WIND Energy

Top 10 wind power countries

Total capacity
Country end 2013 (MW)
China 91,424
United States 61,091
Germany 34,250
Spain 22,959
India 20,150
United Kingdom 10,531
Italy 8,552
France 8,254
Canada 7,803
Denmark 4,772
Rest of world 48,351
Total 318,137
 Advantages:
• Wind energy is friendly to the surrounding environment, as no fossil
fuels are burnt to generate electricity from wind energy.
• Wind turbines take up less space than the average power station.
Windmills only have to occupy a few square meters for the base,
this allows the land around the turbine to be used for many
purposes, for example agriculture.
• Newer technologies are making the extraction of wind energy much
more efficient. The wind is free, and we are able to cash in on this
free source of energy.
• Wind turbines are a great resource to generate energy in remote
locations, such as mountain communities and remote countryside.
Wind turbines can be a range of different sizes in order to support
varying population levels.
• Another advantage of wind energy is that when combined with solar
electricity, this energy source is great for developed and developing
countries to provide a steady, reliable supply of electricity.
 Disadvantages
• The main disadvantage regarding wind power is down to
the winds unreliability factor. In many areas, the winds
strength is too low to support a wind turbine or wind farm,
and this is where the use of solar power or geothermal
power could be great alternatives.
• Wind turbines generally produce allot less electricity than
the average fossil fuelled power station, requiring multiple
wind turbines to be built in order to make an impact.
• Wind turbine construction can be very expensive and costly
to surrounding wildlife during the build process.
• The noise pollution from commercial wind turbines is
sometimes similar to a small jet engine. This is fine if you
live miles away, where you will hardly notice the noise, but
what if you live within a few hundred meters of a turbine?
This is a major disadvantage.
 vertical axis wind turbines (VAWT)
• Vertical-axis wind turbines (VAWTs) are a type of wind turbine where the main rotor shaft is
set vertically and the main components are located at the base of the turbine.
• This arrangement allows the generator and gearbox to be located close to the ground,
facilitating service and repair. VAWTs do not need to be pointed into the wind, which
removes the need for wind-sensing and orientation mechanisms.
• The blades on a Darrieus rotor, as they spin around, are almost always in pure tension, which
means that they can be relatively lightweight and inexpensive since they don’t have to
handle the constant flexing associated with blades on horizontal axis machines.
• There are several disadvantages of vertical axis
turbines, the principal one being that the blades
are relatively close to the ground where wind
speeds are lower.
• Winds near the surface of the earth are not only
slower but also more turbulent, which increases
stresses on VAWTs.
• Finally, in low-speed winds, Darrieus rotors have
very little starting torque; in higher winds, when
output power must be controlled to protect the
generator, they can’t be made to fall the wind as
easily as pitch-controlled blades on a HAWT.
 horizontal axis wind turbines (HAWT)
• Horizontal-axis wind turbines (HAWT) have the main rotor shaft and electrical generator at
the top of a tower, and must be pointed into the wind.
• there is still some controversy over whether an upwind machine or a downwind machine is
best.
• A downwind machine has the advantage of letting the wind itself control the yaw (the left –
right motion) so it naturally orients itself correctly with respect to wind direction.
• Every time a blade swings behind the tower, it encounters a brief period of reduced wind,
which causes the blade to bend. This flexing not only has the potential to lead to blade
failure due to fatigue, but also increases blade noise and reduces power output.
• Upwind turbines, on the other hand, require some
what complex yaw control systems to keep the
blades facing into the wind.
• In exchange for that added complexity, however,
upwind machines operate more smoothly and
deliver more power.
• Most modern wind turbines are of the upwind
type.
• Another fundamental design decision for wind turbines relates to
the number of rotating blades.
• Most modern European wind turbines have three rotor blades while
American machines have tended to have just two.
• Three-bladed turbines show smoother operation since impacts of
tower interference and variation of wind-speed with height are
more evenly transferred from rotors to drive shaft, The third blade,
however, does add considerably to the weight and cost of the
turbine.
