Non-Conventional Power Generation

VI Semester
 Unit-III
Wind Energy

• Fundamentals of wind energy

• power available in wind
• Betz Limit

• Aerodynamics of wind turbine

• Wind turbines
o Horizontal axis turbines - configurations
o Vertical axis turbines - configurations
• Wind Energy conversion systems.
 Introduction
Wind results from expansion and convection of air as solar radiation is absorbed on Earth. On a global scale
these thermal effects combine with dynamic effects from the Earth’s rotation to produce prevailing wind
patterns.
It contains Kinetic Energy which can easily be converted into Electrical energy.
The kinetic energy stored in the winds is about 0.7 × 1021 J, and this is dissipated by friction, mainly in the air
but also by contact with the ground and the sea. About 1% of absorbed solar radiation, 1200 TW , is
dissipated in this way
Wind energy, which is an indirect source of energy, can be used to run a windmill which in turn drives a
generator to produce electricity.
A largest wind generator built in the past was 800 kW unit operated in France from 1958-60. The flexible 3
blades propeller was about 35 m in diameter and produced the rated power in a 60 km/hour wind with a
rotation speed of 47 r.p.m.
Utilization aspects of Wind Energy
Wind is air set in motion by small amount of insolation reaching the upper atmosphere of earth.

Utilisation aspects of wind energy fall into the following three broad categories:
1. Isolated continuous duty systems which need suitable energy storage and reconversion systems.
2. Fuel-supplement systems in conjunction with power grid or isolated conventional generating units.
This utilisation aspect of wind energy is the most predominant in use as it saves fuel and is fast
growing particularly in energy deficient grids.
3. Small rural systems which can use energy when wind is available.
This category has application in developing countries with large isolated rural areas.
Characteristics of Wind
The main characteristics of wind are:
Wind speed increases roughly as 1/7th power of height. Typical tower heights are about
20–30 m.
Energy-pattern factor. It is the ratio of the actual energy in varying wind to energy
calculated from the cube of mean wind speed.
This factor is always greater than unity which means the energy estimates based on
mean (hourly) speed are pessimistic.
ADVANTAGES OF WIND ENERGY

1. It is a renewable energy source.

2. Wind power systems being non-polluting have no adverse effect on the environment.
3. Fuel provision and transport are not required in wind energy conversion systems.
4. Economically competitive.
5. Ideal choice for rural and remote areas and areas which lack other energy sources.
 DISADVANTAGES OF WIND ENERGY
1. Owing to its irregularity, the wind energy needs storage. locations, away from cities, forests.

2. Availability of energy is fluctuating in nature. 9. Wind turbine design, manufacture and installation have

3. The overall weight of a wind power system is relatively proved to be most complex due to several variables and

high. extreme stresses.

4. Wind energy conversion systems are noisy in operation. 10. Requires energy storage batteries and/or stand by diesel

5. Large areas are required for installation/operation of wind generators for supply of continuous power to load.

energy systems. 11. Wind farms require flat, vacant land free from forests.

6. Present systems are neither maintenance free, nor 12. Only in kW and a few MW range; it does not meet the

practically reliable. energy needs of large cities and industry.

7. Low energy density.

8. Favorable winds are available only in a few geographical

Environmental Impacts of Wind Energy

1. Wind energy creates noise pollution because of mechanical (gear box)

aerodynamic noise.
2. The wind turbine produces electromagnetic interference when placed between
radio, television etc. stations, as it reflects some electromagnetic radiations.
3. It produces visual shining because of reflection and refraction which depends
upon turbine size, number of turbines in wind farm, design etc.
4. Safety consideration for life because of accidental braking of blade.
5. Fatal collisions of birds caused by rotating turbine blades.
Sources / Origins of Wind
Following are the two sources/origins of wind (a natural phenomenon):
1. Local winds.
2. Planetary winds.

Local winds : Winds generated in the local area

These winds are caused by unequal heating and cooling of ground surfaces and ocean /
lake surfaces during day and night.
During the day warmer air over land rises upwards and colder air from lakes, ocean,
forest areas, and shadow areas flows towards warmer zones.
Sources / Origins of Wind
Planetary winds : Caused by daily rotation of earth around its polar axis and unequal temperature
between polar regions and equatorial regions.
The strength and direction of these planetary winds change with the seasons as the solar input
varies.
Though wind is intermittent in nature, the wind patterns at any particular site remain remarkably
constant year by year
Average wind speeds are greater in hilly and coastal areas than they are available in land.
The winds also tend to blow more consistently and with greater strength over the surface of the
water where there is a less surface drag
Wind speeds increases with height. 20-25% higher at 10m and 30-60% higher at 60m
WIND AVAILABILITY AND MEASUREMENT
Wind energy can only be economical in areas of good wind availability.
Wind energy differs with region and season and also, possibly to an even greater degree with local terrain
and vegetation.
Although wind speeds generally increases with height, varying speeds are found over different kinds of
terrain.
Observations of wind speed are carried out at meteorological stations, airports and lighthouses and are
recorded regularly with ten minute mean values being taken every three hours at a height of 10 m.
It is difficult, therefore, to determine the real wind speed of a certain place without actual in-situ
measurements.
WIND AVAILABILITY AND MEASUREMENT

