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Wind as a renewable energy source
Wind as a renewable energy source
Wind as a renewable energy source
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Wind Energy “Take care, your worship; those things over there are not giants but windmills.” -Don Quixote de la Mancha by Miguel de Cervantes I. Abstract: Wind energy has many pros and cons, and thus is subject to much scrutiny as a viable energy source. A fundamental qualification for wind power is the ability to support the vast industries and the enterprises of the 6.3 billion people that inhabit this planet. In addition, wind power must be able to meet the needs of the Earth’s population in a renewable, reliable, and responsible manner. In the following paper, wind energy will be evaluated based on its energy/cost efficiency, possible environmental ramifications, its practicality and the various countries already implementing it, the logistics of installing and maintaining the turbines, and finally any possible improvements that loom in the future. II. Historical Background: Since the dawn of time, man has relied upon wind to run his creations, most notably windmills and boats. In fact, the first wind-driven machines were implemented in Persia as early as 200 B.C. However, in the last decade, wind power has come to the forefront in the race to unearth alternate energy sources. America and the world as a whole have relied upon non-renewable sources of energy for decades. In previous years, the search for renewable energy had been relegated to the backburner, lying dormant as the oil market boomed. However, the use of fossil fuels has been embroiled in many environmental issues, not to mention political and economical ones. However, rising oil prices and the questionable security of America’s oil sources has led to a new clarion call for clean, efficient energy. Proponents of wind power argue that it is clean, resp... ... middle of paper ... ...onic, tulip encircled windmills of Holland with new, ultra-modern designs. The thatched roofs and the wooden frames have been replaced with steel that is strong yet still light. Indeed, if Don Quixote attempted to charge these windmills, he would be in for quite a surprise. http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/docs/documents/1214/wind-velocity-diagram.png CALCULATIONS The basic equation P = 0.5Av3 details the maximum power produced by wind blowing through a certain cross sectional area (A) where v=velocity, ρ=density of air, and P=Power. P = 1/2 ρ A v3 P = power (W) ρ = density of air (kg/m3) (At sea level and at 20 °C, air has a density of approximately 1.2 kg/m3). A = cross sectional area (m2) v = wind velocity (m/s) NOTE: Density of air is directly proportional to density and altitude. Thus as temperature and altitude decrease, air density decreases as well.
In order to explain how air pressure drops when the temperature does you would need to use the concept of the ideal gas law. This states that pressure times volume is equal to the amount of gas times the ideal gas constant times temperature. This formula proves that when it is cold, the pressure in a football decreases, causing it to naturally deflate itself. (Florio,2015)
This warming and expansion helps to lower the density of the air. Temperature ranges can also affect how a player grips a baseball, depending on how sweaty their hands are or if their fingers and cold and numb. Warmer air can also hold more water vapor. But at the same temperature, air with a higher relative humidity will be less dense. This is because as the temperature increases, water vapor displaces the heavier gases in the troposphere and the density per unit volume decreases.
The power passing through or created by the wind power is ½ pAv3. All the power cannot be captured though, because that would mean the wind had to be still, absolutely no wind, which is impossible when the wind starts the whole process. Thus, one needs to find the maximum theoretical power output. To find the power, take the kinetic energy in through the wind turbine minus the kinetic energy out. Then using three different areas one can find the constant rate of ...
4. An engine performs 5000 Joules of work in 20 seconds. What is its power output in kilowatts and in
With concern over global warming growing, people are starting to turn a more serious eye toward cleaner sources of energy. Instead of solar power making a comeback as the ideal form, we are seeing a growth in the use of wind power. Wind farms are beginning to crop up all around the country. This new trend has gathered significant attention. Questions are being raised concerning the effects wind farms may have, from critics and supporters alike. Michelle Nijhuis, in the article “Selling the Wind” discusses the arguments on behalf of and in opposition to the increasing use of wind power, addressing what the consequences may be on the United States.
Wind energy can play a critical role in saving our planet from the negative effects of energy powered by fossil fuels. Wind turbines work effectively at reducing carbon dioxide emissions. For instance, a single utility scale wind turbine can prevent the emission of 5,000 tons of CO2 into the atmosphere a year by displacing the power generated by fossil fuels. Also, a single 750-kilowatt turbine can produce roughly 2 million kilowatt hours of electricity annually. Turbines of this nature are the ones now being used in power plants around the world (Wind Energy Weekly). One good example is California. Their wind power plants displace 4.5 billion pounds of CO2 each year with the 3 billion kilowatt hours of energy they produce. To put it into an environmental perspective, that is as much CO2 as could be absorbed by a forest covering 1100 square miles (Wind Energy Weekly). Although wind energy has little to no impact on the environment when it comes to air pollution or greenhouse gases, there are other environmental concerns surrounding this form of energy production. Some of the concerns about wind energy include visual impacts, birds and other living resources, lightning and noise (Wind Energy Development).
In everyday life, there are things that one needs to survive. And sustainability problems arise every day. One such problem is energy loss. The world is using up a lot of energy and new ideas need to be formed to help the rest of the world and the future of the generations that are to follow, to survive. With that the problem is that people use up energy and they do not use it efficiently. Therefore scientists are needed to find ways to deal with the sustainability problem that is arising. That is where wind turbines are used to generate this energy but the actual wind-turbines are very large, loud and they kill birds, thus new designs need to be found in order to help energy usage and to bring the size and structure of the wind turbines to a smaller scale to prevent injuries to nature and the species around it.
