Category Wind Energy

 

 

 

Have you ever had your hat blown off by the wind? Has a strong gust of wind ever made you lose your balance? If so, then you have experienced the energy of the wind. People have used the wind’s energy for thousands of years.

 

 

 

 

 

This boat uses sails to catch the wind’s energy.

The earliest human use of wind energy was for sail-boats. The ancient Egyptians used sails to catch the wind and move boats along the River Nile around 6,000 years ago. The first windmills were made in Persia (now Iran) around 1,400 years ago. Windmills and wind turbines use the wind’s energy to turn machinery. Windmills grind grain or pump water. Today, wind turbines create electricity.

 

 

 

This early wind turbine, built in 1897, made electricity from the wind’s energy.

In 1887, the first wind turbine was built for generating electricity. It was not very efficient. A Danish man called Poul la Cour improved the design in 1897. By 1918, Denmark had enough wind turbines to produce around three percent of the country’s electricity.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A wind farm uses giant turbines to turn the wind’s energy into electricity.

Today, the wind is mainly used to generate electricity known as wind power. The energy of the wind is collected by a wind turbine and converted into electricity for use in homes, businesses and schools. Wind turbines are normally built in clusters known as wind farms.

 

 

Wind is the movement of air in the atmosphere from one place to another. Wind can move at different speeds and strengths. Wind can be warm or cold. The movement of the wind makes the clouds move and changes the weather.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Earth’s atmosphere is made up of areas of high and low pressure. These are caused by differences in the temperature of the air and the Earth’s surface. Areas of high pressure push air towards areas of lower pressure. This movement of air is what we call wind.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This weather scientist (meteorologist) uses a floating balloon to measure the wind.

Meteorologists study winds around the world. The trade winds blow towards the Equator from the north-east in the Northern hemisphere and the south-east in the Southern hemisphere. Where these winds meet around the Equator, there is an area of low pressure and gentle winds called the doldrums. The Westerlies are also trade winds flowing west to east.

 

Monsoon winds blow across southern Asia. They are powerful and bring heavy rainfall. In India, farmers rely on the monsoon winds and rain for their crops.