What is Wind turbine: Definition and 180 Discussions

A wind turbine is a device that converts the wind's kinetic energy into electrical energy.
Wind turbines are manufactured in a wide range of sizes, with either horizontal or vertical axes. It is estimated that hundreds of thousands of large turbines, in installations known as wind farms, now generate over 650 gigawatts of power, with 60 GW added each year. They are an increasingly important source of intermittent renewable energy, and are used in many countries to lower energy costs and reduce reliance on fossil fuels. One study claimed that, as of 2009, wind had the "lowest relative greenhouse gas emissions, the least water consumption demands and... the most favourable social impacts" compared to photovoltaic, hydro, geothermal, coal and gas.Smaller wind turbines are used for applications such as battery charging for auxiliary power for boats or caravans, and to power traffic warning signs. Larger turbines can contribute to a domestic power supply while selling unused power back to the utility supplier via the electrical grid.

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  1. ryanuser

    How to store electrical energy?

    Hello I made a little wind turbine so when it is directed at wind it turns and generates electricity as I can see the outcoming voltage on voltmeter. My question is how can I store its energy? Can I use a rechargable battery and let it run out, then stick copper wires at each sides of it coming...
  2. toforfiltum

    Electrical power generated by wind turbine

    Homework Statement Homework Equations P=FV The Attempt at a Solution To calculate the mass of wind swept by turbine in a second, I take 2000m2 ×10ms-1×1.3kgm-3.Then, to calculate the force I multiply the answer with 10ms-1. Since they want the power and the yield is 50%. I multiply the...
  3. OnLy-_-1

    Eletric motor with wind turbine (And in side small generator

    Hello all my friends...! This is my first discusion about this type of discusion , so let make long short story i read people from 2009 want to find way how to use wind in car producion or self use... I was thinking let me try to find way to get solution on that problem so after long thinking ...
  4. D

    Savonius Wind Turbine: Power Output & Lever Arm Effects

    Given a certain sized Savonius Wind Turbine, for example, using a 5 gallon bucket (about 12 inches in diameter and 14 inches tall) cut vertically in half, the standard configuration has the two "scoops" either touching at the central vertical axis, or partially overlapped. Would moving both...
  5. O

    12V Wind Turbine - Voltage question

    Hi, I have this wind turbine (http://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/251320008073?nav=WATCHING_ACTIVE&skus=Output:12V&varId=550270984212) in the UK, wall mounted about 18ft, its not in the best position, but it still turns pretty fast, enough to hear the blades spinning from inside, and for it to generate...
  6. O

    Wind Turbine - 3 Phase-AC to DC

    Hi, I have a 300-400w wind turbine which generates 3-Phase AC @ 12v 33.33Amps Maximum. The wires are colour coded Red, Black, Blue. I have a 3-Phase AC to DC rectifier which can handle up to 1200v @ 50A. Currently I have it connected like so; Red, Blue, Black. I'm wondering, does it matter...
  7. Q

    How to calculate wind turbine output?

    Homework Statement Basically, a wind turbine's connected to a car alternator. weight of turbine=72 kg length of blade-30 cm. What is required, is the amt of power this wind turbine will produce when the car (to which turbine is attached) is moving at: a) constant speed b) variable speed...
  8. Q

    Wind turbine powering alternator of car instead of engine?

    So, my proposition is this: (Note that this is a purely theoretical project, and no models/experiments are necessary.) When a car moves forward, wind moves backward, right (relatively). So if we were to attach a small, retractable wind turbine to the side, connect it to the alternator, we could...
  9. P

    Calculating hydraulic cylinder size wind turbine tower

    Hello, I could use some help determining what size hydraulic cylinder I need to be able to tilt my turbine tower up. What I have is a 70 ft tower where the first 20 feet weigh 2500 lbs, the 2nd 20 weigh 1700 lbs and the 3rd 20 ft weigh 1000 lbs and the last 10 feet weigh 1000 lbs. For a total...
  10. D

