how do windmills make electrisity? - Engineering Forums

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Author	Message
DTrain Members 271 posts Location: Croatia Occupation: Wet nurse Age:	#174379 2008-05-15 07:18 GMT
	i know they harnas the wind power but what MAKES electricits and how does it work


HartToHart Members 384 posts Location: Antigua And Barbuda Occupation: Third Mate Age:	#174380 2008-05-15 07:22 GMT
	On a small scale, the turbines turn a generator which power batteries which can be stored for later use.

Rocky Members 347 posts Location: Austria Occupation: Mechanical engineer Age:	#174381 2008-05-15 07:24 GMT
	the rotation of the vanes is coupled to a generator. This rotates and makes electricity. Very simply, moving magnets induce a voltage in a coil of wire.

HighMaintenance Members 382 posts Location: Colombia Occupation: Historian Age:	#174382 2008-05-15 07:25 GMT
	The wind turns the turbines which then powers powers a generator. A core inside a electrified coil is then spun which interrupts the magnetic field and induces a voltage. This electricity is in the form AC and is pumped into the national grid. Think this is kind of the right idea, Alex

EyeSpy Members 334 posts Location: Ethiopia Occupation: Demolitionist Age:	#174383 2008-05-15 07:40 GMT
	Did you know how a car charges a battery? A car uses the spinning fan/engine system to turn a generator. The generator, in turn, puts out an electric charge that charges the battery. Same principle in play for a windmill. The windmill is hooked up to a generator and whenever the wind spins the windmill it makes the generator turn which sends out an electric charge. The electric charge can be hooked up to a load (something that does work) or a storage system for electricity. (battery) It can also be used to power a motor which in turn will be hooked up to another generator. A motor.generator set is called a dynamotor and is used to create a huge source of electricity. Finally, many windmills hooked together may work in tandem (parallel) to AID or add to a power plant to boost it to a higher level of operation. swells777@verizon.net

SlightlyBitter Members 309 posts Location: Bahamas Occupation: Industrialist Age:	#174384 2008-05-15 07:59 GMT
	the wind turns a generator, essentially it's an electric fan motor in reverse. The idea is to convert any regualrly occuring force to a spinning motion that can turn the generator to make electricity. We're talking, wind, waves, geothermal,dams. Current coal and nuclear plant use heat to create steam to drive turbines (sort of high density propellers) which are connected to generators. Hydro-electric plants use water pressure to drive the turbines. Wind power the propeller is the turbine. Hope this helps.

Pebble Members 374 posts Location: Virgin Islands (u.s.) Occupation: Magazine Editor Age:	#174385 2008-05-15 14:51 GMT
	Yes as these other answer say the windmills axles and gears etc turn the round bar in the middle of a 'generator' to make electricity.... But what i think you are wondering is how does that make electricity? Well here is what happens, imagine you have some wire a magnet and a stick 1. You coil the wire up on say a wooden stick, note its got to be insulated wire. That means the wire is coated in plastic so it doesnt touch metal to metal. 2. The 2 protruding ends of the coiled wire need to point out along the stick, and ensure they are held firmly on the stick. 3. Mount the wooden stick such that it can rotate - it can spin along its axis - held up at either end. 4. Mount the magnet just slightly away from the coil. Its better to have 2 magnets one each side. 5. Now mount 2 electrical contacts that just touch the end of the stick, the side with the 2 ends of the coil afixed to it. A contact is just a fixed metal piece - it doesnt rotate. 6. Connect the electrical connectors to a something like a lamp 7. Spin the stick, 8. Watch the lamp light up ... WOOOOOOOO The electrons in the wire get excited when they cut through the magnetic field. Wouldnt you? They get so excited they start to jiggle all in the same way, causing what we call an electric current running in the wire. They jiggle all the way along to the connectors and up to the lamp. (the lamp lights up.... thats another story) Any clearer? By the way no one said it was easy!