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RebeccaBarthelmie_WindTurbines_2020E-_风力涡轮机的工作机制_-
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Every 24 hours, wind generates enough kinetic energy to produce roughly 35 times more electricity than humanity uses each day. |
每 24 小时,风所产生的动能 大约是全人类每日用电量的 35 倍。 |
And unlike coal or oil, this resource is totally renewed each day. |
与煤炭或石油不同, 这种资源每天都会完全更新。 |
So how can we harness this incredible amount of energy, and is it possible to create a world powered entirely by wind? |
那么,我们能如何驾驭 如此大量的能源, 是否能让世界完全由风力供能? |
generates:[计]生成;发生; kinetic:adj.[力]运动的;活跃的; roughly:adv.粗糙地;概略地; electricity:n.电力;电流;强烈的紧张情绪; humanity:n.人类;人道;仁慈;人文学科; resource:n.资源;资料;才智;财力;v.向…提供资金(或设备); renewed:adj.再次发生的; v.重新开始; (renew的过去分词和过去式) harness:vt.治理; n.马具; incredible:adj.难以置信的,惊人的;
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The basic principle of wind energy is simple. |
风能的基本原则很简单。 |
A series of sails or blades mounted around a rotor catch the wind and translate its kinetic energy into rotational energy. |
风吹动一系列叶片,转动转子, 把风的动能转换为旋转能。 |
Traditional windmills use that rotational energy to grind wheat or pump water. |
传统的风车用旋转能磨麦或抽水。 |
principle:n.原理,原则;主义,道义;本质,本义;根源,源泉; series:n.系列,连续;[电]串联;级数;丛书; blades:n.刀身;刀片;刀刃;叶片;桨叶;桨身;(blade的复数) mounted:adj.骑马的; v.准备; (mount的过去分词和过去式) rotor:n.[电][机][动力]转子;水平旋翼;旋转体; translate:v.翻译;被翻译;被译成;(使)转变; rotational:adj.转动的;回转的;轮流的; Traditional:传统的,惯例的, windmills:n.[动力]风车(windmill的复数); v.作风车般的传动; grind:v.磨碎;磨快;n.磨;苦工作; pump:n.抽水机;泵;打气筒;v.用泵输送;涌出;奔流;快速摇动;
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But in modern wind turbines , it turns a generator that creates electricity. |
但现代的风力涡轮机 转动发电机来产生电力。 |
This conversion from wind to rotational energy to electricity has defined wind turbines since their invention in the late 19th century. |
自从 19 世纪后期发明以来, 这种从风到旋转能再到电力的转换 就定义了风力涡轮机。 |
And there are three primary factors that determine just how much energy they can produce: the size and orientation of the blades, the blade’s aerodynamic design, and the amount of wind turning the rotor. |
有三个主要因素决定 它们能够产生多少能量: 叶片的大小和方向, 叶片的空气动力学设计, 以及转动转子的风量。 |
turbines:n.[动力]涡轮;[动力]涡轮机(turbine的复数);[动力]汽轮机; generator:n.发电机;发生器;电力公司; conversion:n.转换;变换;[金融]兑换;改变信仰; defined:adj.有定义的,确定的; v.使明确; factors:n.因素(factor的复数); v.做代理商; determine:v.决定;确定;测定;查明;形成;影响;裁决;安排; orientation:n.方向;定向;适应;情况介绍;向东方; aerodynamic:adj.空气动力学的,[航]航空动力学的;
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First up, blade orientation. |
首先是叶片的方向。 |
Wind turbines can be designed with their rotor on a vertical axis or a horizontal axis. |
风力涡轮机的转子 可设计在垂直轴或水平轴上。 |
Vertical blades can pick up wind coming from any direction, but with much less efficiency than horizontal axis rotors . |
垂直叶片能捕获任何方向的风, 但效率比水平轴转子要低得多。 |
Horizontal designs allow blades to capture the wind’s full force by tracking the wind’s direction and turning to face it. |
水平设计能让叶片 追踪并正对来风的方向, 从而捕获全部风力。 |
vertical:n.垂直线;垂直位置;adj.竖的;垂直的;直立的;纵向的; axis:n.轴;轴线;轴心国; horizontal:n.水平线;水平面;横线;水平位置;adj.水平的;与地面平行的;横的; efficiency:n.效率;效能;功效; rotors:n.[电][机][动力]转子;回转轴(rotor的复数形式); capture:v.俘虏;捕获;攻占;夺得;刻画,描述;n.(被)捕获;(被)俘获 tracking:n.追踪,跟踪;v.跟踪;(track的现在分词)