    Calculating Distance and Acceleration of a Wind Turbine Blade Tip

    Homework Statement During a sustained wind the blades on a two blade horizontal–axis wind turbine is turning with an angular velocity of 5 rad/s. If initially the blades have an angular velocity of 2 rad/s, determine the distance point P on the tip of the blade has traveled in 3.0 seconds...
  11. F

    Could wind turbines be used as wind breaks in open farm land

    my question is would a line of wind turbines have a comparable effect to a wind break in reducing wind velocity
  12. T

    Wind turbine: Optimum pitch angle changes at different wind speeds

    Homework Statement As part of a school project, I'm investigating the optimum blade pitch angle for a simple 6-blade wind turbine, powered by the air flow from a desk fan. I have taken power output measurements using angles in 5° intervals from 0° to 30° and found the optimum to be 20° in 5...
  13. R

    Energy and work of wind turbine

    Hi guys something basic that I can't understand: if I have a wind turbine , rotating due to some wind with no load , and no mechanical or drag losses in the blades or in the mechanics (no drag at all, I know its impposible ,but still) , the forces on the blades, create a Moment that accelarate...
  14. B

    Wind Turbine Reynolds number calculation verification

    Homework Statement Hi guys, I just wanted to verify my calculation of a reynolds number of a wind turbine. I understand that the reynolds number will vary in a spanwise direction along the blade due to changes in the characteristic length(chord width) and velocity(due to the tip speed...
  15. M

    Wind Turbine with Generator & Gearbox on the Ground?

    I have often wondered why conventional large wind turbines have evolved with their generators and gearboxes in the nacelle at the top of the tower where they are hard to reach and maintain. Despite this fact, I wish to believe that there may be benefits to a conventional horizontal shaft wind...
  16. A

    Some questions regarding wind turbine

    Hey guys, I am starting with the course for wind energy and although i have a pretty good knowledge until now , but I am still confused about somethings which i hope some of you will help me to clear :) Q1. Ok ... so why is there a twist in the blade? I mean wouldn't it be much...
  17. R

    Wind Turbine Power Calculation Equations

    Glad it's Friday? I will be if you can help me with this :D : I'm trying to understand an equation about calculating the power extracted by the blades of a wind turbine. I have spent a couple of hours going over it but still not making much more sense. I'm trying to find out why P =...
  18. A

    Building Horizontal-Axis Wind Turbine: Testing Blade Designs without Generator

    Good day! I was thinking of building a horizontal-axis wind turbine and testing various blade designs but i can't afford a generator to test the power output of each variation. Is it sensible/possible to get the output without a generator? Can equations in finding torque be used? Thank...
  19. G

    Dual axial flux PMG wind turbine

    I am making a small vertical savonius type wind turbine and would like some general rule guidelines. I am using 14awg magnetic wire--70 turns (2"oval) and ceramic block 1" x 2" x.375" magnets. I am hoping to get the most power possible at lower wind speeds. Is there a rule that states a...
  20. A

    How to Calculate RPM of Wind Turbine generator

    I am going to design 10 kw, Permanent Magnet, Direct Drive Wind Turbine Generator. The main problem is, how to determine the rotational speed of the Wind Turbine. This is important for me because I have to design the PMG and its rated rpm values...
  21. A

    Acceleration of the tips of wind turbine blades

    Homework Statement A wind turbine has a rotor (its rotating section) which has a moment of inertia I = 1.26 × 10^7 \text{kgm}^2. At peak output, with the rotor completing 0.25 \text{ revolutions per second}, the turbine produces a power of P = 3\text{MW}. The tips of the rotor blades sweep out...
  22. J

    Calculating the turning moments for a passive wind turbine under yaw

    Hi I have been looking for some simple equations that describe the turning moments on the rotor as wind direction changes. I know this can be relatively complex but I am looking for simplified equations. Has anyone got any information where I can find these? The wind turbine is a small...
  23. J

    Effect of wind turbine yaw on rotor rotational speed

    Hi From what I understand as the rotor yaws, there are gyroscopic forces that act upon it and the magnitude of these depends on the speed of yawing (e.g. 10 degrees per second). What happens to the rotor rotational speed during yawing? Does it slow down? Is the aim to slow down the rotor...
  24. Pythagorean

    Will This Airborne Wind Turbine Bring Renewable Energy and Wifi to Alaska?

