Types of wind turbines

Modern wind turbines fall into two basic groups: the horizontal-axis variety, and the vertical-axis design, like the eggbeater-style Darrieus model.

Normal horizontal-axis wind turbine:

Horizontal-axis wind turbines typically either have two or three blades. These three-bladed wind turbines are operated "upwind," with the blades facing into the wind.













Vertical-axis Darrieus wind turbine:

How does windpower work?

A wind turbine works the opposite of a fan. Instead of using electricity to make wind, like a fan, wind turbines use wind to make electricity. The wind (1) turns the blades (B), which spin a shaft (C), which connects to a generator (G) and makes electricity.