UNIT – IV

WINDENERGY

Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine : Working & Its Applications

A wind turbine is a rotating mechanical device, used to change wind energy from kinetic to
electrical. These are available in different sizes with either vertical or horizontal axes. The
wind turbine is an essential device in a wind power station or wind park. So, the selection of
this turbine for the development of wind park projects can be done based on different
parameters like physical dimensions, nominal power, available area, wind potential, etc. Wind
turbines are available in two types like horizontal axis wind turbine & vertical axis wind
turbine.

Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine

At present, the most commonly used wind turbine is HAWT or Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine.
These turbines use airfoils (aerodynamic blades) which are connected to a rotor by
positioning in upwind or downwind. These are available either in two-bladed or three-bladed
and operate at high speed.

Current horizontal axis wind turbines utilize the aerodynamic lift force to rotate every rotor
blade similar to an airplane flies. Generally, the aerodynamic lift force works once they
exposed to winds around both the higher and lower segments of a blade. The pressure
difference which is formed between the top & bottom faces of the blade generates a force in
the top direction of the blade. The horizontal axis wind turbine line diagram is shown below.

Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine

HAWTs can be used in any direction of wind through the furling system. This system rotates
the face of the rotor to come perpendicular to the wind’s direction. Therefore, the face of the
rotor can be moved to that direction where it can face wind at the highest speed.
Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine Construction and Working

The construction of a horizontal axis wind turbine can be done with different components.
So the horizontal axis wind turbine components mainly include foundation, nacelle,
generator, tower, and rotor blades.
Horizontal axis wind turbines include the rotor shaft & electric generator which are arranged
at the top of the tower. Small wind turbines use a simple wind vane, whereas larger wind
turbines use wind sensors that are connected through an auxiliary motor. Most wind
turbines contain a gearbox, which is used to change the blade rotation from slow to fast, so
used to operate an electric generator.

Construction of HAWT
Foundation

For any wind turbine, the foundation gives support to the tower because the wind turbine
includes different parts which weigh in tonnes.

Tower

A tower is used to give support to the rotor hub and nacelle on the top of the window turbine.
The materials used to make this are concrete, tubular steel, or steel lattice. While designing
this turbine, the height of the tower is very important because wind speed enhances with
height. So taller towers allow these turbines to capture a huge amount of energy & produce
more electricity.

Generally, the output power of a wind turbine enhances by increasing its height & also
decreasing the turbulence within the wind. There are different wind turbine towers available
like tubular, lattice, guyed wind, tilt upwind & free standing.

Wind Turbine Blades

These blades are mainly used to remove the kinetic energy (KE) of wind & change it to
mechanical energy. These types of blades are designed with wood-epoxy or fiberglass-
reinforced polyester. These turbines include a minimum of one and maximum multiple
blades depending on the design.
Most of the horizontal axis wind turbines include three blades that are connected to the rotor
hub. In earlier days, multiple blades based turbines are used as a single blade, two-blade and
three blades for grinding & pumping water, etc.

Nacelle

The nacelle includes different components which are used to operate the wind turbine
efficiently like the gearbox, brakes, controller, low & high-speed shafts & generator. It is
arranged at the top of a tower & a wind vane is arranged on the nacelle.

Hub

A rotor hub is used to connect a shaft and rotor blade of the wind turbine. The hub includes
blade bearings, bolts, internals & a pitch system. These are designed with cast iron, welded
sheet steel & forged steel. These are available in two types like Hinge-less hub & Teetering
hub.

Gear Box

In wind turbines, a gearbox is used to change high toque power with low-speed which is
received from a rotor blade to low torque power with high speed. This power is used for the
generator. The gearbox is connected in between the generator and main shaft for enhancing
rotational speeds from 30 – 60 rpm to 1000 – 1800 rpm.

Gearboxes are made with different materials like superior quality alloys, aluminum cast iron,
stainless steel, etc. In wind turbines, there are three types of gearboxes are used like
Planetary, Helical, and Worm.

