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WIND POWER
What is it?
Efficiency
#he rotor area determines how m"ch energy a wind t"rbine is able to
har$est from the wind.
Since the rotor area increases with the s7"are of the rotor diameter! a
t"rbine which is twice as large will recei$e )
)
< ) x ) < fo"r times as
m"ch energy.
A Windmill capt"res
wind energy and then
"ses a generator to
con$ert it to electrical
energy.
#he design of a
windmill is an integral
part of how efficient it
will be.
When designing a
windmill! one m"st
decide on the si.e of the
t"rbine! and the si.e of
the generator.
LARGE TURBINES:
6
Able to deli$er electricity at lower cost
than smaller t"rbines! beca"se fo"ndation
costs! planning costs! etc. are independent
of si.e.
6
Well+s"ited for offshore wind plants.
6
/n areas where it is diffic"lt to find sites!
one large t"rbine on a tall tower "ses the
wind extremely efficiently.
SMALL TURBINES:
3ocal electrical grids may not be able to handle the large electrical
o"tp"t from a large t"rbine! so smaller t"rbines may be more
s"itable.
3andscape considerations
Wind Turbines: Number of Blades
=ost common design is the three+bladed t"rbine. #he most important reason is
the stability of the t"rbine. A rotor with an odd n"mber of rotor blades (and at least
three blades can be considered to be similar to a disc when calc"lating the dynamic
properties of the machine.
A rotor with an e$en n"mber of blades will gi$e stability problems for a machine
with a stiff str"ct"re. #he reason is that at the $ery moment when the "ppermost
blade bends backwards! beca"se it gets the maxim"m power from the wind! the
lowermost blade passes into the wind shade in front of the tower.
6
Wind power generators
con$ert wind energy
(mechanical energy to
electrical energy.
6
#he generator is
attached at one end to the
wind t"rbine! which
pro$ides the mechanical
energy.
6
At the other end! the
generator is connected to
the electrical grid.
6
#he generator needs to
ha$e a cooling system to
make s"re there is no
o$erheating.
SMALL GENERATORS:
>e7"ire less force to t"rn than a larger ones! b"t gi$e m"ch lower
power o"tp"t.
3ess efficient
i.e.. /f yo" fit a large wind t"rbine rotor with a small generator it
will be prod"cing electricity d"ring many ho"rs of the year! b"t it
will capt"re only a small part of the energy content of the wind at
high wind speeds.
LARGE GENERATORS:
?ery efficient at high wind speeds! b"t "nable to t"rn at low wind
speeds.
i.e.. /f the generator has larger coils! and@or a stronger internal
magnet! it will re7"ire more force (mechanical to start in motion.
o
A indmill built so t!at it too se"erely interru#ts t!e airflo
t!rou$! its %ross se%tion ill redu%e t!e effe%ti"e ind "elo%ity
at its lo%ation and di"ert mu%! of t!e airflo around itself&
t!us not e'tra%tin$ t!e ma'imum #oer from t!e ind(
o
At t!e ot!er e'treme& a indmill t!at inter%e#ts a small
fra%tion of t!e ind #assin$ t!rou$! its %ross se%tion ill
redu%e t!e ind)s "elo%ity by only a small amount& t!us
e'tra%tin$ only a small fra%tion of t!e #oer from t!e ind
tra"ersin$ t!e indmill dis*(
o
Modern Windmills %an attain an effi%ien%y of about +, - of
t!e t!eoreti%al ma'imum(
./m01 2 +(3 ' 3,045 "06
A#he power in wind is
proportional to the c"bic wind
speed ( $B; .
WHY?
1 Cinetic energy of an air mass
is proportional to $B)
1 Amo"nt of air mass mo$ing
past a gi$en point is proportional
to wind $elocity ($
7 An e'tra meter of toer ill %ost rou$!ly 3&8,, US9(
Birds often %ollide it! !i$! "olta$e o"er!ead lines& masts& #oles& and
indos of buildin$s( T!ey are also *illed by %ars in traffi%( Coe"er&
birds are seldom bot!ered by ind turbines(
T!e only *non site it! bird %ollision #roblems is lo%ated in t!e
Altamont .ass in >alifornia(