Turning Wind into Electricity

[Flaherty]

Harnessing the power of wind requires the use of a wind turbine. The wind turbines convert the kinetic energy present in the wind into electricity. When the wind blows and passes through the turbine, it leads to electricity generation. The blowing of wind is caused by the Sun. When the sun is shining, it heats up the earth and leads the air just above the land heat up, too. The hot air loses weight and rises up. This air is then replaced by the cooler air, creating wind.

Wind blows and passes through the blades of the turbines, which is connected to a shaft. The shaft turns an attached electric generator that produces electricity. Wind turbines are of two kinds, two blade and three blade generators. The two blade turbines face away from the wind whereas the three blade face into the blowing wind.

In large farms, the turbines used are of a combined form. These wind turbines work well in areas where there is plenty of wind like the farms. In farms and rural communities, they act as an ideal source of power as it is cheap and clean. Moreover, such communities generally lack other means of electricity generation and have abundant wind supply. The wind turbine investment in these areas has seen a steep rise in recent years, due to increased awareness about wind energy.