Wind turbine facts for kids
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A wind turbine is a big machine that spins around. It uses the power of the wind to make energy. Think of it like a giant fan, but instead of using electricity to spin, it uses the wind to make electricity!
When the wind makes the turbine's blades spin, it creates mechanical energy. If this energy is used directly, like to pump water or grind grain, it's called a windmill. But if the mechanical energy is changed into electricity, then it's called a wind turbine generator or wind energy converter. These machines help us get clean energy from the wind.
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How Wind Turbines Make Electricity
Wind turbines work by catching the wind with their large blades. When the wind pushes the blades, they start to spin. This spinning motion turns a long rod inside the turbine, called a shaft.
From Slow Spin to Fast Power
The shaft turns quite slowly, usually about 10 to 20 times per minute. But it has a lot of turning force, called torque. This slow-turning shaft goes into a special part called a gearbox. The gearbox is like the gears on a bicycle; it makes things spin faster. It takes the slow spin of the shaft and speeds it up a lot, usually about 50 times faster! So, the gearbox makes another shaft spin around 1000 times per minute.
Generating the Electricity
This faster-spinning shaft is connected to an electric generator. The generator is the part that actually makes the electricity. It works by using magnets and coils of wire to create an electric current when it spins.
Sending Power to Homes
Once the electricity is made, it's often combined with electricity from other wind turbines in the same area. This group of turbines is called a wind farm. The combined electricity can be used nearby, or it can be sent to the main power grid. The power grid is like a huge network of wires that carries electricity to homes and businesses everywhere.
Wind Turbines and Our World
Wind turbines are a great way to get energy because they use a renewable source: the wind! This means the wind will always be there, unlike fuels like coal or gas that can run out. Also, wind turbines don't create pollution when they make electricity, which is good for our planet.
Sound and Sight of Turbines
Some people worry that wind turbines might be noisy or not look very nice. However, wind turbines are usually placed at least 300 meters (about 1,000 feet) away from homes. At that distance, the sound of a wind turbine is about as loud as a quiet air conditioner running in your house. So, they are not as noisy as some people think.
Images for kids
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James Blyth's electricity-generating wind turbine, photographed in 1891
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The three main types of wind turbines: VAWT Savonius, HAWT towered; VAWT Darrieus as they look when working
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Parts of a horizontal axis wind turbine (gearbox, rotor shaft, and brake assembly) being lifted into place
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Offshore Horizontal Axis Wind Turbines (HAWTs) at Scroby Sands Wind Farm, England
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The rotor of a gearless wind turbine being set up.
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A vertical axis Twisted Savonius type turbine in action.
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Parts of a horizontal-axis wind turbine
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The nacelle (the top part that holds the generator) of a wind turbine
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How wind turbines have grown in size and power from 1990 to 2016
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A Nordex wind turbine manufacturing plant in Jonesboro, Arkansas, United States
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The Nordex N50 wind turbine and visitor centre of Lamma Winds in Hong Kong, China
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A small Quietrevolution QR5 Gorlov type vertical axis wind turbine in Bristol, England.
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Fuhrländer Wind Turbine Laasow, in Brandenburg, Germany, one of the world's tallest wind turbines
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See also
In Spanish: Turbina eólica para niños
