Definition of Wind Energy

The Energy wind is the energy obtained from the blowing of the wind; the strong currents of air they transform energy into other very useful expressions to carry out different human activities.

Energy that is achieved from the wind

The term Aeolian has a Latin origin, from the word Aeolus, which in Greek mythology meant nothing more and nothing less than the God of the Winds.

Characteristics and how it is generated

This type of energy is one of the most abundant and renewable that exist in our nature.
Although we must say that the wind, although abundant, also presents variations and then this situation it generates a fluctuation in the arrival of the energy of the devices that are used to transfer the energy wind

It comes from the conversion of the Kinetic energy that the great masses of air that move through the air approach us, passing to mechanical energy and will eventually transform into electric power available to be used, but of course, with the benefit of its absolutely natural origin.

To achieve the aforementioned conversion is that special machines called wind turbines must be used, which are devices that have an aerodynamic surface that exposed directly to the wind generate mechanical work in a axis.

Technology has made it possible to develop efficient aerodynamic designs for these wind turbines and thus adapt them to the climatic needs of each region.

From there far in time, this type of energy has been used, for example, to move boats propelled through sails or, failing that, to mobilize the blades of the mills.

Types of generators

Meanwhile, in our days, the issue has not changed much, since wind energy is used mainly to produce energy electricity through wind turbines, which are electrical generators mobilized by a turbine that is driven through the blowing of the wind.

There are different types of wind turbines… The traditional windmills; and wind turbines that unlike the first have few blades in their structure and thus it is possible to achieve a greater efficiency in the transformation of wind energy. They are made up of a rotor that has a shaft and blades that drive the wind.

Meanwhile, within the wind turbines we can distinguish between those with a vertical axis and those with a horizontal axis, each of these with its benefits and complexities.

Those with a vertical axis do not need to be oriented to the direction the wind blows. Whatever the direction, they are operated, while the teams that manage them are located at the foot of the structure, making access easy and costs less expensive.
Its main disadvantage is in the energy conversion that is less than that proposed by the horizontal axis that we will see below.
Meanwhile, the great disadvantage that can be pointed out with respect to horizontals is that their control is placed at a height which does not make access easy and they must have a solid structure that supports the weight.

Advantages of using this energy

The advantages of using this type of energy are its possibility of constant renewal, cleanliness, its abundant presence and its non-polluting effects , since its use helps to considerably reduce the emissions of gases greenhouse effect. Therefore, it is that this energy is also called green energy. The main and only defect that could be attributed to him is the intermittence that sometimes presents , especially at certain times of the year, such as the summer in which the wind blows is much less.

So, in order to make the most of this type of energy, it is very important to know the diurnal, nocturnal and seasonal variations of the winds. To be able to use wind energy it is necessary for the wind to reach a velocity It will vary, depending on the wind turbine you have, between 10 and 14.4 km / h.

Main use: Electric power production

In our days two very specific uses are attributed to wind energy, on the one hand, the facilities to produce electricity and on the other hand the facilities that deal with the pumping of water.

Topics in Wind Energy