Wind Energy Knowledge
Wind energy is converted sun energy.
The sun radiates energy onto the earth at an hourly rate of 174,423,000,000,000 kW hours. The earth is heated unevenly by the sun – the atmosphere heats up much more quickly in the equator regions than in the rest of the globe and dry land heats up (and cools down) more quickly than the oceans do.
Where does the wind come from
The differential heating of the earth drives a global atmospheric convection system: warm air is lighter than cold air and rises to altitudes of approx. 10 km (6 miles); it then moves north- and southwards, while cold air moves underneath the warmed-up lighter air.
History of Wind Energy
Harnessing the wind is one of the oldest methods of generating energy. Since ancient times man has used the help of windmills to grind the harvest and to pump water. With the appearance of electricity at the end of the nineteenth century, the first prototypes of modern wind turbines were built, using technology based on the classical windmill. Since then it has been a long process until wind energy was accepted as a serious and commercially sound method to generate energy.
Future of Wind Energy
International climate and environmental experts agree that the atmosphere of our planet is warming up and that we are running short of resources. Furthermore, all power stations built in the 60s or 70s will soon have to be replaced. Political and economical requirements have changed dramatically since those stations were built; global environmental problems can no longer be ignored.
Chronology of Wind Energy Pioneers
Charles F. Brush (1849-1929), one of the founders of the US electrical industry. Brush constructed a machine in the winter of 1887-88, now considered to be the first automated wind turbine for electricity generation. The scale of it was gigantic, with a rotor diameter of 17 m (50 ft.) and 144 rotor blades made of cedar wood. The turbine ran for 20 years and charged the batteries for Brush’s mansion. Despite its size, the turbine generated only 12 kW of electricity.
How to Calculate Wind Energy
Wind is made up of moving air molecules which have mass – though not much. Any moving object with mass carries Kinetic Energy in an amount which is expressed by the equation:
Kinetic Energy = 0.5 x Mass x Velocity2
