Transcript Rotor blades

Parts:
- Rotor blades, these are the sails of the system, they capture
the wind eventually turning the wind into power.
- Shaft, the shaft is connected to the centre of the motor,
and turns With the blades
- Generator, is a device that produces a electrical voltage.
It is a coiled wire inside, connected to an assembly of magnets.
When the rotor spins the shaft, the shaft spins the assembly
of magnets, generating voltage in the coil of wire
- Gear box, increases speed of shaft between rotor
hub and generator
- Yaw controller, Aligns motor with wind direction
- Brakes, Stops turbine in case of overload or failure
• Apart from Rotors being set up to catch the
kinetic energy in the wind, it is almost an
identical set up to a hydroelectric dam.
• When the turbine blades capture the wind
and start moving, they spin the shaft
• This is connected through the hub to the
generator
• The generator then turn this into electricity
• So… generating electricity from the wind is
all about transferring energy from one
source to another.
• There are two different types of wind
turbines
• Horizontal-Axis Wind Turbines (HAWTs)
• Vertical-Axis Wind Turbine (VAWTs)
• HAWTs are much more common and
efficient, there is only one type.
• VAWTs in commercial use.
•Wind power generates 1% of worldwide energy use.
•At the end of 2006 worldwide, wind turbines produced 74,223
megawatts of electricity.
•It accounts for approximately 20% of electricity use in
Denmark, 9% in Spain, and 7% in Germany.
• Globally, wind power generation more than quadrupled
between 2000 and 2006. from 2005 to 2006 the market grew by
41%.
•The annual market for wind is increasing at 32%.
•New equipment cost €18 billion in 2006.
•Wind energy is plentiful, renewable, widely distributed, clean,
and reduces toxic atmospheric and greenhouse gas
emissions if used instead of fossil fuels.
•Cost –
1 MWh costs $55.80. Very high start
up costs, even though wind is free.
•Environmental impact – wildlife and landscape.
•Sites for turbines –
not all places are windy enough.
May ruin scenery in windy places.
•Energy production –
do not produce much energy for
everyone. Huge numbers are
needed which cover a lot of space.
•Efficiency –
turbines have a maximum efficiency
of 59%, however, they only achieve a
small proportion of this.
There is no control over how much energy you can
actually get.
Wildlife
Reports of birds flying into turbines and being injured or killed. 14 studies
have shown that American wind turbines seem to kill around 40,000 birds a
year. If turbines are situated on a ridge they can interfere with a bird’s
migratory path.
There have also been reports that bats have been affected by the turbines.
Scenery
Many windy places are in AONBs and National Parks, conservationists do not
like the idea of them being covered with wind turbines. Noise pollution is a
problem so local residents may not like the sight and sound of them near their
houses.