Wind energy is a renewable clean energy source which has large reserves and wide distribution. With development of wind turbine towers, wind energy can be converted into mechanical energy, electricity, thermal energy and utilized as one of the main energy sources.
Wind Energy Source
Wind is a transformation form of solar energy. Wind energy is a type of kinetic power that is generated by the movements of air. Solar radiation create uneven heating of the earth surface which cause the uneven pressure distribution in the atmosphere. Under the action of air pressure, air moves along the horizontal direction and create wind.
The higher the air flow rate is, the larger the kinetic energy is. People use windmill to convert the kinetic power of wind into rotary action to motivated the electrical generator. The working method of windmill is to deliver the rotary kinetic power of rotors to electrical generator through the drive shaft.
Wind Energy History
Human beings has a long utilization history of wind energy. In modern society, people use wind turbine blade to convert the wind mechanical energy into electricity. Back to the ancient years, people use the mechanical energy collected by windmills to grind grains and pump water.
Although, the utilization history of wind energy can be traced back till BC, but the development of wind energy technology is slow, people do not take wind energy seriously.
Until the global oil crisis in 1973, under the double pressure of lack of conventional energy sources and global environmental deterioration, wind energy receives a considerable development as a part of the new energy sources.
Wind energy maintains a huge development potential, especially for the offshore islands, mountain areas, grasslands and so on. It is a reliable way to generate electricity for the daily supply. Also, wind energy is a important energy source for the developed countries. The United States Department of Energy has made researches shows that only the wind energy density in Texas and South Dakota is enough to supply the electricity consumption of the entire country.
Wind Energy Utilization
It is estimated that only 2% of solar energy reaches the earth has been transformed to wind energy, but the wind energy quantity is still considerable. The global wind energy is about 130 billion kilowatt, which is ten times of the global water energy.
American Wind Energy Utilization
In 1974, the United States began to exercise the Federal Wind Energy Program. The major elements of the program are evaluate the national wind energy sources, study the social and environmental problems during the development of wind energy, improve the performance of wind turbines includes the stiffness of wind turbine tower, reduce the wind turbine system price, study the small wind turbine systems with capacity under 100kw and the megawatt wind energy generator systems used for electric power companies and industrial users.
In 1980s, American engineers has developed six types of wind turbine systems that obtains different capacities, such as 100kw, 200kw, 200kw, 2500kw, 6200kw, 7200kw. Right now, the united states maintains the largest wind energy generator system capacity in the world, which is over 2╳104MW, and the number is still growing at 10% annually.
European Wind Energy Utilization
In Europe, some countries also develops their national wind energy plans based on their own national situations, such as Sweden, Netherlands, British, Denmark, Germany, Spain. Such as Sweden, the installed capacity of wind turbine systems has reached 350MW in 1990, and the annual electric generating capacity is a billion kilowatt per hour.
In 1978, Denmark established Jutland wind power station, the installed capacity is 2000kw. And in 2005, 10% of the national electricity consumption is supplied by wind energy.
In 1980, Germany established a wind power plant on Elbe, the installed capacity is 3000kw, and in 2000, it already covers 8% of the national electricity consumption. British faces to sea, which has plenty of wind energy sources, therefore, the British government values the development of wind energy very much, back in 1990, wind energy covers 2% of the national electricity consumption already.
Wind Energy Utilization In Recent Years
Global wind energy industry has gone through several times boom and slump, and is ready to reach another blooming period.
In America, the most prosperous place for wind energy industry is Texas. The installed capacity has reached 12,400 MW, and the wind energy contributes the state’s power grid increases daily.
In 2010, China oversteps the wind power generating capacity of America, and become the largest wind energy production country in the world. Also, in other Asian countries, many wind farm projects are under construction right now. Such as Pakistan, the total wind power plants installed capacity in 2013 is two times compare to the installed capacity of last year. At the same time, the total installed capacity of wind power generator systems is also doubled, and reached to 220MW. Also, Philippines is also a coastal state in Southeast Asia, only in 2014, Philippines established 7 wind power generator projects, and enlarges its national wind power installed capacity to 450MW.
