You might have seen them while you’re out driving through rural land: giant 3-bladed wind turbines in clusters that make up massive wind farms. Perhaps you’ve seen their blades spinning and harvesting wind energy. But do you know how the inside of a wind turbine works?
Depending on its size and capacity, a wind turbine can power anywhere from 1,500 to over 3,000 houses per year. To do that, it requires a series of moving parts, all working in synchronicity.
Read on to learn more about the inside of a wind turbine and how it works.
What is a Turbine?
A turbine is a large machine that spins and harvests the surrounding energy. In wind turbines, wind energy provides kinetic energy, which is then gathered by the turbine and used to power the grid. This dramatically reduces carbon emissions and water usage when compared to traditional power plants.
What Does the Inside of a Wind Turbine Look Like?
You might have seen the vast, aerodynamic curved blades of a wind turbine, but what does the inside of a wind turbine look like? To better understand this concept, let’s take a look at the critical parts on the inside of a wind turbine.
Blades
The blades of a wind turbine are constructed of fiberglass and are aerodynamic. This makes them ideal for harvesting wind energy.
Hub
The wind turbine blades attach to the hub. This is what allows rotation to occur. The complete assembly of the blades and hub together is known as the rotor.
Nacelle
The rotor is attached to the nacelle, which houses the mechanical and electric equipment on the inside of a wind turbine. This includes the gearbox, the main shaft, and the generator.
Main Shaft/Gearbox
The gearbox of a wind turbine converts the slower rotation of the turbine’s blades into motion with greater speed. It is connected to the rotor and the generator or gearbox.
Generator
The generator is connected to the main shaft. It takes wind energy and will typically use it to power the grid.
Pitch Control Systems
The pitch control systems adjust the shape of the wind turbine’s blades as needed to adjust the speed of rotation. These systems on the inside of a wind turbine will turn the blades either in or out to speed up (or slow down) rotation.
Yaw System
The yaw system is what connects the nacelle to the tower of the wind turbine. This system turns the nacelle with the blades to capture the most wind energy.
How the Inside of a Wind Turbine Works
When the wind blows the blades of a wind turbine, this creates kinetic energy or energy created from movement. The rotors then spin the main shaft, which is connected to the rotor blades.
Next, the gearbox converts the main shaft rotation into a higher speed to power the generator. Then, the generator takes that kinetic energy and converts it to electrical energy.
Learn More About Wind Energy
Wind energy is a much greener and more efficient way of powering the grid. Now that you know what the inside of a wind turbine looks like, you can learn more about the benefits of wind energy.
Contact us now for more information on the power of wind energy.