Have you ever seen those tall structures that stand in the middle of the sea looking like giant pedestal fans, be it on TV or in real life? Sometimes they are on the outskirts of big cities too - basically areas that are uninhabited by people. If yes, you should know they are called wind turbines and are found all over the world. If not, in this Now You Know, let's know more about turbines and how important they are for us humans.
Turbines can be of different kinds. They are devices that harness the kinetic energy of water, air, steam and combustion gases and turn it into mechanical energy via rotational motion of its blades. You'd be surprised to know that almost all electricity used by humans is generated by them, specifically turbo generators. Turbines are considered a type of engine. Think of anything that starts with "turbo" and chances are, they have turbines.
Wind turbines are installed in places that get a lot of wind regularly. They generate electricity from wind power, which is actually an indirect form of harnessed solar energy. Windmills grind grain, pump water and generate electricity.
Water turbines are used in hydroelectric dams to generate electricity. Francis turbines and Kaplan turbines are the most common ones. Submarines, battleships and aircraft carriers use turbines too. If you like superfast bikes, turbines are where the "turbo boost" comes from. Even NASA's space shuttle uses turbines for propulsion. All petroleum companies use turbodrills to dig wells for natural gas reserves and crude oil. So, you realise that the whole fuel industry depends on turbines too.
Steam turbines are used in thermal power plants that use fuel oil, coal and nuclear fuel. Gas turbines are used in jet engines in aeroplanes, piston engines in ships and trains, and car motors. So, all transportation of the modern world depend on turbines. Can't do without them, can we?