• Some things you can test about blades include
– Blade Length
– Blade Number
– Blade Pitch
– Blade Shape
– Blade Materials
– Blade Weight
• other systems to start, stop, and control the turbine
 Power control
• A wind turbine is designed to produce a maximum of power at
wide spectrum of wind speeds. All wind turbines are designed
for a maximum wind speed, called the survival speed, above
which they do not survive.
• The survival speed of commercial wind turbines is in the range
of 40 m/s (144 km/h, 89 MPH) to 72 m/s (259 km/h, 161
MPH). The most common survival speed is 60 m/s (216 km/h,
134 MPH). The wind turbines have three modes of operation:
• Above rated wind speed operation
– If the rated wind speed is exceeded the power has to be limited. There
are various ways to achieve this.
– A control system involves three basic elements: sensors to measure
process variables, actuators to manipulate energy capture and
component loading, and control algorithms to coordinate the actuators
based on information gathered by the sensors
• doubling the windspeed increases the power by eight-fold.
• Another way to look at it is that the energy contained in 1 hour of 20 mph winds is the same
as that contained in 8 hours at 10 mph.
• wind power is proportional to the swept area of the turbine rotor.
Don’t Use Average Windspeed. Compare the energy at 15◦C,1 atm pressure,
contained in 1 m2 of the following wind regimes:
a. 50 hours at 3 m/s plus 50 hours at 9 m/s (i.e., an average windspeed of 6 m/s)
b.100 hours of 6-m/s winds (13.4 mph),
Temperature Correction for air density
Density of Warmer Air. Find the density of air at 1 atm and 30◦C (86◦F)
Altitude Correction for Air Density
IMPACT OF TOWER HEIGHT
Increased Windpower with a Taller Tower. An anemometer mounted at a height of
10 m above a surface with crops, hedges, and shrubs shows a windspeed of 5 m/s.
Estimate the windspeed and the specific power in the wind at a height of 50 m.
Assume 15◦C and 1 atm of pressure.
 WIND TURBINE GENERATORS
• Synchronous Generators
The fact that synchronous generator rotors needs dc current for their field windings creates two
complications.
– First, dc has to be provided, which usually means that a rectifying circuit, called the
exciter , is needed to convert ac from the grid into dc for the rotor.
– Second, this dc current needs to make it onto the spinning rotor, which means that slip
rings on the rotor shaft are needed, along with brushes that press against them.
Replacing brushes and cleaning up slip rings adds to the maintenance needed by these
synchronous generators.
 The Asynchronous Induction Generator
• induction machines do not turn at a fixed speed, so they are often described as
asynchronous generators.
• the key advantage of asynchronous induction generators is that their rotors do not require
the brushes, and slip rings that are needed by most synchronous generators.
• They do this by creating the necessary magnetic field in the stator rather than the rotor.
This means that they are less complicated and less expensive and require less maintenance.
• squirrel-cage induction generator (SCIG)
• The turbine speed is fixed (or nearly fixed) to the electrical grid’s frequency, and generates
real power (P) when the turbine shaft rotates faster than the electrical grid frequency
creating a negative slip.
• A major drawback of the induction machine is the reactive power that it consumes for its
excitation field and the large currents the machine can draw when started “across-the-line.”
• The   natural  characteristic   of   an  induction  generator  is   that   it   draws  
reactive power   from  the utility supply.
• Thus, this type of turbine requires reactive power   compensation implemented   in
the   form  of   switched  capacitors   in   parallel  with  each  phase  of   the
winding. 
• Operation without switched capacitors can lead to excessive reactive power drawn
from the utility.
• The   size   of   the   capacitors   switched   in   and   out  is   automatically  adjusted
 according  to   the operating  point  of   the   induction  generator.
• At  higher   wind  speed,   the   generated  power increases and the operating slip
of   the   induction  generator  is   higher   and   as   a   result,   the   reactive power
required   is   also   larger.  
 Variable speed wind turbine
• Variable-speed wind turbines are designed to achieve maximum aerodynamic
efficiency over a wide range of wind speeds.
• It is typically equipped with an induction or synchronous generator and connected to
the grid through a power converter.
• The advantages of variable-speed wind turbines are an increased energy capture,
improved power quality and reduced mechanical stress on the wind turbine.
