WIND ENERGY

Wind Energy is the energy obtained from wind

• It can be converted into electricity
• Babylonians and Chinese used wind energy as a source of energy to pump water for irrigation 4000 years ago.

Consider the diagram below

 

 Country like Denmark, Spain and German use wind energy to produce electricity

Mode of action of wind energy

Wind energy can be converted into electricity by building a tall tower with a large propeller on top called windmill.

When wind blows, it rotates the propeller, which causes the attached generators to produce electricity.

Note: For more electricity to be produced, more properties are needed.

Characteristics of Wind Energy

i)        Is not reliable

ii)      Is harnessed using noisy turbines

iii)    Requires large wind sites to put up the turbines.

Application of wind energy

For centuries, people have been using the power of the wind to move ships, boats and pump water.

Today, enormous wind energy is used to turn generators that facilitate the production of power. As windmills are efficient, very large turbines are required to providing the much-needed power

Advantage of Using Wind Energy

i)        Wind energy is used in moving ships, boats, pumping water and grinding corn.

ii)      It can also be used to drive generators to produce electricity

iii)    It is used to cool land

iv)    It used to cool sea

v)      It is used by mechanical to remove dust in car parties

Disadvantages of wind energy:

1. Wind energy is not reliable
2. Winds are variables
3. The wind turbines are noisy and can spoil the landscape.
4. Large windy sites are required

How Wind Occur

Wind is caused by the unequal heating of the earth by the sun. Wind energy therefore is a derivative of solar energy.