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WIND TURBINE
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Interactive Physics Simulation ------
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How efficient is a wind turbine?
A wind turbine generates electric power from the wind. The kinetic energy of the wind is converted to
rotational kinetic energy in the propeller. The turning propeller can generate electricity by turning a wire coil
through a magnetic field. How much wind power is ultimately converted to electrical power? Power is the
rate of energy transfer. When energy is delivered rapidly, the power is high. The efficiency of a wind turbine
is the ratio of the electrical power delivered to the wind power available. Not all of the kinetic energy of the
wind can be harvested - the wind needs to still be moving on the back side of the turbine. This limits the
overall efficiency to 30%. Further inefficiencies can arise in the generator and distribution network.
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Propeller Diameter -
his slider adjusts the diameter of the propeller. turbine with a larger overall area can
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collect the kinetic energy of a larger column of wind.
Conversion Efficiency -
This slider has a maximum of 30% due to Betz's Law, which is based in the
concept that the air still needs to be moving on the back-end of the turbine in order for air to move
THROUGH the turbine. Further reductions in efficiency arise in the conversion from the rotation of the
turbine to electricity.
Wind Speed -
his slider adjusts the speed of the wind. You can imagine on a given day the wind speed
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goes up and down over time, so try playing around with that.
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Wind Power vs. Wind Speed -
As you'd expect, on a windier day you will get greater wind power out of a
turbine. Likewise, a larger turbine intercepts more air and harvests more of its energy. Watch how this graph
changes as you play around with the sliders below.
Power Column Graph - his column graph shows you how much of your input power that is contained in
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the wind itself is converted into electrical power. The ratio of the heights of these two columns is known as
the efficiency of the generator.
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Adjust the sliders so that the wind turbine produces 200 MW of wind power. (Adjust the propeller
diameter slider and wind speed slider so that the wind power, as measured on the Y-axis of the graph in
the upper left corner, is 200 MW.)
Adjust the sliders to maximize the wind input power.
(Adjust the propeller diameter slider and wind
speed slider so that the wind input power, as measured in the bar graph in the upper right corner, is at its
greatest possible amount.)
Adjust the sliders to maximize the electrical power output. (Adjust the propeller diameter slider,
conversion efficiency slider, and wind speed slider so that the electrical power output, as measured in
the bar graph in the upper right corner, is at its greatest possible amount.)
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Challenge ME!
If you double the diameter of a wind turbine, keeping everything else the same, how much more power
should you expect?
If you double the speed of the wind, keeping everything else the same, how much more power should
you expect?
Energy is the product of power and time. How long would it take your wind turbine to generate a
billion joules of energy?
Need Help?
Check out the Wind Turbine Walkthrough video at:
https://youtu.be/yBGY4FJ-liQ
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How do nuclear reactors generate electricity?
As simply as it might seem, nuclear reactors generate electricity in much the same way as wind turbines!
The heat from nuclear reactions is harnessed to heat water. The steam that results exerts a force on the
turbine. In fact, if you step back and think about it: nuclear reactions in the Sun cause the Sun to shine. The
light from the Sun heats the Earth's atmosphere, generating wind. So, even our wind power turbines are
(ultimately) nuclear in origin.
What limits the efficiency of a wind turbine?
Not all of the kinetic energy in the wind can be harvested by a wind turbine. The reason for this is fairly
simple: if all the energy were harvested, the wind would stop on the back end of the turbine. But if the wind
simply stops, then it can't “make room” for more air to pass through the turbine. So, there must be some
optimal amount of energy you can harvest from the wind without preventing wind flow. The first analysis of
this was completed by physicist Albert Betz in 1919 - the optimal relationship is known as Betz's Law.
How is motion converted to electricity?
An electric generator is a device that converts motion into electricity. Generators typically involve a magnet
and a coil of wire. Moving the wire in the presence of a magnet generates a magnetic force on the electrons
in the wire, causing them to move in turn. The principle behind this phenomenon is known as magnetic
induction.
What does 'horsepower' mean?
Power is the rate at which energy is delivered. For example, imagine you are pulling a water-filled bucket up
out of a well. Let's say pulling the bucket up requires you to do 10,000 Joules of work. If you take 100
seconds to pull the bucket (a nice, leisurely pace) then you'd be delivering power at a rate of 10,000 Joules /
100 seconds = 100 Joules/sec = 100 Watts. If, instead, you lift the same bucket up the same distance in
only 10 seconds, then it would require 1000 Watts of power. To lift the bucket in 1 second, it would require
10,000 Watts of power. “1 horsepower” is equal to approximately 746 Watts. Early engineers and scientists
who were building the first engines wanted to be able to compare the power output of their engines to the
usual source of such work - the horse!
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Physics Concepts C
lick on the link below to learn more.
Power and Efficiency -
http://www.ck12.org/physics/Power-and-Efficiency/
Power -
http://www.ck12.org/physics/Power/
Energy Efficiency -
http://www.ck12.org/physics/Energy-Efficiency/
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