Basic Principles of WEC

The Nature of the wind

 The Power in the wind

Wind possesses energy by virtue of its
motion.
Any device capable of slowing down the
mass of moving air-sail or propeller--useful work

Factors that determine the output from a

wind energy converter:
i) The wind speed
ii) The cross section of wind swept by rotor
iii) The overall conversion
No device well designed
100% converter convert 60%
Overall =35%

The power in the wind computed by using

the concept of kinetics
Power=energy/unit time
KE of any particle=1/2 mV2
The amount of air passing through an area
A, with a velocity V=AV
Mass m = AV----------------------1
KE=1/2 AV3----------------------------2 watts

Equation 2 gives max. wind available

Since area is normally circular of dia. D
A=D2
2
Eqn 2
Available wind power Pa=1/2 (D2 /4)V3
=1/8 D2V3

 The power extracted by the rotor is equal

to the product of the wind speed as it
passes through the rotor and the pressure
drop p

 The fraction of the free flow wind power

that can be extracted by rotor is called the
power coefficient
Thus power coefficient = power of wind
rotor / power available in the wind
Max. theoretical pc=0.593
V is not constant =V(t)
Instantaneous power in the wind
Pa(t)=1/2 A[V(t) ]3---------------4

 Average power
Pa(t)=1/2 A[V(t) ]3watts --------------- 5
Non steady state wind
Transposing 5

Pa ( t )

1
V(t )
A
2

 A) the power available in the wind

increases as cube of the wind speed:
doubling the wind speed increases the
power available by 8 fold
B) doubling the dia. Of the turbine rotor
quadruples the swept area and hence
power output from the device

Maximum Power:
Total power cannot be converted to
mechanical power.
Consider HAWT
Wheel of turbine thickness=ab
Let Pi and Vi are wind pr. And vel. At the
upstream of the turbine.
Pe and Ve downstream
Ve<Vi

pa
pressure
Pe

Pi
pb
a

Vi

Va

velocity
VT
Vb
Ve

a
b
Distance X

 KE and flow energy

Vi 2
Va2
Pi v
Pa v
2gc
2gc

V12
V22
Z1 P1v1 u q
Z 2 P2v2 u2 Wsf
2 gc
2gc
Z1 potential energy
2
1

V
KE
2gc
u int ernal energy
Pv flowenergy
q net heat added
Wsf net study flow mechanical workdone of the system

Incoming region
Vi 2
Va2
Pi
Pa
2gc
2gc
v sp.vol
density
cons tan t

Exit region
Ve2
Vb2
Pe
Pb
2gc
2gc
v sp.vol
density
constant

 Wind velocity across the turbine

decreases from a to b since KE is
converted to ME
Vi<Va
Vb>Ve
therefore
Pa>Pi
Pb>pi

Vi 2 Va2
Ve2 Vb2
Pa Pb Pi
Pe
9
2gc
2 gc

It can be assumed that wind pressure at e ambient

Pe=Pi
blade width very thin ie ab
Va=Vt=Vb

Vi 2 Ve2
Pa Pb
12
2gc
The axial force in the direction of wind stream

Fx ( Pa Pb ) A 13

 This force is equal to

change of momentum
of the wind

1
Fx
AVt (Vi Ve ) 14
gc

 Equating 13 and 14

1
Vt (Vi Ve ) 15
2

Steady flow work W

V V
(
W=kEi kEe= 2 g
2

2
e

) 16

The power =rate of work

1
2
2
P
AVt (V i V e ) 17
4 gc

 Combining 17 with 15

1
A(Vt Vi )(V 2 i V 2 e ) 18
4gc

1
Ve optimum Vi 19
3
8
Pmax
AVi 3 20
27 g c
Pmax 0.595 P total

power output from wind machine

Power coefficient C p
power avaiable in wind

Characteristic of Wind Turbines

Variations in wind speed causes fluctuations in the
amount of power produced
Short Term: Gusts and Turbulence
Long Term: Seasonal Changes

WTs have a cut-in, cut-out and a peak power output for a

given wind velocity
Power from the wind is proportional to the area swept by
the rotors
In practice, the max power efficiency is 45%

Site selection considerations

The power available in the wind increases
rapidly with the speed
Wind energy machine-strong wind and
persistent
1) High annual average wind speed--fundamental requirements WECS
Pw=KV3
K=constant

 Anemometer data is used above 10m

2) Availability of anemometer data
3) Availability of wind Vt curve at the
proposed site:
Imp curve determines max. power in the
wind
4) Wind structure at the proposed site
Ideal smooth steady wind blows all the time
5)Altitude of the proposed site
Affects air density and thus wind power

6)Terrain and its aerodynamic:

7)Local ecology-surface bare rocks or trees
8)Distance to roads or railways
9)Nearness of site local center/user
10)Nature of ground
11)Favourable land cost
12)Icing problem,salt spray or blowing dust

Wind Power Density of India

Wind Turbine
Principle of operation

Basic components of a WECS

Wind Turbine Main Components

Rotor
Only part uniquely manufactured for wind
power

Transmission system
Generator
Yaw system
Control system

Basic components of a WECS

1. Yaw control:
For localities with the prevailing wind in one
direction .
The rotor can be in a fixed orientation with
the swept area perpendicular to the wind
direction- yaw fixed
Yaw active
Controller- sense wind speed, wind
direction, shaft speed and torques, o/p
power, gen. temp.