Generator

The rotating mechanical energy of the gearbox is given to the generator through the shaft. It
works on ‘Faraday’s law of electromagnetic induction principle. So it changes the energy
from mechanical to electrical.
Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine Working

Once the wind blows, a wind turbine changes the kinetic energy from the motion of the wind
into mechanical through the revolution of the rotor. After that, this converted energy can be
transmitted through the shaft & the gear train toward the generator. Further, this generator
converts the energy from mechanical to electrical to generate electricity.

The wind flows on both faces of the airfoil-shaped blade although flows faster on the upper
face of the airfoil to create a low-pressure region on the airfoil. The pressure difference
between both the top & bottom surfaces results within the aerodynamic lift.

As the blades of a wind turbine are constrained to move in a plane with the hub as the center,
the lift force causes rotation about the hub. In addition to the lift force, a drag force
perpendicular to the lift force prevents rotor rotation.

The horizontal axis wind turbine design mainly includes a high lift to drag ratio, especially for
the blades. So this ratio can change through the blade’s length to optimize the output energy
for the wind turbine at different speeds of wind. The generator & rotor shaft are arranged
within the box at the top of the array.
Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine Types

The horizontal axis wind turbines are available in two types like the following.

 Upwind Turbine
 Downwind Turbine

Types of Horizontal Axis Wind Turbines

Upwind Turbine

In an upwind wind turbine, the rotor is arranged at the upside of the tower. The main function
of this turbine is to avoid the shadow of wind on the backside of the tower. At present, this
design is used in most HAWTs because it is nonflexible & arranged at some distance from
the tower.

Downwind Turbine

In a downwind turbine, the rotor is arranged at the downside of the tower. In this turbine,
firstly the wind is faced toward the tower, then to the blades of the rotor. This wind turbine
faces some differences within wind power because of the passage of the rotor through the
wind shade of the tower. Here, the rotor is behind the nacelle of the tower which causes
fluctuations within wind power.

Advantages and Disadvantages

The advantages of a horizontal axis wind turbine include the following.

 It includes high output power as compared to the vertical wind turbine.
 A tall tower gets stronger winds once the wind shear alters.
 High efficiency.
 It is not expensive as compared to vertical type turbine.
 It has high reliability.
 It has a high rate of capacity.
 Its rotational speed is high.
 It is more consistent.
 These turbines are self-starting.
 In this turbine, the vanes are located one face of the turbine center of gravity,
which improves stability.
 It can bend the blades so that the turbine blades have the best attack angle.
 The blade can also tilt the rotor during a storm to reduce damage
The disadvantages of horizontal axis wind turbine include the following.
 These are available in large size.
 Weight is high.
 We cannot move easily.
  Installation is difficult.
 High noise.
 To design this wind turbine, large machinery is needed.
 Its maintenance is difficult as compared to other wind turbines.
Applications

The applications of horizontal axis wind turbines include the following.

 These are the most frequently used wind turbines for commercial and industrial
purposes due to their large power output and high efficiency.
 These are mostly used in wind farms
 Horizontal axis wind turbines achieve better power output & higher energy
efficiency, so used in large-scale wind power plants & also for electricity
generation.
 In industrial plants, large-scale wind farms, or national projects, these wind
turbines are most frequently seen. So they are the perfect solution for the
production of mass electricity.
The list of wind turbine manufacturing companies around the world includes the following.
 World Wind in India
 Suzlon in India
 RRB Energy Limited in India
 Inox Wind in India
 Elecon Engineering in India
 Southwest company in the USA.
 PacWind in the USA
 China Guodian Corporation in China
 Shanghai Electric in China
 SANY in China
 Goldwind in China
 Envision Energy in China
 CRRC in China
 TUGE Energia Company in Estonia.
 Guietrevolution Company in the UK
 Hi-VAWT in Taiwan
 Enessere in Italy
 Borny in Spain
 UNISON in South Korea
 Senvion in Germany
 Nordex SE in Germany
 Enercon in Germany
 Acciona in Spain
 NoyaWind Russia
Which type of wind turbine is most efficient?

