[controlledemo]

Regarding energy generation:
If most forms of energy today derive from a rotor spinning and generating electricity from electrical induction, why is it that a single wind turbine, using this same process, has such a lower output of electricity when compared to fossil fuels? There is a wind turbine near my house, and it's pretty much constantly spinning. I have talked to the owners of this wind turbine, and they say it only generates about 5 percent of the power for one industrial building. This, with my somewhat limited knowledge of physics and thermodynamics, boggles my mind. I understand that wind power is much less efficient in harnessing the energy from the wind, and that the wind itself contains much less energy. But if the rotor of a wind turbine is spinning at the same rate as a coal power plant, why is there such a larger output of electricity. Does the speed of the rotor play the biggest factor in the output, or is there something else that I'm missing?
Thanks

[15yearoldgirl]

You need a large amount of wind to spin one tiny turbine in a windmill. Whereas in a power station so much energy is produced that small amounts of coal/oil can produce enough energy to spin multiple, large turbines, thus creating much more energy. This is pretty much all there is to it :) hope I helped

[controlledemo]

But like in the example that I gave, the wind turbine is spinning almost constantly, and yet it has such a smaller output of electricity. So I understand the the energy in wind is not nearly as much as the energy in fossil fuels, but if the turbines of both are constantly turning, why is it that the fossil fuels generate so much more electricity?

[15yearoldgirl]

Because in a wind turbine they have relatively small turbines and there is only one turbine spinning. In a fossil fuel plant they have very big turbines, more turbines, and spin faster (due to the higher amount of energy). This results in more kinetic energy that can be transferred into electricity.

[controlledemo]

Okay, that makes sense, I guess I never really thought about how there could be more than one turbine, that would make a lot more sense and justify how there would be such a larger output.
Thanks!

[15yearoldgirl]

No problem!

[ScottGem]

A visible part of a wind turbine may be continually spinning, but that turbine turns a shaft. That shaft in turn turns copper wiring in around or inside magnets. This is called an armature. The larger the armature and the faster it spins determines the amount of electricity generated. The armature of a wind turbine is generally fairly small because the resistance would inhibit the blades from spinning. While the power of a large plant is based on using other means to spin the armature. Those means can keep large armatures spinning at high rates so a lot of electricity is generated. But since the wind can't be controlled, the armature has to offer a minimal amount of resistance to the blades spinning.

[ma0641]

Steam turbines rotate at very high speeds because they can be balanced precisely. Wind turbines rotate slowly because of the blade mass and centrifugal force. One steam turbine will out produce hundreds of wind turbines.