A-Level Physics (26)
What happens if there are too many wind turbines in an area?
The power from them will be less (due to the wind shadow the kinetic energy decreases which will cause the power to also decrease)
What are the benefits of wind turbines?
- Generate electricity without burning fossil fuels
Why is the efficiency of a wind turbine less than 100%?
- If a wind turbine removed all the kinetic energy from the wind passing through it - air would stop moving - would be unable to force to move the turbines around - so air must leave the wind turbine so it must have some kinetic energy when it leaves the turbine - not all the kinetic energy of the wind turbine can be removed (only some - assumed it is absorbed by the wind blade) Therefore, electrical power (output) is less than the input power. Based on calculations and formulas it is less than 100%
What are the drawbacks of wind turbines?
- No electricity when there is little to no wind - Create a whining noise which may affect the people who live nearby
What is wind shadow?
- The wind passing through the second turbine slows down because the first turbine removed some of its kinetic energy. - The second turbine is the path of the first turbine is said to be in the wind shadow of the first one. The second turbine will extract less energy from the wind because the wind reaching it has less kinetic energy
A typical modern turbine can generate how much electrical power?
2 MW
In some places why are wind turbines near each other? (related to wind shadow)
Because the usual direction of the wind at that location does not cause other turbines to be affected in the wind shadow.