Wind Turbine Generator

This is a 3D Model of Wind Turbine Generator. The generator is the arrow-like feature at the top of a turbine. It is what makes the electricity that you use in your home.

Wind turbines work on a simple principle: instead of using electricity to make wind—like a fan—wind turbines use wind to make electricity. Wind turns the propeller-like blades of a turbine around a rotor, which spins a generator creating mechanical energy, which allows the generator to create electricity.

Wind is a form of solar energy caused by a combination of three concurrent events:

• The sun unevenly heating the atmosphere
• Irregularities of the earth's surface
• The rotation of the earth. 

Let’s take a closer look at this 3D model. We will first rotate the model right all the way around and then rotate the model down to see from the top of the generator, and then rotate the model up to see the bottom of the generator. The 3D model loads at a 45 degree angle. To get to the front of the generator, we will turn the generator 90 degrees to the Right. We will start with the black, rusty circle facing us.

Looking from the Front

The generator is metallic, light blue and has what looks like a vacuum tub-like oval shaped opening on the right side of the generator. From this angle, the generator is broken into two sections, one on top of the other. The top section looks like a target with two circles one inside the other. The top section also has rounded corners. In the top outside circle is a black, square metal tag with writing on it. When we zoom in we see that it is a warning tag with an arrow on top pointing to the right side of the generator. The inside circle looks like a black manhole cover. It has seven red dots equal distance apart around the outside of the black cover. A large rusty circle is in the center of the black cover. There appears to be a U shaped shoot attached at the base of the black cover. To the right of the shoot is a small silver, rectangular connector piece with two holes set equal distance apart.  Above the metal connector  are two sets of wires that make a square outline to the right of the black cover. We can see the two sections of the generator come together in the middle like lips. The bottom square-like section has an air grate made up of hundreds of holes like a honeycomb.  The generator sits in a sled like cradle of silver metal. There is a blue and white sticker on the right side of the sled-like cradle. It looks like a cartoon outline of a man who has gained weight drawn inside a blue circle..

Looking from the Right

We move the generator 45 degrees. The black circle that was in front of us is now on our left. We are now facing the right side of the generator. From this angle, we cleary see the two rectangles, one on top of the other, that make up the generator. The bottom section of the generator looks like a square toybox. The top section looks like a greenhouse without windows. The top of the rectangle curved in like eves of a house. Attached to the top of the greenhouse-like rectangle is a rectangular, electrical box with two u-shaped handles. There is a yellow and black striped caught sticker on the electrical box. When we zoom in to the bottom of the electrical box, we see four metal strips. Cut into each metal strip are four circles and a square. A wire runs under the electrical box to a black connector. The wire then runs from the black connector under a small rectangle that is to the left of the large electrical box. There is a tag in the center of this rectangle that says “Warning, Circuit may be live.” To the right of the  big electrical box is an open section with a circular connector and a hose like a vacuum cleaner. Both the circular connector and the hose connect to the end of the generator. The end of the generator looks like air conditioning dutch work just below a circular section. From this angle, we can see that the generator is sitting inside two u-shaped braces that are set equal distance apart along the length of the generator.

Looking from the Back

We move the generator 45 degrees. We are now facing the back of the generator. The back looks like the back of an old, fashion stagecoach with what looks like a storage box that runs the horizontal length of the generator. The generator sits inside an open sled like frame with two long metallic, white skis coming out in front of the metallic, light blue generator. The ski on the left has orangish rust along the inside edges. The sled is attached to a flat, thin sheet of silver metal. There is a light blue and white sticker on the right side of the generator on the cradle portion of the sled. It looks like a light blue rooster on white paper. The rooster is turned sideways facing the side of the generator.

Looking from the Left

We turn the generator 45 degrees. We are now facing the left side of the generator. The black circle is now on the right side. From this angle, the back of the generator looks like a U bend of air conditioning dutch work.  The U bend is attached in the middle of the bottom section of the generator. This large bottom square looks like a child’s toy box. Sitting on top of the toy box section is a square like section of the same size with the top crimped in to make it look like a small green house without windows. At the end of the small greenhouse-like section is a circular connector. It looks like the end of the connector is covered in rust.  There is a silver metal tag in the center of the toy box-like section with “A”, “B”, “B” stamped in the metal. This side of the generator lets us see that the generator sled is a white, metal cradle holding the generator off the ground.

Looking Down from the Top 

We are looking down on to the top of the generator. White dust covers a diamond like plate that runs the length of the generator.

Looking up from the Bottom 

We look under the generator. We see that a large oval-shaped hole has been cut into the main section of the generator. When we look up into the generator, we can see a connector box on the left side. To our left is the bottom side of the stage coach-like section of the generator.