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NexPlan Recycling & Renewable Energy
Wind Power | Wind Energy
Wind power is the conversion of wind energy into a useful form, such as electricity, using wind turbines. Wind power is produced in large scale wind farms connected to electrical grids, as well as in individual turbines for providing electricity to isolated locations. Wind power is clean, plentiful and a renewable energy source. It reduces greenhouse gas emissions when it replaces fossil-fuel-derived electricity. Wind energy doesn't pollute the air like power plants that rely on combustion of fossil fuels, such as coal or natural gas. Wind energy relies on the renewable power of the wind, which can not be used up.
The wind is an intermittent energy resource, but this does not reduce its value as a source of power. The shifting output from wind energy does not pose any special difficulty for power system operation. Wind energy cuts some of the demand which has to be met by conventional generating plant. Wind energy coincides well with periods of peak electricity demand. Apart from generating electricity without causing pollution, wind energy has numerous other advantages. Wind energy systems can be linked to diesel or solar systems to provide back-up when the wind is not blowing. This is known as hybrid wind energy. Expanding the use of wind energy will increase energy diversity and improve the security of electricity supplies.
The kinetic energy of the wind can be changed into other forms of energy, either mechanical energy or electrical energy. Wind turbines convert the kinetic energy in the wind into mechanical power. Global maps of average wind speed help researchers analyze where to develop wind energy. The terms "wind energy" or "wind power" describe the process by which the wind is used to generate mechanical power or electricity. Wind turbines convert the kinetic energy in the wind into mechanical power.
Today, wind energy is mainly used to generate electricity. Larger turbines are often grouped together into wind farms that provide power to the electrical grid. Wind is a highly variable resource, but with proper understanding it can be easily be part of an electric utility's generation mix. Europe is a big leader in wind energy. Wind supplies less than one half of 1 percent of the United States' electricity requirements and wind energy currently accounts for 0.8% of Canada's domestic electricity supply. In comparison, Denmark gets about 20 percent of its electrical energy from wind, and Germany gets close to 6 percent.
Wind Turbines and Windmills:
A wind turbine is a rotating machine which converts the kinetic energy in wind into mechanical energy. If the mechanical energy is used directly by machinery, such as a pump or grinding stones, the machine is usually called a windmill. If the mechanical energy is then converted toelectricity, the machine is called a wind generator, wind turbine, wind power unit (WPU) or wind energy converter (WEC). Wind turbines operate on a simple philosophy. A wind turbine works the opposite of a fan. Instead of using electricity to make wind, a turbine uses wind to make electricity. When it comes to size, bigger is better - the bigger the wind turbine, the more wind it reaches and the more electricity it produces. The wind turns the blades, which spin a shaft, which connects to a generator and makes electricity. The electricity is sent through transmission and distribution lines to a substation, then on to homes, businesses and schools. Power is available from the kinetic energy of the mass of air moving in wind. The amount of energy that wind carries increases by a factor of two as its speed increases and is proportional to the mass of air that passes through the plane of the area swept by the rotors. As power is the product of energy work within a given time frame, the power of wind increases by a factor of three as the speed of wind increases. Therefore if the wind blows at twice the speed, its energy content will increase eight-fold. Turbines in wind farms must be carefully arranged in an ideal array to achieve the maximum energy from the prevailing wind. The energy in the wind turns two or three propeller-like blades around a rotor. The rotor, which is connected to the main shaft, spins a generator to create electricity. Wind turbines are staged on a tower to capture the most energy. At over 100 feet above ground, they can take advantage of faster and less turbulent wind. Wind turbines can be used to produce electricity for a single building, or they can be connected to an electricity grid for widespread electricity distribution.
There are two types of wind machines turbines used today based on the direction of the rotating shaft axis: horizontal axis wind machines and vertical-axis wind machines. Vertical axis wind machines have blades that go from top to bottom and the most common type, Darrieus wind turbines look like giant two-bladed egg beaters. The Darrieus wind turbines are types of verticle axis wind turbines (VAWT) used to generate electricity from the energy carried in the wind. Each module has a pair of small, high capacity turbines mounted to both of its rounded wind amplifier module channel surfaces. Blowing wind spins the blades on a wind turbine somewhat like a pinwheel. This device is called a wind turbine instead of a windmill. If the wind gets too high, the turbine has a brake that will keep the blades from turning too fast and getting damaged. Wind turbines, like windmills, are mounted on a tower to capture the most energy. Turbines catch the wind's energy with their propeller-like blades. Wind turbines can be used as stand-alone applications, or they can be connected to a utility power grid or even combined with a photovoltaic solar cell system.
A windmill on a farm can make only a small amount of electricity - enough to power a few farm machines. Now, with new technology and new materials, modern wind turbines are being used to generate the clean electricity for different types of needs. Single wind turbines are also being used for generating electricity, charging batteries and for driving pumps and producing heat. Almost all wind turbines producing electricity comprise of rotor blades which rotate around a horizontal hub.
Wind turbines don't produce dangerous emissions that cause acid rain or greenhouse gasses. Wind turbines can be built on farms or ranches, where it can help the economy in rural areas, where most of the best wind power sites are found. Farmers and ranchers can continue to work the land because the wind turbines use only a segment of the land. Wind turbines convert the kinetic energy of the wind into other forms of energy. Offshore wind turbines use the same technology as onshore turbines. The harsh weather conditions at sea, however, place unique demands on the foundation, tower and control system. The number of commercially viable sites will only expand as development costs continue to drop and wind turbine technology improves.
