How Wind Energy Works: An Introduction

EnergyWind

A Review by Beau Peelle

Humans have beenharnessing windenergy for millennia,from Egyptiansailboats to Persianwindmills.

By this measure, usingwind energy togenerate electricityisn't a far out idea!Here's how it works.

Rotor and Blades

1

It all starts here

Blades are attached to a rotor, for thepurpose of capturing the wind's

mechanical energy. When you see theblades spin, you're seeing that energy

transfer in action.

Blades are attached to a rotor, for thepurpose of capturing the wind's

mechanical energy. When you see theblades spin, you're seeing that energy

transfer in action.

The Shaft

2

Putting it together

Just as the rotor turns, so does the shaftthat is attached to it. The shaft is

connected on the other end to thegenerator. As it turns, a process begins

that allows the wind's energy to beconverted to electricity.

The Generator

3

The powerhouse of the turbine

The generator is madeup of two parts: aconductor and itssurrounding magnets.

The generator's magnets are connectedto the shaft. As the shaft turns, the

magnets rotate about the conductor,which creates electric current.

Put simply, voltage is theenergy that allows electricityto move between two points.

Once the conductorgenerates voltage, electricityis ready to be distributed to

power lines.