Subscribe
Wind Turbine Questions and Answers:
Homemade wind turbines are becoming a widespread solution to cut off the cost of consumption of traditional energy generators. Wind turbines are considered to be environmental friendly and sustainable method of producing electricity. If trying to install or even build a wind turbine, it is important to know some basic knowledge about these devices.
How does wind turbines work?
There are two most important parts of wind energy systems that allow them to produce electricity. These are the rotor or collector and the generator. The rotor is made up of blades that utilize wind energy to rotate and thereby power a generator. The generator electronic system converts this energy into the form of electricity compatible for household use.
What are the advantages of using residential wind turbines?
Wind turbines are considered to be a renewable source of energy. The electric current produced by these systems is environmental friendly. They provide pollution free and environmentally sustainable electricity. Also, wind energy is available for free day and night, all year round unlike solar panels that can only operate during day time.
Wind turbines can reduce a household energy cost by about 50 to 90 percent depending on the type, size, design and location of the system. But it will definitely lower energy bills.
How much energy does a wind turbine can provide?
This depends on the size of the turbine itself. Horizontal axis wind turbines (HAWTs), which are the most common type of wind turbines, are about 25 feet long and have an average weight of about 30 pounds. These systems can produce around 300 to 10,000 watts of electricity. Another type is the vertical axis wind turbines or VAWTs. They are considered to be less efficient in energy production compared to horizontal axis systems. They are about 30 to 40 percent less efficient than HAWTs.
Those Homemade wind turbines usually placed on rooftops can generate only about 1,000 kilowatts or less. Thus, if more amount of electricity is needed more wind turbines have to be installed. Those set up in clusters like in wind farms, can produce above 100 kilowatts enough to power hundreds of household.
Are these wind systems noisy?
No matter what the size of a turbine might be, it has the potential of producing noise, though smaller ones produce lesser amount of noise. These can either be aerodynamic noises or mechanical noises. Aerodynamic noise refers to the sound caused by the air flow over and past the blades of the turbine that seem to increase with the rotor speed. Mechanical noise on the other hand is produced by components of the system such as due to wear and tear factors.
What happens when a lightning strikes?
Anything put on top are prone to damages caused by lightning. However, most of the wind turbines have full protection installed by manufacturers. Considering these when purchasing a system is thus necessary.
Can I make my own Residential wind turbines?
Homemade wind turbines are not hard to build. It just take some amount of money and a little of your time to create one and enjoy the benefits it can offer. Proper selection of location, correct choice of size and materials are important for DIY systems. Also, a good blue print to follow as guide is necessary to have an efficient wind turbine.