Aeolian energy is a type of renewable energy made from wind force. The typical methods to take advantage of this energy are through the use of aerogenerators or wind turbines. The direct descendant of the present aerogenerators are the windmills that continue to be used to extract water or to grind grain. But how is the force turned into electricity?
A mill drives vanes or shovels together on a common axis, turning when the wind blows. The revolving axis works differently with various types from machinery, for example machinery to grind grain, to pump water or to produce electricity. In order to obtain electricity, the movement of the vanes or trowels drives a generator ELT (an alternator or a dynamo) that converts the mechanical energy of the rotation into electrical energy. The electricity can then be stored in batteries or being spilled directly to the network. The operation is quite simple. The real art involves constructing the aerogenerators to be more and more efficient.
Aerogenerators can either be placed on a horizontal axis (the most common nowadays), or on a vertical axis.
Vibrations and noise can be disruptful if the size is great. Therefore powerful, commercial-grade turbines are usually not placed directly next to houses.
Advantages of Aeolian Energy
- It is a type of renewable energy since it has origin in atmospheric processes due to the energy that arrives at the Earth coming from the Sun.
- It is a clean energy since it does not produce atmospheric emissions nor polluting residues.
- It does not require combustion that produces carbon dioxide (CO2). Additionally, it does not contribute to the increase of the greenhouse effect nor to the climatic change.
- It can be placed on cheap land, for example in deserts, next to the coast, or on barren slopes too raised to be cultivable.
- It can coexist with farming activities, for example: low meadows for cattle use or cultures like wheat, maize, potatoes, beets, etc.
- It creates jobs in the assembly plant and the areas of installation.
- Its installation is fast, between 6 months and a year.
- Its can be used to save fuel in the thermal power plants and or water in the dams of the hydroelectric power stations.
- Its allows homeowners to create self-sustaining power and decreases reliance on outside sources.
Disadvantages of Aeolian Energy
- It may create a lot of noise, which indirectly contributes to noise pollution.
- It relies on weather, which is tough to predict on the short-term let alone the long-term. In areas where a large amount of wind energy is required, complete dependancy on wind power may be impractical.
- Wind farms are often far away from areas where wind energy is best suited. Therefore, the cost and efficiency of wind energy may take a beating due to the need of transmission.
- It is non-dispatchable. Large aerogenerators are built deep into the earth, tying it to one particular location for good.
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