Archive for category Wind Energy
Wind turbines provide a good energy alternative to fossil fuels
Electricity is created from kinetic energy, that is the energy created by movement. The object that performs this movement and thus creates the kinetic energy that is converted is the turbine. The most popular way to turn the turbine is to boil water, which in turn creates steam and heat energy that turns the turbine, creating the kinetic energy that is then converted into electric energy. Here’s where green house gases kick in.
Though it’s the steam that’s turning the turbine, the water is boiled using coal or natural gas, which release the dangerous emissions known as green house gas. But there are more environmentally friendly ways to turn that turbine and create the kinetic energy necessary to create electricity, like wind.
Wind energy operates on a simple system that is none the less quite effective. The turbine used to convert kinetic energy to electrical energy is housed inside a wind mill like structure known as a “wind turbine”. When the wind picks up the wind turbine spins, creating kinetic energy. This energy is then converted into electricity through the use of copper wires and magnets. Just one wind turbine can generate enough energy to fuel a single house. As such, there are usually many wind turbines on a single stretch of land, also known as a wind farm. The best part is, since wind turbines gain the kinetic energy necessary for electricity from the wind, there’s no need to burn coal or gas to create power. The result is a pollution and green house gas free source of energy.
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Wind Energy: A Brief History
Harnessing wind energy has been a task for mankind since 1000 b.c. Beginning with the simple cloth sail to use the energy from wind to propel boats, early civilizations realized the inherent power of wind and continued to invent new technologies in order to efficiently use this renewable energy source. The Persians continued this research into utilization of wind energy by creating one of the first known vertical axis windmill systems around 500 a.d. This windmill was primarily used for the grinding of grains and the pumping of water for irrigation purposes. Information of this wind energy harnessing ability spread throughout Asia and Europe over time and newer more efficient windmills were developed. Most uses of wind energy consisted of only direct action from wind on turbines which were used to simply automate what normally took an inordinate amount of time by human hands. Wind energy was being harnessed not for its potential energy but rather for its current energy. People of this time period could not discover a way to save the energy that was collected; wind energy had to be used as it flowed past the blades of the turbine. When this technology arrived in America around 1850, it was primarily used for the same purposes; pumping water to the many farm homes in need of irrigation and for allowing livestock fresh water to drink. During the late 19th century, Charles Brush was able to develop the first wind powered turbine that generated electricity in the United States. Even though his windmill was innovative for the time, it had a few drawbacks. Due to its low blade speed, the 17-meter rotor would only generate around 12 kilowatts. Modern rotors of similar size can generate up to 100 kilowatts of power.
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Wind Energy Use In America
Wind Energy. What actually is it. How much does it cost. Is it the same as electricity. Wind energy is a clean carbon-free energy becoming more and more available in various states of the Union. The concern and widely heard topic of greenhouse gases emitted by the present power generation in most of America’s states is fairly well known already. It’s history probably precedes the wind vanes on your roof-top. Which tell you the direction that the wind is blowing. The technology as told is fairly simple. Erect a tower. Put a wind fan on its top and you are ready with a few connections to find a place to store or use the generated electricity.
Of course it is better to leave all this to a professional and knowledgeable company in the business of doing just this. Generating wind energy. For your use just the same as your power company uses hydoelectric power from the many dams and turbines in your state. And it will be cheaper as you the consumers will be the ones to pay for this service.
As reported by ‘Repower America’ enough wind blows throughthe Midwest each day to supply all of America’s electricity. Amazingly according to this report the US has led the world in wind power installations. And US businesses have been capitalizing on this source of clean energy or power for three years now. The capacity is growing and this year is proving to become another record year for this energy. Already, so the report goes, hundreds of companies are involved in wind energy today.
More than a million people, working Americans, are involved in the manufacture of products for industries supporting needy components for wind energy suppliers.
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