ABE 117

Renewable Energy for AB Applications

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Topic 3. Wind Energy

Topic 3. Wind Energy
3.1. Windmill types
3.2. Wind energy resource
 Brief History

The use of windmills as an energy source has its

roots in antiquity. Archeological and written records have
shown that early forms of windmills were used by the
Chinese, Egyptians, Persians, and Babylonians.

The Europeans used it to grind grains and pump

water in the 1700s and 1800s. Many European documents
after the 13th century refer to various windmill designs;
however, by the 1700’s, two basic windmill designs had
developed, the post mill and the tower mill.

Topic 3. Wind Energy

 Brief History

The post mill consisted of a large

house and a tail pole that was used
to turn the structure and bring the
rotor into the wind.

Topic 3. Wind Energy

 Brief History

The tower mill was more like the

modern windmill in that it consisted
of a rotor and tail mounted on a
fixed tower.

Because of the ease of orientation,

the tower mills were used in
locations that did not have a
significant prevailing wind direction.

Topic 3. Wind Energy

 Brief History

The rotors or sails of early windmills were constructed

primarily of wood, reeds, and canvas. Many different concepts
and designs were used, including springs and shutters to
increase or decrease the sail area.

The sails on larger mills were ~12 m long and 3 m wide,

providing a peak power of 30 kW.

Topic 3. Wind Energy

 Brief History
Other designs used a solid wheel assembly
and a side vane to turn the rotor out of the
wind as the velocity increased. These
designs evolved into the multibladed farm
windmill that used a reciprocating-type
pump.

These systems worked well to lift water

from deep wells, and windmills as large as
6 m in diameter were commonplace along
the railroads and provided water for steam
engines.
Topic 3. Wind Energy
 Brief History

By 1930, wind power was also used to generate electricity.

These electrical generating systems were quite different from
the multiple-bladed water pumpers in that they usually had only
two or three blades and rotated at a much higher speed.

The rotor was connected without gears to a direct current

generator with an output of 6, 12, 24, or 32 V. The electricity
was used to charge batteries for later use. The electricity from
the batteries was used to power a radio and two or three light
bulbs.

Topic 3. Wind Energy

 Brief History

Major factors that have accelerated the development of wind power

technology are as follows:

• High-strength fiber composites for constructing large, low-cost blades

• Falling prices of the power electronics associated with wind power systems
• Variable-speed operation of electrical generators to capture maximum energy
• Improved plant operation, pushing the availability up to 95%
• Economies of scale as the turbines and plants are getting larger in size
• Accumulated field experience (the learning-curve effect) improving the
capacity factor up to 40%

Topic 3. Wind Energy

 Wind

Wind is the airflow that consists of many gases in the

atmosphere of the earth. Rotation of the earth, uneven
heating of the atmosphere, and the irregularities of the
ground surface are the main factors that create winds.

The wind is the phenomenon of air moving from the

equatorial regions toward the poles, as light warm air rises
toward the atmosphere, while heavier cool air descends
toward the earth’s surface.

Topic 3. Wind Energy

 Wind

Windmills that are used for electricity generation are called wind
turbines in order to distinguish them from the traditional
mechanical wind power applications.

Wind turbines capture the kinetic energy of winds and convert it

into a usable form of energy. The kinetic energy of winds rotates
the blades of a wind turbine. The blades are connected to a
shaft. The shaft is coupled to an electric generator. The
generator converts the mechanical power into electrical power.

Topic 3. Wind Energy

 If the mechanical energy is used directly by
machinery, such as a pump or grinding
stones, the machine is usually called a
windmill.

A wind turbine is a machine for converting the

kinetic energy in wind into mechanical energy.
If the mechanical energy is then converted to
electricity, the machine is called a wind
generator.

Topic 3. Wind Energy

 Wind turbines are classified into two general types: horizontal
axis and vertical axis.

A horizontal axis machine has its blades rotating on an axis

parallel to the ground.

A vertical axis machine has its blades rotating on an axis

perpendicular to the ground.