Vertical wind turbines are more efficient as compared to other turbines because these
turbines increase up to 15% performance.

How many acres do you need for a wind turbine?

A 2 MW wind turbine uses 40 to 70 acres of land to avoid interference between turbines.

Which alternator is best for wind turbines?

In a wind turbine, a low rpm 3-phase AC alternator is used which ranges from 50kw to
1000KW
Why horizontal axis turbines are preferred over vertical axis wind turbines?

Because the horizontal wind turbine generates more electricity as compared to others from
a specified amount of wind.

How many amps should an alternator put out at idle?

The alternator at 13.5V will output 40 amps. Once the load goes above 40 amps then the
voltage will fall under the 13.5V level.

Horizontal-Axis Wind Turbine (HAWT) Working Principle | Single Blade, Two Blade, Three-
Blade Wind Turbine
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This section introduces the horizontal-axis wind turbine (HAWT), which is by far the most
common type of wind turbine. Horizontal-axis wind turbines may produce less than 100 kW
for basic applications and residential use, or as much as 6 MW for offshore power
generation. Even larger turbines are on the drawing board.
Horizontal-Axis Wind Turbine Working Principle
The horizontal-axis wind turbine (HAWT) is a wind turbine in which the main rotor shaft is
pointed in the direction of the wind to extract power. The principal components of a basic
HAWT are shown in Figure 1.
The rotor receives energy from the wind and produces a torque on a low-speed shaft. The
low-speed shaft transfers the energy to a gearbox, high-speed shaft, and generator, which
are enclosed in the nacelle for protection.
Notice how the blades are connected to the rotor and to the shaft. This shaft is called the
low-speed shaft because the wind turns the rotating assembly at a leisurely 10 to 20
revolutions per minute (rpm) typically.
 Figure 1 Basic Parts of a Horizontal-Axis Wind Turbine
The low-speed shaft connects to the gearbox, which has a set of gears that increase the
output speed of the shaft to approximately 1,800 rpm for an output frequency of 60 Hz (or a
speed of 1,500 rpm if the frequency is 50 Hz). For this reason, the shaft from the gearbox is
called the high-speed shaft.
The high-speed shaft is then connected to the generator, which converts the rotational
motion to AC voltage. This speed is critical if it is used to turn the generator directly because
the frequency of the ac from the generator is related directly to the rate at which it is turned.
Almost all horizontal-axis wind turbines have similar components to those discussed in this
article, but there are some exceptions. For example, direct-drive wind turbines do not have a
gearbox, and they usually have a DC generator rather than an AC generator. These may or
may not include a converter to AC (which can be located at the tower base).
In commercial turbines, a computer or programmable logic controller (PLC) is the controller.
The controller takes data from an anemometer to determine the direction the wind turbine
should be pointed, how to optimize the energy harvested, or how to prevent over-speeding in
the event of high winds.
Controlling the Output Frequency of Wind Turbine
Controlling the output frequency and keeping it constant despite varying winds can be done
in one of three ways.
One way is to control the speed at which the generator shaft turns, which can be
accomplished by adjusting the pitch and yaw.
Pitch is the rotational angle of the blades on a wind turbine; yaw is the direction the wind
turbine blades and nacelle are facing.
 Pitch and yaw can be adjusted so that a high-speed shaft runs at a constant
rate to produce the required output frequency (typically 50 Hz or 60 Hz) from
the generator.
  HAWTs may also use a gearbox or set of gears, which changes the slow
rotation of the blades into a faster rotation for the generator.
 The optimum blade rotation is generally between 10 and 20 rpm, and the gear
ratio can be used to make the high-speed shaft rotate at the speed the
generator requires.
The second method for controlling the frequency is to allow the turbine to run freely at any
speed that is within its ratings and send the voltage to a power electronic frequency
converter. This method is also used with vertical-axis wind turbines (VAWTs).
 When a frequency converter is used, the rotational speed of the turbine is not
controlled until the maximum speed is reached, at which point speed controls
take over.
 The frequency converter consists of the features shown in Figure 2. The
inverter accepts single-phase or three-phase AC to its input circuits within a
specified range of frequency and voltage level.
 The AC is filtered and converted to DC by the rectifier and smoothed with
passive filters to remove any trace of the input frequency.
 The next section has an inverter that converts the DC voltage back to single-
phase or three-phase AC voltage at the precise frequency and phase required
by the grid.
This method has the advantage of having a wider range of operating conditions without
requiring more complicated gearing.

