How do wind turbines turn wind energy into electricity?
How is mechanical power used to generate electricity?
- This mechanical power can be used for specific tasks (such as grinding grain or pumping water) or a generator can convert this mechanical power into electricity. A wind turbine turns wind energy into electricity using the aerodynamic force from the rotor blades, which work like an airplane wing or helicopter rotor blade.
How fast do wind turbine blades turn?
- To work safely, the wind turbine blades can only turn at around 16 rotations per minute, but to generate electricity to contribute to the power grid, a speed of 1600 rotations per minute is needed.
How much energy does a 4 kW wind turbine produce per day?
- For the 4 kW wind turbine, we’ll assume the turbine is 40m high. Average wind speed is about 6.5 m/s, giving an average power output of 900W (from power curve). Average energy per day is 900W x 24h = 21,600 Wh or 21.6 kWh. Obviously the relative energy outputs are very dependent on location.
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