WIND TURBINE

Wind turbines are a significant source of renewable source of

Of energy. In 2008 for the first time in the us, wind energy
Capacity addition exceeded that of fossil fuel based plants .
Windmills were initially used for task like grinding corn and lifting
Water. As the concerns about carbon emission from fossil fuels
Has risen around the world, clean energy sources like solar and
Wind have received attention and support .as wind turbine design
technologies improved, their power generation capacity has
increased from the 100- 200 kilowatt level to over 5 Megawatt
Per turbine.the wind speed at which power generation occours has
also been improved so that turbines now generate power, even at
low wind speeds of 5kph.
 Technology that help improve
effeciency of wind turbine
1. Generator by exro Technologies
EXRO Technologies of Vancouver,canada has patened a new
product named Variable Induction Electric Generator, that
they claim increases wind turbine output by up to 50%.The
present design of wind turbine use a mechanical gear box to
convert the low rotation speed of the blade into the speeds
needed by the electric generator.
IN addition the generator, designed for constant speeds for
increased power generation.At lower speeds, the generator
would simply stop power generation.
 2. Air Flow TECHNOLOGY
i) VARY the blade angle to harvest the most wind
energy.
ii) A team from LC smith college of engineering and
computer science is seeking to enchance this
concept by applying active wind sensor on the
surface of turbine blade.
iii) This sensors send signals and dynamically change
the blade angle.
iv) It increases 80% in blade efficiency and upto 20%
increase in power output.
 3.HONEYWELL WIND TURBINE
i) Works in low air flow
ii) The present wind turbines need a speed of at least 12
kmph.
iii) Such wind speeds occours generally in coastal areas or
in hilly.
iv) This wind turbine can generate power at wind speed of
3 KMPH.
v) IT is 1.8 m in diameter,43 kg weight and can be
installed on the roofs of a home.
vi) Priced $4500and gov subsidies.
vii) Permanent magnets at the rims of its blade instead of
shaft.
 4.RUBBER TRAILING EDGE FLAP
i) Denmark is world’s largest wind turbine
manufacturer.
ii) The DTU has made several innovations in wind
technologies.
iii) Turbine blades are fitted with a movable flap at
the trailling edge,it would reduce stresses on
the blade and increase life.
iv) DTU is working on a rubber flapwith fiber
reinforced cavities .
 5. Laser sensors to make wind turbines
more efficient
i) A fiber optic based laser device to be mounted
on top of a wind turbine mast.
ii) This laser based sensor, is able to sense wind
speeds and direction at 100 m distance from
the turbine that gives a 20 sec early warning .
iii) This early signal enables the blade controls to
deploy in time for optimizing the blade angle
and direction.
iv) This increase power output up to 10%.