  25. W

    Optimizing Wind Turbine Efficiency: Exploring the Impact of Blade Size and Shape

    Hi - I know someone must have thought of this already, so maybe you can help me understand. When I look at some of these modern wind turbines, the blades seem massively long. I see this lumbering set of blades moving slowly and I imagine that the bulk of the wind does not even touch the...
  26. R

    Ideal coil size for a low wind turbine.

    I can't find anything I can make heads or tails out of so if you guys can help I thank you. I would like to design a wind turbine and be able to get as much power as I can out of each of it's coils. If I start with a magnet that is 1.1811" in Diameter and it is .125" thick with a grade of N52...
  27. A

    Harnessing Wind Energy From a Car for Fuel Efficiency

    First of all, I have read some of the previous posts that related to this topic, but they are closed. I am not looking to solve the world's energy crisis, but I was wondering if there was a way to harness some of the energy given off as friction from the drag of a car. I was looking at some of...
  28. C

    Choosing a generator for mini wind turbine

    Hello physics forum, I am currently trying to figure out how to pick a generator for a horizontal axis mini wind turbine based on specs. I plan on buying a DC motor to use as a generator with blades directly attached to motor shaft. My goal is for the motor to be most efficient at 25mph wind...
  29. N

    Energy and speed of a wind turbine

    Homework Statement Modern wind turbines can convert up to 30% of the kinetic energy of the incoming wind blowing through their blades to electricity. Assuming that the wind at a proposed offshore location blows steadily at 20 knots, how much electrical power can be generated from a turbine...
  30. C

    Why use a double fed wound rotor induction generator in wind turbines?

    With large wind turbines which have AC generators why do they convert from AC to DC and then back to AC before connecting to the grid, why not just connect straight from generator to the grid without converting? Very confused please can someone explain!
  31. J

    Torque on shaft of wind turbine

    Today this guy at work told me that a 2MW wind turbine required 20K ft lbs on the main shaft at 20 rpm. I thought that I had recently read that a 750KW wind turbine might need 20K ft lb torque. I am not looking for exact numbers but which seems correct?
  32. F

    Helical Twist Vertical Axis Wind Turbine - Generator Matching

    Hello I have designed a vertical axis wind turbine (Savonius) with a 180deg helical twist. It catches the wind really well but the wind power to electrical power conversion is really poor, it is currently only at 4% efficiency. I think the problem is the dc motor that I am using as a...
  33. B

    Vertical axis wind turbine design, torque help

    Hi i am currently doing my dissertation in which i am designing a vertical axis wind turbine design that is a modification of that of a savonius design. A major problem that i am having is being able to predict the torque value of torque for my design in order for me to then predict the...
  34. J

    Wind Turbine: Min. Wind Speed for 6MW Generator

    Suppose I've got a 6mw wind turbine with a very small wing span - 5 meters-, what would the minimum wind speed needed to activate the generator ?
  35. C

    Calculating Wind Turbine RPM from Generator Voltage Fluctuations

    Hello, I am trying to build a SIMULINK model in Matlab in order to determine the RPM of a wind turbine. Can someone please tell me how I can obtain the RPM of a wind turbine from the voltage fluctuations of a generator? Any good sites in the subject are also welcome. Thanks in advance.
  36. M

    Dissertation help, wind turbine output

    This is a question that i am struggling to find any answer to on the internet. Doing some research for my 4th year honours dissertation. I have a wind turbine capable of producing a certain output at say windspeed of 10mph. Meaning that the wind is moving towards the turbine at 10mph...
  37. E

    6MW offshore wind turbine - build me 300x please

    Nice toy... :!) A recent offshore wind turbine. 6MW peak power, the rotor has 120m or 154m diameter :-p The alternator rotates at the blades' speed, without a gearbox... With D=6.5m, it uses permanent magnets, its stator must be actively cooled, and the nacelle weighs 200t. Still not my...
  38. M

    Effect of Blade Angle on Power Output of wind turbine

    Homework Statement Hi all! I am been working on an EEI. Basically I recorded the power output (P=VI) of a wind turbine with the blades at different angles. I went from 0 degrees (flat) to 180 degrees in 15 degree increments. Averaging the data I see a graph like this: Also, just to...
  39. A

    Sizing Wind Turbine Generator - 8,000 Nm's - Help Needed!

