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Wind Turbines

Wind Turbines

Wind turbines are the modern version of windmills. Wind turbines are placed atop giant pillars in fields, offshore, and on mountaintops, to capture wind energy and convert it to electricity. Wind turbines need to be tall to capture the maximum amount of wind energy. Today the height of wind turbines is only limited by the maximum height of cranes needed to lift the turbines up.

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  2. How many wind turbines are in Wisconsin?

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  3. Could you describe wind turbines?

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  4. How many wind turbines does Indiana have in it's wind fields north of West Lafayette?

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  5. How much energy do the Kingston, MA wind turbines produce?

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  1. How much does a wind turbine technician get paid?

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  3. Where are three of the best places to put wind turbines?

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  1. How tall is a wind turbine?

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  2. How much does a wind turbine cost?

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  3. How much does a wind turbine technician get paid?

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About Wind Turbines

Source: American Wind Energy Association

Wind energy is a converted form of solar energy. The sun's radiation heats different parts of the earth at different rates-most notably during the day and night, but also when different surfaces (for example, water and land) absorb or reflect at different rates. This in turn causes portions of the atmosphere to warm differently. Hot air rises, reducing the atmospheric pressure at the earth's surface, and cooler air is drawn in to replace it. The result is wind.

Air has mass, and when it is in motion, it contains the energy of that motion(kinetic energy). Some portion of that energy can converted into other forms mechanical force or electricity that we can use to perform work.

A wind energy system transforms the kinetic energy of the wind into mechanical or electrical energy that can be harnessed for practical use.

There are two basic designs of wind electric turbines: vertical-axis, or egg-beater style, and horizontal-axis (propeller-style) machines. Horizontal-axis wind turbines are most common today, constituting nearly all of the utility-scale (100 kilowatts, kW, capacity and larger) turbines in the global market.

Wind turbines include:

• a rotor, or blades, which convert the wind's energy into rotational shaft energy
• a nacelle (enclosure) containing a drive train, usually including a gearbox and a generator
• a tower, to support the rotor and drive train
• electronic equipment such as controls, electrical cables, ground support equipment, and interconnection equipment

Wind turbines vary in size. The taller the turbine, the more wind can be captured. Wind turbines are limited by a practical consideration: they are as tall as the tallest crane used to lift the turbines atop the tower. This chart depicts a variety of historical turbine sizes and the amount of electricity they are each capable of generating (the turbine's capacity, or power rating.

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Wind Turbines