Today’s Wind View features one of the turbines in One Energy’s backyard. In this picture, the hub of the turbine is facing west, even though most of the wind at the North Findlay Wind Campus comes from the southwest. How and why is this the case?
Well, the turbines One Energy uses are actually able to accommodate wind coming from any direction! Each turbine has weather instrumentation at the top, which determines the direction of the wind. The turbine can then yaw (or rotate) so that the rotor is perpendicular to the wind’s direction.
This way, the blades catch the wind more effectively and the turbine is able to produce more power than if it wasn’t oriented optimally. Our turbines can yaw 720° in either direction before they have to gradually unwind to their original position. This unwinding maneuver prevents excess cable twisting and ensures the long-term health of the turbine.
