Wind Power

Mohammed. N. Khan
School of Mechanical Engineering
Fiji National University
 Wind Power?
 In a wind of speed 𝑈𝑜 and density p, a turbine intercepting a cross section
A of wind front will produce power to its rated maximum according to:
1
 𝑃𝑇 = 𝐶𝑃 𝐴𝜌𝑈𝑜3
2
 where 𝐶𝑃 is an efficiency factor called 'the power coefficient'. Note that
the power 𝑃𝑇 is proportional to A and to the cube of wind speed 𝑈𝑜 .
 The power coefficient 𝐶𝑃 varies with wind speed for individual
machines. Since wind speed distribution is skewed, at anyone time
speeds less than average are more likely than speeds greater than
average. Therefore the optimum design size of rotor and generator at a
particular site depends on the power requirement, either to maximize
generated energy per year or to provide frequent power. Often the
average annual power from a wind turbine approximates to the product
of 𝐶𝑃 , air density and the mean wind speed cubed.
 Wind Power?
 The structure comprising the rotor, its matched electricity
generator and other equipment is sometimes called a wind energy
conversion system WECS, however it is increasingly common to
use name wind turbine for the whole assembly.
 The maximum rated power capacity of a wind turbine is given for
a specified 'rated' wind speed, commonly about 12 m/s. At this
speed, power production of about 0.3 kW/m2 of cross-section
would be expected with power coefficients 𝐶𝑃 between 35 and
45%.
 The optimum rotation rate depends on the ratio of the blade tip
speed to the wind speed, so small machines rotate rapidly and
large machines slowly.
 Wind speed increase with height and the horizontal components
are significantly greater than the vertical components.
 Turbine types and terms?
 The names of different types of wind turbine depend on their constructional
geometry, and the aerodynamics of the wind passing around the blades; also
called aero foils or airfoils.
 As the air is perturbed by the blade, a force acts which is resolved into two
components. The main factors are:
 The drag force is the component in line with the relative velocity.
 The lift force is the component perpendicular to drag force. The use of the
word 'lift' does not mean lift force is necessarily upwards, and derives from
the equivalent force on an airplane wing.
 Rotational movement of the air occurs as the airstream flows off the blade.
This may be apparent as distinct vortices and eddies (whirlpools of air) created
near the surface.
 The air is disturbed by the blade movement and by wind gusts, and the flow
becomes erratic and perturbed. This turbulence occurs before and after the
rotating blades, so each individual blade may often be moving in the
turbulence created by other blades.
Turbine types and terms?
 The wind turbine presents a certain solidity to the airstream. This is
the ratio of the total area of the blades at anyone moment in the
direction of the airstream to the swept area across the airstream.
Thus, with identical blades, a four-bladed turbine presents twice the
solidity of a two-bladed turbine.
 The aerodynamic characteristics of the blades are crucial; roughness
and protrusions should be avoided. Note that the predominantly 2-
dimensional air flow over an airplane wing becomes 3 dimensional,
and therefore more complex, for a rotating wind turbine blade.
Modern System Components
 Where should we put all
the stuff?
Situation dependent: Maintenance requirements, Size, Wind quality, Budget
 Rotor Speed Control
Active Stroll Control
Advantages: dynamic, reduces train complexity
Disadvantages: costly, more complex
 Rotor Speed Control
Passive Stroll Control
Advantages: Simple, self regulating
Disadvantages: requires strength in high winds, hard to start-up, complex brake systems
 Horizontal-axis machines
 The dominant driving force is lift. Blades on the rotor may be in front
(upwind) or behind (downwind) of the tower.
 Wind veers frequently in a horizontal plane, and the rotor must tum in
the horizontal plane (yaw) to follow the wind without oscillation.
 Upwind turbines need a tailor some other yawing mechanism, such as
electric motor drives to maintain orientation.
 Downwind turbines are, in principle, self-orienting, but are more
affected by the tower, which produces wind shadow and extra
turbulence in the blade path.
 Perturbations of this kind cause cyclic stresses on the structure.
 Two-and three-bladed rotors are common for electricity generation.
 The three-bladed rotors operate more 'smoothly' and, generally, more
 quietly than two-bladed.
Horizontal-axis machines

Upwind Downwind
 U = U (wind velo
(details to follow)

U = Assumed uniform, m/s

P = Available Power based on U

An air mass moving toward a HAWT

 If not stated otherwise

Cp≤ 45%
 Dynamic Matching
 Power extraction efficiency will decrease from an optimum, if:
 The blades are so close together, or rotating so rapidly, that a
following blade moves into the turbulent air created by a preceding
blade; or
 The blades are so far apart or rotating so slowly that much of the air
passes through the cross-section of the device without interfering
with a blade.
 It therefore becomes important to match the rotational
frequency of the turbine to particular wind speeds so that
the optimum efficiency is obtained.
 Maximum power extraction occurs at the blade tips (when
timeb approx. = timew), where maximum incremental area is
swept by the blades.
Advantages
 After installation, only cost is maintenance
 Wind is renewable
 Available everywhere to some extent
 No pollution
 Simple designs
 Supply of wind energy cannot be controlled
by anyone (no political maneuvering)
 Wind farms make it profitable
Disadvantages
 Expensive to set up, custom products
 Wind speed varies a lot
 Hard to predict
 Not steady, so unreliable
 Accurate data absolutely necessary
 Environmental impact from manufacturing
 Turbines can require large areas of land
Questions?