Pattison.Rivas


 * __Wind Turbine Wiki__ **

Eric Pattison and Juan Rivas 
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Introduction __**  One of the major problems our world today is the use of fossil fuels to create energy. The burning of fossil fuels creates CO2 which intern reacts with the earth’s atmosphere and causes it to decompose. The destruction of the atmosphere is causing global warming, which is causing problems for people all over the world. While not as scientifically important, the cost of fossil fuel is another leading problem in the world. With the state of the modern day economy, an extra expense of high price fuel is a problem for many people.

 A driving force for this problem is the decreasing supply of fuel as well as the carbon foot print that it is leaving. The world’s supply of fossil fuels is being depleted at a very alarming rate. Some sources say that we may deplete these supplies within the next 50 years. There are many different things that people are trying to do to combat the issue. People are coming up with other options for fuel, as well as hybrid cars and trucks, that burn less fuel. They are also coming up with alternative energy sources such as wind, water, and solar power
 * __The Driving Force __**



Global Warming is starting to become a major issue around the world. The average temperature around the world has risen 1.4 degrees Fahrenheit since 1980. Around the poles it has been said they have risen up to double the average for the rest of the world. The arctic ice is starting to disappear at an alarming rate. The warmer temperatures are causing large tropical storms to happen more often and with a lot more force. Al Gore states, “ For a long time, the scientists have been telling us global warming increases the temperature of the top layer in the ocean, and that causes the average hurricane to become a lot stronger….”  The burning of the fossil fuels is a huge contributor to global warming, and is seen as one of the driving factors for the rapid increase in global problems over the last century. What to do to solve the Problem? __** Wind Power! ** The use of wind turbines (wind mills) has been going on for many years. Farmers in the mid west used them to pump water out of holding tanks to water their field and feed their animals. Wind turbines have come a long way since those days. They are much larger, and much more efficient. At the end of 2008, wind power in the United States reached 25,369 megawatts (MW) of installed capacity, giving us the largest amount of wind power capacity installed. The American Wind Energy Association has reported that wind projects installed through to the end of 2008 generated 52 million megawatt-hours (MWh), representing 1.26% of the nation’s electricity in 2008, or enough electricity for some 7 million households 
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How does it work? **



<span style="font-size: 12pt; color: #0070c0; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">The wind turbine takes natural resources (wind) and creates it into energy. They do not create any type of air pollution. The energy that is created is used to pump water, grind grain, make electricity, as well as other things. The way that it creates energy from the wind is through the blades. As the wind passes by it spins the blades, which turn a shaft. The shaft has a gear on the end of it which turns a generator to make electricity. If the turbine is being used to pump water or grind grain, there is another shaft that extends down the base of turbine and powers the equipment needed to do the task. There is a computer in the base of the mind mill that allows the operator to control the pitch and speed of the blades.
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The Major Uses for Wind Power ** <span style="font-size: 12pt; color: #0070c0; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">The major use for wind power is for electricity. The spinning blades run a generator that creates electricity to power houses, buildings, factories, and many other things. Some of the leaders in wind power are, United States, Germany, The UK, Denmark, and many others.
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Benefits of Wind Turbines __**<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">

<span style="font-size: 12pt; color: #0070c0; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Wind turbine promise a clean means to getting the energy we need and help the world with dependence on fossil fuel. With less dependency on fossil fuel, less power plants needed and eventually maybe even closing down power plants. Which hopefully will lead us into less greenhouse pollution. Helping us reserve our natural resources.

Many people believe the wind turbine to be too expensive. How many of us have 2 million dollars in our back pocket? Wind turbines are interesting in this aspect, you can money off of them. When your wind turbine is working properly and you have great wind, you can make a surplus of energy. Surplus of energy means you now have energy you can sell back to your country or state, depending where you are. While still keeping your self well powered. The government also supports clean energy and will give you tax breaks.

Unlike power plants, wind turbines are much cleaner. Making them easy to maintain and take care of, for the most part they are computer automated. The computer located at the base will control all the complex movements. Wind turbines have censors that will direct it towards the wind and control the pitch of the wings. They also have the built-in shut off, in case of an emergency. **__<span style="font-size: 20pt; color: #0070c0; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">



What’s The Problem With Wind Turbines? __**<span style="font-size: 20pt; color: #0070c0; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> <span style="font-size: 12pt; color: #0070c0; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> The largest problem one faces when dealing with wind turbines is location. Wind turbines are large to begin and this leads to many problems. Open areas are need in order to set them up and the these can be anywhere from 27 meters to 80 meters tall, 44 meters is equivalent to 144 feet. Most people want the greatest amount of energy which means larger turbine. The larger the turbine, the more of a problem they cause. A lot of people do not like the way they look, in order to set these turbines you need approval.

Even though the idea promises a clean and free source of electricity, this is not always true. In Denmark wind turbines reduce their need for fossil fuels which should have reduce the output of greenhouse gases and pollution, should have. Denmark promoted the construction wind farms, encouraging private companies to invest. The idea was profitable in thought.

Denmark has over 6 thousands turbines that produce nearly 20 percent of the countries power but no power plant has been closed yet. It is all because intermissions and variable wind. The power plants need to be kept on to keep up with the actual demand for electricity and because of this. Power plants are started up and shut off more consistently, causing even more greenhouse gas than normally. When the turbines are catching wind properly, they create surplus of power which is sold at a discounted price to other countries or the turbine is simply turned off. <span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> <span style="font-size: 20pt; color: #0070c0; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> __<span style="font-size: 20pt; color: #0070c0; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">

Our Thoughts __ <span style="font-size: 12pt; color: #0070c0; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">

Wind Turbine technology is becoming one of the fastest growth renewable energy sources around the world. It is proving to be a valuable asset to those who use it as well as providing a better means of creating energy. It is helping to save what little natural resources that we have left. We believe with more time and more money this will prove to be a practical solution to our energy problems. <span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> <span style="display: block; font-size: 14pt; color: #0070c0; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; text-align: center;">Works Cited <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">[] [] <span style="font-size: 11pt; color: #0070c0; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;">http://www.awea.org/newsroom/releases/AWEA_Stmt_WI