The function of a wind turbine is to use blades of a certain shape (which can vary) to capture the kinetic energy of the wind. When the wind “flows around the blades, it lifts them, just as it lifts a sail to push a boat. This jolt of wind causes the blades to rotate, moving the drive shaft to which they are connected. This shaft then turns some kind of pump – either directly moving a piece of rock over grain (a windmill) or pushing that energy into a generator, creating electricity that can be used immediately or stored in a battery.

The process of creating a power generation system (wind turbine) involves the following steps:

The wind drives the blades.
Ideally, a windmill or wind turbine is located where the wind blows regularly and constantly. The fluctuating air is pushed by specially designed blades that “allow the wind to push them as easily as possible.” The blades are designed so that they can be pushed up or down depending on their location.

Kinetic energy is converted.
Kinetic energy is free energy coming from the wind. In order for this energy to be used or stored, it must be converted into a usable form of energy. Kinetic energy is converted into mechanical energy when the wind meets the blades of a windmill and pushes them. The physical object moved by the blades then rotates the drive shaft – this energy can now be captured.

Electricity is generated.
In a wind turbine, the rotating drive shaft is connected to a gearbox, which increases the speed of rotation by 100 times, which in turn spins the generator. This rotation moves the internal shaft connected to the gearbox, increasing the speed of rotation by a factor of 100. Consequently, the gears spin much faster than the blades pushed by the wind. When these gears gain enough speed, they can drive a generator, which produces electricity. The gearbox is the most expensive and heaviest part of the turbine, and engineers are working on direct-drive generators that can run at lower speeds (so they don’t need a gearbox).

The transformer converts the electricity.
The electricity produced by the generator is alternating current. Depending on local needs, a transformer may be needed to convert it to a different voltage.

The electricity is used or stored.
The electricity produced by a wind turbine can be used locally (which is more likely in the case of small or medium-sized wind projects), can be delivered to transmission lines for use, or can be stored in a battery.
More efficient development of energy storage systems is key to the future development of wind power. Increased storage capacity means that on days when the wind blows less, the stored electricity can supplement it.