Any device that converts wind energy into a usable form of energy is referred to as a wind power generator. A three-bladed wind turbine converts wind energy into electricity and is the most common type of wind power generator. As many countries turn away from traditional petroleum energy sources and toward renewable energy sources, wind power generators are becoming increasingly popular.
Anything that converts wind energy from one form to another can be considered a wind power generator in some ways. Even something as simple as a sail on a sailing ship could be viewed as a wind power generator, converting wind into momentum for the ship, from this perspective. A windmill that is directly connected to a water pump or a grain processor is also a wind power generator. This type of early wind turbine was in use in Persia as early as the 2nd century BCE, and the technology spread throughout the world over the next few millennia.
A wind power generator, on the other hand, is more commonly thought of as a device that converts wind energy into electricity. The first devices appeared in this regard in the late nineteenth century. In the United States, there were nearly 100 electric generators attached to windmills by the end of the first decade of the twentieth century, with some producing up to 25 kW. The wind power generator grew in popularity in the United States throughout the 1920s and 1930s, serving as a source of small amounts of electrical power in rural areas that were not connected to any sort of centralized grid.
The use of wind power generators in the United States has decreased as a result of the development of a more reliable national electrical grid powered by coal and nuclear plants. Although generators were still used on farms in the 1960s and 1970s for things like pumping water, they were rarely used to generate electricity. This began to change in the 1980s, with the introduction of the modern wind turbine and a growing interest in alternative energy sources to oil.
Modern wind turbines have three blades and are usually mounted on a horizontal axis. A simple computer determines the direction of the generator to face the wind. They’re made to capture the wind’s energy as efficiently as possible, with as little excess wobbling as possible. A modern wind power generator is usually mounted on top of a pillar that is 200 to 300 feet (60 to 90 meters) tall, with blades that are 60 to 130 feet (18 to 40 meters) long. Most generators have variable speeds, allowing them to make the most of the wind. They can also be manually shut down if wind speeds become too high, ensuring that the equipment is not damaged.
At the moment, wind power generates only about 1% of the world’s total energy generation, or 95 gW. However, some countries have made significant investments in wind energy, with countries such as Portugal and Spain generating around 10% of their energy needs from wind, Denmark generating roughly a fifth of its energy from wind, and Ireland and Germany generating more than 5% of their energy from wind.