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This turning process is called yawing , and older windmills achieved it through manual monitoring. |
这种转向的过程称为偏航, 旧式风车需通过人工监控进行调整。 |
Today, wind sensors and computer systems automatically adjust the blades with expert precision to capture as much energy as possible. |
如今,风传感器和计算机系统 能以专业精度自动调整叶片, 以捕获尽可能多的能量。 |
Outside rotor orientation, the blades themselves need to be shaped to maximize efficiency. |
除了转子的方向, 叶片本身也要做成 能把效率最大化的形状。 |
process:v.处理;加工;列队行进;n.过程,进行;方法,adj.经过特殊加工(或处理)的; yawing:n.[航]偏航;偏摇;左右摇摆;v.[航]偏航;偏荡;摇首(yaw的ing形式); manual:n.说明书;指南;使用手册;adj.用手的;手工的;体力的;手动的; sensors:n.[自]传感器,感应器;感测器(sensor的复数); automatically:adv.自动地;机械地;无意识地;adj.不经思索的; adjust:v.调整;调节;适应;习惯; precision:n.精度,[数]精密度;精确;adj.精密的,精确的; maximize:vt.取…最大值;对…极为重视;vi.尽可能广义地解释;达到最大值;
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While early designs used flat blades, modern blades are curved like airplane wings. |
早期的叶片采用平板设计, 现代的叶片则像飞机机翼一样弯曲。 |
Wind travels faster over the curved surface, creating a low-pressure pocket above the blade that forces it upwards . |
弯曲的上表面能提高风速, 在叶片上方产生低压区, 迫使叶片上抬。 |
Since the amount of lift depends on the angle at which the wind is moving relative to the blade, modern blades also incorporate a twist , optimizing how much of the blade can cut into the wind. |
由于升力大小取决于 风相对于叶片的移动角度, 现代的叶片还加入了扭力, 能优化叶片切入风的程度。 |
curved:adj.呈弯曲状的; v.(使)沿曲线运动; airplane:n.飞机; low-pressure:adj.低压的;悠然自得的; upwards:adv.向上;在上部;向上游; relative:adj.相对的;有关系的;成比例的;n.亲戚;相关物;[语]关系词;亲缘植物; incorporate:vt.包含,吸收; vi.合并; adj.合并的; twist:v.捻;扭转;曲折;扭动;n.捻;拧;扭动;搓; optimizing:n.[数]优化,最佳化;adj.最佳的;v.最佳化(optimize的现在分词);
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Made of fiberglass and resin layers , these blades are strong enough to operate through rain, lightning , and blistering sunlight for over 20 years. |
这些由玻璃纤维和树脂层 制成的叶片足够牢固, 能在雨中、闪电里和烈日下 运作超过 20 年。 |
Even with aerodynamic blades and a horizontal rotor, a wind turbine can only capture wind if it's in a windy environment. |
即使有空气动力学叶片和水平转子, 风力涡轮机也只能 在风大的环境中捕获风能。 |
Wind speeds typically increase the higher into the atmosphere you travel. |
一般来说,在大气层中越高, 风速就越大。 |
fiberglass:n.玻璃纤维;玻璃丝; resin:n.树脂;松香;vt.涂树脂;用树脂处理; layers:n.层;表层;层次;阶层;v.把…分层堆放;(layer的第三人称单数和复数) lightning:n.闪电;adj.闪电般的;飞快的;突然的 blistering:adj.猛烈的; n.[涂料]起泡; v.起水疱; sunlight:n.日光; wind turbine:n.风力机;风力涡轮机;风力发电机; typically:adv.代表性地;作为特色地; atmosphere:n.大气;气氛;气压;风格;
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So today, most turbines are well over 100 meters tall, with equally large rotor diameters . |
所以当今大多数涡轮机 都超过 100 米高, 转子直径同样也很大。 |
A turbine of this height and size can capture a huge amount of wind, generating enough electricity every year to power 750 American homes. |
一座这种高度和尺寸的涡轮机 能捕获大量的风, 每年产生的电力 足够为 750 户美国家庭供电。 |
A wind farm of 200 similarly sized turbines could power over 150,000 American homes— or twice as many European homes— for an entire year. |
一个风力发电厂 配备 200 组类似大小的涡轮机, 就能为超过 15 万户美国家庭—— 或超过 30 万户欧洲家庭—— 提供一整年的用电。 |
