Renewable energy has become the focus of many engineers and scientists since we have adjusted to the  that fossil fuels  must eventually be replaced. In a bid to find a source of power more suitable for long-term use and without many of the negative side effects, we look towards solar energy and wind power. These are the two primary sources of renewable energy on the planet and we’ve taken steps to harness this power. Wind in particular has been exploited for our use over thousands of years, in sailing ships, windmills and dozens of other utilities. Here’s how wind turbine electricity works, both in vertical and horizontal types.

Vertical Turbine

Green Energy produced by Wind can Power Your Home

Vertical types are simply the ones we see in most places; they’re the traditional windmill-design. Simply put, the process of turning this resource into electricity is down to the spinning of the rotors. Blades turn, the rotor spins around and that is connected to a shaft which is in turn connected to a generator.

To use these electricity on the local power grid, you’d need an inverter. This makes the voltage of the electricity match that of the electrical grid. Furthermore, when tied to a household or similar building, any excess from the wind turbine electricity  that is produced is sent to the power grid, allowing users to save money by reducing their electricity needs.

Due to the nature of the turbine, it’s possible for them to spin too fast. This is not only dangerous, but it also can damage and destroy the machine. Fortunately, there’s a whole host of measures to prevent such an event. One example is a dynamic braking system, which uses the electricity provided by the movement to slow the blades.

power from wind

Horizontal Turbine

This shares most of the same factors as the vertical type. However, unlike the utilization of the directional breeze that the vertical one uses, the horizontal type can accept breezes from all directions. However, it does so by sacrificing power. Additionally, because it’s smaller and doesn’t spin in the same manner, it doesn’t have some of the same rotor technologies, such as the bending blades.

Besides this, the essential mechanics of the device is identical to the vertical type. It receives the wind and this turns a shaft, then powers a generator. The horizontal machines are most often seen in cities, where space is more of an issue. Vertical ones are in open spaces, like on the coast or in fields.

Tags: Renewable energy, Wind power, Wind turbine