Wind Energy
January 31, 2012
Written Assignment #1
One of the most debated issues in today’s world is that of energy sources to power an increasing global demand. Traditionally, humans have converted energy from natural resources like coal and natural gas for use. However, these sources of energy are both nonrenewable and cause large amounts of pollution. As we progress through the 21st century, renewable energy sources like solar and wind energy will see increased use to replace traditional sources. One of these sources, wind energy, is seeing a rise in development because it is a source of renewable energy that is both sustainable and poses minimal costs to the environment. Wind power has been around for many centuries, and has steadily developed over the last 100 years. The first major usage of wind power in the United States was between 1870-1930 when farmers used wind energy to pump water (Union of Concerned Scientists, 2009.) Modern wind turbines, although more advanced and complicated than their predecessors, operate in the same manner. Air particles moving in the form of wind create kinetic energy, which is captured by the turbines (Layton, 2011.) The wind hits the blades of each turbine, which due to their unevenness in size, begin to spin around the center of a turbine. The turbine is instructed to face the direction of the wind source at all times by a small computer located at its center, which interprets weather data (U.S. Dept. of Energy, 2011.) The blades, connected to a shaft inside the turbine, begin to spin the shaft, which in turn shifts various gears at high speed revolutions, generating the electricity. Most wind turbines are very tall in order to capture greater wind speed. Wind power is measured in GW, and it’s production of electricity in GWh. The conversion of wind energy into wind power follows the 1st Law of Thermodynamics, as energy is neither created nor destroyed in this process. Kinetic energy from the wind source is simply converted to
Written Assignment #1
One of the most debated issues in today’s world is that of energy sources to power an increasing global demand. Traditionally, humans have converted energy from natural resources like coal and natural gas for use. However, these sources of energy are both nonrenewable and cause large amounts of pollution. As we progress through the 21st century, renewable energy sources like solar and wind energy will see increased use to replace traditional sources. One of these sources, wind energy, is seeing a rise in development because it is a source of renewable energy that is both sustainable and poses minimal costs to the environment. Wind power has been around for many centuries, and has steadily developed over the last 100 years. The first major usage of wind power in the United States was between 1870-1930 when farmers used wind energy to pump water (Union of Concerned Scientists, 2009.) Modern wind turbines, although more advanced and complicated than their predecessors, operate in the same manner. Air particles moving in the form of wind create kinetic energy, which is captured by the turbines (Layton, 2011.) The wind hits the blades of each turbine, which due to their unevenness in size, begin to spin around the center of a turbine. The turbine is instructed to face the direction of the wind source at all times by a small computer located at its center, which interprets weather data (U.S. Dept. of Energy, 2011.) The blades, connected to a shaft inside the turbine, begin to spin the shaft, which in turn shifts various gears at high speed revolutions, generating the electricity. Most wind turbines are very tall in order to capture greater wind speed. Wind power is measured in GW, and it’s production of electricity in GWh. The conversion of wind energy into wind power follows the 1st Law of Thermodynamics, as energy is neither created nor destroyed in this process. Kinetic energy from the wind source is simply converted to
Cited: “How Wind Energy Works.” Union of Concerned Scientists. 15 Dec. 2009. Web. 20 Jan. 2012. <http://www.ucsusa.org/clean_energy/technology_and_- impacts/energy_technologies/how-wind-energy-works.html>. Layton, Julia. "How Wind Power Works." HowStuffWorks | Green Science. 2011. Web. 20 Jan. 2012. <http://www.howstuffworks.com/environmental/green- science/wind-power.htm>. Neville, Angela. "Top Plants: Fowler Ridge Wind Farm, Benton County, Indiana :: POWER Magazine :: Page 1 of 4." POWER Magazine. 1 Dec. 2009. Web. 20 Jan. 2012. <http://www.powermag.com/renewables/wind/Top-Plants-Fowler- Ridge-Wind-Farm-Benton-County-Indiana_2303.html>. U.S. Department of Energy. “Energy 101: Wind Turbines.” YouTube. 8 Feb. 2011. Web. 20 Jan. 2012. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tsZITSeQFR0>. Walls-Thumma, Dawn. "Traditional Energy Sources vs. Green Power Sources." National Geographic. Web. 20 Jan. 2012.<http://greenliving.national- geographic.com/traditional-energy-sources-vs-green-power-sources- 2442.html>.