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speed3000gt

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Joined: 19/05/2010
Location: United States
Posts: 2

Posted: 06:10pm 18 May 2010

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Please bear with me, I am just now taking an interest in wind turbine power but in order to fully grasp it, I would like to know how the spinning of the blades is converted to energy and where that energy goes or is saved at?

I'm from Texas where T Boone Pickens has made some lovely wind farms and I have some ideas to pitch to him that could possibly be a good business plan for him as well as end US dependence on foreign oil. But obviously I can't say if my ideas are good without knowing what I'm talking about

I don't really understand how a generator works so if someone could explain that part in depth, I'd appreciate it...

Thanks!

speed3000gt

Newbie

Joined: 19/05/2010
Location: United States
Posts: 2

Posted: 06:13pm 18 May 2010

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I found this but it didn't really explain to me how the spinning actually makes power/energy: http://www1.eere.energy.gov/windandhydro/wind_how.html

Can anything that spins freely be used to make energy as long as it has a generator attached to it?

Gizmo

Admin Group

Joined: 05/06/2004
Location: Australia
Posts: 5124

Posted: 10:50pm 18 May 2010

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Hi Speed

Big questions.

Yes spinning motion can be converted into electrical power with a Alternator or Genberator. However, if you take energy out, you need to put energy in.

But first you need to do a lot of reading ge get a grasp of whats going on.

These pages have a lot of info...

http://www.thebackshed.com/windmill/articles/GettingStarted. asp
http://www.thebackshed.com/windmill/Contents.asp

Glenn

The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago, the second best time is right now.
JAQ

readyakira

Senior Member

Joined: 17/07/2008
Location: United States
Posts: 114

Posted: 12:39pm 19 May 2010

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I think you need more of the basics of electromagnetism to understand what is going on. Take an axial flux windmill for example. you have coils of wire and magnets as the main parts that do the work. when the magnet passes over the coils of wire it essentially pulls/pushes the electrons in the copper wires creating a current. (electric is basicly the movement of electrons in a material). If you was to pass the magnet over an iron bar, there is still a current created just much much less effecient. anything that moves that magnet can be used with the right designing. For example one project I have in the planning stages is to mount 2 alternators on the frame of my van. When the truck is accellerating r cruising these will be free wheeling. But when decellerating these will be energized and thus creating a current while helping to slow the truck down. Now alternators work the same but different. They use a small current to create the magnetic field that pulls the current thru the coils of wire. Of course it takes outside energy to make this energy thus the reason people don't suggest using them at power generators.

maybe this site will help as well. http://new.wvic.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&i d=9&Itemid=46

You can also think of it this way. If you have a magnet and a washer, place the washer on the top of a glass table and the magent under it. The magnet will pull the washer the same way it pulls electrons in a wire. Edited by readyakira 2010-05-20

Don't you think Free/Renewable energy should be mandatory in new buildings?

Robb
Senior Member

Joined: 01/08/2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 221

Posted: 11:30pm 19 May 2010

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This could be a place to startEdited by Robb 2010-05-21

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