WIND ENERGY

WHY DOES WIND FLOW ?

Absorption of solar energy

on the surface of earth and
on the atmosphere

Rotation and revolution of

earth
Due to these reasons, alternate
heating and cooling cycles are
formed, pr. differences are created
and hence the air moves.
 Wind Speed Measurement Devices

Anemometer :- Wind Speed Wind Vane :- Wind Direction

measurement measurement
 Wind Rose

Indicates direction of wind and speed during the month

Wind Power Density in India
Wind sites in Maharshtra
 Wind Turbine : Parts
Rotor Blades
Nacelle

Power & Control

cable

Tower

Tower Top Platform

Micro Processor
Controller

Transformer &
Foundation Sub-station
Wind Farm at Vankusvade in
Satara District
 Advantages of Wind Energy
 Wind energy is sustainable indefinitely, unlike long-stored energy
from fossil fuels.
 Wind energy power emits no pollution or carbon dioxide .
 Reduces India’s dependence on fossil fuels.
 Zero cost of fuels. Low O&M cost.
 Environmental friendly and avoid problems like air pollution and
green house gas effects.
 Low gestation period providing quicker benefit.
 LIMITATIONS OF WIND ENERGY SOURCES
 Variation in the power generation depending on wind
speed.
 Large area required for same amount of power generation
as compared to conventional sources.
 Smaller in capacity (ranging from 250 kW - 6 MW off
shore wind generators) as compared to 200 - 1000 MW
conventional generators.
 More site specific.
 Electromagnetic Interference.
 Noise
 Bird Killing
WIND TURBINES
TYPES OF WIND TURBINES
 HORIZONTAL AXIS WIND TURBINES (HAWTs)
• Multiblade rotor consists of no. of curved sheet metal blades which
increase in width going outwards from the centre. The no. of blades usually
ranges from 12 – 20. They are fixed at their inner end to a circular rim. They
are also fixed near their outer edge to a second rim which provides support.
Diameter of the rotor : 2 - 5 m.

• In Propeller rotor, a rotor consists of only 2/3 blades made of fibre glass
reinforced plastic. The blades have aerofoil section with high thickness to
chord ratio and yields a high Lift relative to Drag Force. dia. Commercial
models have rotor diameters ranging from 30 -115 m.
Mechanism of windmill
Comparison of lift and drag devices

Lift Devices Drag Devices

1 Force acts perpendicular to air flow.
2 For a given swept area, high
rotational speeds and more output
power are achieved.
3 More efficient wind energy
converters.
4 Application: More suitable for
electricity generation.
force acts in the direction of air flow.
Less rotational speeds and less
output power.
Less efficient wind energy
converters.
Application: More suitable for water
pumping.
 VERTICAL AXIS WIND TURBINES

• Savonius Rotor – simplest type; rotor acts a like a cup of

anemometer; requires low wind velocity for its operation.
• Hollow cylinder - Two half cylinders facing opposite sides such that
“S” shape is formed. Force of wind is greater on capped face than
on round face.
• Features – self starting, low speed, low efficiency.
 VERTICAL AXIS WIND TURBINES

• Darrieus Rotor –
• Features –

Like an Egg Beater

Stiff, lighter 2/3 blades with Troposkein shape

High power o/p per given rotor wt. and cost.

Not self starting

High efficiency speeds

Potentially low capital cost
 Site Selection
• High annual avg. wind speed
• Availability of anemometric data
• Availability of wind velocity curve
• Wind structure at the proposed site
• Altitude of the proposed site
• Terrain and its aerodynamics
• Local Ecology
• Distance to road or railways.
• Nearness of site to load center
• Nature of Ground
• Favourable Land cost
• Icing problem, salt spray or blowing dust should not be present
Basic components of Wind-Electric Conversion System
Global or Planetary Winds:
These winds are caused by greater solar heating of earth’s surface than
near the poles.
Solar radiation heats air near the equator, and this low density air is buoyed up.
At the surface it is displaced by a cooler more dense higher pressure air
flowing from the poles. Thus, cooler air flows from poles to equator, near to the
earth’s surface and warmer air flows,
in the upper atmosphere, from equator to the poles.
Local Winds:
These winds are also known as Day and Night Winds.

They are caused by following two mechanisms.The first is differential heating of land and
water. Solar insolation during the day is readily converted to sensible energy of the land
surface but is partly absorbed in layers below the water surface and partly in evaporating
some of that water. Thus the land mass becomes hotter than the water, which causes the
air above the land to heat up and become warmer than the air above water. The warmer
lighter air above the land rises, the cooler heavier air above water moves into replaces it.
At night, the direction of breezes is reversed because the land mass cools in the night
more rapidly than the water.
The second mechanism is caused by Hills and mountain sides.
The air above the slopes heats up during the day and cools down at night, more rapidly
than the air above the low lands. This causes the heated air, during the day, to rise
along the slopes and relatively cooler air to flow down, at night.

Thus, Wind Energy is an indirect form of Solar Energy. It has been

estimated that 2% of all solar radiation falling on the face of earth is converted to
kinetic energy in the atmosphere and 30 % of this kinetic energy is in the lowest
1000m of elevation. This power if harnessed can satisfy several times the energy
demand of the world.
Aerodynamics of Wind - Important Terms :
Aerodynamics of Wind Turbine