Blowin' in the Wind: Wind Generators

You've put a lot of interesting questions into Google. How to cook swordfish in the oven. How to beat Call of Duty. How to fix a car engine. Will I ever be married to Jennifer Aniston? You may not have known how Google would answer that last question, but you typed it in anyway. Now, your question involves wind generators. As in, "What is a wind generator?" The good news is that question can be answered. (Yes, Google saves the day. Don't you just love Google?) Whether you're writing a report or just have a jones for basic knowledge on wind generators, read on.

Wind Generators?

You might want to be snarky and think that wind generators are "something that generates wind." While you wouldn't get the prize for "funniest answer to a dumb question", you'd be about a quarter of the way there. Wind generators make electricity from the energy of the wind.

There are two types of wind generators. Wind generators that convert energy for the purpose of operating machinery are called windmills. Wind turbines are those contraptions that get turned into electricity.

Wind Generators: What Do We Need Them For?

The answer is that we use wind generators for a variety of actions. Smaller versions of turbines are used to charge batteries. They can also be used as auxiliary power for boats. In the past, windmills have been used to mill grain.

Now's the time to talk about bigger wind generators. Large electrical systems are often connected through grids consisting of¦you guessed it, huge wind turbines. You may see some of these turbine farms in out of the way locations such as Spain, Belgium and the South Pole.

Fun With Wind Generators

The Enercon E-126, at 650 feet tall, is the largest capacity wind turbine in the entire world. Since 2007, several companies are involved in a race to build even bigger turbines. Good Luck!

Ancient Greece may have been home to the first ever windmill. In the first century A.D., Heron of Alexandria created the first windmill prototype two millennia before the Industrial Revolution. The device consisted of an air tight chamber heated by fire, which displaced the water put in the chamber beforehand. After the water is gathered, the resulting weight would open doors.

That was just a very brief introduction into the wonders of wind generators. Whether you're talking about turbines or windmills, the many actions that can transpire from the power of wind can be mind-boggling if you allow it to be. Because of this technology, not only can you power the batteries to your smoke detector, but also steer a boat. Remember to thank Google the next time you're searching for cheat codes to "Angry Birds."

Maria is an electrical engineer who specializes in circuit breaker retrofit. You may also be interested in reading more information about electrical repair safety.