Unit 1 Wind Power Objectives: Student will know what forces cause wind Be able to explain how land surfaces affect wind

Pre-Test letter the question and your answer 1. What causes wind? a) Solar flares b) global warming c) solar radiation d)ocean currents 2. What would make an ideal site for a wind farm? a) Mountain top b) sea coast c) narrow valley d)all the above 3.What are some of the design consideration for making an efficient wind turbine? 4.What kinds of jobs are associated with the wind energy? 5.Where would place a wind farm in Maryland? 6.Currently, wind energy produces how much of the total electricity generated in the U.S. today a) 1% b)5% c)10% d)25%

7. One reason for not using wind turbines is that it kills too many birds. a) true b) false 8. Wind turbine technology is fairly new and consequently too expensive to be a cost effective energy solution. 9. Maryland does not have sufficient wind for wind generation as compared to other states who generate considerable amount of electricity from wind. a) True b) false

10. Identify the following components of a wind turbine(as class)

How Wind Works Wind energy is created by uneven heating of the earth’s surface. Wind energy is a form of solar energy. The uneven heating of the earth by the sun causes wind. Wind turbines are devices that capture some of the kinetic energy from the wind and convert it into electricity.

Sun and Pressure As the sun shines on the earth, different parts of the land and sea heat at different speeds. This results in high and low pressure areas and leads to the lift and fall of air. Due to the angle of the earth while rotating the majority of the heat falls upon the middle of the world (equator) and much less towards the ice caps of the northern and southern hemisphere this means that as the warm air rises on the equator the cold air is pulled in from the ice caps. This spreads the warmth across the globe and results in moving air patterns.

Wind Speed and Pressure The greater the difference in pressures, the stronger the force. The distance between the area of high pressure and the area of low pressure also determines how fast the moving air is accelerated.

Land-Sea Breezes Land-sea breezes created by temperature differentials Winds also stronger near shore because of long unobstructed fetch Sea breezes typically strongest in late afternoon

Valley Breeze

Mountain Breeze

Coriolis Effect

Coriolis Effect The Coriolis effect is most apparent in the path of an object moving longitudinally. On the Earth an object that moves along a north-south path, or longitudinal line, will undergo apparent deflection to the right in the Northern Hemisphere and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere. There are two reasons for this phenomenon: first, the Earth rotates eastward; and second, the tangential velocity of a point on the Earth is a function of latitude (the velocity is essentially zero at the poles and it attains a maximum value at the Equator).

Coriolis Effect

If you got on a plane in New York City and wanted to fly to Miami, could you fly in a straight line to get there? Why or why not?