ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING

ASSIGNMENT NO. 3: ENERGY SOURCES

Name: ORTEGA, MARY ALYSSA T.

Prepare a report (maximum 2 pages) on your assigned renewable source. Briefly discuss the mechanism and tabulate
the advantages and disadvantages.

WIND ENERGY

Energy is essential to us and as well as other living things. Energy is neither produced nor destroyed but it
can be converted to another form of energy. These conversion of energy produces work that generates electricity to
be distributed to producers and consumers—which is very important for us as it makes our lives better and easier.
Fossil fuels are one of the primary supplies of energy however these sources took millions of years to be replenished
thus it is called non-renewable resources. These resources may be cheap, but these are the biggest contributors to the
emission of Carbon Dioxide and air pollutants when burned which contributes to global warming and climate change.
In line with this, people look for alternatives which bring us to the energy source we are focusing on—wind.

Wind is a renewable energy source and is used to generate mechanical energy or electricity through the use
wind turbines that captures the kinetic energy produced by the movement of the air. These process in which the
conversion of energy occur by wind describes wind energy. Wind is a clean and free source of renewable energy,
which has no GHG emissions compared to the burning of fossil fuels. The energy available in the wind varies with
the cube of wind speed. This means that the energy content produced by the wind is the cube of its wind speed. For
example, if the wind speed is 2 times higher than usual then it has eight (23) times more energy to be received by the
turbine. Comparing to a moving body, its kinetic energy is proportional to its mass. Therefore, the kinetic energy of
wind also depends on the density of air. The denser the air, the more force is applied to the blades of turbine thus
generating more energy. However, wind turbines can be damaged if the winds are too strong thus the design of
turbines are also crucial to the conversion of energy.

Wind turbine converts the power in the wind to electricity. The wind force, which is the kinetic energy
contained in moving air currents, spins the blades that are designed to fully capture its energy. The blades are attached
to the wind turbine through the hub. To produce electricity, the speed is necessarily increased through shafts. The
shafts are connected to the generator that converts the kinetic energy to electricity. The electricity produced in the
generator as direct current (DC) is conducted through the interior of the tower to the base where a converter transforms
it to alternating current (AC), which is commonly used. Then, a transformer raises its voltage for transport.
Alternating current is sent through cables where the voltage is increased again to the power grid and transport it the
consumers.

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 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING

These are the advantages and disadvantages of wind energy:

Advantages Disadvantages
Wind is a free renewable source High initial cost for constructing turbines
Can only be produced to the immediate availability of
Wind occurs naturally thus it cannot be used up
the resource
Wind turbines produces a lot of noise that disturbs the
Wind energy does not contribute to GHG emissions
near residents
Turbines are turned off if exposed to very strong winds
Wind turbines only needed minimal space of land
thus no electricity produced
Using wind energy reduces the consumption of fossil
The energy source is not constant
fuels

References:

Burton, T., Jenkins, N., Sharpe, D., & Bossanyi, E. (2011). Wind energy handbook. John Wiley & Sons.
Manwell, J. F., McGowan, J. G., & Rogers, A. L. (2010). Wind energy explained: theory, design and application.
John Wiley & Sons.

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