Typical-configuration-of-a-modern-large-scale-wind-turbine-wwwdesmoinesregistercom

A wind turbine consists of various parts, but those parts could be divided into six major sectors:

1. Foundation

The foundation’s mission is to ensure the stability of a wind turbine, to prevent the whole
turbine from tipping when external forces acting on it.

It is our plan to place the wind turbines near the seaside area. The reason behind the choice of
such location is that the construction of wind farm on coastal ground would utilize the sea
surface area, therefore, lessen the land waste and reduce the adverse influence on local’s
everyday life.

As geographical condition plays an important role in building a foundation, the first step is
generally to measure the suitability for foundation type. The soil in our designated area mostly
consists of alluvial deposits from the river, which is quite loose and soft. Therefore, pile
foundation building technique is chosen, in which foundation plates are fixed with piles into the
earth.

https://www.altenergymag.com/article/2010/04/in-support-of-wind-energythe-foundations-
that-underlie-wind-projects/638

2. Tower

The tower of the wind turbine is responsible for not only carrying the weight of the nacelle and
the blades but also taking in the vast static loads from the aptitude of the wind.

A tower contributes up to 20% of the costs of a turbine, which makes this a one of deciding
factor for the economic viability of the project. As the wind blows faster at higher altitude, the
height of a tower is also proportional to the energy yielded. Thus, an optimal height for a wind
tower must be calculated individually.

Tower shape is typically conical (with their diameter growing towards the base). This is done to
both improve the strength of the tower and save the materials.
The golden rule for a turbine tower is that the height of it is slightly larger than the diameter of
the circle its blades make while spinning. Rotor and rotor blades

3. Rotor
a. Rotor and rotor blades

With the assistance of the blades, the rotor performs the conversion from wind energy into
mechanical rotary movement.

The three blades provide the most energy conversion while limiting noise and vibration. The
three blades provide more blade surface for converting wind energy into electrical energy than a
two-blade or single-blade wind turbine.

Our horizontal turbine has three blades, and their characteristics are very similar to that of
airplane wings. It is usually made of glass-fibre or carbon-fibre plastic. The rotor’s rotation
followed Bernoulli’s principle: the air passing through the lower side of the blade creates a push,
while the upper side’s produces a pull, which leads to the rotation of the rotor.

b. Hub

The hub is the centre of the rotor which holds and allows the blades to be rotated. The hub
conducts the energy from the blades to the generator. It is linked to the low-speed shaft,
converting the wind energy into rotational energy.

4. Nacelle
 The nacelle is housing on top of the tower that holds all the electromechanical gear. Because it
must be able to rotate to trail the wind’s direction, the rotor needs to rotate with respect to the
tower. This motion is called yaw motion where the nacelle and the rotor orbit around the tower
axis. The use of bearings is required for this kind of motion.

There are a variety of components resides within the nacelle, but the two most essential are
generator and gearbox.

a. Generator

The generator is the component that converts the mechanical energy of the rotor, harnessed from
wind to electrical energy. A generator has the same structure as an electric motor.

When electrons flow through an electrical coil, a magnetic field is created around it. Likewise, when
a magnetic field moves past a coil of wire, a voltage is induced in the coil as defined by Faraday’s law
of magnetic induction causing electrons to flow

b. Gearbox

The gear box is located between the rotor and the generator. Because a generator must be rotated
at a speed corresponding to the frequency of the electric network (50 or 60 Hz in most countries),
the gearbox is accountable for magnifying the output energy of the rotor.

5. Working principle

The horizontal-axis wind turbine is a wind turbine in which the main rotor shaft’s direction is the
same as the wind to extract power. The basic principle of HAWT can be explained as follow:
1. The wind blows towards the three rotor blades.
2. Wind force that is the kinetic energy contained in moving air spins turbine's rotor blades.
3. The rotor capturing some of the kinetic energy from the wind and turning the central drive
shaft that supports them. Despite the fast movement of outer edges of the rotor blades, the
central drive shaft they're associated with spins rather slowly.
4. Inside the nacelle, the gearbox amplifies the drive shaft’s rotation speed to a speed that
could be used efficiently by the generator (1500rmp for 50Hz and 1800rpm for 60Hz).
5. The generator, immediately behind the gearbox, transforms kinetic energy from the high-
speed shaft into electrical energy.
6. Anemometers and wind vanes on the back of the nacelle provide measurements of the wind
speed and direction and pass it to the controller.
7. Using these measurements, the entire top part of the turbine can be rotated by a yaw
motor, mounted between the nacelle and the tower, so it would meet the incoming wind at
the best possible angle and gathers the most optimal amount of energy. Brakes are utilized
to stop the rotors from rotating if the wind is too violent or the turbine is under scheduled
maintenance
8. The electric current produced by the generator as direct current is conducted through the
interior of the tower to the banks.
9. In there, a converter transforms it into alternating current and a step-up transformer raises
the voltage about 50 times higher, so it can be transmitted efficiently a substation nearby
through underground cables.
10. Current is sent to the substation through underground cables. At here the voltage is
increased again to feed it into the power grid and transport it to end consumers
11. Wind continues blowing past the turbine, but with less speed and energy and more
disordered.
6. Lifespan

The lifespan of a modern turbine is peaked at around 20 to 25 years; nevertheless, they are not
maintenance-free. As they contain moving components, some parts will need to be replaced
during their working life. Throughout research, the cost of maintenance and parts replacement
is around the 2.000 Vietnam Dong per kWh or 1.5 to 2 percent annually of the original turbine
cost.