Wind Power Calculator (P = ½ρAv³)
Wind Power Calculator (P = ½ρAv³)
Wind power is the kinetic energy per second carried by moving air through a given cross-sectional area, and it forms the theoretical basis for wind turbine output before accounting for real-world efficiency losses. Enter air density, swept area, and wind speed, and this calculator computes the power along with a graph showing how dramatically power scales with wind speed.
- P = ½ρAv³, where ρ is air density (kg/m³), A is the swept area (m²), and v is wind speed (m/s) - e.g. ρ=1.225, A=10, v=10 gives P = ½×1.225×10×1000 = 6125 W.
- Power scales with the cube of wind speed - doubling the wind speed increases available power eightfold, which is why turbine site selection prioritizes consistently windy locations.
- This is the theoretical maximum, not the actual turbine output - real turbines capture only a fraction of this power (limited by the Betz limit of about 59.3%, plus further mechanical and electrical losses).
What is the formula for wind power?
P = ½ρAv³, where ρ is air density, A is the swept area of the turbine blades, and v is wind speed.
Why does wind speed matter so much for wind power?
Because power depends on the cube of wind speed - a small increase in wind speed produces a much larger increase in available power.
Wind Power Calculator (P = ½ρAv³)
Wind power is the kinetic energy per second carried by moving air through a given cross-sectional area, and it forms the theoretical basis for wind turbine output before accounting for real-world efficiency losses. Enter air density, swept area, and wind speed, and this calculator computes the power along with a graph showing how dramatically power scales with wind speed.
- P = ½ρAv³, where ρ is air density (kg/m³), A is the swept area (m²), and v is wind speed (m/s) - e.g. ρ=1.225, A=10, v=10 gives P = ½×1.225×10×1000 = 6125 W.
- Power scales with the cube of wind speed - doubling the wind speed increases available power eightfold, which is why turbine site selection prioritizes consistently windy locations.
- This is the theoretical maximum, not the actual turbine output - real turbines capture only a fraction of this power (limited by the Betz limit of about 59.3%, plus further mechanical and electrical losses).
What is the formula for wind power?
P = ½ρAv³, where ρ is air density, A is the swept area of the turbine blades, and v is wind speed.
Why does wind speed matter so much for wind power?
Because power depends on the cube of wind speed - a small increase in wind speed produces a much larger increase in available power.