diameters:n.直径(diameter的名词复数);放大率; generating:v.产生;引起;(generate的现在分词) wind farm:n.风力发电场; similarly:adv.同样地;类似于;
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Offshore wind farms contain an even greater number of even larger turbines. |
离岸风力发电厂配备的涡轮机 数量与尺寸还要更大。 |
In 2019, the largest wind turbine ever built began operating off the coast of the Netherlands. |
2019 年,有史以来 最大的风力发电机 开始在荷兰沿海地区投入使用。 |
With a rotor diameter of 220 meters, just one of these turbines can meet the annual power needs of 16,000 European households . |
它的转子直径为 220 米, 仅一台这样的涡轮机 就足以供应 16,000 户 欧洲家庭一年的用电。 |
Offshore:adj.离岸的;[海洋]近海的;吹向海面的;adv.向海面,向海; annual:n.年报;年鉴;年刊;adj.每年的;年度的;一年的; households:n.家庭;拆迁户;家户(household的复数);
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Despite its amazing potential , wind energy still faces challenges. |
尽管具有巨大的潜力, 风能仍面临着挑战。 |
Wind may be a free and unlimited fuel, but no matter how large or efficient a turbine is there's a mathematical limit to how much wind it can convert into electricity. |
虽然风能免费且取之不尽, 但不管涡轮有多大、效率有多高, 可转化为电力的风能 仍存在数学上限。 |
Despite:prep.尽管,不管;n.轻视;憎恨;侮辱; potential:n.潜能;可能性;[电]电势;adj.潜在的;可能的;势的; unlimited:adj.无限制的;无限量的;无条件的; efficient:adj.有效率的;有能力的;生效的; mathematical:adj.数学的,数学上的;精确的; convert into:使转变;把…转化成;折合;
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German physicist Albert Betz calculated that since some wind must remain to keep the blades spinning , a turbine can only ever capture 59.3% of the wind’s energy. |
德国物理学家阿尔伯特 · 贝茨算出 由于必须留出风力让叶片保持旋转, 涡轮机最多只能捕获 59.3% 的风能。 |
Additionally , some people feel turbines disrupt natural scenery , and wind energy’s intermittent availability can make it difficult to integrate into electrical grids . |
此外,有些人认为 涡轮机破坏了自然风光, 加上风能只是间歇性可用, 使其难以被整合进电网。 |
physicist:n.物理学家;物理学研究者; spinning:n.纺纱(手艺):纺线v.(使)旋转:纺线:纺纱;(spin的现在分词) Additionally:adv.另外;此外;加之; disrupt:vt.破坏;使瓦解;使分裂;使中断;使陷于混乱;adj.分裂的,中断的;分散的; scenery:n.风景;景色;舞台布景; intermittent:adj.间歇的;断断续续的;间歇性; availability:n.可用性;有效性;实用性; integrate:v.成为一体;(使)加入;adj.完全的; electrical:adj.有关电的;电气科学的; grids:n.[数]网格(grid的复数形式);栅格;
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But even with these challenges, modern wind turbines have made wind energy the most efficient and inexpensive source of electricity. |
但即使有这些挑战, 现代风力涡轮机已使风能 成为了最高效、最便宜的电力来源。 |
Wind turbines already provide essential energy for communities around the world. |
风力涡轮机已为世界各地的社区 提供了必不可少的能源。 |
And for many farmers, hosting a wind turbine can be a reliable source of additional income. |
对于许多农民来说, 在耕地上架设风力发电机 是可靠的额外收入来源。 |
inexpensive:adj.廉价的;不昂贵的; essential:n.要点;要素;实质;必需品;adj.完全必要的;必不可少的;极其重要的;本质的; communities:n.社区;社会;团体;共有(community的复数) hosting:v.主办,主持;主持;做东;(host的现在分词) reliable:adj.可信赖的;可依靠的;真实可信的;可靠的;
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With continued improvements in wind forecasting , electrical grid infrastructure and energy storage, wind power might blow away all our energy problems. |
随着风预报、电网基础设施 和储能技术不断改进, 风能或许可以吹散 我们所有的能源问题。 |
improvements:n.改善;改进;改善的事物;(improvement的复数) forecasting:n.预测;v.预言;作预告(forecast的ing形式); infrastructure:n.基础设施;公共建设;下部构造; blow away:吹走;驱散;
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