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Wind Power and Electricity

 

            Wind power is the conversion of wind energy into a useful form of energy. This includes wind pumps for water pumping or drainage, windmills for mechanical power, sails to propel boats and ships, and wind turbines to run electrical generators. For the purposes of this paper, I will focus on wind used to produce electricity. To convert wind energy into electrical energy, people typically build large wind turbines. The turbine blades are specially designed to collect the kinetic energy which is found inside the moving wind particles. When the turbine blades capture wind energy and start moving, they spin a shaft that leads from the hub of the rotor to the generator. The generator turns that spinning energy into electricity. A good way of thinking about this is by comparing the wind turbines to an electric fan. While an electric fan uses electricity to spin the blades and create wind, wind turbines work in quite the opposite way. The turbines use the natural winds to rotate the blades and in doing so creating electricity.
             Wind power, unlike many other forms of energy, has practically no negative effects on the environment. It produces no waste or greenhouse gases, the land beneath it can (and usually is) used for farming, and wind farms can even be tourist attractions. Also, wind farms require no fuel and it's a great way to bring electricity to remote areas. Alternatively, there are a few things that come to some people's concern. First, they're noisy. Wind turbines have a reputation for making a constant low "swooshing" sound that can drive you nuts. Even so, wind farms generally aren't near residential homes so you probably wouldn't hear them anyway. Second, Some people feel that covering the land with these things is unappealing to the eye. In defense, I'm sure that they're prettier than the average fossil fuel factory. Lastly, They can kill birds. Migrating flocks tend to naturally become attracted to strong winds.


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