There are several available designs for both, and each type has
certain advantages and disadvantages. However, compared with
the horizontal axis type, very few vertical axis machines are
available commercially.
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 Vertical Axis Wind turbines

Although vertical axis wind

turbines have existed for centuries, they
are not as common as their horizontal
counterparts.

The main reason for this is that they do

not take advantage of the higher wind
speeds at higher elevations above the
ground as well as horizontal axis
turbines.

Topic 3. Wind Energy

 Vertical Axis Wind turbines
Advantages

• Omnidirectional
–Accepts wind from any angle

• Components can be mounted at ground level

–Ease of service
–Lighter weight towers

• Can theoretically use less materials to capture the

same amount of wind

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 Vertical Axis Wind turbines
Disadvantages

• Rotors generally near ground where wind is poorer

• Centrifugal force stresses blades & components
• Poor self-starting capabilities
• Requires support at top of turbine rotor
• Requires entire rotor to be removed to replace
bearings
• Overall poor performance and reliability/less efficient
• Have never been commercially successful (large
scale)

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 Vertical Axis Wind turbines
An Early Wind Turbine
The Persian windmill was used around
1000 B.C. to turn a grindstone. It is
the oldest known windmill design.

The machine works by blocking the

wind blowing on ½ of its sails. The
sails exposed to the wind are pushed
downwind due to drag, causing the
windmill to rotate. Wind

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 Vertical Axis Wind turbines
Anemometer

The anemometer is an instrument

for measuring the speed of
airflow.

A cup anemometer is a drag-type

vertical axis wind turbine

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 Vertical Axis Wind turbines
Savonius Wind Turbine
The Savonius turbine is S-shaped if
viewed from above. This drag-type
VAWT turns relatively slowly but yields a
high torque.

It is useful for grinding grain, pumping

water, and many other tasks, but its
slow rotational speeds make it
unsuitable for generating electricity on a
large-scale.

Topic 3. Wind Energy

 Savonius Wind Turbine
The desirable features of the high-drag S rotor are:
• easy manufacture,
• production of a high starting torque,

and the undesirable features are:

• difficulty of control because controls to limit rotational speed in high
winds have not been devised,
• poor use of materials because it presents a small frontal area for a
fixed amount of construction materials.

This unit is best suited for pumping water, driving compressors or pond
agitators, and other direct loads. Because of its slow rotational speed and
control problems, it is not well suited to electrical generation.
Topic 3. Wind Energy
 Vertical Axis Wind turbines

Flapping Panel Wind Turbine

This illustration shows the wind

coming from one direction, but the
wind can come from any direction
and the wind turbine will work the
same way.

Topic 3. Wind Energy

 Vertical Axis Wind turbines
Darrieus Wind Turbine
The Darrieus turbine is the most
famous vertical axis wind turbine.
It is characterized by its C-shaped
rotor blades which give it its
eggbeater appearance. It is
normally built with two or three
blades.
The Darrieus turbine is not self
starting. It needs to start turning
before the wind will begin rotating
it.
Topic 3. Wind Energy
 Darrieus Wind Turbine
The Darrieus rotor was developed by the Frenchman G. J. M.
Darrieus in the early 1920’s. The Darrieus is classed as a vertical-
axis unit but differs from the Savonius in that it operates on
aerodynamic lift principles. It has a tip–speed ratio of 6 to 7 and a
rotor efficiency of 40% to 45%. The desirable features of Darrieus
or vertical-axis wind turbines are:

• Low material usage for a high-power output,

• high-maintenance items at ground level,
• acceptance of wind from any direction
• use of mechanical power at ground level,

Topic 3. Wind Energy

 and the undesirable features are:
• a rotor that is not normally self-starting,
• the requirement of a larger land area to accommodate guy
cables,
• need of a good rotor control system to prevent rotor
overspeed.

Topic 3. Wind Energy

 Vertical Axis Wind turbines
Giromill Wind Turbine
The giromill is typically powered by
two or three vertical aerofoils attached
to the central mast by horizontal
supports.

