Students: Melanie Han, John Street
Faculty Advisor or Community Project Lead: Jifeng Peng
Summary:
Wind power systems have been recognized as one of the major, effective renewable systems capable of converting massive fluid flow into usable and maintainable power source. Wind generated power turbines have been around for centuries and is regarded as one of the first structures to take energy from nature and transform it into a form of power/electricity.
Over the course of history, the design of the wind turbine has been refined through the evolving demands and needs of the people. From the original concept, two branches were developed: Vertical and Horizontal Axis Wind Turbines. Horizontal axis wind turbines (HAWT) are most commonly used in large-scale communities to generate enormous quantities of power due to its capability to produce more electricity from a given amount of wind. Because of its sheer size and design, as the wind flows through the face of its blades, the amount of surface area it covers is significant allowing a larger wind/power output to be generated.
Because of its power output, the HAWT can power large communities. They are, however, difficult to maintain because their motors are generally part of the turbines themselves, and are located high above ground, making it arduous to access for repairs. HAWT also have to be positioned to face where the wind is blowing to achieve the blade’s maximum performance. This means constantly repositioning the turbines whenever the wind changes.
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