Whether you’re simply curious to learn how a wind turbine produces energy or you’re considering installing a wind system on your property, you can learn all about how turbines work and how they transfer energy through Kurz Wind. The helpful Kurz staff can tell you about how wind turbines produce, transfer, and use electricity, which in turn can help you figure out what size turbine you need if you’re planning a residential or commercial turbine installation.
Wind Turbine Design
To understand how wind turbines harness and transfer energy, you’ll first need to know how turbines are structured. Most wind turbines have a three-blade design. Their blades, which are called rotors, vary in shape and size depending on the type of turbine. Wind turbines with a vertical design have rotors that are attached to a large base. They have tall towers in order to capture stronger winds that are located higher up in the atmosphere.
How Turbines Produce Electric Energy
When wind hits a turbine’s rotors, it causes the blades to spin, which then starts off the process of electricity production. Electricity is generated when the turbine’s magnets pass along the stator, which are coils of wire attached to the turbine. Magnets produce electricity in the form of alternating current (AC) electricity as they move along the stator. In order to be safely used in your home or a commercial building, electricity must then be transferred from AC to direct current (DC) electricity.
Wind turbines convert mechanical energy, which is energy produced by wind, into electrical energy that can be used to supply a home or building with electricity. Depending on the turbine’s size and design, the electrical power can also be used to power the turbine’s battery if the system includes backup power storage, and excess electricity can be returned to the grid.
How Much Energy do Turbines Produce?
Wind turbines will produce approximately 1.5 megawatts (MW) of power with wind speeds of 12 miles per hour (MPH) or more. Power output will either increase slightly with higher wind speeds or decrease with wind speeds below 12 MPH. For safety reasons, turbines are designed to shut off if sustained winds reach 45 MPH or greater, which can cause damage to the turbines and their supporting equipment.
Siting Wind Turbines and Turbine Farms
In order to work safely and effectively, wind turbines require specific operating conditions. A wind turbine installer can perform an assessment on a property where you are planning to install a wind turbine or a wind farm to determine the feasibility of installing a wind system. The size of the project, sustained wind speeds in the area, and local topography and terrain are used to determine what type of turbines should be used and the number of turbines required to meet or offset your electricity demands. Wind turbines should be installed at a distance of no less than five to 10 rotor diameter lengths apart regardless of the number of wind turbine systems installed on a property.
If you want to know more about how a wind turbine produces energy, the knowledgeable staff at Kurz Wind will gladly provide additional details and help you find an optimal wind energy solution.
Categorised in: Latest Wind Power Industry News - Kurz Wind Division
This post was written by Matt Passannante
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