The sub-component of wind mil are:

--wind turbine or rotor
--wind mill head
-- transmission and control
-- supporting structure
ROTORS
2 types
1. HA rotor
2. VA rotor

The wind mill head

Supports the rotor, housing, the rotor
bearings
Transmissions
Generator
Controls
Functions
1. Orientation of the rotor
2. Start up and cut in

3. Power control- pitch of the blade

4. Gen o/p monitoring
5. shutdown- --malfunction
6. Protection for the gen.
7. Emergency power
8. Maintenance mode
TOWERS
4 types
Reinforced concrete tower,
Pole, built-up shell tube, truss towers.

Classification of WEC systems

1.
HA
VA
2. a/c to size
i. small scale-2kWforms
ii. Medium size2 to 100kW
iii. Large scale >100kW generate power
3. AC or DC output

4. Rotational speed
i. Constant
ii. Nearly constant
iii. Variable speed with fixed pitch blades
5. Utilization of o/p
i. Battery storage
ii. Electromagnetic energy converter
iii. Electric utility grids

Advs and Dis adv. WECS

Environmental benefits
No emissions
No fuel needed

Distributed power
Remote location
Wind energy is clean
Wind energy is a domestic source
Price is low
Renewable energy

Dis.Advs

Wind energy cannot be stored

Cannot meet electricity demands
Wind sites are located in remote locations
Intermittent
Wind speed not too slow, not too fast
Noise
Dangers to birds

 Power density is very low.

Needs a very large number of wind mills to
produce modest amounts of power.

Cost.
Environmental costs.
material and maintenance costs.
Noise, birds and appearance.

Cannot meet large scale and

transportation energy needs.

Horizontal axis wind machines

1.HA using two aerodynamic blades

Horizontal axis
Horizontal-axis wind turbines (HAWT) have the main
rotor shaft and electrical generator at the top of a
tower, and must be pointed into the wind.
Small turbines are pointed by a simple wind vane,
while large turbines generally use a wind sensor
coupled with a servo motor. Most have a gearbox,
which turns the slow rotation of the blades into a
quicker rotation that is more suitable for generating
electricity.
Turbine blades are made stiff to prevent the blades
from being pushed into the tower by high winds.
Additionally, the blades are placed a considerable
distance in front of the tower and are sometimes tilted
up a small amount.

Downwind machines have been built,

despite the problem of turbulence,
because they don't need an additional
mechanism for keeping them in line with
the wind, and because in high winds, the
blades can be allowed to bend which
reduces their swept area and thus their
wind resistance. Because turbulence
leads to fatigue failures and reliability is so
important, most HAWTs are upwind
machines.

2.HA propeller type using single blade

Blade is mounted on a rigid hub.
Advs.
Simple
Counter weight costs<blade
Dis advs
Vibration
Bending

3.HA multi bladed type

4HA Dutch type

5.Sail type

These four- (or more)

bladed squat structures,
usually with wooden
shutters or fabric sails, were
developed in Europe. These
windmills were pointed into
the wind manually or via a
tail-fan and were typically
used to grind grain. In
the Netherlands they were
also used to pump water
from low-lying land, and
were instrumental in
keeping its polders dry.

Two types of HAWT

DOWNWIND TURBINE

UPWIND TURBINE

HAWT
Lift is the main force
Much lower cyclic stresses
95% of the existing turbines are HAWTs
Yaw mechanism is required

Vertical axis wind mills

Vertical-axis wind turbines (or VAWTs) have the
main rotor shaft running vertically. Key advantages of
this arrangement are that the generator and/or
gearbox can be placed at the bottom, near the
ground, so the tower doesn't need to support it, and
that the turbine doesn't need to be pointed into the
wind. Drawbacks are usually pulsating torque that can
be produced during each revolution and drag created
when the blade rotates into the wind. It is also difficult
to mount vertical-axis turbines on towers, meaning
they must operate in the often slower, more turbulent
air flow near the ground, resulting in lower energy
extraction efficiency.

 Windmill with rotational sails

This is a new invention. This windmillstarts
making electricity above a windspeed of 2m/s.
Its sails contract and expand as the wind speed
changes. This windmill has three sails of
variable surface area. The speed is controlled
through a magnetic rev counter that expands or
contracts the sails according to windspeed. A
(microprocessor type) control unit controls the
sails either manually or automatically. In case of
a control unit failure, strong winds would tear the
sails, but the frame would remain intact.

