WIND
E N E RG Y
SITE SELECTION FOR WIND POWER PLANT
High annual average wind speed
• High wind velocity
P=K𝑉 3
• P is proportional to 𝑉 3
• Anemometer data at a height of 10 m will be considered
• Strategy for siting:
Survey of historical data
Contour maps of terrain and wind are consulted
Potential sites are visited
Best sites are instrumented for approximately one year.
Choose optimal site.
2
Availability of Anemometry Data:
• Practical difficulties in instrumentation and measured methods.
• Anemometer height above ground, accuracy, linearity, location of support tower,
temperature effects, icing of rotor, etc.
• Data should be available over some period.
3
Availability of wind 𝑽 𝑇 curve at proposed site:
• Determine the maximum energy in the wind.
• Desirable to have average wind speed 12 to 16km/hr (3.5 to 4.5 m/s)
• If 𝑉𝑇 curve goes to zero, there will be no generated power during that time.
• If 𝑉𝑇 curve is flat, wind is smooth and steady all the time.
• It is desirable to have measured 𝑉𝑇 curve over about 5 years.
4
Wind Structure at proposed site:
• Ideal case for a site is 𝑉𝑇 curve should be flat.
• Wind near the ground is turbulent and gusty.
• Changes rapidly in direction and velocity.
• This departure from homogeneous flow is referred to as structure of wind.
Altitude of Proposed site:
• It affects air density and thus power of wind.
• Also wind tends to have higher velocities at higher altitudes.
• Altitude is different from height above ground.
• It is same for sea level sites.
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Terrain and its aerodynamics:
• If a WECS is placed near the top of hill, the wind may not flow horizontal making
it necessary to tip the axis of rotor so that the aero turbine is always perpendicular
to actual wind flow.
• Make use of hills or mountains which channel the prevailing winds into a pass
region, thereby obtaining higher wind power.
Local Ecology:
• If the surface is bare rock , it requires lower hub height and
reduces structure cost.
• If trees, grass or vegetation are present, they distract the
wind flow, so higher hub height is needed resulting
in high cost.
6
Nearness to site to local centres/users.
• Minimizes transmission line length and hence losses and cost.
Distance to road or railways:
• For heavy machinery, structures, materials, blades and other apparatus have to be
moved.
7
Nature of Ground:
• Ground surfaces should be stable.
• Erosion problems should not be there.
Favourable Land Cost:
• Land cost should be favourable as this along with other siting costs, enters into the
total WECS system cost.
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Other conditions for site selection consideration are:
• Icing problems, salt spray or blowing dust should not present at the site, as they
may affect aero turbine blades, or environmental is generally adverse to machinery
and electrical apparatus.
• A site should have a high annual wind speed.
• An open plain or an open shore line may be a good location.
• The top of a smooth, well rounded hill with gentle slopes lying on a flat plain or
located on an island in a lake or sea is a good site.
• A mountain gap which produces to wind funneling is good.
• Avoid roof mounted turbines
• Avoid transmission loss
• Not suitable sites in highly populated residential areas.
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WIND ENERGY CONVERSION SYSTEM
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BASIC COMPONENTS OF WECS
• Aero Turbine: Convert energy in moving air to rotary mechanical energy.
• They require pitch control and yaw control.
• Gearing and Coupling: Transmits the rotary mechanical energy into electrical
generator.
• Controller: Sense the wind speed, wind direction shafts speed and torque at one or
more points.
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SUB COMPONENTS OF THE WINDMILL ARE:
• Wind turbines or rotor
• Wind mill head
• Transmission and control
• Supporting structure
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ROTORS:
▪ Rotors are mainly of two types:
• Horizontal axis rotor
• Vertical axis rotor
▪ One advantage of vertical axis machines is that they operate in all wind directions.
▪ The portion of the wind turbine that collects energy from the wind is called the
rotor.
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WINDMILL HEAD:
• Supports the rotor, housing the rotor bearing.
• Also incorporated like changing the pitch of the blades for safety devices and tail
vane to orient the rotor to face the wind.
TRANSMISSION:
• The number of revolution per minute of a wind turbine rotor can range between 40
rpm and 400 rpm, depending on the model and wind speed.
• Generators typically require rpm’s of 1200 to 1800
• As a result, most wind turbines require a gear box transmission to increase the
rotation of the generator to the speeds necessary for efficient electricity production.
• Some DC-type wind turbines do not use transmission, Instead they have direct link
between rotor and generator –known as Direct drive systems.
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CONTROL:
• The modern large wind turbine generator requires a versatile and reliable control
systems to perform the following functions:
• Orientation of the wind in the rotor
• Generator output monitoring-Status, data computation and storage.
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TOWERS:
• The reinforced concrete tower
• The pole tower
• The built up shell-tube tower, and
• The truss tower.
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Thank you
