Browse Definitions :
Definition

wind turbine

TechTarget Contributor
By

A wind turbine is a power generating device that is driven by the kinetic energy of the wind.

Wind turbines general fall into one of two categories: Horizontal axis wind turbines (HAWTs) and vertical axis wind turbines (VAWTs). HAWTs, the more common type, consist of propeller-like rotors fixed around a central hub and facing into the wind, like a windmill. In a VAWT, blades surround the drive shaft of the turbine. The device resembles a giant push mower laid on its side and extending into the sky.

Both types use bladed rotors of various designs driving a shaft to a generator that uses electromagnetic induction to produce a voltage.

Today, small-scale wind turbines for individual use generally have a maximum output of 400-1600 watts. In contrast, the largest industrial turbines might generate as much as 7.5 megawatts of wind power. A grouping of turbines in a given area is known as a wind farm or a wind park.

The U.S. Department of Energy explains how wind turbines work:

This was last updated in January 2016

Continue Reading About wind turbine

Networking
  • User Datagram Protocol (UDP)

    User Datagram Protocol (UDP) is a communications protocol primarily used to establish low-latency and loss-tolerating connections...

  • Telnet

    Telnet is a network protocol used to virtually access a computer and provide a two-way, collaborative and text-based ...

  • big-endian and little-endian

    The term endianness describes the order in which computer memory stores a sequence of bytes.

Security
  • advanced persistent threat (APT)

    An advanced persistent threat (APT) is a prolonged and targeted cyber attack in which an intruder gains access to a network and ...

  • Mitre ATT&CK framework

    The Mitre ATT&CK (pronounced miter attack) framework is a free, globally accessible knowledge base that describes the latest ...

  • timing attack

    A timing attack is a type of side-channel attack that exploits the amount of time a computer process runs to gain knowledge about...

CIO
HRSoftware
  • employee resource group (ERG)

    An employee resource group is a workplace club or more formally realized affinity group organized around a shared interest or ...

  • employee training and development

    Employee training and development is a set of activities and programs designed to enhance the knowledge, skills and abilities of ...

  • employee sentiment analysis

    Employee sentiment analysis is the use of natural language processing and other AI techniques to automatically analyze employee ...

Customer Experience
  • customer profiling

    Customer profiling is the detailed and systematic process of constructing a clear portrait of a company's ideal customer by ...

  • customer insight (consumer insight)

    Customer insight, also known as consumer insight, is the understanding and interpretation of customer data, behaviors and ...

  • buyer persona

    A buyer persona is a composite representation of a specific type of customer in a market segment.

Close