    I am attempting to size a wind turbine generator where the torque available is 8,000 Nm's. Can anyone save me doing the calculations? Regards AV8TUR.
  40. T

    Vertical Axis Wind Turbine Power Estimation

    Hello, Can some explain to me how to calculate the power coefficient of a vertical axis wind turbine. If you explain the steps invloved would be great or any external file location where I could refer. I have below information 1) Lift Coefficient. 2) Drag Coefficient. 3) Angle of...
  41. I

    Wind turbine blades and bearing calculation help

    Ok I have a design project that I am working on for the University this semester. Having a bit of problems trying to figure out and issue revolving around the wind force on our savonius blades. We are trying to make sure our blades will rotate with a wind speed of 10 mph. We have the blade total...
  42. Q

    Why Do Wind Turbines Have a Power Curve Limit?

    Hello, As wind speed rises, the power output of wind turbine also rises. However, after it reaches a certain value (rated power), it levels off, i.e., it doesn't increase any further. According to my teacher, there is a limit to the power generation capability of the generator and hence...
  43. A

    Mooring line for wind turbine model

    Hello, I am construction a floating wind turbine model which is going to be used in a wave tank experiment this fall. Currently I'm looking for a mooring line for this model. The line will go from the wind turbin down to the bassin floor, where it will go through a pulley and back up to...
  44. S

    Ansys Guru Needed: Troubleshooting Offshore Wind Turbine Tower Units

    Hi! I'm doing my master thesis about designing a offshore wind turbine tower for subarctic conditions and I have a major problem with units I'm not much familiarised with Ansys, so I use Ansa as preprocessor and launch the solve in Ansys The problem I have is in units. I'm using Ansys...
  45. K

    Wind turbine efficiency question

    If we look at wind turbines used for power generation, they typically have 3 blades, and the blades are very slender compared to the blades of a house fan. I don't understand how such a slender blade can capture a significant amount of the wind's energy. The energy available in the wind is...
  46. M

    Wing and wind turbine blade aerodynamic center?

    Hello everyone, Now i am trying to model wind turbine blade using solidworks. I have the airfoil coordinates at each section of the blade, but the coordinates are distance per chord (x/c,y/c) so i have to scale it using the calculated chord. When i scale it with respect to the origin -...
  47. K

    Wind Turbine Energy Yield Calculation at a Given Site

    Homework Statement I need to find how much energy will be produced (at least approximately) at a site with the following characteristics (this is taken from the German Renewable Energy law): “The reference site shall be a site determined by means of a Rayleigh distribution with a mean...
  48. Z

    Calculate torque for a wind turbine

    density=1.2041 kg/m^3 Power 1.65 MW Rotor radius (blade length) = 37m calculated swept area = 4,301 m^2 wind speed 12m/s the rotor speed range is upto 20rpm i want to calculate the torque but not quite sure how to go about it Thanks for any help!
  49. A

    Wind Turbine Design: High Output for Low Wind Speeds

    please excuse the writing in some of these messages as I am typing this from my phone, but I am looking to build a high output wind turbine. I have a few questions. I am a high-school senior and have a large understanding in physics. my idea involves a 12 wing rotor as wind speeds are low in...
  50. T

    Wind Turbine generator on a camper

    I am building a "Tiny Home" on an old camper travel trailer. I am using all recycled materials and any leftover building supplies I can find. I am going to use solar power to generate most of my electric power (lights, outlets, etc.). I am considering using a hybrid system and utilizing wind...
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