Activity 3

WIND POWER PLANTS

ME Elective 3
Solar and Wind Energy Utilization

Submitted by:
Christian Marjhun M. Briones
BSME 4-1

Submitted to:
Engr. Dennis Dale Fanoga
Professor
WIND TURBINE CONTROL:

1. Why is constant rotational speed of the generator shaft important for many wind
turbines?

The rotational speed of the turbine should be kept constant for efficient power
generation and to keep the components within speed and torque limits. According to
Abo-Khalil et., al (2019), large-scale wind turbines with a large blade radius rotates
under fluctuating conditions depending on the blade position. The wind speed is
maximum in the highest point when the blade is in the upward position and minimum in
the lowest point when the blade is in the downward position. He also added that the
spatial distribution of wind speed, which is known as wind shear, leads to periodic
fluctuations in the turbine rotor, which causes fluctuations in the generator output voltage
and power.

2. Explain how to pitch control regulates the speed of a turbine.

The role of pitch control in a wind turbine is to adjust the angle of its blades depending
on the airflow for maximum power output and to ensure that the turbine does not exceed
its maximum rotational speed.
The pitch control of a wind turbine uses a pitch system which is a closed-loop drive
system (Fritz Schur Energy, 2018) the controller calculates the required pitch angle
based on the wind speed, max power, and energy output.
According to Danish Wind Industry Association (2003), On a pitch-controlled wind
turbine, the turbine's electronic controller checks the power output of the turbine several
times per second. When the power output becomes too high, it sends an order to the
blade pitch mechanism which immediately pitches (turns) the rotor blades slightly out of
the wind. Conversely, the blades are turned back into the wind whenever the wind drops
again.
3. What happens to the air over a wing or turbine blade when it is positioned to stall?

The air over a wing or a turbine blade whirls around in an irregular vortex (a condition
which is also known as turbulence). All of a sudden, the lift from the low pressure on the
upper surface of the wing disappears (Danish Wind Industry Association, 2003).

4. How does active stall control adjust power in high winds?

An increasing number of large wind turbines (with 1 MW and up) make use of the
active stall control mechanism (Danish Wind Power Association, 2003). Basically, an
active stall control is one of the aerodynamic methods of any wind turbine to control the
captured wind energy.

Similar to the variable pitch, the active stall is achieved by connecting the wind
turbine blade with the hub through the bearing so that the blade can rotate around the
axes to adjust the pitch angle. At high wind speed, the variable pitch method is used. The
control system adjusts the blade pitch angle to the position where the maximum power
can be obtained. When the output of the wind generation exceeds the rated values, the
control system control again the pitch angle through the variable pitch actuator by
adjusting it toward the stall direction to limit the maximum power output of the wind turbine
(Zhou, 2018, p. 26).

5. What are two problems with tower wind shading?

In the article of Santoso et.,al (2011) on the Time-Domain Modeling of Tower Shadow
and Wind Shear in Wind Turbines they describe tower shadow as the redirection in wind
due to the obstruction presented by the tower. This is considered a problem as it
contributes to periodic fluctuations in electrical power output of a wind turbine generator.
Due to the inconsistent electrical power output of a wind turbine generator, this could
affect the people who are dependent/invested in using this energy.
6. Explain why blades are tapered and twisted.

Improved aerodynamics and efficiency are one the considerations when designing a
wind turbine blade. According to Gipe (2004), On a conventional wind turbine, blade
speed is higher at the tip than near the hub because it has more distance to cover in the
same amount of time.

He added that, as blade speed increases with distance from the hub, the apparent
wind varies as well. The apparent wind increases in strength, and its position shifts
toward the plane of rotation as you move out along the blade. So, in order to maintain
the angle of attack (optimize performance) at the same time increase the blade speed,
the angle of attack must decrease toward the tip.

As a result, wind turbine blades are twisted from root to tip. Twisting the blade
changes the winds angle along the blade with the combined effect of twisting and
tapering the blade along its length improves the angle of attack increasing speed,
efficiency while reducing drag. Also, tapered blades are stronger and lighter than straight
blades as the bending stress are reduced (Alternative Energy Tutorials, 2020).

