Wind Power and Solar Energy Technology and Business

Lecture 4
Basic technology of wind turbines

Ayesha Sadiqa
Types of wind turbines
Types of wind turbines

Allocation criteria
• Horizontal vs. vertical axis
• With horizontal turbines
• Number of blades
• Upwind vs. downwind turbine

Source: Wikipedia, Public Domain Source: Unsplash.com

Types of wind turbines
Horizontal shaft wind turbines
(Horizon axis wind turbines, HAWT)

Single blade wind turbine / 1 / Double blade wind turbine / 2 /

Three-bladed wind turbine / 3 / Multi-bladed wind turbine / 4 /

Horizontal shaft turbines
Upwind and downwind turbine / 5 /
Types of wind turbines
Vertical shaft wind turbines
(Vertical axis wind turbines, VAWT)

Darrieus rotor/ 6 / Darrieus-rotor guide vane

Types of wind turbines

Vertical shaft wind turbines

Savonius rotor / 7 /

Incorporated Savonius and Darrieus / 8 /

Rotor operating principle, efficiency
and tip speed ratio
Rotor operating principle

• The operation of a wind turbine blade is based on lifting capacity (lift force) and drag
(drag force)
• The drag is formed by the air resistance of the wing, it pushes the wing backwards
• Lifting force consists of differences in speed (and pressure) across the wing profile
• Lifting force is more significant than drag
• In most wind turbines, torque generation is based on lift
• Savonius is an exception, where torque is generated by drag
Rotor efficiency

• Maximum aerodynamic efficiency is achieved with a 3-blade rotor

• 3-blade rotor is the only rotor type in modern industrial scale wind turbines
• The efficiency is strongly dependent on the tip speed ratio 

𝜔⋅𝑅
𝜆=
𝑉

 - tip speed ratio

 - rotational speed
V - wind speed
R - rotor radius

Picture / 9 /
Tip Speed Ratio

https://www.intechopen.com/chapters/16242
Example 1 – Tip Speed Ratio

https://www.intechopen.com/chapters/16242
https://www.intechopen.com/chapters/16242

Example 2 – Tip Speed Ratio

 Optimal Tip Speed Ratio
• The tip speed ratio depends on the number of blades
• The blade interferes with the wind flow and the flow must be allowed to
return before it encounters the next blade
• If the length of the disturbed air stream upwind and downwind of the rotor is
s, then the time period for the wind to return to normal is
𝑠
𝑡𝑤 =
𝑉

• a rotor blade moves to the next blade’s position in time

2𝜋
𝑡𝑠 =
𝑛𝜔
• Good turbine efficiency is required

ts  tw

• Typically, the optimal tip speed ratio for a 3-blade turbine is about 7
• s is typically about 30-50% of r
https://www.intechopen.com/chapters/16242

Optimal Tip Speed Ratio

Optimal Tip Speed Ratio

• For a two- or three-bladed rotor, s is about 30% of r

𝑠 0.3
=
𝑟 1
So,
2𝜋 𝑟 2𝜋
λ𝑜𝑝𝑡 ≈ ∗ ≈
𝑛 𝑠 0.3𝑛

• For a 2-bladed rotor

2𝜋
λ𝑜𝑝𝑡 ≈ ≈ 10.5
0.3𝑛

• For a 3-bladed rotor

2𝜋
λ𝑜𝑝𝑡 ≈ ≈ 7.0
0.3𝑛
Why is TSR important?

• High TSR is desirable because it results in high shaft rotational speed that
is needed for efficient operation of an electrical generator
• TSR that is too high may have disadvantages
• Erosion of leading edges from impacts with dust or sand particles
• Noise
• Vibration
• Starting difficulties
• Reduced rotor efficiency due to increased drag and tip losses
• Higher probability of runaway turbine and catastrophic failure
• TSR that is too low can result in slowing or stalling
• Both too high and too low result in lost power
Turbine blade aerodynamics
Wing aerodynamics / 10 /

• Lifting force L perpendicular to the undisturbed flow V direction

• Drag D parallel to the undisturbed flow V with
1 1
𝐿 = 𝐶𝑙 𝜌𝑉∞2 𝑐 𝐷 = 𝐶𝑑 𝜌𝑉∞2 𝑐
2 2
L, D describe the wing forces per meter [N / m]
Cl , Cd -lift and drag factors
 - air density
V - undisturbed flow rate
c - wing profile length
α - angle of attack
• Torque (Moment of force)
1
𝑀 = 𝜌𝑉∞2 𝑐 2 𝐶𝑚
2
describes the torque per meter [Nm/ m].
Cm is the torque factor.
Picture / 10 /
Wing aerodynamics

