What Are The 2 Basic Types of Wind Turbines?

What is Wind Turbine?

Wind power has been harnessed for centuries. The first recorded use of wind energy solution dates back to 200 BC when simple windmills were used to pump water and grind grain.

Today’s wind turbines are highly efficient. On average, they convert about 40% of the kinetic energy in the wind into electricity, with some of the most advanced models achieving conversion rates of up to 50%.

A wind turbine is a machine for converting the kinetic energy in the wind into mechanical energy. Wind turbines are at the forefront of renewable energy generation when it comes to utilizing the power of the wind.

Wind turbines come in a variety of sizes and forms, and each is made to effectively collect the kinetic energy of the wind. In this blog, we’ll look at the various kinds of wind turbines that are influencing the direction of clean energy in this blog.

Types of Wind Turbines

There are two different types of wind turbines:

• Horizontal axis turbines
• Vertical axis turbines

Horizontal Axis Wind Turbines

Wind turbines like this usually have three blades, like airplane propellers. They’re placed on a tall tower, with all their parts, including the blades, shaft, and generator, on top. The blades point towards the wind, and the shaft is flat. Most of the wind turbines we see are horizontal wind turbine.

-These are the most common types of wind turbines.

-They have a horizontal rotor shaft, with blades that resemble an airplane propeller.

-Horizontal Axis Wind Turbines are suitable for both small-scale residential installations and large utility-scale wind farms.

-Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine can generate electricity with capacities ranging from 1 kW to over 10 MW.

-In 2024, global horizontal axis wind turbine installations contributed to over 95% of total wind power capacity.

Vertical Axis Wind Turbines

The vertical axis wind turbines have blades that are attached to the top and the bottom of a vertical rotor.

-Vertical-axis wind turbines have a vertical rotor shaft, with blades that rotate around it.

-They can capture wind from any direction and are often used in urban environments or where aesthetics is a concern.

-While less common than horizontal axis wind turbines, they have unique advantages of wind energy in certain applications.

-Vertical-axis wind turbines are typically smaller, with capacities ranging from a few hundred watts to tens of kilowatts.

-These turbines account for about 5% of global wind power capacity in 2024.