Wind Farms:
A wind farm, also known as a wind power plant, is a group of wind turbines in the same location used for production of electric power. A wind farm is often owned and maintained by one company. To make enough electricity to serve many customers, power companies build wind farms with dozens of huge wind turbines. A windmill on a farm can make only a small amount of electricity - enough to power a few farm machines. Wind farms are built in flat, open areas where the wind blows at least 25 kilometers per hour.
A wind farm is a collection of windmills or turbines which are used to generate electrical power through their mechanical motions as they are pushed by the wind. Both Europe and the United States have large numbers of wind farms, and the technology is also found on other continents. The country of India especially has dedicated a great deal of funding to establishing wind farms. The energy generated by a wind farm can be fed directly into the general energy grid after passing through transformers.
As a potentially large source of renewable energy, wind farms are popular particularly in countries which are dedicated to alternative energy sources. Other types of renewable energy include wave power and solar arrays. All of these technologies take advantage of already existing energy, converting it into a usable form. Since a wind farm does not actively deplete resources as it generates power, it is considered a form of green energy.
The turbines, transformers, and grid system on a wind farm are often made from substances, such as metals mined in an environmentally unfriendly way. However, once installed, a wind farm requires no additional energy output other than that required for basic maintenance. This is a different from a power plant which relies on coal or petroleum products. In some areas consumers who want to endorse wind farms can purchase energy credits which go to developers of wind farms or government grants may sponsor some of these wind farms.
Wind farms are generally believed to be environmentally sound and fiscally viable. Especially if wind farms are combined with other renewable energy sources, such as solar power, green energy could make up a bulk of the power grid. This has a positive impact on the environment and on society in general. Wind farms hold a great deal of promise amidst the threat of climate change and global warming.
Wind Power Locations:
Humans have used wind energy for thousands of years. In Holland; windmills have been used for centuries to pump water from low-lying areas. The earliest known windmills were in Persia (Iran). Ancient Persians used wind energy to pump water. The world was explored by wind-driven ships long before engines were invented. As recently as the 1920s, over a million wind turbines pumped water and provided electricity to farms in North America. These early windmills looked like large paddle wheels. American colonists used windmills to grind wheat and corn, to pump water, and to cut wood at sawmills. Windmills work because they slow down the speed of the wind. Farmers have been using wind energy for many years to pump water from wells using windmills. As wind energy has become increasingly popular, wind projects have development around the world. Wind in each area of the world has taken on unique characteristics, with offshore and onshore development. The best places to locate wind plants are areas that have strong, frequent winds.
Nearly all of the wind project development in the United States has been onshore. There are projects in California, Texas, and Iowa, which are all land based. Support for wind development has since spread to other states, but California still produces more than twice as much wind energy as any other state. The generation costs are comparable with or less than conventional sources of power generation, which is the main push behind the increasing popularity of wind power. Early development of wind energy in Canada was located mainly in Quebec, Ontario, and Alberta. Throughout the late 1990s and early years of this century, every Canadian province has pursued wind energy to add to their energy grids.
As an industry, wind power is also growing internationally. The leading wind turbine manufacturers are in Denmark, and there are manufacturers in India, Germany, Spain and Japan. Currently more than 25,000 wind farms are operating throughout Europe, and capacity is expected to double by 2015. According to the European Wind Energy Association, the industry will be worth $109 billion by 2020. Wind maps also are being created by the United Nations. The Solar Wind and Energy Resource Assessment (SWERA) is a four-year-old project to map the solar and wind resource of 13 developing countries. So far, the survey has discovered thousands of megawatts of new renewable energy potential in Africa, Asia and South and Central America.
One of the leading companies in wind power is Vestas. Vestas is a Danish based company that designs, manufactures, sells, erects and services wind turbines. With a 23 per cent market share, and 35,500 wind turbines installed in at least 60 countries, Vestas is the world's leading supplier of wind power solutions. Vestas works with an extensive range of applications to produce wind energy in remote locations around the world.
Wind Power Disadvantages:
The wind is not always predictable as some days have no wind. This is one major drawback to windpower. Some people feel that covering the landscape with huge wind turbines is unsightly and on occasion can kill television reception if close by. Another major concern is that the huge blades on wind turbines have killed birds that fly into them. But some people will argue that birds often collide with high voltage overhead power lines, poles, windows of buildings and moving vehicles. As long as wind turbines and windmills are placed in strategic places the benefits outweigh the risks and disadvantages.
Wind Power Advantages:
Wind power has numerous advantages. Wind energy produces no waste or greenhouse gases and thus does not contribute to global warming. Wind is a free energy resource and wind farms need no fuel. Wind Power is a good method of supplying energy to remote areas and the land beneath windmills and wind turbine can usually still be used for farming and other uses.
Wind energy coincides well with periods of peak electricity demand. Apart from generating electricity without causing pollution, wind energy has numerous other advantages. The electricity produced by these can be fed directly into the local distribution network, reducing power transmission losses. By contrast, the electricity from larger power stations has to be transmitted in high voltage power lines and travel long distances before it gets to the point of use. Expanding the use of wind energy will increase energy diversity and improve the security of electricity supply.
Wind power is one of the cleanest, most sustainable ways to generate electricity. Wind power produces no toxic emissions and none of the heat trapping emissions that contribute to global warming. Wind power is one of the most abundant and increasingly cost-effective energy resources. It is a feasible alternative to the fossil fuels that harm our health and threaten our environment. Wind energy is one of the fastest growing sources of electricity in the world. Energy diversity is a key issue. We need to use wind power along with other alternative energy sources like solar power, tidal power and geothermal power we move toward a sustainable energy future and to offset the trend of global warming. Investing in wind energy ensures a cleaner future for us all and will pay dividends in clean air for future generations.
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