Z Wind

Wind Energy is nothing new, we have been harnessing wind energy for hundreds of years. In Holland, windmills have been used for water pumping, artificial dams or grain grind mills. In 21st Century, “wind turbine”, morden cousin of wind-mills, is used to generate electricity from wind’s energy.

Wind turbines are mounted on a long pole to capture energy. Turbines catch the wind’s energy with their propeller with two or three blades, mounted on a shaft to form a rotor.

When the wind blows, a region of low pressure air forms on the downwind side of the blade. The low-pressure air pocket then pulls the blade toward it, causing the rotor to turn. The force of the lift is actually much stronger than the wind’s force against the front side of the blade, which is called drag. The combination of lift and drag causes the rotor to spin like a propeller, and the turning shaft spins a generator to make electricity.

Single wind turbin is typically used for water pumping. Larger farms of wind turbines are used to generate electricity.

Small, household (hobbie) wind systems also have potential as to generate electricity, enough to run small fan or light bulb.

•  To see how a wind turbine works, view a Wind Turbine Animation.
• View DOE’s Wind Power Animation to learn more about wind power in the United States.