| By :
Roger Brown
The batteries that are used in conjunction with wind turbine kits for your home are no different than any other battery you use. They function in basically the same way and have about the same working parts. Batteries have been around since Italian Count Volta got on the map by making the first one back in 1799. They are basically an electrochemical reaction that releases stored energy to a "load", or the device that actually consumes the electricity you have stored. Here are the main components and how they work together to make the electricity you need: * Electrolyte - this is the medium or, the chemical that stores the energy * Cathode - positive terminal * Anode - negative terminal * Separator - keeps the anode and cathode from touching each other Since wind turbines can really be thought of as "renewable" battery chargers, this is how they do their job: As the windmill blades turn, they rotate the shaft of the motor. The resulting electromagnetic current that is created via the rotation is transferred via electrical wiring to the battery. That is to say, that direct-current, DC energy, is changed into AC energy or, alternating current power. Alternating current power is the standard for electrical appliances and what you use in your house. The chemical electrolyte inside the battery is heated and it is restored to its original voltage, or potential energy. As the chemicals remain in the heated state, the energy is stored. C-rate, or the charging rate, is another very important concept that you will need to understand. If the C-rate on the battery you have is "1", then it will charge completely in about one hour. With a C-rate of .5 will charge in 2 hours, etc. Later, when it is time to use the energy that has been stored, the battery is drained of its power by completing the circuit by connecting it to the "load", or the device or appliance you are trying to power with the energy you've stored. Then, the process of charging is reversed and the electrons are consumed by the device you want to power. The way to look at wind turbine kits is that they are really just sustainable battery chargers. Any battery charger just does the reverse of battery depletion - it returns the chemical in the battery to the state that it was originally, in terms of potential voltage. Using a wind device to charge batteries is a great way to use the natural environment to power our modern electronic world.
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