Wind Power

Wind power generators are also known as wind turbine systems that help a person to generate electricity from wind. These wind power generators are available to both consumers and agriculturists; however special windpower generators are available to even industrialists.

Wind power generators are basically made up of tall towers with propellers that help utilize atmospheric air and convert it into electricity. The length of the towers depends on the type of wind power generator, and residential wind power generator towers are usually 80 – 120 feet high.

While installing or performing maintenance activities on your wind power generators it is important to keep the following things in mind. 

·         Shock – Windpower generators usually put out 12, 24 or 48 volts of electricity and low voltage shocks do not cause great damage. However, since these generators are connected to batteries and output wires, the shock caused can be of a higher voltage that can cause severe damage.

·         Fire – Improper wiring and poor electric connections can cause the system to heat very quickly and cause fire. Proper wiring is especially important in low voltage systems to avoid fire.

·         Moving blades – The blades of wind power generators can cause serious damage to people who go too close to it or to people who repair it. Although most people set the blades at a distance from the ground, people who may be experimenting with DIY wind power generators may take the wind generators for a short test spin which can hurt others or themselves.

·         Winter and ice – If it snows in your area it is crucial to turn off the wind power generator system during ice or snow fall since the alternator can get packed with ice and cause electrical problems or damage the windpower generators. When you switch on the generator the blades should be free of any frozen ice since the ice could fly at very high velocities that can hurt nearby people or property.

·         Pacemakers and other sensitive electrical equipment- If you wear a pacemaker or any other equipment that helps you maintain your health it is important to get a helper for the wind power generator and avoid performing maintenance yourself. The magnets used are extremely powerful and can harm the medical equipment if you get too close to the windpower generators.

·         Towers – If you need to climb the tower to perform maintenance make sure that you do not fall or your clothes/ footwear doesn’t get caught anywhere.

It is advised to follow the above recommendations when using wind power generators. This will enable you get the full benefit of you wind power generator.

Most people who sell wind turbines say that wind turbines are highly recommended machines that can help a person utilize free wind to make energy. However before buying a wind turbine it is important to know “how do wind turbines work” and how electricity is created since an informed consumer can protect themselves from sellers who claim to sell products that work but actually do not. The following paragraphs will help you decide for yourself if wind turbines are genuine by explaining how they work.

Wind turbines work on the concept of utilizing windpower and solar power to create renewable energy. These wind turbines are actually large propellers that are mounted to towers that create energy when the sun heats up the atmospheric air. Wind is created when the sun heats up some patches more than the others, and the cooler patches descend to take the place of the warmer patches. Wind turbines utilize this air and the propellers generate either mechanical energy or electricity.

Listed below are a few parts of wind turbines and will help you understand how do wind turbines work.

·         Blades – Blades work when the wind blows over the blades and the blades then lift and rotate.

·         Controller – This piece of equipment starts the wind turbine when the wind speed is at about 10 - 16 MPH and stops when the wind speed reaches 55 MPH to avoid any damage to the turbine.

·         Generator – Generates 60 cycle AC electricity.

·         Towers – Towers are made of tubular steel, steel lattice or concrete and taller towers help generate more electricity since the wind rate increases with height.

·         Yaw drive – Upward turbines require a yaw drive which is used to position the rotor facing into the wind when the direction of the wind changes. While learning about how do wind turbines work it is important to remember that in downward turbines, the wind moves the rotator downwind and a yaw drive is not required.

Wind turbines that are available in the market are either horizontal axis machines or are vertical axis machines, with the horizontal axis machines containing 2 or 3 blades that face the wind. Individual wind turbines that generate lesser than 100 Kilowatts of electricity are smaller and meant for single homes. Commercial wind turbines on the other hand can be as large as a foot ball field and can generate enough electricity to power thousands of houses.

A good question to pose to the seller of the wind power system you are looking to purchase is, “How do wind turbines work?”  This will help qualify a good wind turbine dealer.