Giromill turbines work well in

turbulent wind conditions and are an
affordable option where a standard
horizontal axis windmill type turbine is
unsuitable.

Topic 3. Wind Energy

 Vertical Axis Wind turbines

The VA-WTs Configurations

Topic 3. Wind Energy

 Horizontal Axis Wind Turbines

A horizontal Axis Wind Turbine is

the most common wind turbine
design.

In addition to being parallel to the

ground, the axis of blade rotation
is parallel to the wind flow.

Topic 3. Wind Energy

 Horizontal Axis Wind Turbines
Up-Wind Turbines
Some wind turbines are designed to
operate in an upwind mode (with the
blades upwind of the tower).

Large wind turbines use a motor-driven

mechanism that turns the machine in
response to a wind direction. Smaller
wind turbines use a tail vane to keep the
blades facing into the wind.

Topic 3. Wind Energy

 Horizontal Axis Wind Turbines
Up-Wind Turbines
This technique has the following features:
• Avoids the wind shade that the tower causes which
improve the power quality of the generated voltage and
reduces the spicks in power when the blades move in
front of the tower specially in constant speed systems.
• Fewer fluctuations in the power output.
• Requires a rigid hub, which has to be away from the
tower. Otherwise, if the blades are bending too far, they
will hit the tower.
• This is the dominant design for most wind turbines in the
MW-range
Topic 3. Wind Energy
 Horizontal Axis Wind Turbines

Down-Wind Turbines
Other wind turbines operate in a
downwind mode so that the wind
passes the tower before striking the
blades. Without a tail vane, the
machine rotor naturally tracks the
wind in a downwind mode.

Topic 3. Wind Energy

 Horizontal Axis Wind Turbines

Down-Wind Turbines

It may be built without a yaw mechanism if the nacelle has a

streamlined body that will make it follow the wind.

• Rotor can be more flexible: Blades can bend at high

speeds, taking load off the tower. Allow for lighter build.
• Increased fluctuations in wind power, as blades are
affected by the tower shade.
• Only small wind turbines.

Topic 3. Wind Energy

 Horizontal Axis Wind Turbines

Shrouded Wind Turbines

Some turbines have an added

structural design feature called an
augmentor.

The augmentor is intended to

increase the amount of wind passing
through the blades.

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 Horizontal Axis Wind Turbines

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 Comparison between HA-WTs and VA-WTs.

Topic 3. Wind Energy

 Parts of a Wind Turbine

Topic 3. Wind Energy

 Parts of a Wind Turbine
• The nacelle contains the key components of the wind turbine,
including the gearbox, and the electrical generator.
• The gearbox increases the rotational speed of the shaft for the
generator.
• The generator converts the mechanical energy of the rotating
shaft to electrical energy
• The tower of the wind turbine carries the nacelle and the rotor.
Generally, it is an advantage to have a high tower, since wind
speeds increase farther away from the ground.
• The rotor blades capture wind energy and transfer its power to
the rotor hub.

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 Wind Turbine components

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Topic 3. Wind Energy
 Yaw system
Yaw drive: Upwind turbines face
into the wind; the yaw drive is
used to keep the rotor facing
into the wind as the wind
direction changes. Downwind
turbines don't require a yaw
drive, the wind blows the rotor
downwind.

Yaw motor: Powers the yaw

drive.

Topic 3. Wind Energy

 YAW MECHANISM
• It is used to turn the turbine against
the wind..
• If the turbine is not perpendicular to
the wind, then the power flowing is
lower.
• Almost all HAWT use forced yawing,
i.e they use electric motors and
gearbox.
• Wind turbine running with yaw error
are running with higher fatigue
loads.

Topic 3. Wind Energy

 Airfoil Shape

Just like the wings of an

airplane, wind turbine blades
use the airfoil shape to create
lift and maximize efficiency.

