The amount of electricity a turbine generates depends on its size and the speed of the wind. A small turbine may help to power one home. A large turbine may power up to 750 homes. Some wind turbines are as tall as 20-story buildings!
Rotor Hub
Low-speed shaft Low-sp Gear box High-speed shaft
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The low-speed shaft is connected to a gear box. The gears in the box increase the spinning motion. The gear box spins a small shaft very fast. This high-speed shaft spins inside a generator to make electricity.
Blade
How does a wind turbine generate electricity? When the wind blows, it pushes against the blades of the wind turbine. The blades spin around and turn a long pole called a shaft. This shaft spins slowly, because the turbine blades are spinning slowly. It is called a lowspeed shaft.
Wind TurbineDiagram Diagram Wind Turbine
Nacelle
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A Closer Look at Wind Turbines
Tower
Generator Gene Ge neraato t r
Wind Turbine Scale Comparison Wind Turbine Scale Comparison
Large Wind Turbine 328 feet tall
Small Wind Turbines Wind turbines come in all sizes. Some turbines are small and can be used to help generate electricity on boats, in homes, and even schools. These turbines do not generate enough electricity to meet all of the demands of a home, but they do help reduce the amount of electricity people need to purchase from their electric company. They can be very helpful when people are far away from power lines, too. Small Wind Turbine 80 feet tall
People 6 feet tall
Š 2017 The NEED Project
8408 Kao Circle, Manassas, VA 20110
1.800.875.5029
www.NEED.org
House
25 feet tall
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