How Does Wind Power Work – A Basic Guide

Creating electricity by using wind (or water) involves the process of transmitting energy from one type to another. Have you always wondered – how does wind power work? This article will guide you through the process of taking wind energy and transforming it into electricity.

Have you any idea that wind power comes from the sun? It is true that the sun is the starting point for the process of producing electricity. The sun creates the heat that warms a certain land mass. The air around that land mass absorbs some of the heat.

Since the hotter air is lighter than the cooler air, it begins to rise suddenly. The cooler air promptly fills the void created by the hot air. This process of air moving around is creates the phenomena called wind.

If you are wondering how these rapidly drifting gas particles have enough power to move the blades of the windmill, think of tornadoes and hurricanes.  They have such force as to easily move houses and livestock. Therefore, it can definitely move the windmill blades.

Now that we understand how wind is created.  The question still begs, how does wind POWER work?

Wind is nothing more than drifting gas particles and, wind is as fluid and as water.  So, the motion of the air or gas particles can be captured to create electricity.  This principle is the same for both windmills and the wind turbines in a hydroelectric dam.  The wind turbine blades capture the kinetic energy of the fast moving air.

Primarily, it is important to understand the anatomy of a windmill, the basic part of which includes the blades, the shaft, and most significantly, the generator.

Windmills follow the same principles as a sailboat.  In a sailboat, the air pushes on the sails thereby transferring its energy to the sailboat. The blades of the windmill catch the motion of the wind. When moving air (or wind) meets the resistance of the wind turbine blades the motion rotates the shaft, transferring the energy to the generator, which is the next part of the windmill.

Using electromagnetic induction, the generator then translates the kinetic energy into electricity; producing electrical voltage…and VIOLA!  This is how wind power works. The voltage is basically, the electrical pressure. It uses magnets and a conductor to drive electricity from point to point. The magnets surround the conductor and rotate around it thereby creating voltage in the conductor.

Therefore, the process of creating voltage in the conductor involves the blades turning the shaft and the shaft turning a group of magnets. This voltage then forces the electrical current out into the grid to be delivered to your home. I hope the question – “how does wind power work” has been sufficiently answered.