Wind energy turbines

Wind energy turbines range from a few hundred watts to multimegawatt systems. Denmark is currently producing a 2-MW system designed to be used mainly in offshore locations. Because of the lower air turbulence over water, offshore wind turbines produce about 50% more energy than land-based turbines. They also last about 10 years longer. 

Wind turbines produce power by converting the force of the wind into torque. The power produced is a function of the wind energy flux (power), which, in turn, is a function of the air density multiplied by the wind velocity raised to the third power. Changes of air density with time at a particular site are negligible compared to the fluctuations in wind velocity. Meteorologists usually report wind speed as an average. To get the potential wind power, the average... 

See also Solar Energy Hydroelectric Energy Turbines, Wind. 

Wind is the motion of air masses caused by the different thermal conditions that occur over the earth s surface as a result of the transmission of solar radiation. Wind energy is defined as the kinetic energy of the wind converted into mechanical work. This mechanical work can be used to drive an electrical generator for the production of electricity. A machine that performs this conversion is called a wind turbine generator (WTG) and a group of these, including the auxiliary equipment, constitute a WF. 

Since 1992, more commercial wind farms have been installed than ever before with 40,000 turbines in 40 countries. Wind energy capacity is growing at almost 30% annually. By 1998, it reached 10,000 megawatts (MW), which can supply a country the size of Denmark and the wind power industry had sales of 2 billion with 35,000 jobs worldwide. The prime movers were an increasing environmental awareness and commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions made under the Kyoto Protocol of 1997. 

Wind energy Wind turbines capture the energy from the wind to produce electricity. They have been developed for various purposes, from large groups of grid-connected wind turbines, wind farms, both onshore and offshore, to very small autonomous turbines used for battery charging or in combined wind-diesel projects for off-grid application. 

Wind is free, but building and maintaining the wind turbines that convert wind energy to electrical energy is not. Over the past 20 years, the reliability and efficiency of wind turbines have improved, resulting in dramatically lower costs for electricity produced from wind power. In the near future look for highly efficient vertical-axis wind turbines in which the blades rotate like a carousel. 

Wind can be used in Georgia by modem turbines to generate electricity. The technical potential of wind energy in the country is estimated at 530 MW, with an annual generation up to 1.5 TWh. On a short-to-medium term prospective the economic potential of wind power is 500 GWh with an installed capacity of 180 MW [31]. 

Noteworthy projects include the 2006 completion of America s largest wind farm to date FPL Energy s 736-megawatt Horse Hollow Wind Energy Center in Texas spreads across 47,000 acres and is comprised of 291 1.5-megawatt turbines and 130 2.3-megawatt turbines. 

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