutes before being able to write a comment. I have been following your blog since day 1 and see that you closed it off with a very strong conclusion. Alternative sources of energy are becoming more popular every day thanks to people like you who like to spread the word. Lovely post!
ReplyDeleteI'm a big supporter of wind power and windmills, but posts like this help put both the advantages and the disadvantages of wind power into proper perspective. Thanks for writing this blog, it's been really informative.
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