How do we get electricity from wind turbines?

Wind turbine components

• The wind blows on the blades of the rotor, causing it to rotate. This converts some of the wind’s kinetic energy into mechanical energy.
• The rotation of the blades causes an internal low speed shaft to spin. This shaft is connected to a gear box which increases the number of rotations per minute. Initially it is ~ 18 revolutions per minute, but with the gear box in place, it increases it to ~ 1800 revolutions per minute.
• The low speed shaft and gear box connect the rotor to a generator, so that when the rotor spins, the generator spins as well.
•  The generator uses an electromagnetic field to convert the mechanical energy into electrical energy.
•  The rotor turns to face the wind to maximize the amount of energy it receives. Also, extremely high winds can cause damage to the turbine. To prevent this from happening, the turbine is equipped with a brake, to stop the blades and rotor from spinning.

           For a more visual understanding, check out the video below:

           How do wind turbines work?