Figure 2 Block Diagram for Power Electronic Frequency Converter

A few applications can use pure DC, which can be obtained from a point before the inverter.

Figure 3: World’s Largest Horizontal-Axis Wind Turbine

Vestas has plans for the world’s largest wind turbine. The blades for this wind turbine will be
164 meters (538 feet) in diameter and will have a rated capacity of 8 megawatts. The new
wind turbine will be an offshore wind turbine located near Aberdeen Bay in Scotland
HAWT Towers
The tower for a Horizontal-Axis Wind Turbine maybe 40 to 100 m (approximately 130 to 328
ft) high so that it is tall enough to position the turbine blade into the strongest wind flow.
Most sites have the strongest winds well above ground level.
Today, most towers for larger wind turbines used to produce electrical power for utilities are
in the range of 65 to 100 m tall.
The Encore E126, recently installed in Germany, has a tower that is 138 m (453 ft) high. The
blades are located on the main shaft, on a rotor at a considerable distance in front of the
tower, so they are far enough out to clear the tower when the blades are rotating.
Controller
The blade pitch and the direction the turbine faces have already been described as functions
monitored by the controller.
The controller also uses sensors to measure the generator output (voltage and frequency),
turbine blade speed, vibration, turbine and drive train parameters, and other parameters such
as a number of complete rotations of the vertical axis (yaw control).
Some systems limit the number of full rotations made by the turbine yaw in one direction
before reversing directions. The data from these sensors is usually stored for operators to
review as necessary.
Figure 5 shows all the parts in the horizontal-axis wind turbine (HAWT).

Figure 5 Typical Horizontal-Axis Wind Turbine (HAWT)

Number of Blades
Horizontal-Axis Wind Turbines may be designed with one, two, three, or more blades. The
fewer blades a wind turbine has, the faster the blades must turn to harvest the same amount
of energy as a wind turbine with more blades.
For example, a three-blade wind turbine does not have to turn as fast as a two-blade wind
turbine to harvest the same amount of energy. Therefore, the tip speed ratios of a two-blade
wind turbine and a three-blade wind turbine are different.
Smaller, residential-size units are designed for cost efficiency and the size of the electrical
load of the home.
Turbines used for commercial production of electric power may be two-blade, three-blade or
five-blade, all of which are designed for much larger energy loads.
The vast majority of horizontal-axis wind turbines used in the commercial production of
power for utility companies are three-blade turbines.
 Single-Blade Turbines
Single-blade wind turbines are used in a few limited applications, but they are the least used
of all the Horizontal-Axis Wind Turbines.
To rotate smoothly, single-blade turbines must have one or two counterbalances. Figure 6
shows a single-blade wind turbine with two counterbalances.
The advantage of this type of wind turbine is the lower cost because of the use of only one
turbine blade (and the small weight savings), but single-blade turbines must run at much
higher speeds to convert the same amount of energy from the wind as two-blade or three-
blade turbines with the same size blades.
Because the single-blade turbine must run at higher speeds, more wear and fatigue are
generated on the blade and bearings in the mounting mechanism, which in turn means
higher maintenance costs over the life of the turbine.
Single-blade turbines also require extensive setup procedures to ensure that the blade is
mounted perfectly and is balanced to limit oscillation and vibration. Because of these
problems, very few single-blade turbines are in use today.
 Figure 6 Single-Blade Horizontal-Axis Wind Turbine with Two Counterbalances.
 Two-Blade Wind Turbines
Compared to three-blade turbines, two-blade wind turbines have the advantage of saving on
the cost and the weight of the third rotor blade, but they have the disadvantage of requiring
higher rotational speed to yield the same energy output. This is a disadvantage in terms of
both noise and wear of critical bearings, shafts, and gearboxes.
Two-blade turbines have experienced high-fatigue failures of the blade and other
mechanical parts, so they have limited application. Figure 7 shows a two-blade wind turbine.

