I Didn’t Know That...

Q. How do wind turbines like those near Palm Springs produce 60-cycles-per-second electricity when the wind speed is variable?

A. There are two different types of wind turbines in use. Most older turbines operate at a fixed speed; that is, they are regulated by a governor to turn at 60 cycles per second no matter what the wind speed, according to Bentham Paulos of the American Wind Energy Association (https://www..awea.org). When the wind is blowing faster than normal, the pitch of the blades is altered to shed energy. Such turbines don’t work at wind speeds below 9 mph and are shut off above 49 mph to prevent damage.

Newer, variable speed turbines, as the name implies, do not turn at a constant speed. Complex electronics convert the generated power into a 60-cps form suitable for use in the electricity grid. Variable speed turbines make more efficient use of wind energy, but hey are more expensive to produce. American companies tend to favor variable speed turbines, while Europeans favor fixed speed machines.