Wind Energy Power Plant

What is Wind Energy?

• Wind is a form of solar energy. Winds are
caused by the uneven heating of the
atmosphere by the sun, the irregularities of
the earth's surface, and rotation of the earth.
Wind flow patterns are modified by the
earth's terrain, bodies of water, and vegetative
cover. This wind flow, or motion energy, when
"harvested" by modern wind turbines, can be
used to generate electricity.
How is Wind Power generated?
• The terms "wind energy" or "wind power"
describe the process by which the wind is used to
generate mechanical power or electricity. Wind
turbines convert the kinetic energy in the wind
into mechanical power. This mechanical power
can be used for specific tasks (such as grinding
grain or pumping water) or a generator can
convert this mechanical power into electricity to
power homes, businesses, schools, and the like.
Wind Energy Process Flow Diagram
 Wind turbine
• Wind turbines, like aircraft propeller blades,
turn in the moving air and power an electric
generator that supplies an electric current.
Simply stated, a wind turbine is the opposite
of a fan. Instead of using electricity to make
wind, like a fan, wind turbines use wind to
make electricity. The wind turns the blades,
which spin a shaft, which connects to a
generator and makes electricity.
 Wind Turbine Types

• Modern wind turbines fall into two basic

groups; the horizontal-axis variety, like the
traditional farm windmills used for pumping
water, and the vertical-axis design, like the
eggbeater-style Darrieus model, named after
its French inventor. Most large modern wind
turbines are horizontal-axis turbines.
 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.
• 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
• With vertical axis wind turbines the rotational axis of the turbine
stands vertical or perpendicular to the ground. Vertical axis turbines
are primarily used in small wind projects and residential
applications.
• 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.
Horizontal-axis Wind turbine
Vertical-axis Wind turbine

Cap Chat, Quebec

4 MW Plant Capacity (largest VAWT in the world)
 Parts of wind turbine
• blade or rotor, which converts the energy in
the wind to rotational shaft energy;
• a drive train, usually including a gearbox and a
generator;
• a tower that supports the rotor and drive
train; and
• other equipment, including controls, electrical
cables, ground support equipment, and
interconnection equipment.
 How much do wind turbines cost?
Home or Farm Scale Wind Turbines
• Wind turbines under 100 kilowatts cost roughly $3,000 to $8,000 per kilowatt of capacity. A
10 kilowatt machine (the size needed to power a large home) might have an installed cost of
$50,000-$80,000 (or more).
• Wind turbines have significant economies of scale. Smaller farm or residential scale turbines
cost less overall, but are more expensive per kilowatt of energy producing capacity.
Oftentimes there are tax and other incentives that can dramatically reduce the cost of a wind
project.

Commercial Wind Turbines

• The costs for a utility scale wind turbine range from about $1.3 million to $2.2 million per
MW of nameplate capacity installed. Most of the commercial-scale turbines installed today
are 2 MW in size and cost roughly $3-$4 million installed.
• Total costs for installing a commercial-scale wind turbine will vary significantly depending on
the number of turbines ordered, cost of financing, when the turbine purchase agreement
was executed, construction contracts, the location of the project, and other factors. Cost
components for wind projects include things other than the turbines, such as wind resource
assessment and site analysis expenses; construction expenses; permitting and
interconnection studies; utility system upgrades, transformers, protection and metering
equipment; insurance; operations, warranty, maintenance, and repair; legal and consultation
fees. Other factors that will impact your project economics include taxes and incentives.
 Wind Farm
• A wind farm is a group of wind turbines in the
same location used for production of electric
power. A large wind farm may consist of
several hundred individual wind turbines
distributed over an extended area, but the
land between the turbines may be used for
agricultural or other purposes.
 Gansu Wind Farm (China)
7000 wind turbines
40% Utilization Factor of current 8GW
Plant Capacity of 20 GW
 Location
• The best places for wind farms are in coastal
areas, at the tops of rounded hills, open plains
and gaps in mountains - places where the
wind is strong and reliable. Some are offshore.
• To be worthwhile, you need an average wind
speed of around 25 km/h.
Alpha Ventus Offshore Wind Farm (Germany)
12 turbines
60 MW Plant Capacity
 Meteorological towers

• Wind measuring towers (sometimes

called meteorological evaluation towers(MET)
are used to verify the wind characteristics at a
potential site for a wind farm.
• In a standard wind farm, 3 different Meteorological Tower (known as Met Mast)
are installed.
• First of all, a tower is needed to provide several years (normally at least 2) of wind
data. This tower is used to collect not only wind data, but also other information
such as temperature, humidity, rain and so on.
• Normally these towers are lower that the WTGs that will be installed on site, with
an average height of 40 meters: the wind speed at the hub height will be
interpolated at the correct elevation using one of the available formulas.
• If after a deep study of the energy that can be provided by the wind a promising
location is found and the wind farm construction start, one or more temporary
met mast are erected.
• This towers measures the actual wind speed in the positions where a WTG will be
erected, at the hub height (80 meters or more) and are used to calibrate the
power curve, that is if the produced energy is in line with the expected values.
• After a couple of weeks (normally 2 months) this tower is removed and a turbine is
installed nearby.
• The third tower is the wind farm tower: this tower will be used to transmit to the
control centre the meteorological situation in the location and it has a paramount
importance for the management of the site. It normally has the same height of the
turbines of the wind farm.
 Advantages and Disadvantages of
Wind Power Plant
Advantages
• Wind is free, wind farms need no fuel.
• Produces no waste or greenhouse gases.
• The land beneath can usually still be used for farming.
• A good method of supplying energy to remote areas.

Disadvantages
• The wind is not always predictable - some days have no wind.
• Suitable areas for wind farms are often near the coast, where land is
expensive.
• Some people feel that covering the landscape with these towers is unsightly.
• Can kill birds - migrating flocks tend to like strong winds.
However, this is rare, and we tend not to build wind farms on migratory routes
anyway.
• Can affect television reception if you live nearby.
 15 wind turbines
24.75 MW Plant capacity
 Formulas and problems
• Plant capacity (PC) = number of turbines x rated turbine
capacity
• Kinetic Energy (KE) = ½ mv2
• Sweep Area (A) = πr2, r= blade length
• Wind Power (P)= 0.5 x ρ x A x Cp x V3
Where:
ρ = Air density in kg/m3 ,
A = Rotor swept area (m2 )
Cp = Coefficient of performance
V = wind velocity (m/s)
Ng = generator efficiency
Nb = gear box bearing efficiency
1. We are given the following data:
Blade length, l = 52 m
Wind speed, v = 12 m/sec
Air density, ρ = 1.23 kg/m3
Power Coefficient, Cp = 0.4

Find:
a)Kinetic Energy
b)Sweep Area
c) Wind Power

2. A wind turbine travels with the speed is 10 m/s and has a blade length of
20 m. Determine the wind power.