Wind energy

Wind Energy is the process of creating electricity using the wind, or air flows that occur naturally in the earth's atmosphere. Modern wind turbines are used to capture kinetic energy from the wind and generate electricity.

History

The use of wind power dates back to ancient times. The earliest known use of wind power is the sailing ship; the earliest record of a ship under sail is that of a Nile boat dating to the 8th millennium BCE. Windmills were used in Persia (present-day Iran) as early as 200 B.C. The windmill was made to help pump water and grind grain very similar to the water wheel.

Types of Wind Energy Systems

There are two main types of wind energy systems: onshore and offshore. Onshore wind energy systems are installed on land, while offshore wind energy systems are installed in large bodies of water.

Wind Turbines

A wind turbine turns wind energy into electricity using the aerodynamic force from the rotor blades, which work like an airplane wing or helicopter rotor blade. When wind flows across the blade, the air pressure on one side of the blade decreases. The difference in air pressure across the two sides of the blade creates both lift and drag. The force of the lift is stronger than the drag and this causes the rotor to spin. The rotor is connected to the generator, either directly (if it's a direct drive turbine) or through a shaft and a series of gears (a gearbox) that speed up the rotation and allow for a physically smaller generator. This translation of aerodynamic force to rotation of a generator creates electricity.

Environmental Impact

Wind power has a relatively low environmental impact compared to other power sources. It does not release emissions that pollute the air or water (with rare exceptions), and it requires no water for operations. Wind turbines also take up less space than the average power station. Wind power also has a negligible impact on birds and other wildlife, particularly when compared to fossil fuels.

See Also

• Renewable energy
• Solar energy
• Hydropower
• Geothermal energy

References

Wind energy Resources
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