7. Explain why the yaw position of a wind turbine may need to be changed.

The yaw system in wind turbines is used for power regulation on higher rated wind
speeds. According to Kim and Dalhoff (2014), although yaw system increases the wind
energy capture of a wind turbine, it is considered second most common mechanical
component that contributes to an overall failure rate defined by the number of failures of
a turbine in a year with the pitch system being first.
They added that equal to the failure rate of a wind turbine, the yaw system is also the
second most mechanical component contributing to an overall downtime of the turbine.
This circumstance leads to redundancy system approaches such as possible temporary
yaw operation of a wind turbine even when one yaw drive fails to operate.
8. What data are important for analyzing wind turbine performance?

According to Cotter (2018), the universal standard to assess the performance of a

wind turbine is a plot of the Power Coefficient versus the Tip Speed Ratio performance
curve. This curve tells you how efficiently a turbine converts the energy in the wind to
electricity.

9. Identify the places on a horizontal wind turbine where brakes are used.

According to ICP Winds (2011), the two main types of brake systems are yaw brakes
and rotor brakes. A wind turbine yaw brake is located on the yaw-system. It smoothly
controls and positions the nacelle as it rotates with the wind to maximize power. The rotor
brake can be mounted on the rotor (low-speed shaft) or generator (high-speed shaft).
Used for parking and emergency stop operations.
WIND POWER SYSTEMS:

1. What is the difference between turbulent and laminar flow?

Laminar air flow depicts a natural, slow and smooth flowing air while Turbulence air
flow refers to rapid fluctuations in wind velocity. According to MacEachern and Yildiz
(2018), these fluctuations are created as a result of frictional force occurring between the
moving air and the Earth’s surface. This is more generally thought of as the changes in
wind speed and direction resulting from impediment from hills, mountains, forests, and
buildings or by drastic thermal gradients, which cause air to move rapidly upward and
downwards.

2. What is boundary-layer wind?

Wind turbulence are generated in the boundary layer. According to Meteorological

Office (2014), the boundary layer is defined as that part of the atmosphere that directly
feels the effect of the earth's surface. Turbulence is generated in the boundary layer as
the wind blows over the earth's surface and by thermals, such as those rising from land
as it is heated by the sun, but also thermals associated with clouds.

In addition, all this turbulence redistributes heat, moisture and the drag on the wind
within the boundary layer, as well as pollutants and other constituents of the atmosphere.

3. What is the lift-to-drag ratio?

Lift and drag are forces created due to the difference of air pressure flowing at the
two sides of the blades.
The force of the lift is stronger than the drag and this causes the rotor to spin. The
rotor connects to the generator, either directly or through a shaft and a series of gears
that speed up the rotation and allow for a physically smaller generator. This translation of
aerodynamic force to rotation of a generator creates electricity (Office of Energy
Efficiency & Renewable Energy, 2016).
 On the other hand, the lift to drag ratio (L/D) is the amount of lift generated by a wing
or airfoil compared to its drag. The lift/drag ratio is used to express the relation between
lift and drag and is determined by dividing the lift coefficient by the drag coefficient,
CL/CD. A ratio of L/D indicates airfoil efficiency (Skybrary, 2015).

4. Name two advantages of locating wind turbines over water.

Offshore wind farms are wind turbines located at seas, the advantage on investing to
this wind farms includes:

Offshore wind speeds tend to be faster than on land.

Small increases in wind speed yield large increases in
energy production: a turbine in a 15-mph wind can
Higher Energy Output
generate twice as much energy as a turbine in a 12-
mph wind. Faster wind speeds offshore mean much
more energy can be generated.

Consistent Supply of Offshore wind speeds tend to be steadier than on land.

Energy A steadier supply of wind means a more reliable source
of energy.

5. What happens to wind power when the density of the air increases?

Air density has a significant effect on the performance of a wind turbine. According to
the study of Badran et.,al (2014) on the evaluation of parameters affecting wind turbine
generation, they stated that the power available in the wind is directly proportional to air
density. As air density increases the available power also increases. Air density is a
function of air pressure and temperature. It increases when air pressure increases or the
temperature decreases. Both temperature and pressure decrease with increasing
elevation. Consequently, changes in elevation produce a profound effect on the
generated power as a result of changing in the air density.

6. What is the effect on a wind turbine when the air becomes denser?

The generated energy output of any wind turbines depends on the density of the air,
the rotor and also the wind speed. According to Danish Wind Industry Association
(2003), the "heavier" the air, the more energy is received by the turbine. Also, the air is
denser when it is cold than when it is warm. At high altitudes, (in mountains) the air
pressure is lower, and the air is less dense.

