Wind Energy Basics 17098081908633826765e99a3e9806b

It Blows You Away
Types of Electricity Generating Windmills
Small (10 kW)

• Homes Intermediate
• Farms (10-250 kW)
• Remote Applications • Village Power
(e.g. water pumping, • Hybrid Systems
telecom sites,
icemaking) • Distributed Power
Large (250 kW - 2+MW)

• Central Station Wind Farms
• Distributed Power
Parts of a Wind Turbine
Wind Turbine Perspective
Workers Blade
112’ long
Nacelle
56 tons
Tower
3 sections
Large Wind Turbines
o Each blade 112’
o 163+ tons total
o Foundation 20+ feet
deep
o Rated at 1.5 – 5
megawatt
o Supply at least 350
homes
Yawing – Facing the Wind
• Active Yaw (all medium
& large turbines
produced today, &
some small turbines from
Europe)
– Anemometer on nacelle
tells controller which way
to point rotor into the wind
– Yaw drive turns gears to
point rotor into wind
• Passive Yaw (Most small
turbines)
– Wind forces alone direct
rotor
• Tail vanes
• Downwind turbines
▪ Energy is a major input for overall socio-
economic development of any society
▪ The prices of the fossil fuels steeply increasing
▪ So renewables are expected to play a key role
▪ Wind energy is the fastest growing renewable
▪ Wind turbines are up to the task of producing

serious amounts of electricity
Wind energy is the kinetic energy of air in motion, also
called wind. Total wind energy flowing through an imaginary
surface with area A during the time t is:
where ρ is the density of air; v is the wind speed; Avt is the

volume of air passing through A (which is considered
perpendicular to the direction of the wind); Avtρ is therefore the
mass m passing through "A". Note that ½ ρv2 is the kinetic energy
of the moving air per unit volume.
Power is energy per unit time, so the wind power incident
on A (e.g. equal to the rotor area of a wind turbine) is:
Wind power in an open air stream is thus proportional to

the third power of the wind speed; the available power
increases eightfold when the wind speed doubles. Wind turbines
for grid electricity therefore need to be especially efficient at
greater wind speeds.
Calculation of Wind Power
•Power
Power inWind
in the the wind
= ½ρAV3
Effect of air density, 
– Effect of swept area, A
– Effect of wind speed, V
R
Swept Area: A = πR2
Area of the circle swept
by the rotor (m2).
India in Wind Energy
Velocity with Height
National Institute of Wind Energy (NIWE)
National Institute of Wind Energy (NIWE) has been

established in Chennai in the year 1998, as an autonomous
R&D institution by the Ministry of New and Renewable
Energy (MNRE), Government of India. It is a knowledge-
based institution of high quality and dedication, offers
services and seeks to find complete solutions for the kinds
of difficulties and improvements in the entire spectrum of
the wind energy sector by carrying out further research.
Velocity with Height
Power vs. Velocity
For Low To Moderate Winds
For Moderate To High Winds

Potential
▪ Huge potential exists
▪ Available potential can contribute five
times the world energy demand
▪ 0.4% contribution to total energy
Wind is currently the world’s fastest growing energy source
Available potential in India
Wind Power Density of India
India
Advantages
Can be used for both distributed generation or grid interactive power

generation using on-shore or off shore technologies.
Ranges of power producing turbines are available. Micro-turbines are

capable of producing 300W to 1MW and large wind turbines have
typical size of 35kW-3MW.
Wind turbine is suitable to install in remote rural area, water pumping

and grinding mills
Average capacity factor can be close or higher than 30

Disadvantages
The total cost can be cheaper than solar system but more expensive
than hydro.
Electricity production depends on- wind speed, location, season and

air temperature. Hence various monitoring systems are needed and
may cost expensive.
High percentage of the hardware cost (for large WT) is mostly spent
on the tower designed to support the turbine
Technology
Turbine Evolution
Used for
• Pumping water
• Grinding grain
Mainly used for

