Wind Power
For several years, the protection of the environment has caused exceptionally interest and ultimately, many technologies were developed. This is the case of wind energy. Long ago, we applied this source of power for water drawing or milling wheat to make flour. Today, this energy source is still used to draw water but it is predominantly used to cause electricity, lacking any adverse effect on the environment. The raise in operating costs for nuclear and fossil fuels have also allowed wind energy to become notably more competitive.
Wind energy has been exerted for some time. It is captured when the wind pushes against a propeller that is lightly bent. This forces all the blades to turn and draw well water or turns a generator to cause electricity. There are two types of wind turbines, vertical axis turbines and horizontal axis. Most wind turbines are horizontal. They have some disadvantages, among others, the generator is placed at the top of the tower, which makes it challenging to maintenance and repair. The vertical wind turbine, developed by the Canadians, has numerous advantages. First, access to the generator and the main mechanical components are based at the foundation of the tower. In addition, no system to direct the direction of the wind turbine is required. This turbine is still in development, but it is likely that when fully functional, it will have a big impact on the use of turbines for wind power.
Wind energy is extracted from a wind turbine and subsequently transformed into electricity by a generator. The generator current is sinusoidal and when plugged into the electricity grid, its frequency must be the same as the power grid or 60 Hertz. As the speed of the impeller determines the current frequency of the generator, it is essential that the turbine rotates at a continual speed. For this reason, much of the energy is not extracted from the wind. Nowadays, it is very important that a device operates at a very high yield. The same principle applies to wind turbines. In addition, researchers have found that it is possible to extract more power from the wind by correcting the sinusoidal current in order to obtain a DC. Then, with the aid of a converter, the current is transformed back into a sinusoidal wave but with an even frequency of 60 Hertz. This means that the turbine can turn almost any speed and thus extract more energy. Although the converter is often very complex and is expensive, the power gain is worth the effort.
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