Wind Power Audrey Henry Mikey Daniela Daniel General

Wind Power Audrey, Henry, Mikey, Daniela, Daniel

General description ● The use of air flow through wind turbines to mechanical generators for electric power.

Diagram of a typical wind turbine

Process ● Wind blows and turns the rotor ● Through a gearbox, the spinning turbine turns an electrical generator and generates electricity which can be fed into a storage system or to the electrical grid ● Essentially mechanical energy (spinning turbine) turns into electrical energy (electrical generator

Wind power equation P=ρπr 2 v 3 ρ=air density r=rotor blade radius v=wind speed

Equation - More ● Wind power is based on ○ ○ ○ Amount of air Speed of air Mass of air ● ● P=1/2*air densidty v=Wind speed Cp=Power Coefficient A (Area swept by rotator)=πr 2

Advantages ● Renewable energy resource and no fuel costs ● No harmful polluting gases are produced ● According to the U. S. Department of Energy, in 1990, California's wind power plants offset the emission of more than 2. 5 billion pounds of carbon dioxide, and 15 million pounds of other pollutants that would have otherwise been produced. It would take a forest of 90 million to 175 million trees to provide the same air quality. ● Cost of installation can be high but it pays itself off with continued usage ● Easy to maintain on land

Disadvantages ● ● ● ● Noise produced by the rotor blades Requires a higher initial investment than fossil fueled generators The amount of electricity depends on the amount of wind. ○ No wind - no electricity. Good wind sites are often located in remote areas far from cities. Located on land that could be used for farming Can impact local ecosystems negatively Visual pollution

What conditions are essential for this source to work ● Need lots of wind and high wind speeds ● Good places for wind farms ○ Offshore-the sea is relatively smoother than on land due to a lack of buildings, hills, and other obstructions ○ Tops of hills-land shape constricts the flow of wind and confines its volume, making wind speed rise as the air moves up the hill

Approximate efficiency of this energy source ● Can convert 45% of wind that passes through the blades ● Capacity Factor: average power generated divided by the rated peak power ○ Average capacity factor for a wind farm in Australia is 35%, and can range from 25% to 45% on any given day. ● Although with capacity factors are lower than coal and baseload gas plants, they use their energy source more efficiently resulting in them having a high potential for large-scale electricity supply capabilities.

Where is this most commonly found/used? Top 5 countries that use wind power: ● ● ● China - 114, 763 MW in 2014, which was 31% of global total United States - 65, 879 MW in 2014 Germany - 39, 165 MW in 2014, 10% of global total Spain - 22, 987 MW in 2014 India - 22, 465 MW in 2014 In general: ● Most ideal location is in wide-open and somewhat secluded fields so that there is minimal disturbance and maximized wind potential.

“Fun trivia” ● They have been used for a long time, even in Persia around 200 B. C. ● Large turbine blades can sometimes mess with radars and occasionally can be mistaken for planes ● The wind industry needs to pay taxes to their local community which in turn helps the infrastructure of tha tarea ● One wind turbine could power up to 500 homes. ● Albert Betz is a German physicist who discovered theory of wind energy in 1919.

Works Cited http: //www. atlantissolar. com/wind_story. html http: //www. bbc. co. uk/schools/gcsebitesize/science/ocr_gateway/energy_resource s/energy_from_the_sunrev 3. shtml http: //www. environment. nsw. gov. au/resources/households/Wind. Energyfactsheet. p df http: //www. softschools. com/facts/energy/wind_energy_facts/403/ http: //www. sciencekids. co. nz/sciencefacts/energy/windenergy. html http: //www. bbc. co. uk/schools/gcsebitesize/science/ocr_gateway/energy_resource s/energy_from_the_sunrev 3. shtml