Component Basics

To understand how wind turbines function, think of how a basic fan works.

• Current (typically electricity) flows into a motor
• The electrical power from the current makes the motor spin
• The spinning motion of the motor is applied to an axle
• The axle is connected to the fan blades
• The fan blades rotate from the energy produced by the motor and axle
• The blades create an air flow which is pointed away from the device

Simple enough, right?

Wind turbines work generally like a fan - but in reverse. Reverse the process and you have created a wind powered electricity generator.

• Wind blows over the fan blades
• The blades are connected to a horizontal axle
• The rotating axle is connected to an electric motor
• As the axle rotates, magnets turn around coiled wires
• The energy produced flows through the wires
• The current is harnessed in a battery bank or directly applied to a device

If you’d like to see first hand how a wind-turbine produces energy, you can try a simple wind turbine experiment kit where you can assemble a basic energy producing wind turbine and experiment with alternative energy sources.