How does a wind turbine work?

Wind turbines operate on a simple principle. The 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.

How does a wind turbine turn mechanical power into electricity?

This mechanical power can be used for specific tasks (such as grinding grain or pumping water) or a generator can convert this mechanical power into electricity. A wind turbine turns wind energy into electricity using the aerodynamic force from the rotor blades, which work like an airplane wing or helicopter rotor blade.

Does a wind turbine lose energy?

The wind loses some of its kinetic energy (energy of movement) and the turbine gains just as much. As you might expect, the amount of energy that a turbine makes is proportional to the area that its rotor blades sweep out; in other words, the longer the rotor blades, the more energy a turbine will generate.

What is the difference between upwind and downwind turbines?

Upwind turbines—like the one shown here—face into the wind while downwind turbines face away. Most utility-scale land-based wind turbines are upwind turbines. The wind vane measures wind direction and communicates with the yaw drive to orient the turbine properly with respect to the wind.

How does wind create power?

Wind power or wind energy is a form of renewable energy that harnesses the power of the wind to generate electricity. It involves using wind turbines to convert the turning motion of blades, pushed by moving air (kinetic energy) into electrical energy (electricity).

How do wind turbine rotors work?

The two primary aerodynamic forces at work in wind-turbine rotors are lift, which acts perpendicular to the direction of wind flow; and drag, which acts parallel to the direction of wind flow. Turbine blades are shaped a lot like airplane wings -- they use an airfoil design.