FAQs
How does a wind turbine make electricity?
The simplest way to think about this is to imagine that a wind
turbine works in exactly the opposite way to a fan. Instead
of using electricity to make wind, like a fan, turbines use
the wind to make electricity.
Almost all wind turbines producing electricity consist of
rotor blades which rotate around a horizontal hub. The hub
is connected to a gearbox and generator, which are located
inside the nacelle. The nacelle is the large part at the top
of the tower where all the electrical components are located.
Most wind turbines have three blades which face into the
wind; the wind turns the blades round, this spins the shaft,
which connects to a generator and this is where the electricity
is made. A generator is a machine that produces electrical
energy from mechanical energy, as opposed to an electric motor
which does the opposite.
For more information see:
• The animated
website Wind with Miller produced by the Danish Wind Industry Association for kids and
young at heart of all ages. It is the fast and fun way to get
an intuitive grasp of advanced wind power knowledge.
• A very informative and more “technical” version
can also be found at the website of the Danish Wind Industry
Association
Back to FAQs |
