What is A Wind Turbine?
A wind turbine is a system that works by converting the kinetic energy in the wind first into mechanical energy and then into electrical energy. Although it is the modern version of a windmill, we can say that a wind turbine uses the power of the wind to generate electricity.
How do They Work?
Wind Turbines have a simple working principle; turbines use the wind to make electricity, and wind rotates the turbine’s propeller-like blades around a rotor. This is made possible by the special aerodynamic design of the blades, which causes the wind speed leaving the turbine to be less than the speed of the wind approaching it and creates a rotational effect. A wind turbine consists of; A tower, speed converters, alternator, electrical-electronic elements and a propeller. The blades of a turbine rotate between 13 and 20 revolutions; rotor speed also varies according to the speed of the wind to achieve higher efficiency. The electrical energy obtained from the alternator is stored through batteries or delivered directly to the receivers.
The amount of electricity a wind turbine can generate varies depending on several situations. This depends on the size of the turbine, the wind speed, and the efficiency with which the specially designed turbine can convert wind energy into electrical energy. Although the average life of wind turbines is more than 25 years, the life of the turbines is also extended thanks to developing technologies.
“In terms of electrical energy, it is one of the safest technologies in the environment.”
Wind Turbines are usually made of white and light grey painted steel. The reason why their color is usually pale gray is to help them adapt to the environment as unobtrusive as possible in a lighting condition.
A modern wind turbine; Although it produces electricity 75-85% of the time, it produces different outputs depending on the wind speed. It can produce about 30% of the maximum output over the course of a year, but this is known as the load or capacity factor. The load factor of conventional power plants is around 50% on average.
Despite the fact that the use of Wind Energy, which is one of the renewable energy sources, has become widespread recently, it is still one of the cheapest renewable energy technologies. In terms of electrical energy, it is one of the safest technologies in the environment.