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has accepted the following four methods
of wind recording:
1. Human observation and log book.
2. Mechanical cup-counter anemometers.
3. Data logger
4. Continuous record of velocity and direction.
WIND AVAILABILITY AND MEASUREMENT

Human observation and log book.

Involves using the Beaufort Scale of wind strengths which defines visible
“symptoms” attributable to different wind speeds.
The method is cheap and easily implemented but is often unreliable.
The best that can be said of such records is that they are better than nothing.
WIND AVAILABILITY AND MEASUREMENT

Mechanical cup-counter anemometers.

• Most meteorological stations use mechanical cup-
counter anemometers.
• By taking the readings twice or three times a day, it is
possible to estimate the mean wind speed.
• This is a low-cost method but only relatively reliable.
• The instrument has to be in good working order; it must
be correctly sited and should be reliably read at-least
daily
WIND AVAILABILITY AND MEASUREMENT
Data logger. The equipment summarizes velocity frequency and direction.
It is more expensive and prone to technical failures but gives accurate data.
The method is tailored to the production of readily interpretable data of relevance
to wind energy assessment.
It does not keep a time series record but presents the data in processed form.
WIND AVAILABILITY AND MEASUREMENT
Continuous record of velocity and direction.
This is how data is recorded at major airports of permanently manned
meteorological stations.
The equipment is expensive and technically complex, but it retains a detailed times-
series record (second-by-second) of wind direction and wind speed.
Results are given in copious quantities of data which require lengthy and expensive
analysis.
Variation of Wind speed with elevation

The speed of wind increases with height above ground.

Increase in wind speed with height above ground level is called wind shear.
The wind speed at the ground is zero due to the friction between the ground surface and the air.
Increase in wind speed with height is due to temperature gradient and it depends on the type of
terrain over which the wind has travelled and atmospheric stability.
Variation of Wind speed with elevation
The change in wind speed with height, based on the data from several locations, for sites of
low ground roughness, can be expressed as:

𝑢𝑤2 𝐻2 𝛼
= where uw1 and uw2 are wind speeds at the heights H1 and H2 respectively.
𝑢𝑤1 𝐻1

‘α’ known as power law index, depends on the roughness of terrain and is taken as 1/7 for
open land and 0.10 for calm sea area
The ideal wind energy has a low value for ‘α’
Normally wins measurements are done at an elevation of 10m. But modern wind turbines
are installed at an elevation of 25 to 50m. Wind speed at such elevation is determined by
1
taking 𝛼 =
7
PRINCIPLE OF WIND ENERGY CONVERSION AND
WIND POWER
The wind power can be computed by using concept of kinetics.
A wind mill works on the principle of ‘converting kinetic energy of the wind to mechanical
energy’.
Let, Uw = Velocity of wind, km/h, and ρ = Density of air (1.225 kg/m3 at sea level);
(Air density is a function of altitude, temperature and barometric pressure) and
A = Area, through which the air flows.
Then, the amount of air passing in unit time (m) through area A, with velocity Uw is given by:
Mass, 𝑚 = 𝜌𝐴𝑢𝑚
𝟏 𝟏 𝟏
Kinetic Energy 𝑲. 𝑬. = 𝒎𝒖𝟐𝒎 = ∗ 𝝆𝑨𝒖𝒎 ∗ 𝒖𝟐𝒎 = 𝝆𝑨𝒖𝟑𝒎 Watts
𝟐 𝟐 𝟐
Betz Coefficient
31
Total Power 𝑃𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 = 𝜌𝐴𝑢𝑚 .
2
∴ the power output of a wind mill varies as the cube of the velocity
1 3 1 𝜋 2 3 1
𝑃𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 = 𝜌𝐴𝑢𝑚 = 𝜌 ∗ 𝐷 ∗ 𝑢𝑚 = 𝜌𝜋𝐷2 𝑢𝑚
3,
2 2 4 8
where ‘D’ is the diameter of the horizontal axis

All this power cannot be extracted. To extract the entire power, the wind velocity
has to be reduced to ‘zero’, which means that there is a lot of static air accumulated
around the wind mill which would prevent it from operation.
16
Theoretically a fraction = 0.593 (59.3%) of the power of wind is recoverable.
27
This is called as “Gilbert’s Limit” or “Betz Coefficient” or “Power Coefficient”