Technical Writing: Comparison Example

Evaluation of Five Wind-Powered Electrical Systems

Wind-powered electrical systems played an important role in the electrification of many rural
homesteads thirty or forty years ago. During the energy crisis of the 1970s, wind systems
regained popularity, and new companies specializing in wind systems began trying to
deelop more powerful and efficient products. !n one e"ample is the #mith $utnam
%ompany which built a huge wind system with a propeller diameter of 17& ft and a
ma"imum power output of 1.'& million watts, but it only lasted two years because one of its
twin blades snapped at the base. (nother company, Dyna )echnology, designed a wind
system with a ma"imum power output of '00 watts to power radio stations in remote areas.
)he following discussion will focus instead on wind systems that can produce '000 watts of
power which is sufficient for one household.
*igure 1. )he +orth Wind ,agle -enerator
Points of Comparison
)he ideal wind system produces sufficient power in slow wind speeds, lasts for a lifetime,
and cost relatiely little. .ecause wind systems come in many different models, this report
is limited to fie designs, shown in *igure 1, with each design from a different company. )he
,agle, the /edco 01odel 12003, and the Dunlite wind systems are a few of the more
common wind systems on the mar4et. )he Darrieus wind system uses a ertical a"is rotor
and is not ery popular because it does not follow the conentional design of most wind
systems. )he 5ephyr system is one of the newest wind systems and is not yet aailable on
the mar4et e"cept for research purposes.
(lthough there is 6uite a ariety of designs, three of the primary considerations in selecting
a wind system are 0a3 power output, 0b3 durability, and 0c3 cost.
Power utput! )he ideal wind system should charge the storage batteries faster than the
electricity is consumed. #ince a low-power wind system eentually charges the batteries,
the rotor should hae a low cut-in speed to ta4e adantage of slow winds. )o charge the
batteries 6uic4ly, the generator should produce at least '000 watts in a moderate wind
speed.
)he ,agle reaches a ma"imum of '000 watts in winds of '0 mph. !t accomplishes this
output by using a special slow-speed generator and a rotor with a 17 ft diameter. )he
generator starts producing power in winds of 8 to 10 mph. )he /eco produces 1'00 watts in
17 mph winds using a 12 ft rotor. )he Dunlite has a rotor diameter of 19 ft and a cut-in
speed of 10 mph. !n '& mph winds, the Dunlite attains its ma"imum power of '000 watts.
)he ertical-a"is Darrieus re6uires a motor to start the rotor, but it can produce 7000 watts
in a '9 mph wind. )he ertical-a"is twin-bladed rotor stands 1& ft high allowing it to absorb
more wind energy. )he 5ephyr, still being tested, can produce 1&,000 watts in a 90 mph
wind. (t cut-in speed it deliers &00 watts of power, an output that is accomplished by using
a special low-speed, direct-drien 0gearless3 rotor with lightweight blades appro"imately 17
ft in diameter.
"ura#ility! :biously, a wind system that lasts a long time can pay for itself in saings
from electric bills. 1any wind generators hae short lifespans because the blades brea4 as a
result of the ibrations from high wind speeds. )his problem can be soled with some type
of goernor or bra4ing deice to slow the rotor down in high winds. .rush wear is another
problem that cuts the lifetime of a wind system, but this problem is easily corrected by
using the long-lasting brushes designed by ;acobs Wind ,lectric $lants.
)he ,agle has proen itself to last about '0 years. )he rotor uses a flyball goernor to turn
the blades and to ary the pitch of the wind. )he brushes hae also been designed for long
life. #ince the ,agle<s generator is directly turned by the rotor, no gears are needed and the
system lasts longer. )he /edco uses aluminum blades that feather 0or bend3 in high winds.
!t also uses uses an automatic ibration sensor that shuts off the generator in turbulent
winds. )he Dunlite has been on the mar4et for 90 years and has proen itself to be reliable.
)he ariable pitch blades are made of galanized steel and are designed to withstand winds
up to 80 mph. )he Dunlite generator is designed without any brushes which gies the
system longer life. )he 5ephyr system uses glide-out spoilers on the blades to protect
against oerspeed. .ecause it is still in the testing phase, the lifetime is un4nown at this
time. )he ertical-a"is Darrieus system is designed to withstand gusts of 190 mph. )he
ibration is 4ept at a minimum because the system<s center of graity is along the rotor
shaft.
Cost! )he ,agle system sells for =9&00. )his price does not include the tower, inerter, or
the storage batteries. )he total cost is appro"imately =7700, but the ,agle is maintenance-
free for about 1& to '0 years. )he /edco 1200 sells for ='89&. )his price does not include
the tower and other accessories so the total cost is around =7000. )he Dunlite system costs
='000 in (ustralia where it is manufactured. (dding the costs of deliery and accessories
raises the total cost to about =7&00. )he 5ephyr costs =1',000 including the tower and
control panel. #hould tests and time proe the design to be a good one, public confidence
may increase as will production, and thus the price should decrease. *or the time, howeer,
the ertical-a"is Darrieus, costing =8000 complete with tower and electrical control gear, is
the reasonable choice.
Conclusions
*or people who are considering an inestment in a wind system, cost is probably the most
important factor because these people are already trying to trim their electric bills and sae
money. )he real saings begin when the wind system has paid for itself in electric bill
saings. !f a household aerages a monthly electric bill of =1'0 and purchases a =7700
,agle, then the real saings will begin in about three and a half years after the date of the
purchase. )he cost-efficiency of a wind system can be calculated by diiding the cost of the
system by its lifetime.
*rom the preceding comparison of power, durability, and cost, the following conclusions can
be stated>
)he most powerful system is the 5ephyr followed by the Darrieus.
)he Dunlite has the longest lifetime followed by the ,agle. )he Darrieus can
withstand the strongest wind.
)he system with the best cost-efficiency is the Dunlite at =1&0 per year. !f the ,agle
reduced its price by =1700, it would e6ual the Dunlite in cost-efficiency.
)able 1 shows a factual summary of these comparisons. +otice that ma"imum power and
cut-in speed is used to ealuate a wind system<s power performance.
)able 1. *actual #ummary of Wind #ystems
Wind
machine
1a".
power?wind
speed
%ut-in
wind
speed
%ost in
dollars
@ifespan in
years
,agle '000?'0 mph 8-10 =7700 '0
/edco 1'00?17 mph A '89& A
Dunlite '000?'& mph 10 7&00 90
Darrieus 7000?'9 mph
motor
start
8000 A
5ephyr 1&000?90 mph 10 1'000 A