Darrieus wind turbine

They have good efficiency, but produce large
torque ripple and cyclic stress on the tower,
which contributes to poor reliability. Also, they
generally require some external power source,
or an additional Savonius rotor, to start turning,
because the starting torque is very low. The
torque ripple is reduced by using 3 or more
blades which results in a higher solidity for the
rotor. Solidity is measured by blade area over
the rotor area. Newer Darrieus type turbines are
not held up by guy wires but have an external
superstructure connected to the top bearing.

 Savonius wind turbine

These are drag-type devices with two- (or more)
scoops that are used in anemometers, the
Flettner vents (commonly seen on bus and van
roofs), and in some high-reliability low-efficiency
power turbines. They always self-starting if there
are at least three scoops. They sometimes have
long helical scoops to give a smooth torque. The
Banesh rotor and especially the Rahai rotor
improve efficiency with blades shaped to
produce significant lift as well as drag.

Advantages of vertical wind turbines

Easier to maintain because most of their moving parts are located
near the ground. This is due to the vertical wind turbines shape. The
airfoils or rotor blades are connected by arms to a shaft that sits on
a bearing and drives a generator below, usually by first connecting
to a gearbox.
As the rotor blades are vertical, a yaw device is not needed,
reducing the need for this bearing and its cost.
Vertical wind turbines have a higher airfoil pitch angle, giving
improved aerodynamics while decreasing drag at low and high
pressures.
Mesas, hilltops, ridgelines and passes can have higher and more
powerful winds near the ground than up high because of the speed
up effect of winds moving up a slope or funneling into a pass
combining with the winds moving directly into the site. In these
places, VAWTs placed close to the ground can produce more power
than HAWTs placed higher up.
Low height useful where laws do not permit structures to be placed
high.

 Smaller VAWTs can be much easier to

transport and install.
Does not need a free standing tower so is
much less expensive and stronger in high
winds that are close to the ground.
Usually have a lower Tip-Speed ratio so
less likely to break in high winds.

Disadvantages of vertical wind turbines

Most VAWTs produce energy at only 50% of the efficiency of HAWTs
in large part because of the additional drag that they have as their
blades rotate into the wind. This can be overcome by using
structures to funnel more and align the wind into the rotor (e.g.
"stators" on early Windstar turbines) or the "vortex" effect of placing
straight bladed VAWTs closely together.
There may be a height limitation to how tall a vertical wind turbine
can be built and how much sweep area it can have.
Most VAWTS need to be installed on a relatively flat piece of land
and some sites could be too steep for them but are still usable by
HAWTs.
Most VAWT's have low starting torque.
A VAWT that uses guyed wires to hold it in place puts stress on the
bottom bearing as all the weight of the rotor is on the bearing.
Guyed wires attached to the top bearing increase downward thrust
in wind gusts. Solving this problem requires a superstructure to hold
a top bearing in place to eliminate the downward thrusts of gust
events in guyed wired models.

 Advantages of horizontal wind turbines

Blades are to the side of the turbine's center of gravity, helping
stability.
Ability to wing warp, which gives the turbine blades the best
angle of attack. Allowing the angle of attack to be remotely
adjusted gives greater control, so the turbine collects the
maximum amount of wind energy for the time of day and
season.
Ability to pitch the rotor blades in a storm, to minimize
damage.
Tall tower allows access to stronger wind in sites with wind
shear. In some wind shear sites, every ten meters up, the wind
speed can increase by 20% and the power output by 34%.
Tall tower allows placement on uneven land or in offshore
locations.
Can be sited in forests above the treeline.
Most are self-starting.
Can be cheaper because of higher production volume, larger
sizes and, in general higher capacity factors and efficiencies.

Disadvantages of horizontal wind turbines

HAWTs have difficulty operating in near ground, turbulent winds
because their yaw and blade bearing need smoother, more laminar
wind flows.
The tall towers and long blades (up to 180 feet long) are difficult to
transport on the sea and on land. Transportation can now cost 20%
of equipment costs.
Tall HAWTs are difficult to install, needing very tall and expensive
cranes and skilled operators.
Supply of HAWTs is less than demand and between 2004 and 2006,
turbine prices increased up to 60%. At the end of 2006, all major
manufacturers were booked up with orders through 2008.
The FAA has raised concerns about tall HAWTs effects on radar in
proximity to air force bases.
Their height can create local opposition based on impacts to
viewsheds.
Offshore towers can be a navigation problem and must be installed
in shallow seas. HAWTs can't be floated on barges.
Downwind variants suffer from fatigue and structural failure caused
by turbulence.

View of wind farm near Muppandal, Tamilnadu in India

Offshore wind turbines