Mann.+McLaughlin

Aaron Mann Connor Mclaughlin

Wind Energy

Wind energy is created by the use of wind turbines. These turbines can range in size and their power outputs which is how they are divided into classes. These turbines are constructed into four main parts. First you have the base of the wind turbine which is bolted into a block of cement. Next you have the middle section which is connected to the Nacelle. The Nacelle is the box on top of the body of the turbine that houses the generator, gears, and shaft for the blades.

__Inside Of A Turbine__ The inside of a turbine consists of a series of ladders that runs up the wall of the turbine. These ladders go up to platforms that allow turbine technicians to rest while climbing to the nacelle and perform preventive maintenance. These platforms also provide fall protection. Also, the cable wires are ran up alongside the shell of the turbine but dangle freely once they reach the Nacelle in order to compensate the turning of the Nacelle. If the wires from the nacelle are wound too tightly the nacelle will automatically correct this by turning in the opposite direction the wire are twisted in.





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__How It Works__ The way these turbines work is quite simple. First there is a tail fin that points the blades of the turbine in the direction of the wind which causes the blades to spin. On large commercial wind turbines, the met or weather station measures the wind speed and wind direction to point the blades in the direction of the wind. The blades on large commercial wind turbines also automatically adjust for stronger or weaker winds to produce maxim energy outputs. Once the blades start to spin, they turn a shaft that powers a generator. On large wind turbines the shaft runs to a set of gears that converts the slow spinning speed of the shaft to a fast spinning shaft inside the generator which generates more electricity. The power that is transferred to the generated is then transferred down the body of the turbine by the use of power cables that carry the electricity from the generator. Once the power reaches ground level, it is then sent to a converter that changes the power from AC power to DC power and is stored in a battery which supplies constant current as needed.

__Highlights of the wind turbine__ Highlights or advantages are very prevalent with wind turbines. There are very many and are opposed by very few disadvantages. - Both commercial and residential wind turbines produce no emissions once they are installed and running. - After the initial cost they are very inexpansive to run, maintain, and keep operational. - There is no cost for fuel, they are run by only wind. - They do not take up very much space, they can be used on small boats, mobile homes, from the roofs of houses and in camp grounds. - They are fairly cheap to purchase and even less expansive to build. - They can produce year round constant energy if the wind is constant. There are very few disadvantages opposing the many advantages of using harnessing the power of the wind to produce electricity. - If they are placed in an area with low wind or inconstant wind. - They can be very loud. - There is minimal pollution while they are being produced and installed. - Up-front costs can be high. (1.2-2.6 million for a large commercial wind turbine) - They do not produce as much energy as an energy plant using fossil fuels. - Many people believe they are unsightly when placed in the country side. They are seen as an eye sore if placed in a residential area too. When placed in apporiate places under the right conditions a wind turbine, or farm of wind turbines, are a great way to reduce energy cost over time, keep the environment clean and reduce the use of valuable fossil fuels to produce electricity. The high lights greatly out-weigh the disadvantages if the wind turbine if it is used in the proper setting.

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__And the critics say…..__ Some of the biggest critics are those who reside close to the wind turbine and wind turbine farms. They say that there are too many problems associated with them. For example, they say that there could be a loss in land value because of having a turbine near-by. They also complain that there is a potential for noise coming from the wind turbine when it spins during the middle of the night. One of the most outrages critics says there is a possibility of a strobe affect from the top of the tower. Some of the critics are those who have their money invested in other alternative energy souces. Bottomline is haters gonna hate and Slaters gonna Slate.

