How many types of turbines are there?

Answer 1

There are two main types of wind turbines: horizontal axis and vertical axis. (Each type has several subtypes, but the main aspect that matters is the axis)

Horizontal axis turbines, which are more common, have to point into the wind and their axis is horizontal as seen by the name, making them look somewhat like fans. Because of the angle of the blades, they can collect the maximum amount of wind energy. Also, since the blades rotate perpendicular to the wind, they are always gathering energy.

However, they have their disadvantages as they are very tall and big, making it hard to transport them, and also causing a need for towers to support them. They can also be noisy at times.

Meanwhile, vertical axis turbines have axes that are vertically sticking out of the ground and blades that rotate around the axis. They don't need to point into the wind, which makes them more useful in places where the wind direction is unpredictable. They can be built lower to the ground, so they don't need tower support like the horizontal axis ones and they are allowed in places where tall structures aren't allowed.

Like the horizontal axis turbines, though, they also have disadvantages; they can't gather energy at the same efficiency as horizontal axis ones because they are closer to the ground, where the wind is slower and objects (like buildings etc.) can disrupt the air flow. They are also slightly inefficient since half the time the blades will be going against the wind because of the angle they rotate at.