• Generating Electricity
A horizontal axis wind turbine (HAWT) is defined
as a wind turbine that has a horizontal or parallel
axis of rotation with respect to the ground.
HAWT
▪ Lift is the main force
▪ Much lower cyclic stresses
▪ 95% of the existing turbines are HAWTs
▪ Nacelle is placed at the top of the tower
▪ Yaw mechanism is required

Types of turbines
VAWT
▪ Drag is the main force
▪ Nacelle is placed at the bottom
▪ Yaw mechanism is not required
▪ Lower starting torque
▪ Difficulty in mounting the turbine
▪ Unwanted fluctuations in the power output

Two types of HAWT
DOWNWIND TURBINE UPWIND TURBINE

Offshore turbines
▪ More wind speeds
▪ Less noise pollution
▪ Less visual impact
▪ Difficult to install and maintain
▪ Energy losses due long distance

transport
Muppandal wind farm in Tamil Nadu.
World Market Share: Indian company Suzlon was among top ten manufacturers
of Wind Turbine manufacturer’s in the world with world market share of 6.7%. -
Government Support and Policies: Several states have come up with renewable
energy policies like Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh
A Typical HAWT
The main components of a HAWT are:
• The rotor, which consists of the blades and
the hub that connects them to the shaft.
• The nacelle houses the generator, gearbox,
brake, yaw system, and other mechanical
and electrical components.
• The tower supports the nacelle and the
rotor and elevates them above the ground
to capture more wind.
• The foundation anchors the tower to the
ground and transfers the loads from the
wind turbine.
The advantages of HAWTs are:
• They have higher efficiency than vertical axis wind turbines (VAWTs) because
they can capture more wind energy with less drag.
• They have lower torque ripple and mechanical stress than VAWTs because
they have fewer changes in aerodynamic forces during each rotation.
• They can be installed offshore on floating platforms or fixed foundations, where
the wind speed is higher and more consistent
The disadvantages of HAWTs are:
• They require a tall tower and a large land area to avoid turbulence and
interference from nearby structures or terrain.
• They are more expensive and complex to install and maintain than VAWTs
because they have more moving parts and electrical components.
• They are more susceptible to fatigue and damage from high winds, storms,
lightning, birds, or ice.
A vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT) is defined as a wind turbine that has a vertical or
perpendicular axis of rotation with respect to the ground.
Main components of a VAWT are:

• The rotor, which consists of the blades and the vertical shaft that
connects them to the generator.
• The generator, which converts the mechanical energy of the rotor
into electrical energy.
• The base, which supports the rotor and the generator and
connects them to the ground.
The advantages of VAWTs are:
• They have lower installation and maintenance costs than HAWTs because they have
fewer moving parts and electrical components.
• They have lower noise levels than HAWTs because they rotate at slower speeds.
• They can be installed on rooftops or near buildings because they have lower heights and
smaller footprints than HAWTs.
The disadvantages of VAWTs are:
• They have lower efficiency than HAWTs because they have more drag and less lift.
• They have higher torque ripple and mechanical stress than HAWTs because they have
more changes in aerodynamic forces during each rotation.
• They cannot be installed offshore because they are less stable and durable than HAWTs.
There are two main types of VAWTs based on their blade design: Darrieus and Savonius.
Savonius Turbines
Savonius turbines are VAWTs that have straight blades that resemble an S-shape or
a half-barrel. They were invented by Finnish engineer Sigurd Savonius in 1922.
Savonius turbines use only drag to rotate their blades. They can self-start, but they
have low rotational speeds and low power coefficients.
The advantages of Savonius turbines are:
• They can self-start because they use only drag.
• They have lower centrifugal forces than Darrieus turbines because they rotate at
slower speeds.
The disadvantages of Savonius turbines are:
• They have a lower power coefficient than Darrieus turbines because they use only
drag.
• They have a higher solidity ratio than Darrieus turbines because they have more
blades with smaller gaps between them.
Darrieus Turbines
Darrieus turbines are VAWTs that have curved blades that resemble an eggbeater or a
trochoid.
They were invented by French engineer Georges Darrieus in 1931. Darrieus turbines use
lift as well as drag to rotate their blades.
They can achieve high rotational speeds, but they require an external start-up mechanism,
such as an electric motor or another turbine, because they cannot self-start.
The advantages of Darrieus turbines are:

