How does a wind turbine work? | Sustainability - ACCIONA

ACCIONA

23 Feb 201602:46

Summary

TLDRWind turbines harness wind energy to generate electricity. They have blades up to 60 meters long, designed to capture kinetic energy from wind. The blades rotate at speeds between 7 and 12 RPM, which is then increased by a gearbox over a hundredfold for the high-speed shaft. This drives a generator that converts the kinetic energy into electricity. The electricity is then stepped up in voltage by transformers for efficient transmission through the power grid to consumers, providing a clean, sustainable energy source.

Takeaways

📝 Wind turbines have a wind vane at the top to indicate wind direction, allowing the turbine to rotate and face the wind.
💵 The turbine blades rotate on their axis for maximum resistance to wind, capturing kinetic energy from moving air currents.
💲 Blades can be up to 60 meters long and are made of lightweight, resistant materials to facilitate movement even with light winds.
💴 Wind turbines start producing energy at wind speeds of about 11 kilometers per hour.
💳 For safety, in very strong winds above 90 kilometers per hour, blades are placed in a feathered position to stop the turbine from spinning.
💵 The blades are attached to the hub, which is coupled to the low-speed shaft that spins at the same speed as the blades (7-12 RPM).
💲 The gearbox increases the turning speed of the low-speed shaft over a hundred times, transferring it to the high-speed shaft.
💵 The high-speed shaft rotates up to 1500 RPM and is connected to a generator that converts kinetic energy into electricity.
💴 The electricity produced is conducted through the tower to the banks where a transformer raises the voltage for transport.
💵 Alternating current from each turbine is sent to the substation through underground cables, where the voltage is increased again for integration into the power grid.
💹 Wind energy is used to power cities, industries, schools, hospitals, and household appliances in a clean and sustainable manner.

Q & A

What is the primary function of a wind vane on a wind turbine?
-The wind vane at the top of a wind turbine indicates the wind direction, allowing the turbine to rotate on the tower and face the wind.
How do the blades of a wind turbine interact with wind?
-The blades rotate on their axis to maximize resistance to wind force, which is the kinetic energy contained in moving air currents.
What material properties are important for wind turbine blades?
-Wind turbine blades are made of very light and resistant materials to ensure ease of movement and energy production even with light winds.
What is the minimum wind speed required for a wind turbine to start producing energy?
-A wind turbine can start producing energy with very light winds, starting from about 11 kilometers per hour.
Why do wind turbines stop spinning in very strong winds?
-In very strong winds above 90 kilometers per hour, the blades are placed in the feathered position and the turbine stops spinning for safety reasons.
What is the purpose of the gearbox in a wind turbine?
-The gearbox increases the turning speed of the low-speed shaft over a hundred times and transfers it to the high-speed shaft.
How fast does the high-speed shaft rotate in a wind turbine?
-The high-speed shaft rotates up to 1500 revolutions per minute.
What converts the kinetic energy into electricity in a wind turbine?
-A generator converts the kinetic energy into electricity, which is easier to transport and use.
How is the electricity produced by a wind turbine transported to the power grid?
-The electricity produced is conducted through the interior of the tower to the banks, where a transformer raises the voltage for transport inside the wind farm.
What happens to the voltage of the electricity at the substation?
-At the substation, the voltage is increased again to feed it into the power grid and transport it to end consumers.
How does the use of wind turbines contribute to sustainability?
-Wind turbines use wind to produce clean and sustainable energy that can be used to light cities, feed industries, schools, hospitals, or operate household appliances.

Outlines

00:00

🌬️ How a Wind Turbine Works

This paragraph explains the basic functionality of a wind turbine, starting with the wind vane at the top of the turbine which helps orient the blades toward the wind direction. The blades are designed to rotate on their axis to capture the kinetic energy from wind currents. These blades, which can be up to 60 meters long, are made from lightweight and resistant materials to facilitate movement even in light winds. Wind speeds as low as 11 km/h can generate power, but if wind speeds exceed 90 km/h, the blades are placed in a feathered position to stop the turbine for safety. The energy from the blades is transferred through the low-speed shaft, which rotates at the same speed as the blades (7-12 revolutions per minute).

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Wind Turbine

A wind turbine is a device that converts the kinetic energy from wind into electrical power. In the video, wind turbines are described as having a wind vane to indicate wind direction, allowing them to rotate and face the wind. This is crucial for capturing the wind's energy effectively.

💡Wind Vane

A wind vane is a component on top of a wind turbine that shows the direction of the wind. It is essential for the turbine to rotate and face the wind, as mentioned in the script, ensuring that the turbine captures the maximum wind force.

💡Kinetic Energy

Kinetic energy is the energy possessed by an object due to its motion. In the context of the video, wind force is a form of kinetic energy contained in moving air currents. The spinning of the turbine blades is a direct conversion of this kinetic energy from the wind into mechanical energy.

💡Blade

The blades of a wind turbine are designed to capture the kinetic energy from the wind. As described in the script, they can be as long as 60 meters and are made of light, resistant materials to facilitate movement and energy production even with light winds.

💡Low-Speed Shaft

The low-speed shaft is connected to the blades via the hub and spins at the same speed as the blades, which is between 7 and 12 revolutions per minute. This component is critical as it is the first step in the conversion process from wind energy to mechanical energy.

💡Gearbox

The gearbox is responsible for increasing the rotational speed of the low-speed shaft over a hundred times. This is necessary because the generator requires a higher speed to operate efficiently, as highlighted in the script.

💡High-Speed Shaft

The high-speed shaft is connected to the gearbox and rotates at up to 1500 revolutions per minute. This increased speed is essential for the generator to convert the mechanical energy into electricity effectively.

💡Generator

A generator is the component that converts the mechanical energy from the spinning shaft into electrical energy. The script explains that the generator uses the high-speed shaft's rotation to create electricity, which is then easier to transport and use.

💡Transformer

A transformer is used to raise the voltage of the electricity produced by the generator for efficient transport. As mentioned in the script, the transformer increases the voltage within the wind farm before the electricity is sent to the substation.

💡Substation

A substation is where the voltage of the electricity is increased again before it is fed into the power grid. The script describes how the alternating current from each turbine is sent to the substation through underground cables.

💡Power Grid

The power grid is the network that delivers electricity from generators to consumers. The video script explains that the electricity generated by wind turbines is transported through the power grid to light cities, feed industries, schools, hospitals, and operate household appliances.

Highlights

Wind turbines convert wind force into electrical energy.

A wind vane at the top indicates wind direction.

Turbines rotate to face the wind for maximum resistance.

Blade design captures kinetic energy from moving air currents.

Blade length can be up to 60 meters for efficient energy capture.

Blade materials are light and resistant for ease of movement.

Turbines can produce energy with winds as light as 11 kilometers per hour.

For safety, turbines stop spinning in very strong winds above 90 kilometers per hour.

Blade position is adjusted for safety in high winds.

The hub connects the blades to the low-speed shaft.

The low-speed shaft spins at 7 to 12 revolutions per minute.

A gearbox increases the shaft's speed over a hundred times.

The high-speed shaft rotates up to 1500 revolutions per minute.

A generator converts kinetic energy into electricity.

Electricity is transported and used more easily.

The transformer raises voltage for efficient transport within the wind farm.

Alternating current is sent to the substation through underground cables.

Voltage is increased again to feed into the power grid.

Wind energy is used to power cities, industries, schools, hospitals, and household appliances in a clean and sustainable way.