WIND ENERGY AND ITS USES

Presented By: Sourav Kr.BhoumikMS Fellow,7th batch,2014

National Council of Science Museums

WIND ENERGY –IS IT GOING TO BE THE RENEWABLE

ENERGY SOURCE OF THE FUTURE ??

INTRODUCTION

RENEWABLE ENERGY It is the energy which comes from natural resources.

Renewable energy is derived from natural processes that are replenished constantly.

Important Types :

Solar EnergyWind EnergyTidal EnergyBio MassBio Fuel

wind ENERGYCause of wind flow : Solar energy is responsible for the blowing of wind.

The intensity of sun-rays is stronger near the Equator than at the Polar Regions.

Due to unequal heating of the earth's surface, cooler air from the Polar Regions flow towards the equatorial regions to fill the space created by the hot rising air.

Air flows from high pressure region to low pressure region.

This phenomenon results in the flow of wind.

History of harnessing Of wind energy

The first known use was in 5000 BC when people used sails to navigate the Nile River.

Persians had already been using windmills for 400 years from 500 AD in order to pump water and grind grain.

Windmills was being used in China since 1 AD.

Wind power was used in the Middle Ages, in Europe, to grind corn, which is where the term "windmill" comes from.

wind powerWind power is the conversion of wind energy into a useful form of energy,

such as using wind turbines to make :

Electricity Windmills for mechanical power Wind pumps for water pumping or drainage Sails to propel ships

Wind power v/s fossil fuel

Wind power can be considered as an alternative to fossil fuels in the future as :

It is in plentiful

It is Renewable

Widely distributed

Produces no greenhouse gas emissions during operation.

The cost per unit of energy produced is similar to the cost for new coal and natural gas installations.

wind turbines

Wind turbines is the device with which the wind energy from the air is converted in to electric energy.

wind farm A wind farm is a group of wind turbines in the same location used for

production of electric power.

A large wind farm may consist of several hundred individual wind turbines, and cover an extended area of hundreds of square miles.

But the land between the turbines may be used for agricultural or other purposes.

A wind farm may also be located offshore.

An arrangement of wind turbines in succession forming a wind farm

Advantages of wind farm

Just one wind turbine set up in an area will not produce very much electricity, and is not very good for powering large area farms.

On the other hand, wind farm are more powerful because there is a large grouping of the wind turbines in one area, all working in unison to produce electricity. The energy can then be run to whole communities.

Off shore wind farm

Offshore wind power refers to the construction of wind farms in bodies of water to generate electricity from wind.

Better wind speeds are available offshore compared to on land So offshore wind power’s contribution in terms of electricity supplied is higher.

Environmental effects Compared to the environmental impact of traditional energy

sources, the environmental impact of wind power is relatively minor. Wind power consumes :

No fuel Emits no Air pollution

While a wind farm may cover a large area of land, many land uses such as agriculture are compatible, with only small areas of turbine foundations and infrastructure made unavailable for use.

A study on wind farm noise reported that people are annoyed by sound from wind turbines , although the far less than sound levels than they are by noises from railroads, aircraft, or road traffic.

Uses and advantages The wind is available for free of cost. Wind energy is also a renewable resource . With the modern technology at your disposal, it is easily possible

to capture the wind efficiently. And thus we does not need to wait for millions of years for its

formation. Moreover, the wind power doesn’t contribute to the exhaust of

deadly pollutants, thus No Greenhouse effect No Global warming No Acid rain

•  

disadvantages Winds turbines generally produce allot less electricity than the

average fossil fuelled power station, requiring multiple wind turbines to be built in order to make an impact.

The main disadvantage regarding wind power is down to the winds irregularity factor. Wind strength differs due to the area, and this is where the use of solar power or geothermal power could be great alternatives.

The noise pollution from commercial wind turbines is sometimes similar to a small jet engine.

conclusion It has several advantages and disadvantages of wind power at

stake but still there’s a great demand for alternative energy.

Wind power will not be the answer but definitely it’s the start of a revolution for natural sources of energy to be used in our homes and the society in the days to come .

Sun Rise OR Sun Set ??

Thank you