by James Dreamer

Created on: June 08, 2008

What is Wind Power?

The laws of physics tell us that for work to be done, there must be some type of power involved. This force can be from our own bodies (a bicycle). It can come from animals (a horse drawn cart). It can come from an internal combustion engine (a car). It can also come from the wind (a windmill). Wind power is simply one of the many ways work can be performed.

Over the years there has been a multitude of machines designed to convert the energy carried in the wind to usable power. The most common of these is the windmill. Blades attached to a hub set at an angle so the breeze moving over them gets deflected as it passes by. This causes an equal and opposite reaction which spins the blades thereby transmitting power to whatever is connected to the windmill.

In years gone by, windmills were used mainly to pump water. Many in America were coupled to hand pumps. Instead of human power having to manipulate a handle up and down the windmill would supply the necessary energy to pump the water. These units were invaluable to the American farmers before electricity was widely available.

Windmills could be employed to supply power for many tasks requiring rotational torque. Inventors soon found numerous applications. They have been used to grind wheat, pump water for livestock and irrigation, and to drive a large assortment of stationary machinery. I once saw pictures of a windmill powered tractor. Its maximum speed was only one and a half miles per hour but it could pull quite a large load (when the wind blew).

These days most of the new designs for windmills are manufactured to produce electricity. These wind powered dynamos operate by using the rotational force supplied by the blades to turn an alternator or generator. As the generator spins, an electrical charge is created in the copper windings. This charge is carried away by wires and is usually routed through some type of electronics to make it into usable power that can be fed directly into the grid or utilized to recharge batteries.

Larger and larger windmills are being manufactured to help supply our energy hungry nation with the power it demands. One drawback of these systems is that the wind must blow for them to do any work. When the air is still they produce nothing. This will probably keep them from ever being our main source of electricity, however, they do have their value and they generate power whenever the wind blows without polluting the planet.

What then, is wind power? Wind power is the use of the movement of air to do work, regardless of what that work is. We have talked about the most common forms here, but there are many others. Sailboats use wind power to propel themselves through the water. Kites use wind power to lift their structure high into the air. Hot air balloons use wind power to carry them across the countryside even though the lift is provided by heated gasses. Look around and you'll see wind power at work in many places.

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