Figure 7 Typical Two-Blade Wind Turbine

Another way to improve the efficiency of the two-blade turbine is to make the two blades
thicker and wider than traditional turbine blades so that the two blades can convert more
wind energy.
The thicker blades also mean that the blades are stronger and better able to resist fatigue
problems. New composite materials allow the increased size without adding substantial
weight to each blade.
These materials also allow the blade to be produced at a lower cost. Even with these more
efficient blades, however, the two-blade turbine is still slightly less efficient than the three-
blade turbine.
One advantage to a two-blade turbine is that it is faster and safer to install than the three-
blade version.
The two-blade turbine can be lifted into position after the turbine blades have been mounted
while it is still on the ground because the blades can be mounted in a horizontal position and
easily lifted as a unit.
A three-blade turbine always has one blade pointing downward if it is raised as a unit, so it is
more difficult to get the larger wind turbines off the ground as a unit for mounting.
 Three-Blade Wind Turbines
The majority of large horizontal-axis wind turbines use three blades, with the rotor position
maintained upwind by the yaw control. Figure 8 shows a three-blade wind turbine.
The three blades provide the most energy conversion while limiting noise and vibration. The
three blades provide more blade surface for converting wind energy into electrical energy
than a two-blade or single-blade wind turbine.
The blades for the larger horizontal-axis wind turbines are so large they must be transported
individually by a truck and trailer. This also means that one or more very large cranes are
needed to set the tower and turbine in place.
The tower to hold the larger three-blade turbine must also be larger and reinforced to
support the weight and to withstand the increased wind power that is harvested to produce
its maximum output.
The blades on larger three-blade wind turbines are typically installed one at a time after the
nacelle is mounted on the tower.
On smaller three-blade turbines, the blades can be mounted to the rotor while the rotor is on
the ground. Then the entire rotor assembly is lifted with a crane and attached to the shaft
after the nacelle is mounted on the tower.

Figure 8 Three-Blade Wind Turbine

 Five-Blade Wind Turbines
A few wind turbines have five blades to produce electrical energy efficiently from low-speed
winds. Figure 9 shows a five-blade wind turbine.
A five-blade wind generator normally has narrower and thinner blades, which creates issues
with strength. While they are excellent in low-speed winds, they become inefficient in high-
speed winds and they are noisier.
The tower and base are mounted into the roof of the building, which is a concrete-reinforced
building. This type of five-blade wind turbine needs a very strong base and tower to hold the
wind turbine in the wind.
Notice the thickness of the tower and the cowling around the blades, which helps direct wind
directly into the blades.
 Figure 9 Five-Blade Wind Turbine
Comparison of Wind Turbine Blade Types
Wind turbine blades can be compared in a number of ways, such as by size, weight, material,
and the way they are manufactured.
Wind turbine blades can be made from a variety of materials, from wood for smaller blades
to aluminum and other metals for small and medium-size blades.
Turbine blades must be stiff enough to prevent the blade tips from being pushed into the
tower by high winds, yet agile enough to convert wind power into electricity efficiently.
The largest commercial wind turbine blades are made of composite materials (carbon
composition, plastics, and fiberglass), which makes them lighter in weight yet strong enough
to hold up in high winds. The core may be filled with plastic foam or other lightweight
substance to add rigidity.
A typical fiberglass blade for a 100-kW wind turbine is 9 m (30 ft) long; a typical blade for a 2
-megawatt wind turbine is 45 m long.
Blade Dynamics is a wind turbine developer in the UK that is developing a blade that will
measure between 80 and 100 m long! The blade will be made from carbon fiber and
assembled from smaller pieces. It will be used for future turbines in the 8-10 MW range.
Table 1 summarizes the advantages and disadvantages of single-, two-, and three-blade
wind turbines.
Type of
Wind Advantages Disadvantages
Turbine