• The disadvantages are losses in power electronics, the use of more components and
the increased cost of equipment because of the power electronics.
• wound rotor induction generator (WRIG) This configuration corresponds to
the limited variable speed wind turbine with variable generator rotor resistance.
• The unique feature of this concept is that it has a variable additional
rotor resistance, which can be changed by an optically controlled
converter mounted on the rotor shaft. Thus, the total rotor resistance is
controllable.
• As wind  speed   increases,  the   input   aerodynamic   power   increases,
the rotor  slip   increases, and   the electrical output power increases. In
this region (P   <  P   rated), the external rotor resistors are short circuited
(duty   ratio  =1).
• Once  the   output  power   reaches  its  rated  output,  the   external rotor 
resistance  is   adjusted   to   keep  the   output  of   the   turbine constant.  
• to   reduce  the   mechanical  loads   on  the blades and the turbine
structures, the aerodynamic power is also   controlled   by  controlling   the
pitch  angle  of   the   blades   in   the  high  wind  speed   regions.   The
blade  pitch  is   controlled   to   keep the rotor speed below its maximum
speed (up   to   10%   slip   above   synchronous   speed).
• The range of the dynamic speed control depends on the size of the
variable rotor resistance. Typically, the speed range is 0 to10% above
synchronous speed.
 Indirect Grid Connection Systems
• This configuration corresponds to the full variable speed wind turbine, with the
generator connected to the grid through a full-scale frequency converter.
• The generator can be excited electrically (WRSG/WRIG) or by a permanent magnet
(PMSG).
• The   output  of   the   generator  is passed through the power converter to the grid.
Thus, the   rating   of   the   power   converter  is   the same as the rating of the electric
machine used.
 Idealized Wind Turbine Power Curve
• The most important technical information for a specific wind turbine is the power curve,
which shows the relationship between windspeed and generator electrical output.
• Cut-in Windspeed: Low-speed winds may not have enough power to overcome friction in
the drive train of the turbine and, even if it does and the generator is rotating, the electrical
power generated may not be enough to offset the power required by the generator field
windings.
• Since no power is generated at wind-speeds below VC , that portion of the wind’s energy is
wasted.
• Rated Wind speed: As velocity increases above the cut-in wind speed, the
power delivered by the generator tends to rise as the cube of wind speed.
• When winds reach the rated wind speed VR, the generator is delivering as much power as it
is designed for.
• Above VR, there must be some way to shed some of the wind’s power or else the generator
may be damaged.
• pitch-controlled: an electronic system monitors the generator out-put power; if it exceeds
specifications, the pitch of the turbine blades is adjusted to shed some of the wind.
– Physically, a hydraulic system slowly rotates the blades about their axes, turning them a
few degrees at a time to reduce or increase their efficiency as conditions dictate.
• stall-controlled machines: the blades are carefully designed to automatically reduce
efficiency when winds are excessive.
– Nothing rotates — as it does in the pitch-controlled scheme — and there are no moving
parts, so this is referred to as passive control.
– The aerodynamic design of the blades, especially their twist as a function of distance
from the hub, must be very carefully done so that a gradual reduction in lift occurs as
the blades rotate faster. The majority of modern, large wind turbines use this passive,
stall-controlled approach.
– The blades are designed so that they will perform worse (in terms of energy extraction)
in high wind speeds to protect the wind turbine without the need for active controls.
• active stall control:
• For these machines, the blades rotate just as they do in the active, pitch-control approach.
• The difference is, however, that when winds exceed the rated windspeed, instead of
reducing the angle of attack of the blades, it is increased to induce stall.
• The benefit of stall-regulation over pitch-regulation is limited the capital cost of the turbine,
as well as lower maintenance associated with more moving parts.

• Cut-out or Furling Wind speed:

• At some point the wind is so strong that there is real danger to the wind turbine.
• At this wind speed VF, called the cut-out wind speed or the furling wind speed (“furling” is
the term used in sailing to describe the practice of folding up the sails when winds are too
strong), the machine must be shut down. Above VF, output power obviously is zero.