Sunday 5 September 2010

The Pros And Cons Of Wind Turbine Electricity Machines

The Pros And Cons Of Wind Turbine Electricity Machines
Converting wind power into electricity is actually the reason for wind turbines. A regular wind turbine is a big tower that has blades hooked up to a rotor. Any time the wind blows the generator the blades make the rotor rotate and the movement of the rotor makes the generator within the turbine generate power. The generator is a typical design made up of magnets and copper wire connections. There's absolutely nothing difficult about this kind of generator.

There has to be sufficient wind to rotate the blades for these generators to make electricity. The reason turbines are built so extremely high is to take advantage of the more potent winds found at higher altitudes. The consequence of the stronger wind at that level is that the turbines generate more electricity. All of this would not matter if there was actually no wind to begin with. This is precisely why extensive research is conducted on areas for potential wind turbines to make certain that there's enough wind to generate energy. This is likely to mean they are positioned along coastlines where it is usually very windy. While wind speed is the most crucial variable to measure, wind direction may even have an impact on the effectiveness of the installation. Nevertheless the design is very clever and they are constructed so that the rotor turns in the direction of the wind, enabling them to catch the wind from any direction.

Enough electricity to meet the large needs of an entire household may be produced from a solitary turbine. A battery backup which is replenished by the turbines, supplies power during times when no wind blows. Because of the high initial investment, which will call for many years to recover, wind turbines require a long term perspective. Unlike other green energy methods, wind turbines will consistently work 24/7, providing that there is wind. Solar panels can not work in the dark while wind turbines can. Another good thing about wind turbines is that these are generally eco-friendly as they produce zero pollution. This implies that wind turbines do not contribute when it comes to the effects of global warming because there are no fuels actually burned and no emissions being discharged into the atmosphere. Another advantage is that turbines are capturing energy from a constantly renewing source. Therefore there is always likely to be energy created by the turbines.

While they have a lot going for them, there are some downsides to consider. Many individuals don't want to be looking at a tall tower with a propeller on top outside their window. Large installations, with a bunch, or even hundreds grouped together, generate visual pollution in coastal areas, as outlined by critics. Like any mechanical system that moves, they may be quite noisy. Another major issue that people have observed is that birds and bats (bats especially) tend to fly into them. The spinning rotors disrupt the bats' ability to stay away from physical objects with their sonar readings. This doesn't happen often, but when it does, it is regrettable.

Wind turbines certainly seem to be a good source of energy, but of course there are downsides like with anything. They can play a major role in our future energy plans if they are applied carefully.

Michael Porterfield is a veteran writer & blogger who is skilled in thermodynamics, solar panels and also other advanced sources of energy for a better life. See Wind Energy, Alternative Source of Energy