How Do Wind Turbines Work? | NOVA | PBS
Rather than being pushed like sails, wind turbine blades act more like airplane wings. They''re shaped so that wind flows at different speeds above and below them.
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Rather than being pushed like sails, wind turbine blades act more like airplane wings. They''re shaped so that wind flows at different speeds above and below them.
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Explore the science behind wind turbine blade design — from aerodynamics to materials — and learn why blade shape matters for efficiency, durability, and clean energy.
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These wind turbines work according to a very simple principle, making the most of the wind''s force, which in this case acts as a source of primary energy. By spinning its blades, it produces kinetic
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Learn about the science behind wind blades and how they are designed to capture energy from the wind and turn it into electricity!
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How Do Wind Turbines Work? Wind turbines work on a simple principle: instead of using electricity to make wind—like a fan—wind turbines use wind to make electricity. Wind turns the propeller-like
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Basically, the wind''s kinetic energy is converted into mechanical energy by the rotor. A gear box transforms the blades'' slow rotations (between 18 and 25 per minute) into faster rotations (up to
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Wind turbines use the kinetic energy of the wind to move the blades, which turn a motor that converts kinetic energy into mechanical, and then into electrical energy. Simply put – a turbine
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In a conventional power plant (fueled by coal or natural gas), combustion heats water to steam and the steam pressure is used to spin the blades of a turbine. The turbine is then connected to a generator,
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When wind blows past a plane''s wings, it moves them upward with a force we call lift; when it blows past a turbine''s blades, it spins them around instead. The wind loses some of its
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On This WebsiteOn Other SitesNews ArticlesBooksStatistics and Market ReportsTechnical Reports and Journal ArticlesPhotographsVideosNeed photos for a school project on wind power? Have a look at: 1. US Department of Energy/National Renewable Energy Laboratory Photo Library: Enter the search term "wind turbine" and you''ll find a couple of thousand photos of turbines. As works of a US Federal Government agency, some of these photos are in the public domain, but others (supplied b...See more on explainthatstuff psu
In a conventional power plant (fueled by coal or natural gas), combustion heats water to steam and the steam pressure is used to spin the blades of a turbine.
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Wind turbines use blades to collect the wind''s kinetic energy. Wind flows over the blades creating lift (similar to the effect on airplane wings), which causes the blades to turn.
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