Applications throughout the World - Hybrid Anisotropic Materials for Wind Power Turbine Blades - page 6

Pitch

Low-speed
shaft

Rotor

Gear box

Generator

Anemometer

Wind
direction

Controller

Brake

Yaw drive

Wind vane

High-speed
shaft

Nacelle

Yaw motor

Blades

Tower

FIGURE 1.3
A. view. inside. the. wind. turbine.. (From. Wind. and. Water. Power. Program,. Technologies,. 1-2..
www.1eere.energy.gov.(accessed.September.2010).)

Low-speedshaft :.The.rotor.turns.the.low-speed.shaft.at.about.30.to.60.
rotations.per.minute.
Nacelle :.Sits.atop.the.tower.and.contains.the.gearbox,.low-.and.high-
speed. shafts,. generator,. controller,. and. brake.. Some. nacelles. are.
large.enough.for.a.helicopter.to.land.on.
Pitch :.Blades.are.turned,.or.pitched,.out.of.the.wind.to.control.the.rotor.
speed.and.keep.the.rotor.from.turning.in.winds.that.are.too.high.or.
too.low.to.produce.electricity.
Rotor :.The.blades.and.the.hub.together.
Tower :.Made.from.tubular.steel,.concrete,.or.steel.lattice..Because.wind.
speed.increases.with.height,.taller.towers.enable.turbines.to.capture.
more.energy.and.generate.more.electricity.
Winddirection :.An.“upwind”.turbine.is.so-called.because.it.operates.
facing. into. the. wind.. Other. turbines. are. designed. to. run. “down-
wind,”.facing.away.from.the.wind.
Windvane :.Measures.wind.direction.and.communicates.with.the.yaw.
drive.to.orient.the.turbine.properly.with.respect.to.the.wind.