Wind turbine turning system

How do wind turbines work?

Wind turbines work on a simple principle: instead of using electricity to make wind—like a fan—wind turbines use wind to make electricity. Wind turns the propeller-like blades of a turbine around a rotor, which spins a generator, which creates electricity. To see how a wind turbine works, click on the image for a .

What are advanced wind turbine controls?

Advanced wind turbine controls can reduce the loads on wind turbine components while capturing more wind energy and converting it into electricity. NREL is researching new control methodologies for both land-based wind turbines and offshore wind turbines.

How do wind turbine blades work?

The turbine blades are pitched or turned back into the wind at an optimal angle of attack to catch the wind when the power level gets lower. Minimal power loss can be achieved by pitching the WT blades and this results in the captured power being equal to the electrical power produced by the wind generator.

What is a wind turbine control?

At the National Wind Technology Center, researchers design, implement, and test advanced wind turbine controls to maximize energy extraction and reduce structural dynamic loads. These control designs are based on linear models of the turbine that are simulated using specialized modeling software.