(WIND TURBINE)

Introduction

Preamble :
The Etymological root of the term “éolien” comes from the name of the mythological character Aeolus,
known in ancient Greece as the master of the winds.
Wind energy is an indirect form of solar energy: solar rays absorbed in the atmosphere cause
temperature and pressure differences. As result, the air masses start to move and accumulate kinetic energy.
This energy can be used to produce electrical energy (*).
A Short History of Wind Turbines
Windmills:
The first uses of wind as energy by man go back to the windmills. First appearing in the year 600 in the
East and then in Egypt, windmills produced mechanical energy that was used to grind grain and also to pump
water to irrigate crops.
Windmills appeared in Europe shortly before the year 1000 in Britain and then spread throughout
Europe in the 12th century. They were built on the model of vertical axis wind turbines.
The first Wind turbines
The first wind turbines did not really appear until the end of the 19th century, in an experimental form. It
was Charles F. Bush who first designed the device to supply his house with electricity in 1888. The wind
turbine works with vertical axis blades and several accumulators (batteries) to store the energy produced.
Later, Charles F. Bush’s wind turbine design was taken up by the Danish designer Poul La Cour, who
designed several industrial wind turbines, one of which was sold in 72 units at the beginning of the 20th
century. These wind turbines were designed to produce hydrogen by using the force of the wind to convert it
into chemical energy through a process of electrolysis.
From 1900 to today
Throughout the 20th century, numerous tests were carried out. In 1957, Johannes Juul created a turbine
which he called Gedser and which is still used today as a model for modern wind turbines. In the United
States, Britain and France, wind turbines of a power of up to 1.000 kW were built.
Unfortunately, the development of the wind energy market was slowed down during a large part of the
20 century due to the high consumption of oil and coal. In the 70’s, the first oil shocks and the sharp
th

increase in the price of fossil fuels gave a new lease of life to wind energy.
Definitions of a Wind farm
A wind farm is defined as a space/place where several wind turbines are assembled. These turbines
transform the kinetic energy of the wind into electrical energy. The wind farm is usually located in a place
where the wind is strong and/or regular.
The wind turbine is coupled to an electrical generator to create direct or alternative current. The
generator is connected to a power grid or operates as stand-alone system.
There are two ways of using wind energy:
-Onshore wind turbines are installed in land.
-The so-called “offshore” wind turbines are installed at sea.
Description of a wind turbine: A wind turbine consists mainly of :
1-Foundation 2-Tower 3-Nacelle 4-Gearbox 5-A rotor
6-Generator 7-Blades
How a wind turbine works:
The wind drives the 3 blades of the wind turbine. This rotation causes the rotor to the alternator to
turn, thus producing electrical energy.
 Definitions

The foundations: are designed mainly to transfer the

vertical load (dead weight) to the ground, generally allowing
comparatively unsophisticated arrangement to be used. One of the
most common foundations for offshore wind turbines is
the monopile, a single large-diameter (4 to 6 metres) tubular steel
pile driven to a depth of 5-6 times the diameter of the pile into the
seabed. The cohesion of the soil, and friction between the pile and
the soil provide the necessary structural support for the wind
turbine. In onshore turbines the most common type of foundation
is a gravity foundation, where a large mass of concrete spread out
over a large area is used to resist the turbine loads. Wind turbine
size & type, wind conditions and soil conditions at the site are all
determining factors in the design of the foundation

The tower of the wind turbine: supports the nacelle and the
rotor. There are several alternatives for large wind turbines: a self-
supporting, tubular steel tower, a lattice tower or a massive concrete
tower. Guyed tubular towers are only used for small wind turbines
(battery chargers, etc.).Most large wind turbines are delivered with a
tubular steel tower, manufactured in 20-30 m sections that are
flanged at both ends of each and assembled by bolts on site. The
towers are tapered (with an increasing diameter the closer you get to
the base of the tower) to increase strength while using less material.

Nacelle: is a cover housing that houses all of the generating

components in a wind turbine, including: the generator, gearbox, drive
train, and brake assembly.

Gearbox: A gearbox is typically used in a wind turbine to increase

rotational speed from a low-speed rotor to a higher speed electrical
generator.

The rotor: is composed of the nose of the wind turbine receiving the
blades (usually three), fixed on a shaft rotating in bearings installed in
the nacelle. The rotor, which is attached to the blades, is driven by the
energy of the wind. It is connected directly or indirectly (via a gearbox)
to the mechanical system that uses the energy collected (pump, electric
generator, etc.)
 Generator: The wind turbine generator converts mechanical
energy to electrical energy. All electrical turbine generators work
because of the effects of moving a magnetic field past an
electrical coil

Blades: Wind turbine blades are airfoil-shaped blades that

harness wind energy and drive the rotor of a wind turbine. The
airfoil-shaped-design (which provides lift in a fixed wing
aircraft) is used to allow the blades to exert lift perpendicular to
wind direction. This force vector acts on the rotor and is the
driving force of the wind turbine The aerodynamics of wind
turbine blades are optimized in a thin blade design, while the
structural integrity of an oblique airfoil design increases the life
expectancy and survival speed. These two extremes are carefully
balanced as to optimize the efficiency of the turbine while
increasing its life expectancy