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Components of a Home Based Wind Turbine System
Wind turbines are becoming an ever more common sight in areas throughout the world. They mostly take the form of large wind farms, but small, private wind turbines are also growing in number today.
The idea of building a solar home that is not only energy independent, but actually turns a small profit by feeding power into the local grid has been around for some time. Now some people are starting to realize the same thing is possible with wind power as well.
A wind turbine seems like a complicated piece of machinery, but many of the smaller 3 or 5KW turbines meant for private use come as a complete kit that can be assembled by an intrepid Do-It-Yourselfer.
Home Based Wind Turbine system kits consist of:
The Rotor and Its Blades:
This is where a wind turbine is similar to a wind mill or prop driven plane. The rotor blades "catch" the wind and change the direction of the wind's pushing, causing the rotor itself to turn. This converts the kinetic energy of the wind into mechanical energy in a usable rotating form.
The Generator:
The generator is what converts the mechanical energy provided by the rotor into electricity, through the use of electromagnets.
The Battery:
Why does an electricity generator like a wind turbine need a battery, especially if it is feeding power into the larger electrical grid? A system like a private wind turbine is designed to meet a set demand for electricity, and it cannot meet this demand on a constant basis.
Simply put, the wind doesn't blow with equal, steady strength all day. Instead, it varies daily and may vary considerably from season to season. Therefore, the system is designed around the estimated daily output of the wind turbine, which will rise and fall through the day, but is fed into a battery. They battery then meets the need for a steady output of electricity, either into the home or into the grid.
The Charge Controller:
For a private wind turbine, the charge controller serves two functions. First, it prevent overcharging of the battery which can damage it. The second thing the charge controller does is meet the dual needs of the system.
Electricity from the turbine and the battery is in the Direct Current (DC) format. This is fine for some functions, such as powering light bulbs. However, long distance electricity transmission,such as what is done in the power grid, and many household appliances are in the Alternating Current (AC) format. The Charge Controllers for most home wind turbines include their own inverters for making the conversion from DC to AC.
There are the four major components of any home wind turbine system. It may not seem like much, but these units can produce a lot of electricity with just this small kit of equipment. A 3KW system can produce enough electricity to power fifty 60 watt light bulbs for an hour. That is a considerable amount of power in a small, simple package.
About the Author Discover how affordable it is to be energy independent with a home based wind turbine system. http://www.wind-power-store.com
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