Wind Power Systems | belize-homes

Belize LifeStyle Homes

Wind Power Systems

Belize LifeStyle Homes will be offering both Vertical Axis Wind Turbines (VAWT) and Horizontal Axis Wind Turbines (HAWT) Wind Power Systems for All Homes in our Ambergris Caye Developments. Wind power is the conversion of wind energy into a useful form of energy, such as using wind turbines to produce electrical power. When the wind spins the wind turbine's blades, a rotor captures the kinetic energy of the wind and converts it into rotary motion to drive the generator. Most turbines have automatic overspeed-governing systems to keep the rotor from spinning out of control in very high winds. Wind is created by the unequal heating of the Earth's surface by the sun. Wind power, as an alternative to fossil fuels, is plentiful, renewable, widely distributed, clean, produces no greenhouse gas emissions during operation and uses little land. Wind power is very consistent from year to year but has significant variation over shorter time scales. If you have enough wind resource in your area and the situation is right, small wind electric systems are one of the most cost-effective home-based renewable energy systems, with zero emissions and pollution. A wind power system can be connected to the electric grid or it can stand alone as an off-grid power source. (View Small Wind Guidebook) (Visit AWEA Website) (Ambergris Caye, Belize Wind Speed Data)

There are Two Basic Types of Wind Power Turbine Systems:

Vertical Axis Wind Turbines (VAWT):

Vertical-axis wind turbines (VAWTs) are a type of wind turbine where the main rotor shaft is set vertically and the main components are located at the base of the turbine. This arrangement allows the generator and gearbox to be located close to the ground, facilitating service and repair. VAWTs do not need to be pointed into the wind, which removes the need for wind-sensing and orientation mechanisms. VAWTs offer a number of advantages over traditional horizontal-axis wind turbines (HAWTs). They can be packed closer together in wind farms, allowing more in a given space. They are quiet, omni-directional, and they produce lower forces on the support structure. They do not require as much wind to generate power, thus allowing them to be closer to the ground where windspeed is lower.

Horizontal Axis Wind Turbines (HAWT):

Horizontal-axis wind turbines (HAWT) have the main rotor shaft and electrical generator at the top of a tower, and must be pointed into the wind. Small turbines are pointed by a simple wind vane, while large turbines generally use a wind sensor coupled with a servo motor. Most have a gearbox, which turns the slow rotation of the blades into a quicker rotation that is more suitable to drive an electrical generator. Since a tower produces turbulence behind it, the turbine is usually positioned upwind of its supporting tower. Turbine blades are made stiff to prevent the blades from being pushed into the tower by high winds. Additionally, the blades are placed a considerable distance in front of the tower and are sometimes tilted forward into the wind a small amount.

Turbines used in wind farms for commercial production of electric power are usually three-bladed and pointed into the wind by computer-controlled motors. These have high tip speeds of over 320 km/h (200 mph), high efficiency, and low torque ripple, which contribute to good reliability. The blades are usually colored white for daytime visibility by aircraft and range in length from 20 to 40 meters (66 to 131 ft) or more.

Vertical Axis Wind Turbines