Wind is created by air in motion. It is caused by the uneven heating of the earth's environment by the sun. Because the earth's environment is made of several types of materials such as land and water, as well as the things that make up these surfaces, they absorb the sun's heat at differing rates.
During the day the land obviously heats faster than in the evening, because the sun is out. The water also heats up, but not as fast. Water also cools slower then land so at night the wind reverses course. When the heat rises, the cool air comes in to fill in where the heat is not, and this is when the wind is created.
Today as we look for new ways to power the earth, it is a natural thing to look at wind power. It has been used for many years to power simple machines of the past. Wind is another type of solar energy, which makes it a renewable energy source. In years past we used windmills, the wind machines of today are called turbines.
Much like the old fashioned windmills, the wind machines we use today use blades to collect the wind's energy. Windmills work because they harness the power of the wind to generate electricity. Even the new wind machines must have wind to work, so when the wind isn't blowing other types of power have to be used, like solar panel energy.
There are two types of turbines used today they are based on the direction of the rotating shaft for example; horizontal axis wind machines, and vertical axis wind machines. Sizes of wind machines can vary widely. There are smaller turbines used to power a home or small business, and they may have a capacity of less than 100 kilowatts. Larger commercial sized turbines may have a capacity of 5 million watts, or even as high as 5 megawatts. The large turbines are often found in wind farms that provide power to an electrical grid.
You will find that most turbines used today have a horizontal axis. They have blades that are made much like airplane propellers are. A horizontal turbine will typically stand about as tall as a 20 story building and will generally have three blades which can span as much as 200 feet.
One criticism of electric wind power is that the windmills necessary to generate power are massive and noisy. Their use is typically limited to remote areas of the countryside, where there is a greater expanse of open space and higher terrain. This makes their widespread use impractical for densely populated areas. - 29956
During the day the land obviously heats faster than in the evening, because the sun is out. The water also heats up, but not as fast. Water also cools slower then land so at night the wind reverses course. When the heat rises, the cool air comes in to fill in where the heat is not, and this is when the wind is created.
Today as we look for new ways to power the earth, it is a natural thing to look at wind power. It has been used for many years to power simple machines of the past. Wind is another type of solar energy, which makes it a renewable energy source. In years past we used windmills, the wind machines of today are called turbines.
Much like the old fashioned windmills, the wind machines we use today use blades to collect the wind's energy. Windmills work because they harness the power of the wind to generate electricity. Even the new wind machines must have wind to work, so when the wind isn't blowing other types of power have to be used, like solar panel energy.
There are two types of turbines used today they are based on the direction of the rotating shaft for example; horizontal axis wind machines, and vertical axis wind machines. Sizes of wind machines can vary widely. There are smaller turbines used to power a home or small business, and they may have a capacity of less than 100 kilowatts. Larger commercial sized turbines may have a capacity of 5 million watts, or even as high as 5 megawatts. The large turbines are often found in wind farms that provide power to an electrical grid.
You will find that most turbines used today have a horizontal axis. They have blades that are made much like airplane propellers are. A horizontal turbine will typically stand about as tall as a 20 story building and will generally have three blades which can span as much as 200 feet.
One criticism of electric wind power is that the windmills necessary to generate power are massive and noisy. Their use is typically limited to remote areas of the countryside, where there is a greater expanse of open space and higher terrain. This makes their widespread use impractical for densely populated areas. - 29956
About the Author:
Is wind electricity the solution for everyone to be electricity self sufficient? Some parts of the country have sufficient reliable wind to make sufficient electricity to serve everyones requirements.
