Wind power

Wind power
Is the conversion of winds kinetic energy other useful kind of energy like electrical and mechanical energies.

Wind turbines (windmills)

It converts the winds kinetic energy into mechanical and then electrical energy. wind energy production was over 2.5% of total worldwide electricity usage, and growing rapidly at more than 25% per annum.

History
The first practical windmills were in use in middle east at least by the 9th century and possibly as early as the 7th century Windmills were used to pump seawater for salt-making in China and Sicily In the US, the development of the water-pumping windmill was the major factor in allowing the farming and ranching of vast areas otherwise devoid of readily accessible water.

In July 1887, a Scottish academic, Professor James Blyth, built a cloth-sailed wind turbine in the garden of his holiday cottage in Marykirk and used the electricity it produced to charge accumulators which he used to power the lights in his cottage.

US inventor Charles F. Brush produced electricity using a wind powered generator which powered his home and laboratory until about 1900. La Cour was the first to discover that fast rotating wind turbines with fewer rotor blades were the most efficient in generating electricity and in 1904 he founded the Society of Wind Electricians By the mid-1920s, 1 to 3-kilowatt wind generators developed by companies such as Parris-Dunn and Jacobs Wind-electric found widespread use in the rural areas of the midwestern Great Plains of the US, but by the 1940s the demand for more power and the coming of the electrical grid throughout those areas made these small generators obsolete.

During the 1920s the first vertical axis wind turbine was built by Frenchman George Darrieus and in 1931 a 100 kW precursor to the modern horizontal wind generator was used in Yalta And then wind turbines have increased greatly in size and capable of delivering up to 7 MW

Wind turbine production has expanded to many countries and wind power is expected to grow worldwide in the twenty-first century.

vertical axis wind turbine

Horizontal Axis wind turbine

Parts of the wind turbine

Rotor hub locks the rotor blades

Rotor blades collect the wind power and acts the prime mover which is connected to the rotor through the gear box
Nacelle is a cover housing that houses all of the generating components in a wind turbine, including the generator, gearbox, drive train, and brake assembly Anemometer measures the winds speed and it is connected to electronic controller

Rotor brake controls the rotation of the shaft

Gear box increases the rotation for the generators shaft

Generator is the on that transforms mechanical energy into electrical energy.

Why use wind to produce electricity?

It as an alternative to fossil fuels
Abundant Renewable Produces no greenhouse gas emissions during operation. Any effects on the environment are generally less problematic than those from other power sources.

Advantages of wind turbines

1. Renewable Energy : Wind energy in itself is a source of renewable energy which means it can be produced again and again since it is available in plenty
2. Reduces Fossil Fuels Consumption :Dependence on the fossil fuels could be reduced to much extent if it is adopted on the much wider scale by all the countries across the globe. It could be answer to the ever increasing demand for petroleum and gas products. 3. Less Air and Water Pollution : Wind energy doesn't pollute at all. It is that form of energy that will exist till the time sun exists. It does not destroy the environment or release toxic gases.

4. Green House Effect : help to curb harmful gas emissions which are the major source of global warming.

5. Initial Cost : The main cost is the installation of wind turbines. Moreover the land used to install wind turbines can also be used for agriculture purpose.

Disadvantages of wind turbines

1. Wind Can Never Be Predicted :The main disadvantage of wind energy is that wind can never be predicted. That is one of the reasons that most of the companies determine wind turbine layout, power curve, thrust curve, long term wind speed before deploying wind turbines.

2. Suited To Particular Region :Wind turbines are suited to the coastal regions which receive wind throughout the year to generate power. So, countries that do not have any coastal or hilly areas may not be able to take any advantage of wind power
3. Wind is not constant : The strength of the wind is not constant and it varies from zero to storm force. This means that wind turbines do not produce the same amount of electricity all the time. There will be times when they produce no electricity at all.

Capacity factor
Since wind speed is not constant, a wind farm's annual energy production is never as much as the sum of the generator nameplate ratings multiplied by the total hours in a year.
Typical capacity factors are 2040%, with values at the upper end of the range in particularly favourable sites.

Economics
Wind power has low ongoing costs, but a moderate capital cost. The marginal cost of wind energy once a plant is constructed is usually less than other power plants
As wind turbine technology improves, costs are coming down. There are now longer and lighter wind turbine blades, improvements in turbine performance and increased power generation efficiency. Also, wind project capital and maintenance costs have continued to decline.

Environmental effects
Compared to the environmental impact of traditional energy sources, the environmental impact of wind power is relatively minor. Wind power consumes no fuel, and emits no air pollution, unlike fossil fuel power sources. The energy consumed to manufacture and transport the materials used to build a wind power plant is equal to the new energy produced by the plant within a few months. While a wind farm may cover a large area of land, many land uses such as agriculture are compatible, with only small areas of turbine foundations and infrastructure made unavailable for use. There are reports of bird and bat mortality at wind turbines as there are around other artificial structures.

Planning aspects
Estimation of wind conditions : An estimation of local wind conditions is especially crucial in the selection of the site.
Initial estimates of installed capacity and energy yield: the local grid operator has to be asked for the maximum possible wind power feedable into the grid has to, how far away the next feeding point is, and what the voltage level is for a connection to the grid. Permit aspects : Local construction law determines what is required for a wind farm or a single wind turbine to be eligible for a permit. In addition, the environmental impact of the turbine generally has to be assessed as early as the planning phase in most countries. Generally, an environmental impact assessment is then conducted.

The ecological impact of wind turbines :There must be a determination of whether the impact that the construction and operation of wind turbines will have on the environment is acceptable in terms of nature conservation. Additional reports may be required to assess the impact in areas where birds build nests or migrate. Economic : The economic feasibility of a wind farm is decisive. If the wind farm is found not to be economically feasible, the project should not be begun at all. In calculating the economic feasibility over a period of around 20 years of operation, various cost items -- such as actual energy yield, repairs, etc.

Top 10 countries by nameplate wind power capacity (2011 year-end)

Country Windpower capacity (MW) provisional % world total

China
United States

62,733
46,919

26.3
19.7

Germany
Spain

29,060
21,674

12.2
9.1

India
France

16,084
6,800

6.7
2.8

Italy
United Kingdom

6,747
6,540

2.8
2.7

Canada
Portugal

5,265
4,083

2.2
1.7

(rest of world)
World total

32,446
238,351 MW

13.8
100%

Advantages of Wind turbines against other power plant

Compared to other types of Power plants, Wind turbines has the simplest structure in which in means to have a low initial cost. The wind as the fuel is renewable and abundant. It is one of the power plants that has the cheapest operating cost. It needs a small space only for the tower of the wind turbine. Compared to diesel, coal - fired, and natural gas fired power plants it doesnt have any solid waste to dispose. Compared to solar it doest consume a large amount of space. And lastly it is one of the power plants that has a very little effect on the environment.

Thank you !!!