Examination Wind turbine

aerodynamics and design

Theory
Mark Runacres
29 January 2020

All answers should be justified

Given for all exercises: ρ = 1.2 kg/m3

Exercise 1
1. From an analysis of wind speed data (hourly interval average, taken over a one
year period), the Weibull parameters are determined to be c = 4 m/s and k = 2.
What is the average velocity at this site?
2. Estimate the number of hours per year that the wind speed will be between 7 m/s
and 9 m/s during the year.

3. Estimate the number of hours per year that the wind speed is above 13 m/s.

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Exercise 2
A 60 m diameter, three bladed wind turbine has a rated wind speed of 12 m/s. The
optimal tip-speed ratio is 7.
1. Find the tip-speed (m/s) and the rotational speed (rpm) of the rotor at rated
speed.

2. If the generator turns at 3000 rpm, what gear ratio is needed to match the rotor
speed to the generator speed?
3. After calculating the axial and radial induction factors with the Blade Element
Model (BEM) method, we obtain the following data (see table below). Find the
power coefficient of the wind turbine using the data in the table and use that to
estimate the rated power, assuming a lift to drag ratio of 20 and neglecting the
effect of tip losses.

r a a′
6 0.24 0.06
12 0.248 0.02
18 0.252 0.009
24 0.254 0.005
30 0.257 0.004

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Exercise 3
You are asked to design a wind turbine with the following specifications:
• Onshore - Variable speed - Pitch controlled - horizontal axis;
• Rated power: 450 kW at rated wind speed of 12 m/s;

• Cut-in speed = 5 m/s; Cut-out speed = 22 m/s;

• Three blades (B = 3); Blade profile: NACA0018;
• Lift coefficient (CL ) = 1 at an angle of attack (α) of 8°;
• Cp = 0.34 for the optimal tip-speed ratio λ = 7;

Where appropriate, you may use the following simplified expressions for an optimum
rotor
2
tan(φ) =
3λx
16π
Λ(λ, x) =
9Bλ2 x
c(λ, x)CL
Λ(λ, x) =
R

Wind shear. The readings of two anemometers fixed at heights of 10 m and 20 m

indicate 1.55 m/s and 6.37 m/s respectively.
Using the wind shear - logarithmic law, determine the hub height of your turbine. The
wind speed at the hub should be equal to the rated wind speed.
Make a plot of the velocity law - (U,z) plot (take z from 10 m to 50 m).

BEMT. Complete the data table in the excel file BEMT.xlsx (The twist angle is as-
sumed to start at 0 at the tip and all the results should be in degrees. Twist angles may
be kept constant below x = 0.3).

Output power. After installing the wind turbine, the output power was measured at
specific wind speeds. The results are stored using data table in the excel file Power.xlsx.
Complete this table using the available data.

Annual energy production. The wind speed at the hub height was measured for one
complete year, with one measurement per hour. Results are given in the file Wind-
Measurements.mat.

1. Make a plot of a Weibull distribution for the measured wind speed data.
2. Use the Weibull distribution to determine the annual energy production of the
wind turbine having the power curve from the previous part and knowing that
the turbine works 18 hours per day.

Good Luck

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