How do wind turbines work?

Wind turbines have multiple externally visible parts. The following are these externally visible components:

(1) Tower

One of the most notable components of a wind turbine is its tall tower. What people usually see is a tower wind turbine with a height of more than 200 feet. And this does not consider the height of the blade. The height of the wind turbine blades can easily add another 100 feet to the total height of the wind turbine based on the tower.

There is a ladder on the tower for maintenance personnel to enter the top of the turbine, and a high-voltage cable is installed and laid on the tower to transmit the electricity generated by the generator on the top of the turbine to its base.

(2) Engine compartment

On the top of the tower, people will enter the engine compartment, which is a streamlined shell containing the internal components of the wind turbine. The cabin looks like a square box and is located at the top of the tower.

The nacelle provides protection for important internal components of the wind turbine. These components will include generators, gearboxes, and low-speed and high-speed shafts.

(3) Blade/rotor

Arguably, the most eye-catching component in a wind turbine is its blades. The length of wind turbine blades can exceed 100 feet, and it is often found that three blades are installed on commercial wind turbines to form a rotor.

The blades of wind turbines are aerodynamically designed so that they can more easily use wind energy. When the wind blows, the wind turbine blades will begin to rotate, providing the kinetic energy needed to generate electricity in the generator.