What is Wind Turbine? What are Main Types of Wind Turbines?

Today we will discuss about what is wind turbine and types of wind turbines. We all know about turbine and how it works. Wind turbine is a major source of renewable energy.
A wind turbine is a machine for converting the kinetic energy of wind into mechanical. If the mechanical energy is used directly as a pump or grinding, the machine is called windmill. But if this mechanical energy is converted into electrical energy, the machine is called wind generator.


What is Wind Turbine? What are Main Types of Wind Turbines?

The main parts of a wind turbine are a rotor, a rotor hub, gearbox, generator to generate electricity. The rotor blades capture wind energy and transfer its power to the rotor hub. The rotor hub connected through the gearbox which speeds up the speed of rotating shaft. This shaft is further connected to the electric generator to generate electricity.  This is the basic principle of wind turbine. There are  many types of wind turbines. These are as follow:-

Types of Wind Turbines:

Today source of energy is the one of the most important factor which may be considered. The wind energy is the one of the most useful and renewable source of its. There are many types of wind turbines. These may classified as follow:

According to use of wind turbine:

1. Windmills

If the mechanical energy generated by the wind turbine is directly used for mechanical work such as grinding or pumping, this type of wind turbine is known as windmill.
What is Wind Turbine? What are Main Types of Wind Turbines?

2. Wind generator

If the mechanical energy generated by the wind turbine is further convert into electrical energy through the generator or the mechanical energy generated by turbine is used to drive a generator, this type of wind turbine is known as wind generator.


What is Wind Turbine? What are Main Types of Wind Turbines?

According to the axis of rotation

1. Horizontal axis wind turbine

If the axis of rotating of blades of turbine is parallel to the ground or horizontal, the wind turbine is known as horizontal axis wind turbine. In this type of wind turbine the rotating axis of turbine blade is parallel to the ground. This is the most common wind turbine which widely used to commercially. Accorinng to design these wind turbines are classified as follow

a. Up wind turbine

b. Down wind turbine

c. Shrouded wind turbine

It has an added structural design which increases the amount of air passes through the turbine blade.
What is Wind Turbine? What are Main Types of Wind Turbines?

2. Vertical axis wind turbine

If the axis of rotating of blades of turbine is parallel to the ground or horizontal, the wind turbine is known as horizontal axis wind turbine. In this type of wind turbine the rotating axis of turbine blade is parallel to the ground. There are very few vertical axis wind turbine because they do not take advantage of higher wind speed at higher elevation above the ground. According to design they are classified as follow

a. Savonius wind turbine

This type of wind turbine has S shaped. It run relatively slow but generates high torque. This wind turbine is used to grinding or pumping. Due to its slow rotation speed, this is not used to generate electricity.


What is Wind Turbine? What are Main Types of Wind Turbines?

b. Flapping panel wind turbine

This wind turbine used the wind coming from all direction and the wind turbine work according to it.

c. Darrieus wind turbine

It is the most popular wind turbine. It has two or three C shaped blades. This wind turbine needs to start before the wind will rotate it.


What is Wind Turbine? What are Main Types of Wind Turbines?

Today we have discussed about what is wind turbine and types of wind turbines. If you have any query kindly ask by commenting below.

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