7. What is blade tip speed and why is it important?

The blade tip speed is the tangential velocity of the blade of a wind turbine. According
to Telles (2006), the blade’s tip speed and turbine power’s coefficient are factors that
directly affect the rotor’s rotation and tip speed which includes the aerodynamic noise and
shadow flicker. Both can influence the turbine design decisions.

8. What is the function of the gearbox in a horizontal-axis wind turbine?

The function of a gearbox in horizontal-axis wind turbine (HAWT), is to connect the

low-speed shaft to the high-speed shaft and increase the rotational speeds from about 30
to 60 rpm to about 1200-1500 rpm, the rotational speed acquired by most generators to
produce electricity. The gearbox is also the costly and heavy part in the wind turbine
(Telles, 2006, p. 15).
9. What is an advantage of a vertical-axis wind turbine for a residential area?

Advantages of VAWT in residential areas

Maintenance workers do not have to climb as high to reach parts

of the tower. Not only are VAWTs shorter. They also have major
components closer to the ground. Maintaining generators,
Safety for workers gearboxes, and most of the mechanical and electrical parts of the
structure do not require scaling the tower because these aren’t
mounted on top. Lifting equipment and climbing gear aren’t
needed either.
The design can be scaled down to small sizes, even as small as
what will fit on an urban rooftop. In cities, there may not be room
Scalability
for all renewable energy technologies, but vertical turbines
provide a viable alternative to hydrocarbon energy sources.
References

Abo-Khalil, A. G., Alyami, S., Sayed, K., & Alhejji, A. (2019). Dynamic Modeling of Wind
Turbines Based on Estimated Wind Speed under Turbulent Conditions. Energies,
1-3.
Karnik, N., & Santoso, S. (2011). Time-Domain Modeling of Tower Shadow and Wind
Shear in Wind Turbines. International Scholarly Research Notice, 1-2.
ALternative Energy Solution. (2020). Retrieved from Wind Turbine Blade Design:
https://www.alternative-energy-tutorials.com/wind-energy/wind-turbine-blade-
design.html
American Geoscience Institute. (2017). Retrieved from What are the advantages and
disadvantages of offshore wind farms?:
https://www.americangeosciences.org/critical-issues/faq/what-are-advantages-
and-disadvantages-offshore-wind-farms
Arcadia Blog. (2017, June). Retrieved from Vertical Axis Wind Turbines Advantages &
Disadvantages: https://blog.arcadia.com/vertical-axis-wind-turbines-advantages-
disadvantages/
Badran, O., Abdulhadi, E., & Mamlook, R. (2014). Evaluation of parameters affecting
wind turbine power generation. ResearchGate, 6-7.
Danish Wind Industry Association. (2003). Retrieved from Power Control of Wind
Turbines: http://xn--drmstrre-64ad.dk/wp-
content/wind/miller/windpower%20web/en/tour/wtrb/powerreg.htm
Fritz Schur Energy. (2018). Retrieved from Pitch control in wind turbines:
https://www.fsenergy.com/technology/pitch-control-wind-turbines/
MacEachern, C., & Yıldız, İ. (2018). Energy Fundamentals. ScienceDirect.
Mtoerological Office. (2014). Retrieved from Boundary Layer Winds:
http://ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/(Gh)/guides/mtr/fw/bndy.rxml
Paul, G. (2004). Wind Power: Renewable Energy for Home, Farm, and Business, 2nd
Edition. Chelsea Green Publishing Company.
Pico Technology. (2018). Retrieved from Measuring the performance of a wind turbine:
https://www.picotech.com/library/application-note/measuring-the-performance-of-
a-wind-turbine
RAMZY. (2021, January). Linquip Technews. Retrieved from How Fast Does a Wind
Turbine Spin? The Surprising Answer: https://www.linquip.com/blog/how-fast-
does-a-wind-turbine-spin/
Skybrary. (2015). Retrieved from Lift/Drag Ratio, Forces Interaction and Use:
https://www.skybrary.aero/index.php/AP4ATCO_-
_Lift/Drag_Ratio,_Forces_Interaction_and_Use
Zhou, S., & Lu, Z. (2018). Integration of Large Scale Wind Energy with Electrical Power
Systems in China. China: John Wiley & Sons Singapore Pte. Ltd.