Amelia Brown, Isabel Brieler, Armon Walker & Mac Johnson Wind Power Amelia Brown, Isabel Brieler, Armon Walker & Mac Johnson

What is wind power? Wind Power is harvested from wind by wind turbines. The wind turns the blade of the turbines, which in turn rotates a shaft within the body of the turbine. This rotational energy is then harnessed to operate a generator, which turns the energy into electricity that can then be transported elsewhere to supply power for homes or other buildings requiring it.

Type of Primary Source Wind Power is actually a type of solar power. Because the surface of the Earth is unevenly heated by the sun, cold air moves around in an attempt to maintain equilibrium, causing wind.

Advantages of Wind Power Sustainable Clean Free Low operating costs Adds jobs to the economy Can be placed in remote locations Autonomous Take up a small surface area

Disadvantages of Wind Power Dependent on wind (can be inactive when it isn’t windy) Easily damaged by strong winds or water damage 30% usable power generated Noisy and large (people often object to having them near their homes) Can cause problems with bird and bat populations High initial costs to purchase Wake effect Transporting electricity is expensive Sometimes must be placed in remote or inaccessible locations

Sankey Diagram Loss of 40% due to aerodynamic limits (the blades can’t get energy from all of the wind) Loss of 25% due to friction in the turning turbine Loss of 5% due to losses to the grid (not all electricity is kept when it is transported)

How to Solve Problems Wind Power problems are fairly basic, and can be solved using the following equation: P = 1/2pAv3 P = power p = density of air A = surface area of turbine blades v = velocity of wind

Sources http://windeis.anl.gov/guide/basics/ http://www.stelr.org.au/wind-energy/ http://www.awea.org/wind-energy-101 https://energy.gov/eere/wind/how-do-wind-turbines-work https://ibphysclimate.wikispaces.com/Energy+degradation