WIND POWER

Jacob Kirk

Evan Smith

Sareha Sulesky

So, What’s Wind Anyway?

WIND:• Created by uneven heating of atmosphere

• Irregularities of the Earth’s surface

• Rotation of Earth.

MODIFIED BY: -local terrain, bodies of water, weather

patterns, & vegetative cover.

What Is Wind Power?

• Uses turbines to harness the power of the wind.

• Converts the kinetic energy of wind into other forms of energy

Pros

• Moderate to high energy• High efficiency• Moderate capital cost• Low electricity cost• Very low environmental impact• No carbon dioxide emissions• Quick construction• Easily expanded• It is a form of Solar Energy (Hot air)

Cons

• Steady winds needed

• Backup systems when needed winds are low

• High land use for wind farm

• Visual pollution

• Noise when located near populated areas

• May interfere in flights of migratory birds and kill birds of prey.

LeBron Says “Boo hoo”

How Does Wind Power Work?• Works the opposite of a fan

• The energy in the wind turns two or three propeller-like blades around a rotor. The rotor is connected to the main shaft, which spins a generator to create electricity.

(continued…)

• Wind turbines are mounted on a tower to capture the most energy. At 100 feet (30 meters) or more above ground, they can take advantage of faster and less turbulent wind.

• Wind turbines can be used to produce electricity for a single home or building, or they can be connected to an electricity grid (shown here) for more widespread electricity distribution.

$$$$$COST$$$$$

• From 1980 to 2000- 40cents to 3.5-5 cents per kilowatt- hour.

• More funding from government for research- cost could lower to 2.5 cents, making it cheapest form of energy.

1 windmill costs about 3 million dollars for construction & maintenance, fairly inexpensive from then on.

Greatest Potential

• Midwestern U.S. (South and North Dakota, and Texas have enough wind resources to meet all the nation’s demands in electricity.

• Sizeable wind farm projects are being developed in 12 states with the world’s largest single wind project are now being developed in Iowa.

Structure of Wind Turbine

• The structure of a wind turbine is: a steel or concrete tower equipped with a nacelle on top, which turns around an axis in a way that the rotor always faces the wind. Most wind turbines have three blades, a more appealing set-up than two-blade turbines that are lighter and easier to assemble.

Resources

• yosemite.epa.gov/oar/globalwarming.nst

• www.energy.gov/energysources/wind.htm

• Miller, G. Tyler. Living in the environment principles, connections, and solutions. Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole, 2002.

• R., Brown, Lester. Plan B 3.0 Mobilizing to Save Civilization, Third Edition. New York: W. W. Norton, 2008.

Resources cont.

• http://ec.europa.eu/research/energy/nn/nn_rt/nn_rt_wind/article_1101_en.htm

• http://www.eia.doe.gov/kids/energyfacts/sources/renewable/wind.html

• http://www.awea.org/projects/• (The site above allows you to see what

wind energy projects are underway in each state. Ohio has 7 as of December 31st,2008)