__ Make up of World’s Energy Supply __ The wind turbine is slowly becoming popular but is still seen as inefficient by few. Over the past decade though, interest has greatly increased. People are seeing them a true alternative to fossil fuels. Even though they are not widely used all over the globe, they are starting to help third world and developing countries come up with ways of using clean and efficient energy that reduce the amount of green house gasses greatly. __ Problem Solving __ The reason for building wind turbines was to find an alternative source for fossil fuels. Since being created, the wind turbine has done just that. Once constructed and operational, the wind turbine operates on a very small budget. The way it gets its energy is from the wind which is a free source of energy. It doesn’t cost a dime to harvest and can be harvested almost anywhere in the world. The key word there being “almost.” The reason I say that is, the wind turbine can not be put in places where there is little to no wind seeing has it needs wind to produce energy. However, if used correctly, you can install wind farms that use these wind turbines on a large scale. All this is, is multiple wind turbines in a single location to harvest the greatest amount of wind energy as possible. But to solve the world’s problem of burning fossil fuels, a very large scale of wind turbine farms would be needed to create enough energy to power a huge metropolitan area. Which could be a problem seeing that it is very expensive to build and construct just one of them. If there was a way to do this in a very cost effective way, it could be a new breakthrough for alternative energy and could stop the use of burning fossil fuels which is polluting our planet. __ Large Scale __ To make this idea work on a large scale, you would first need a big wallet. The wind turbines are not cheap once you get up into the 2 Megawatt range. These turbines could then cost upwards of $3.5 million. Also you would need a place to put all the wind turbines because you can not just put them anywhere in the world since they need wind to make electricity. You would need to put them in places where the wind is the greatest. Also you could put these turbines in the ocean to harvest more wind seeing as the wind is the greatest on the ocean. You could put them along coastlines. One of the biggest ways to make these wind turbines word on a larger scale is to make them more technically advanced than other ones in the past. For example, running two generators in one wind turbine to produce twice the electricity could make them for efficient. If you do create more advanced wind turbines you would not need the use of fossil fuels and could in return make the earth a cleaner and healthier place to live. This in return would stop the process of global warming and prolong our life here on earth. __ Changes __ Some of the changes I would make is producing them on a large scale to bring down the cost of buying one. Also I would put multiple generators in the turbine to create for energy. Another thing I would change is putting them in the arctic poles to reduce the criticism from people who live near them. I would start to implement them being put in the oceans to cut down on the land use. One of the things to cut down on is the pollution created to produce them. You could do this by experimenting with different types of materials to construct them.

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__ What the scientists say __ Wind power is on the rise, “Wind power additions in 2009 shattered old records, with roughly 10 GW of new capacity added in the U.S. and $21 billion invested. At the end of last year, cumulative wind power capacity in the U.S. stood at more than 35,000 MW” a study, by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, Calif. Stated. This is a major investment in the future of wind technology, which is part of the future of our lives. This could be the new fossil fuel. It has the potential, on a large scale, to be how all electricity is produced if the choice is made to take the route of wind power. The jet stream could also be a very effective place to install wind turbines due to constant high winds year round. This could be the solution to the energy crisis. “Scientists are eyeing the jet stream, an energy source that rages night and day, 365 days a year, just a few miles above our heads. If they can tap into its fierce winds, the world's entire electrical needs could be met, they say.” This was posted on sfgate.com. scientisits are also studying the negative effects of wind farms be place too close to residential areas. They claim to be liked to several sever health concerns. “Living too close to wind turbines can cause __heart desiese__, tinnitus, vertigo, panic attacks, migraines and sleep deprivation, according to groundbreaking research to be published later this year by an American doctor.” Dr Nina Pierpont, a leading New York paediatrician, found this research and to be true in some cases. There are many agreements and angles for both sides of the argument for wind turbines, some claim the effects to wild life in the area, and other weigh the possiblility for large scale power producing farms far out weigh the loss or several birds.

__Solution to the problem__ The problem is that the use of fossil fuels that pollute the environment. Wind energy is one of the solutions to this problem. Needing another way to make electricity is a large driving force behind coming up with new ways to produce electricity. Wind is a great option when it comes to producing electricity for a fairly large scale use. Of course the more turbines the more energy can be produced, cutting down on the burning of fossil fuels and pollution to the environment. Large companies are endorsing these large scale, high price, operations. This is a great way to invest in the future. Wind energy is one of the fuels of the future we can use to save the environment. Expansion is what needs to be done to keep the environment from being destroyed any further. This is a challenge that will be a prevailing energy source in the future.

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