Question

An engineer is testing a large wind turbine that is used generating energy. Intially the large wind blades are locked in place and not rotating. In a steady wind, a t=0st=0s the engineer releases the blades and they begin to rotate. The engineer notes from the instruments that at t=15st=15s one of the blades made one-half of a rotation. What is the angular acceleration of the blades, assuming the acceleration is constant?

0.056rad/s20.056rad/s2

0.14rad/s20.14rad/s2

0.028rad/s2

Answer 1

Initial angular speed of the blades = = 0 rad/s

Time taken by the blades to make one-half of a rotation = T = 15 sec

Number of rotations made by the blade = n = 0.5 rev

Angle through which the blade has rotated =

= 3.1416 rad

Angular acceleration of the blades =

= 0.028 rad/s²

Angular acceleration of the blades = 0.028 rad/s²