Wind Energy Conversion

Kinetic > Mechanical > Electric

Wind is created by the unequal
heating of the Earth’s surface by
the sun. Wind is air flow that has
speed and direction.
Wind turbines convert the kinetic
energy in wind into rotational
power that runs a generator to
produce clean electricity. Invest,
install and encash by operating.
On a broader scale, wind speeds can be modelled
using computer programs which describe the
effects on the wind of parameters such as
elevation, topography and ground surface cover.
These models must be primed with some values at
a known location, and usually this role is fulfilled by
local meteorological station measurements
or other weather-related recorded data, or data
extracted from numerical weather prediction
models, such as those used by national weather
services.
 WIND RESOURCE POTENTIAL

Wind Resource Map of

India

 Wind monitoring is being carried out by the Centre

for Wind Energy Technology (C-WET).

 C-WET published the Indian Wind Atlas, showing

areas with average WPD > 200 w/sq.m. at 50 m
above ground level.

 Wind sites: 233 sites declared as wind potential

sites have WPD >200 w/sq.m.
• Different agencies have projected different
estimates for wind potential in India. C-WET 49.13
GW, World Institute of Sustainable Energy (WISE)
– 100 GW, Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC)
> 160 GW. Hence, detailed reassessment is
required in the immediate future.
 From wind to electric power

 Force of wind:
 Turn turbine and generator, produce
electricity (Wind varies speed &
direction, so what?)
 Firstly, is there sufficient wind resource?
 Wind farm evaluation is done for long
term..
Assessment methods for wind farms are continuously
improving and key areas of development include:
– the use of sophisticated flow modelling techniques;
– further validation of wake models;
– optimisation of the use of data sources that are
not on the wind farm site to adjust site data to
be representative of the long term;
– use of remote sensing techniques to measure wind
speed;
– improved estimates of ‘loss factors’; and
– sophisticated approaches to uncertainty analysis.
 Wind farms in India
At the end of March 2000, India had 1080-MWs
capacity wind farms, of which Tamil Nadu had 770-
MW capacity. Gujarat has 167MW followed by
Andhra Pradesh, which has 88 MW installed wind
farms.
There were about a dozen wind pumps of various
designs providing water for agriculture,
afforestation, and domestic purposes, all scattered
over the country. The states of Tamil Nadu and
Gujarat lead in the field of wind energy.
How Do Wind Turbines Work?
 Today’s turbines are versatile
modular sources of electricity.
 Their blades are aerodynamically
designed to capture the maximum
energy from the wind. The wind
turns the blades, which spin a shaft
connected to a generator
Basic questions ?
 Is there enough wind ?
 Are tall wind towers allowed in your
area?
 Do you have enough space?
 How much electricity do you need or
want to produce?
 Do you want to connect to the utility grid
or be grid-independent?
 Can you afford a wind energy system?
Basic questions …
 What does it take to
install and maintain a
system? Is there enough
wind where you install it ?
 What regions and areas
offer good potential?
 How will it change with
time?
 How does it vary over
the site?
The main design drivers for current wind
technology are:
• low wind and high wind sites;
• grid compatibility;
• acoustic performance;
• aerodynamic performance;
• visual impact; and
• offshore.
Reference Book:
WIND ENERGY: THEORY AND PRACTICE,
Siraj Ahmed, 3rd Ed. PHI Learning, 2016, Pages : 384
Wind energy presents novel challenges for the
system operator. The most obvious difference
with wind energy is that its output is determined
by local weather conditions. Low wind at times
of low demand and high wind at times of peak
demand are not a problem for the system to
manage. But low wind at times of peak demand
could potentially put the system into difficulties.
Equally, high wind at a time of low demand
presents a different set of issues.
For Pumping Water
 One- to 10-kW turbines can be used
in applications such as pumping
water.
 Wind-electric pumping systems can
be placed where the wind resource is
the best and connected to the pump
motor with an electric cable.
The formula for calculating the power
from a wind turbine is:
• Depending on the average wind
speed in the area, a wind turbine
rated in the range of 5 to 15 kW
would be required to make a
significant contribution to about
830 kWh per month).
• A 1.5- kW wind turbine will meet
the needs of a home requiring 300
kWh per month in a location with a
14-mile-per-hour (6.26-meters-per-
second) annual average wind
speed.
• Information on the maximum wind
speed at which the turbine is
designed to operate safely is given
by manufacturers.
• Most turbines have automatic
over-speed-governing systems to
keep the rotor from spinning out of
control in very high winds.
• This information, along with your
local wind speed and your energy
budget, will help you decide which
size turbine will best meet your
electricity needs.
WIND ENERGY: THEORY AND PRACTICE,
Siraj Ahmed, 3rd Ed.
PHI Learning, 2016, Pages : 384