How does Wind Turbine work?
Wind turbines work on a simple principle. The wind hits the rotor blades. The combination of wind speed and blade rotation results in a pressure distribution on the rotor blades. The pressure distribution causes a turning moment (torque). The turning moment rotates the shaft. The shaft is coupled to a generator that produces electrical power
Main parts of the Wind Turbine
The main parts of the wind Turbine are as follows
- Wind Turbine Rotor which includes blades and the hub
- Wind Turbine Nacelle which house the gearbox and generator
- Wind Turbine Tower
Wind Turbine Rotor
A wind turbine rotor consists of two parts i.e wind turbine blades and the hub. let’s discuss them briefly
Wind Turbine blades
Wind turbine blades are the critical component of the wind turbine system as they extract the kinetic energy from the wind. Blades are designed in such a way that when wind passes over them, aerodynamic forces are developed on their surfaces which cause them to rotate and generate torque.
Wind Turbine Hub
The hub is the central point of attachment that connects all three blades. To protect the hub from the environment, the hub is enclosed in the spinner.
Wind Turbine Nacelle
The nacelle is placed on the top of the tower which carries all the electrical, mechanical, and control parts of the wind turbine system.
The rotational energy of wind turbine blades is directly transferred to the low-speed shaft, as the low-speed shaft rotation is not sufficient for the generator to produce electricity, so for this, a gearbox is used to convert low rpm (revolution per minute) into high rpm which carries by the high-speed shaft.
Wind Turbine Tower
The tower is the main structural support of the nacelle and wind turbine rotor. It consists of cylindrical steel sections connected through a series of bolts. Such a tower is often referred to as a tubular steel tower. Besides steel, towers are also made of full of concrete called as concrete towers or a mixture of steel and concrete called as a hybrid towers.