• Lift, drag and torque coefficients depend on the angle of attack  and
Reynolds number Re
• Reynolds number for airflow
cV
RE =

c - wing profile length
V – undisturbed air flow rate
 - kinematic viscosity at sea level 1.460x10−5 m2/ s
• In practice RE describes the flow characteristics. As RE grows, the laminar
flow becomes turbulent, which impairs the lifting force

Transition from laminar to

turbulent flow / 10 /
Rotating wings

• Attack angle  depends on the rotational speed 

• The circumferential speed of the wing is R
• As the rotational speed changes, so does the angle of attack 
• In modern wind turbines, the speed is adjusted to maintain optimal
aerodynamic efficiency

L
L

1R 2R

1 wind speed 2 wind speed

Low speed High wind
speed, limited
lifting capacity
Turbine size development
Turbine size development

• https://www.dnv.com/expert-story/maritime-impact/Offshore-wind-power-expands-globally.html
World’s largest wind turbine

• Goldwind GWH252-16MW turbine

• Fujia, China in June 2023

• 16 MW
• Produced 384.1 megawatt in a single day (1st September)
• It exceeds the previous record of 364 MWh, set in Denmark in August.
• Rotor diameter is 252 meters – around 2.5 football pitches
• Each blade can reach up to 70 percent of the speed of the sound
 World’s largest (prototype)

• Siemens Gamesa SG 14-222

• Østerild, Denmark test centre

• 14 MW rated capacity, but could reach 15 MW

• 108 m blades
• 222m rotor diameter
• 39,000 sq. m swept area
• Commercially available in 2024

• One rotation could produce enough energy to

power a household for 2 days!

https://www.windpowermonthly.com/article/1801690/siemens-gamesa-claims-wind-turbine-world-record
Size development of wind turbines

http://windmonitor.iee.fraunhofer.de/windmonitor_en/3_Onshore/2_technik/4_anlagengroesse/
Size development of wind turbines

The increase in pole height has also brought commercial wind turbines inland

http://windmonitor.iee.fraunhofer.de/windmonitor_en/3_Onshore/2_technik/4_anlagengroesse/
Size development of wind turbines

http://windmonitor.iee.fraunhofer.de/windmonitor_en/3_Onshore/2_technik/4_anlagengroesse/
Turbine sizes
Onshore Germany in 2018

http://windmonitor.iee.fraunhofer.de/windmonitor_en/3_Onshore/2_technik/4_anlagengroesse/
Classification of wind turbines

• Wind turbines are classified according to IEC 61400-1

I: 10 m / s
II: 8.5 m / s
III: 7.5 m / s
S: Site specific
An example of a modern turbine

Siemens Gamesa 4.X

Source. https://www.siemensgamesa.com/-/media/siemensgamesa/downloads/en/products-and-
services/onshore/brochures/siemens-gamesa-wind-turbine-4-x-platform-brochure-en.pdf
VESTAS V117-3.45 MW

Source: www.vestas.com
Onshore and offshore wind turbines
cost structure,%

Onshore Offshore
Turbine 80 40
Foundations 4 23
Electric installations 2 4
Grid connection 9 21
Consultancy 1 10
Land 2
Control system 2
Financial costs 1
Road 1
Total 100 100

Source: Tor Wizelius, Developing wind power projects, 2009

Cost of main components (onshore)

Relative costs of
turbines are
decreasing!

https://www.irena.org/costs/Charts/Wind
 References

1) https://depositphotos.com/13607576/stock-photo-field-of-single-blade-wind.html
2) http://energy230.wordpress.com/2010/10/10/types-of-wind-turbines/
3) https://hyotytuuli.fi/en/wind-power/
4) https://interestingengineering.com/the-scientific-reason-why-wind-turbines-have-3-blades
5) http://nbozov.com/how/post/56/Wind-Turbines
6) https://en.wind-turbine-models.com/turbines/93-dornier-darrieus-55
7) http://www.kleinwindanlagen.de/Forum/cf3/topic.php?t=2422
8) http://savonius-balaton.hupont.hu/63/rsw-windenergy-gmbh-co-germany
9) Manwell et all., Wind energy explained, Theory, design and application, 2nd edition, Wiley 2009, Chapter 2,
Wind charasteristics and resources
10) Hansen, Aerodynamics of wind turbines, 2nd Edition, EarthScan 2008
11) https://windside.com/