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SEMESTER I EXAMINATIONS - 2011/2012

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School of Electrical, Electronic and Communications Engineering

EEEN 40400 Wind Energy

Professor Stephen McLaughlin

Professor Tom Brazil
Professor Mark OMalley
Mr. Rick Watson*

Time Allowed: 2 hours

Instructions for Candidates

Answer any three questions. All questions carry equal marks. The
percentages in the right margin give an approximate indication of the relative
importance of each part of the question.

Instructions for Invigilators

Non-programmable calculators are permitted.
No rough-work paper is to be provided for candidates.

Page 1 of 7

Question 1
(a) Show that the wind speed at which the maximum power density in the
wind occurs for a Weibull distribution is:
1

C 2 C
u A

(b)

25%
The V80-2MW wind turbine (whose power curve is shown in Figure 1) is
operating at a site where the hub height wind speed distribution is a
Weibull distribution with scale parameter 13 m/s and shape parameter 2.2.
If the wind turbine is operating at a wind speed corresponding to the
maximum of the power density probability density function, find the Cp of
the wind turbine at this operating point.
2

power [MW]

1.5

Vestas V80-2MW
diameter 80 m
swept area 5027 m2
cut in 4 m/s
rated 16 m/s
cut out 25 m/s

0.5

0
0

10

15

20

25

wind speed [ms-1]

Figure 1
25%
Assuming the V802MW wind turbine (whose power curve and other
relevant details are shown in Figure 1) has a mechanical availability of
100% estimate the percentage time in the year that the wind turbine
(i) is not generating because of low winds
(ii) is not generating because of excessive winds
(iii) is generating rated power
(iv) is generating below rated power
(c)

(d)

at a site where the hub height wind speed distribution is a Weibull

distribution with scale parameter 13 m/s and shape parameter 2.2
40%
Describe briefly the MCP method used in wind resource assessment.
10%

Page 2 of 7

Question 2
(a) Given that the axial thrust of a wind turbine from momentum theory
considerations is given by

F u0 u w Ad 1 a u0
where u0 is freestream wind speed, uw is wake wind speed and Ad is the
disk area show that the thrust coefficient is
C f 4a1 a

What is the thrust coefficient at the Betz condition?

20%
(b) Show for a wind turbine based on the concept of a sail moving straight
before the wind that
4
C p max
27
40%
(c) Describe and compare (with the aid of clearly labelled diagrams) power
regulation in wind turbines using stall regulation, pitch regulation and active
stall regulation.
40%

Question 3
(a) The 82.4 m diameter wind turbine WT in Figure 2 drives a three phase, 4
pole, 2.6 MVA, 690 V induction generator IG via a step up gearbox G of
gear ratio 1:91. The induction generator is connected to the 50 Hz grid via
a transformer T (2.6 MVA, 0.69kV/20kV, ukr=5%). The grid is modelled as
an infinite bus at 1 p.u. voltage.

Figure 2

Page 3 of 7

The per phase equivalent circuit parameters of the induction machine are
as follows:

Rs 0.00116, X s 0.002963, X m 0.66, Rr 0.0015, X r 0.001065

(all quantities in ohms with rotor quantities referred to stator turns).
The generator is operating at a slip of -0.4%. Neglecting friction and
windage losses in the generator determine the generator shaft mechanical
power at this operating point.
50%
(b) If the hub height wind speed is 10 m/s at this operating point find the Cp at
which the turbine is operating (ignore all losses in the drive train and
gearbox).
15%
(c) Find the tip speed ratio at which the turbine is running.
10%
(d) Find the active power exported to the grid and reactive power imported
from the grid as measured at the grid terminals. Explain the difference
between values found for the exported active power to grid and the
generator shaft mechanical power.
25%

Question 4

Figure 3

Figure 3 shows a wind farm connected to a grid via a wind farm

transformer TW and an overhead line OHL. The wind farm injects complex
power S into the MV busbar W of transformer TW. The HV busbar T of the
transformer TW is connected to the overhead line. The overhead line is
connected to the grid at PCC.

The transformer is represented by an

impedance ZT, the overhead line by a series impedance ZL and the grid by
an ideal voltage source US behind the grid short circuit impedance ZSC.
With all quantities in per unit and taking the source voltage as the reference

Page 4 of 7

voltage and generator convention for the direction of injected power and
current it can be shown that the following quadratic equation in wind farm
2

voltage squared U W

U W UW
4

2RP XQ U R
2

X 2 P2 Q2 0

describes the operation of the system where Z R jX Z SC Z L ZT

and S P jQ
(a) Details of the different components of the system are provided in Table I.
Table I
grid

overhead line
U n 110kV

U n 110kV
S'k' 2000M VA

X
4
R

z 0.176 j 0.41/km
l 40km

transformer
U HVr 110kV U MVr 20kV
STr 150M VA
ukr 20%

u Rr 0.5%

Calculate the impedances of the components in per unit on a common

power base equal to the rating of the wind farm transformer TW.
20%
(b) If the system voltage is 1 pu and the wind farm is exporting active power of
1 p.u. at upf into the MV busbar of the wind farm transformer find the wind
farm voltage
20%
(c) What reactive power must be exported or imported by the wind farm in
order to maintain the wind farm voltage at 1 p.u. whilst still exporting 1 p.u.
active power.
50%
(d) Comment on the results obtained in parts (b) and (c).
10%

Page 5 of 7

List of physical constants & useful formulae

density of air:
1.225kg/m3

von Karman constant:

0.4

power in the wind

Pwind

torque coefficient

CT

tip speed ratio

1
Ad u 03
2

thrust coefficient

CP
X

CF

R
u0

1
Ad u 02
2

weibull distribution
Cu

A A

f u

C 1

u
exp

gamma function

e t t 1 dt

F u f u du

probability of wind <u

P
Pwind

Cp

power coefficient

rayleigh distribution

Gu 1 F u

probability of wind >u

f u

energy pattern factor

1

2

u3
u3

erf z

error function

u 2
exp
2
2u 2
4u

weibull mean of mth power

m
u m A m 1
C

properties of gamma function

1

mean power

P Pu f u du
0

t 2

incomplete gamma function

dt

, x e t t 1dt

u z

logarithmic wind profile

z
ln
z0

turbulence intensity:
z
I u z u
u z

u*

A
i1 i

P 1 i N 1
P
1

F 1 i N
N

capital recovery factor

present worth factor

phasor transformation

at 2 A cost A e

inverse phasor transformation

capacity factor

P
Pr

sinking fund factor A

A e 2 Ae jt e 2 A e j t

1 i N 1

active power
P3 3V I cos
reactive power

2 A cos t at

Q3 3V I sin
apparent power

S 3 3V I
where

V is the phase voltage

complex power:

S 3 ph 3V ph I * 3V ph I e j P3 ph jQ3 ph

Page 6 of 7

synchronous speed:

2f
n pp

SCC

per unit

S SC

VLLn

Z sc

Z sc

1
R
Z sc
j
2
2

X
X
1
1
R
R

induction machine torque:

Vs
3 Rr
2
s s
R
2
Rs r X s X r
s

3
Tm

Z
Z base

Z base

induction machine max torque

3
2
Vs
2 s
motor
Tm
2
2
Rs X s X r Rs

generator

Z pu

VLLbase

S 3base

induction machine slip:

2

2 s

Vs

s r
s

slip for max torque

motor s
m

Rr
Rs2 X s X r

generator s m

Rs2 X s X r Rs
2

oOo

Page 7 of 7

Rr
Rs2 X s X r