They have a higher power coefficient than Savonius turbines because they use lift as well
as drag.
Turbine design and construction
▪ Blades
▪ Material used
▪ Typical length
▪ Tower height
▪ Heights twice the blade length are

found economical
▪ Number of blades
▪ Three blade HAWT are most efficient
▪ Two blade turbines don’t require a hub
▪ As the number increases; noise, wear and

cost increase and efficiency decreases
▪ Multiple blade turbines are generally used

for water pumping purposes
▪ Rotational control
▪ Maintenance
▪ Noise reduction
▪ Centripetal force reduction
▪ Mechanisms
▪ Stalling
▪ Furling
▪ Yaw Mechanism
▪ To turn the turbine against the wind
▪ Yaw error and fatigue loads
▪ Uses electric motors and gear boxes
▪ Wind turbine safety
▪ Sensors – controlling vibrations
▪ Over speed protection
▪ Aero dynamic braking
▪ Mechanical braking
Economics
Determining Factors
▪ Wind Speed
▪ Turbine design and construction
▪ Rated capacity of the turbine
▪ Exact Location
▪ Improvements in turbine design
▪ Capital
Wind Speed Matters
Assuming
the same
size project,
the better
the wind
resource,
the lower
the cost.
Size Matters
Assuming the
same wind
speed of 8.08
m/s, a large
wind farm is
more
economical
Energy Cost Trend
1979: 40 cents/kWh
2000:
4 - 6 cents/kWh
▪ Increased
Turbine Size
▪ R&D Advances
2004:
▪ Manufacturing 3 – 4.5 cents/kWh
Improvements
Economic Advantages
▪ Greater fuel diversity
▪ No delay in construction
▪ Low maintenance costs
▪ Reliable and durable equipment
▪ Additional income to land owners
▪ More jobs per unit energy produced
▪ No hidden costs
Conclusion
▪ Wind energy is pollution free and nature
friendly
▪ Wind energy has very good potential and it is
the fastest growing energy source
▪ The future looks bright for wind energy
because technology is becoming more
advanced and windmills are becoming more
efficient
THANK YOU

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It Blows You Away

Types of Electricity Generating Windmills

Small (10 kW)

Large (250 kW - 2+MW)

▪ The prices of the fossil fuels steeply increasing

▪ So renewables are expected to play a key role

▪ Wind energy is the fastest growing renewable

▪ Wind turbines are up to the task of producing

where ρ is the density of air; v is the wind speed; Avt is the

Wind power in an open air stream is thus proportional to

National Institute of Wind Energy (NIWE)

National Institute of Wind Energy (NIWE) has been

For Low To Moderate Winds

For Moderate To High Winds

Can be used for both distributed generation or grid interactive power

Ranges of power producing turbines are available. Micro-turbines are

Wind turbine is suitable to install in remote rural area, water pumping

Average capacity factor can be close or higher than 30

Electricity production depends on- wind speed, location, season and

Mainly used for

▪ Much lower cyclic stresses

▪ 95% of the existing turbines are HAWTs

▪ Nacelle is placed at the top of the tower

▪ Yaw mechanism is required

▪ Nacelle is placed at the bottom

▪ Yaw mechanism is not required

▪ Lower starting torque

▪ Difficulty in mounting the turbine

▪ Unwanted fluctuations in the power output

DOWNWIND TURBINE UPWIND TURBINE

▪ Less noise pollution

▪ Less visual impact

▪ Difficult to install and maintain

▪ Energy losses due long distance

Main components of a VAWT are:

The advantages of Darrieus turbines are:

▪ Heights twice the blade length are

▪ Two blade turbines don’t require a hub

▪ As the number increases; noise, wear and

▪ Multiple blade turbines are generally used

▪ Centripetal force reduction

▪ Turbine design and construction

▪ Rated capacity of the turbine

▪ Improvements in turbine design

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