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Wind Turbine Generators.

So, how does a home wind turbine make power?

A home wind turbine makes power by spinning a generator. The generator is attached to the rotor, made up of three aerodynamic blades, that is then attached to a tower. To keep the turbine facing the wind, the rotor has a tail, that acts as a weather vain.

The generator is basically an electric motor. As the coils in the motor spin past the magnets, an electric current is produced. The power produced is stored in batteries, which are connected to an inverter to change the direct current to alternating current, which can then be used to power your home. The advancement of motor efficiency, is the reason wind turbines have become so popular for home use.

Depending on your area's wind conditions, the tower can vary in length. If you live near the sea where it is windy, the tower can be shorter, but in low-wind areas the tower needs to be taller to catch as much wind possible.

Over time the blades have improved drastically as researchers developed lighter, stronger, more efficient blades, with the capability of turning even in the lightest breeze. Back in the day, wind turbines had five blades, and looked similar to windmill water pumps, but recently they have moved to three blades, taking the form of over-sized airplane rotors. Like the tower, the blades vary in size, according to your wind conditions and energy requirements.

While so far we have been explaining the typical horizontal axis wind turbine, there is another design that is starting to gain popularity for small-scale projects. It is the vertical axis wind turbine or VAWT. Very different to the standard horizontal axis turbine, the VAWT spins on a vertical axis, and almost looks like a waterwheel put on its side. Since the VAWT tends to operate low to ground, it needs far more wind to make it turn efficiently, so it is not the ideal option for homeowners or small businesses. The VAWT has also been accused by ecologists of interrupting and harming various migratory birds, making it less attractive for green enthusiasts.

Before going out and installing a wind turbine, it is best to ask yourself the following questions:

- How big is the property?

Wind turbines generally operate better in large areas that cover an acre. This is because wind flow is not deflected by any nearby buildings.

- What is the average wind speed?

The recommended wind speed should be at least eleven miles per hour, but if that isn't the case then you may have to use a taller tower and larger blades to catch higher altitude winds.

- What else can I use the wind turbine for?

If you could use the turbine for other purposes, such as pumping in water from outside, then it may be useful than you think. This is the reason you see so many windmills scattered over farms - they help pump water from reservoirs to the farmhouse.

- Does my house need a constant power supply?

This is why so many people want to get a small wind turbine in the first place - to keep the house powered during blackouts, and prevent economic losses. Although the wind turbine may not power the house all the time, it's stored power can be used in emergencies, when the utilities are just not enough.

Answering these questions will give you a good idea of how much power you need, how big the tower a blades need to be, and how much it would be worth investing to start making your own power at home.

The great thing about technology is that it is always improving. So much so that motors have become smaller, efficient and cheap enough for us to attach a few small turbines right on the roof, and produce the same power as a larger turbine on a tall tower.

Although professional home wind turbines can run into several thousands of dollars, it is possible to make your own for a tenth of the price, with components found at home and your local hardware store. Furthermore, the U.S. offers both state and federal tax credits that you can use to offset the installation cost. So not only will you reduce your electricity bill, but also your tax at the same time.

Tim McDonald and his wife have been living off the grid since June 2008. If you want to learn to make your own home wind turbine, get off the grid and save thousands on your electricity bills, then try Earth4Energy for free before you start any renewable energy project.
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Wind Turbine Generators.

Wind Turbine Generators.

The easiest way to understand how wind turbines work is to think of a fan operating in reverse ? rather than electricity spinning the blades and thus generating wind, the wind spins the blades, thereby generating electricity.

Breaking it down to it's simplest components, a wind turbine operates as follows:

the wind turns the blades

the blades spin a shaft

the shaft connects to a generator

the generator produces electricity

To expand on that simplification, the turbine's blades are connected to a hub that's mounted atop a turning shaft which runs into a gear transmission box that increases the turning speed which, in turn, is connected to a high speed shaft that cranks the generator. If the wind speeds get too high, a brake is deployed to slow the blades down and prevent damage being done to the system.

There are two basic types of wind turbine:

horizontal axis wind turbines: the kind most commonly in use today and the focus of U.S.
Department of Energy research on wind power, these come in two varieties ?

2-blade horizontal axis turbines spin downwind

3-blade horizontal axis turbines spin upwind

vertical axis wind turbines

The size of a wind turbine will influence its power generating capacity, with the smaller windmills that produce under 50 kilowatts being the type most commonly used to power water pumps, telecom dishes, and homes.

In an innovative advancement known as hybrid wind systems, these smaller turbines are also being used in combination with solar (photovoltaic) systems, rechargeable deep-cycle batteries, and diesel generators to provide storable, on-demand power in more remote, off-the-grid places.

In most residential situations, a wind turbine is used as a supplemental source of power in combination with local, on-the-grid, utility power. There is something called a cut-in speed (7-10 miles per hour), below which the wind turbine will cease to provide an output, and the utility grid provides the structure's power. Above the cut-in speed, the wind turbine kicks in and the grid power supply is proportionately reduced (depending on the structure's energy draw at the given moment).

If the output produced by the wind turbine exceeds the draw from the structure (and/or storage devices, like batteries), the excess power is then sold back to the pubic utility company. Use of wind energy can reduce a residence's energy costs by, on average, 50-90%, though these numbers are influenced by a variety of factors and, as such, can fluctuate greatly.

In a typical residence that uses under 10,000 kilowatt hours per year of electric power, a 5-15 kilowatt wind turbine should more than suffice. This type of system can run anywhere from $6,000-$22,000 to install, depending on a variety of factors, including: its size, your intended application, and any service contracts entered into with the manufacturer.

Being that certain situations (such as in the city) make personal wind power use an unviable option, a general rule of thumb is to consider installing your own wind power system if and only if you pay at least 10 cents per kilowatt hour and your location's average wind speeds exceed 10 miles per hour.

The larger wind turbines have capacities upwards of 50 kilowatts, running these days into the several-megawatt range. These windmills, known as utility scale turbines, can be grouped together and connected to central lines for transmitting and distributing in bulk to the local utility grids that, in turn, sell that power to homes and businesses across the land. These are called wind power plants or wind farms.

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For easy to understand, in depth information about wind power visit our ezGuide 2 Wind Power.

Tags: skystream wind turbine, wind turbine blade, how to build a wind turbine, build your own wind turbine

Wind Turbine Generators.