The Bernoulli Effect

Topic 3. Wind Energy
 α = low

The Lift Forces perpendicular to the

direction of motion. We want to
make this force BIG.
α = medium
The Drag Forces parallel to the <10 degrees
direction of motion. We want to
make this force small.
α = High
Stall!!

Topic 3. Wind Energy

Topic 3. Wind Energy
 Effect of angle of attack on airfoil lift

Topic 3. Wind Energy

 BRAKING MECHANISM

• It essential for turbines to stop automatically in

case malfunction of components.
• Thus, it is necessary to have an over speed safety
system.

• There are two types of braking:

1. aerodynamic braking system
2. mechanical braking system

Topic 3. Wind Energy

 1. Aerodynamic braking system
• It consists of turning the rotor blades or tips about 900about
the longitudinal axis.
• They are spring operated and thus work even in case of
power failure.
• They have a very gentle and secure way of stop the rotor
thus avoiding the damage.
• They are extremely safe .

Topic 3. Wind Energy

 Control Mechanisms

Its purpose is to:

• Optimize aerodynamic efficiency,
• Keep the generator with its speed and torque
limits and rotor and tower within strength
limits,
• Enable maintenance, and,
• Reduce noise.

Topic 3. Wind Energy

 Stalling (Losing power) Principle:
Increased angle of attack results in
decreasing lift-to-drag ratio.

The schematic representing the Stalling control regulator

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 Passive: Blades are at a fixed pitch that starts to stall when
the wind speed is too high.
• Active: motor turns the blades towards stall when wind
speeds are too high.
• Hybrid: Pitch can be adjusted manually to reflect site's
particular wind regime.
• Disadvantages:
1-Stalled blades cause large vibration and therefore noise.
2-The aerodynamic power on the blades is limited. Such slow
aerodynamic power regulation causes less power fluctuations
than a fast-pitch power regulation. 3-lower efficiency at low
wind speeds 4-It needs startup means.

Topic 3. Wind Energy

 Pitch Control Principle:Decrease angle of attack also
results in decreasing lift-to-drag ratio.

The schematic representing the pitch control regulator.

Topic 3. Wind Energy
 Always active control: Blades rotate out of the wind when
wind speeds are too high.
The advantages of this technique are:
•good power control,
•No need for startup means.
•It can be combined with emergency stop means.

The main disadvantage of this technique is the extra

complexity arising from the pitch mechanism and the
higher power fluctuations at high wind speeds.

Topic 3. Wind Energy

 Furling Principle: Moving the axis out of the
direction of the wind decreases angle of attack
and cross-section

The schematic representing the Furling control regulator.

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 Requires active pitch control: Pitch angle of the blades
needs to be minimized first, otherwise the torque on
the rotor would be too big for furling.

• Active: Vertical furling (as diagram) with hyrdraulic,

spring-loaded or electric motor driven.
• Passive: Horizontal furling with yaw.

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 Illustration of stall, active-stall and pitch effects.

Topic 3. Wind Energy

Topic 3. Wind Energy
Topic 3. Wind Energy
 Sizes and Applications

Small (≤10 kW)

•Homes
•Farms
•Remote Applications
(e.g. water pumping, telecom sites,
icemaking)

Intermediate Large (660 kW -2+MW)

(10-250 kW) •Central Station Wind Farms
•Village Power •Distributed Power
•Hybrid Systems •Community Wind
•Distributed Power

Topic 3. Wind Energy

 Large Turbines (600-2000 kW)
•Installed in “Windfarm” arrays totaling 1 -100
MW
•$1,300/kW
•Designed for low cost of energy (COE)
•Requires 6 m/s (13 mph) average wind speed
•Value of Energy: $0.02 -$0.06 per kWh

Small Turbines (0.3-100 kW)

•Installed in “rural residential” on-grid and off-
grid applications
•$2,500-$8,000/kW
•Designed for reliability / low maintenance
•Requires 4 m/s (9 mph) average wind speed
•Value of energy: $0.06 -$0.26 per kWh

Topic 3. Wind Energy

 Thank you.

Topic 3. Wind Energy