|  | Public Health Safety | Environmental Health

Types of Wind-Power Towers Used to Create Home Energy

Wind turbines are one of several emerging technologies for producing electricity to power homes by renewable means. Along with solar, tidal and biomass energy, wind power is clean and renewable. Several different types of wind turbines seek to take advantage of the power of the wind using principles of aerodynamics.

  1. Horizontal Upwind Turbine

    • The most common form of wind-power tower for creating home energy is known as a horizontal upwind turbine. This turbine generally features three blades atop a tall tower. A component known as a nacelle is mounted to the top of the tower. It contains a generator and a gearbox for engaging each of the shafts inside the tower. Wind blows through the blades, which face into the direction of the wind, and turns the rotor, which in turn drives the generator and produces electricity.

      A horizontal upwind turbine also includes a yaw motor and drive for turning the windmill into the wind where it will receive the most direct force and produce the most power. All types of wind turbines include a brake for manually stopping the motion of the blades in the event of an emergency.

    Horizontal Downwind Turbine

    • A horizontal downwind turbine functions very much like a horizontal upwind turbine. However, instead of facing into the direction from which the wind typically blows, it faces the opposite direction. This means that wind hits the tower first, then the blades. The design of the blades in a horizontal downwind turbine is altered to take advantage of the direction of the wind and produce maximum power. It can be difficult to distinguish between horizontal upwind and downwind turbines. Different versions of each design are currently in use to find the ideal configuration for harnessing the wind's power.

    Vertical-Axis Turbine

    • A vertical-axis wind turbine is far less common than the horizontal-axis towers, using similar principles but a very different design. Sometimes known as "egg beater" windmills, this turbine features a vertical shaft with long blades that attach both to the top and base of the tower, bowing out in the middle and using flat, curved surfaces to catch the wind.

      A vertical-axis turbine requires guy wires to keep it stable. However, the design makes it possible to house the generator and other mechanical components at ground level, rather than at the top of a tall tower as with a horizontal-axis design. This makes maintenance and repair much easier.

Environmental Health - Related Articles