Volcano Vista

Blowing in the Wind

Blowing in the Wind Project Research paper

Zakrye D Toliver
CAD Engineering 2
Karn Gustafson
Due: 11/10/16

How do wind turbines work?

Wind turbines work energy in the wind turns two or three
propeller-like blades around a rotor. The rotor is connected to the
main shaft, which spins a generator to create electricity. Wind
turbines are mounted on a tower to capture the most energy. At
100 feet or more above ground, they can take advantage of faster
and less bumpy wind. Wind turbines can be used to produce
electricity for a single home or building, or they can be connected
to an electricity grid for more spread-out electricity distribution.

Blade design
Flat blades push against the wind and the wind pushes against
the blade. Flat blades are very slow because the blades are
rotating back on top of the stroke. Because the blade is acting like
a paddle and is moving in the wrong direction. While curved
blades curved blades are very similar to a long aero plane wing
which has a curved surface on top. The curved blade has air
flowing around it with the air moving over the curved top of the
blade faster than it does under the flat side of the blade, which
makes a lower pressure area on top, and therefore, as a result, is
subjected to aerodynamic lifting forces which create movement.
These lifting forces are always perpendicular to the curved
blades upper surface which causes the blade to move rotating
around the central hub. The faster the wind blows, the more lift
that is produced on the blade, hence the faster the rotation. The
advantages of a curved rotor blade compared to a flat blade is
that lift forces allow the blade tips of a wind turbine to move faster
than the wind is moving generating more power and higher
efficiencies.

Best materials for wind turbine blades

Wind turbines is made up of several composite parts which
includes fiber reinforced epoxy or unsaturated polyester.

What direction should a wind turbine turn to create

energy?
Opposite of the generators rotation to generate a good amount of
electricity. Most of the time though the generator rotates counter
clockwise while the blades rotate clockwise.

How can you control the direction a wind turbine

faces?
In a real wind turbine they have sensors in the generator and on
the blades. These sensors then sense the winds direction which
causes the turbine to rotation the direction of the wind.

What are the different types of wind turbines and

what are the pros and cons of each.
Curved blades are better because they can rotate faster which in
turn creates more energy which helps us while flat propellers are
slower and cannot generate as much electricity.

Citation Page

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