1. Heavier than single- and two-blade

turbines
1. Quietest of the three types of turbines 2. Most capital-expensive of the three
2. Least amount of vibration types
3. Available blade pitch control allows the 3. Requires active yaw control to make
Three-Blade
blade to catch the maximum amount of blades face into the wind
Turbine
wind 4. Requires the largest cranes to
4. Lowest energy cost when compared to construct
other turbines with similar size blades 5. Requires the largest and heaviest tower
6. Larger blades are more difficult to
transport to the tower site
 Type of
Wind Advantages Disadvantages
Turbine

1. Initial cost and weight are lower and they 1. Noisier than the three-blade turbine
Two-Blade are simpler to mount 2. Produces less energy than the three-
Turbine 2. Produces more energy than the single- blade turbine (when blade size and speed
blade turbine are the same)

1. Least expensive 1. Noisier than the three-blade turbine

Single- 2. Easiest to erect because of its lightweight 2. Must run at the highest speed to
Blade and because the blade can be mounted produce the same amount of electrical
Turbine while it is on the ground power
3. Requires the smallest and lightest tower 3. Most prone to vibration at the blade
Table 1 Advantages and Disadvantages of Single-, Two-, and Three-Blade Wind Turbines
Review Questions
1. What are the major parts of a horizontal-axis wind turbine?
2. If a one-blade rotor and a two-blade rotor of the same diameter are producing
the same power with a certain wind speed, will there be a difference in noise
level? Explain.
3. What do you think is the primary reason that three-blade rotors are more
widely used than other types?
4. Why does a single-blade wind turbine need one or more counterbalances?
5. Identify three ways a wind turbine can provide a voltage at the correct
frequency for the grid.
Answers
1. The tower, rotor and rotor blades, low-speed shaft, gearbox, high-speed shaft,
generator, and controller; there may also be electronic frequency converters
2. Yes. Because they are both producing the same power, the one-blade rotor is
turning twice as fast as the two-blade rotor and is therefore noisier.
3. Three-blade turbines produce more energy for their investment than other
types.
4. To prevent vibration
5. Three ways are (1) control the speed of the turbine using pitch and yaw
control, (2) allow the turbine to free run and control the output frequency with
an electronic converter system, and (3) use a double-feed inductive-type
generator in which the ac field current is tightly controlled.

Vertical Axis Wind Turbines vs Horizontal Axis Wind Turbines

By Editor | November 10, 2009

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In the wind turbine business there are basically two types of turbines to choose from,
vertical axis wind turbines and horizontal axis wind turbines. They both have their
advantages and disadvantages and the purpose of this article is to help you choose the right
system for your application.
 Horizontal axis wind turbine

Horizontal axis wind turbine dominate the majority of the wind industry. Horizontal axis
means the rotating axis of the wind turbine is horizontal, or parallel with the ground. In big
wind application, horizontal axis wind turbines are almost all you will ever see. However, in
small wind and residential wind applications, vertical axis turbines have their place. The
advantage of horizontal wind is that it is able to produce more electricity from a given
amount of wind. So if you are trying to produce as much wind as possible at all times,
horizontal axis is likely the choice for you. The disadvantage of horizontal axis however is
that it is generally heavier and it does not produce well in turbulent winds.

Vertical axis wind turbine

In comes the vertical axis wind turbine. With vertical axis wind turbines the rotational axis of
the turbine stands vertical or perpendicular to the ground. As mentioned above, vertical axis
turbines are primarily used in small wind projects and residential applications.Vertical-Axis-
Wind-Turbine This niche comes from the OEM’s claims of a vertical axis turbines ability to
produce well in tumultuous wind conditions. Vertical axis turbines are powered by wind
coming from all 360 degrees, and even some turbines are powered when the wind blows
from top to bottom. Because of this versatility, vertical axis wind turbines are thought to be
ideal for installations where wind conditions are not consistent, or due to public ordinances
the turbine cannot be placed high enough to benefit from steady wind.