Winds are caused by the irregular heating of the atmosphere by the sun, the variations of the earth's surface, and rotation of the earth. This wind flow, or kinetic energy, when "harvested" by modern wind turbines, can be used to generate electricity. There is an abundance of wind to meet our needs, “the potential of [the total] wind power [in the world] is. 20 times more than what the entire human population needs” (Maehlum). Currently, wind power is one of the lowest-priced renewable energy technologies available, costing between four and six cents per kilowatt-hour, depending upon the wind resource.
Gases are also very low in density. The average gas is 1000 times less than that of the average liquid. The volume of gas varies with many things including temperature and pressure. These are explained in Charles's and Boyle's laws.
Air is composed of molecules. Air is matter. It has mass and takes up space. Air is composed of different gases such as nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide, water vapor, and other gases. Air molecules are in constant motion. As they move, they come in contact with surfaces. Air molecules push and press on the surfaces they contact. The amount of force per unit area that air molecules exert on a surface is called air pressure. (What is Air Pressure 6) Air pressure is caused by all of the air molecules in the Earth's atmosphere pressing down on the Earth's surfaces. We can measure air pressure to help us predict weather conditions around the world. Temperature also affects air pressure because air contracts when it cools and expands when it is heated. So if air above a region of Earth cools, it does not extend to as high an altitude as the surrounding air. In this case, its pressure at higher temperature is lower than in the surroundings even when the pressure at the surface is the same as in surrounding areas. Then air flows into the cooler region at high altitude, making the total weight of air above the region greater than in the surroundings. This is a "high". The cool air descends to the earth's surface. Near the surface, the falling air spreads out,
Wind turbines are a great source of energy all around the world. Wind Turbines produce wind energy that can be used to power our homes. Wind turbines convert Kinetic energy into mechanical power. Then this mechanical power gets generated into electricity. Wind turbines make energy by the wind turning the large blades, which spin a shaft that is connected to the large blades, which then operates the generator making electricity. One new idea is building wind turbines offshore in the mid-Atlantic. Offshore building of wind turbines means that these large turbines will be placed in the Atlantic Ocean. The building of these wind turbines will provide energy to states like Maryland, Delaware, New York, Virginia, and New Jersey. These states want to start this project as soon as possible so that the states can start saving money. Since these regions right now are burning fossil fuels uncontrollably with incredible impacts (not only to our air, but to our health) it is crucial to start right away. Offshore wind turbines will provide more jobs, cut pollution, stop warming of our planet, and save us energy costs. These wind turbines can make enough energy offshore to power about 500,000 thousand homes. However, many people disagree with this idea because they believe it is too expensive.
The wind is an incredibly valuable renewable energy source and is in the forefront of renewable energy developments. It is used to convert wind energy into energy that can be harnessed and used via a variety of methods, including; wind turbines, windmills, sails and windpumps. For a renewable energy source, however, it is wind turbines that are used to generate electricity (see figure 1). Wind power has been used for this since the end of the nineteenth century, after Professor James Blyth of the Royal College of Science and Technology first attempted it (Boyle, 2012). However, It wasn’t until the 1980s that using wind power technology was sufficient enough to experience a rapid growth of the technology.
In the search for alternatives to fossil fuels, scientists and policy makers have focused on three options: nuclear power, energy from biomass; and a combination of wind, water, and solar power. Nuclear power, however, is much more costly and runs the risk of having it fall into the wrong hands where it could be turned into a weapon of mass destruction. The third option entails wind turbines, photovoltaic power plants and rooftop systems, concentrated solar thermal power plants,...
Wind is a form of solar energy. The term wind energy describes the process by which the wind is used to generate electricity or mechanical power. Wind turbines convert mechanical energy from the wind into electrical power. Wind turbines usually have three main parts. There are blades that connect to a central hub, a box behind the blades that contains the generator, and a long stem that connects to the ground. The way how it works is that the wind turns the blades, which spins a shaft that connects to a generator making electricity. After the electricity is produced it is sent through transmission lines to a substation that is sent to business and homes. For the sake of our planet, we must promote a renewable energy economy. Wind power can be a foundation of that sustainable energy future because it provides jobs in states that are building wind turbines, is a renewable energy source, and does not damage our environment. The environment will not be damaged by the pollution, the natural resources will not be used up, and there won’t be generating of hazardous wastes. Welcoming wind energy today will lay the foundation for a healthy tomorrow that will affect everyone in the United States. There are obstacles and challenges that will make it more difficult, but the environmental impact is well worth it to invest more money into wind energy.
Deal, W. (n.d.). Wind power: An emerging energy resource.Technology & Engineering Teacher, 70(1), 9-15. Retrieved from http://web.b.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?sid=a747d6c4-9f9f-4066-be3e-d7d26a427ef2@sessionmgr115&vid=1&hid=114&bdata=JkF1dGhUeXBlPWNvb2tpZSxpcCxjcGlkJmN1c3RpZD1zc2Mmc2l0ZT1laG9zdC1saXZlJnNjb3BlPXNpdGU=