WIND ENERGY
1-INTRODUCTION
- Wind energy is energy that is created by
using the wind to generate power.
- It is a form of kinetic energy .
- Can be transformed into mechanical energy or
electricity.
-Wind energy is a term we can use to speak
about all the processes that convert wind energy in useful work.
2. TYPES OF WIND ENERGY
-Utility-scale wind:
·
Wind
turbines larger than 100 kilowatts.
·
Are made
with electricity to the power grid .
·
Distributed
to the end user by electric utilities or power system operators.
-Distributed or ``small´´ wind:
·
It uses
turbines larger than 100 kiliwatts.
·
Smaller
to directly power a home, farm or small business as its primary use.
-Offshore wind
·
Turbines
erected in bodies of water around the world
·
Not used
in United States.
3-PRO´s
Here are some benefits of using wind power:
- Wind is a
renowable energy : it is a source of energy which can be used again
- No air or water
pollution (contamination of lakes, seas…)
- Reduces fossil
fuel consumption
- Wind power
plants create many jobs
- Increases
local tax revenues(taxes are paid by a greater number of population)
- Less
reliance on foreign oil(you don´t get oil manufacturing or other products
from other countries)
- It’s free(it
doesn´t cost any money)
- Most efficient
way to produce electricity (it is cheaper than other ones alternative
forms of energy)
- Secure and
safe.
- Green energy
source( doesn´t cause pollution)
- Great
potential(20 times more than the entire human population needs)
- Space –
efficient(more energy in less space)
- Good
domestic potential use (it can generate all the energy that a house uses
in a hall day)
4 - CON´S
- It is fluctuating
-Not suited to meet the base load energy
(demand)
- Not all the energy storage is utilized
,for example: batteries and pumped hydro
- Difficult installation: you need heavy
upfront investments.
-Wind turbines can be affected by the wild
animals :birds ,bats…
-How it is used is a legitimate concern
for many people who doesn´t know how does
it work and the elements of
them.
-
The
location of wind turbines can disturb to the population and the neighbouring
can be angry with the situation of having a big ´´giant´´ as skeptics call .
-
Unpredictable
(not constant)
-
Cost
competiveness(highly debatable)
5-FACILITIES
Wind
power is created by different types of wind power generators. The two most
commonly used wind machines are:
Windmills
- The
oldest form of technology used to create wind energy.
-They
were originally created to help pump water for farming
-Consisted
of a tower with a multi-bladed rotary engine.
-The wind
would turn the blades, which would then turn a crankshaft that would pump the
water.
-
Windmills can be used for not only pumping water, but also for grinding grain,
tobacco and other spices.
Wind Turbines
-Are the
most modern wind machines
-Also use large blades to generate
electricity.
- These
machines consist of blades that are mounted on a turning shaft.
-The
shaft has a gear transmission box that increases the speed of the blades.
- The
transmission is attached to another shaft that turns a generator to create
electricity.
- Can be
use for charging batteries, pumping water and powering homes.
-The
modern ones has a great scale (they are extremely tall)
-Small
ones are located near industries, farms….
-Can be
located:
On land:
-In groups, forming wind farms
-Feed into national power grid.
At sea:
-
Low noise
-
More
costly location.
-
Special
materials used to built it.
-
It
increases : costs of manufacture and installation
-
Secure
5.2.HORIZONTAL AND
VERTICAL WINDMILLS
What is the difference between Horizontal and Vertical Wind Generators?
Wind generator designs are often determined by the axis upon which the
shaft of the wind generator is mounted, horizontally or vertically.
A basic definition of a
wind generator is to describe it as a mechanical construction that uses the
wind to create kinetic energy, which is converted into electricity. The power
of the wind is used to turn the wind generators propeller blades, which is how
the kinetic energy is created. This kinetic energy is then distributed in a
rotating motion through the shaft of the wind generator and fed into a
generator connected to end of the shaft. The generator then converts the
kinetic energy an electrical current.(PARA MARINA)
Advantages
Horizontal Axis Wind Generator
·
An easier design to construct and install
·
Efficient in capturing and converting wind energy (generates electricity
from smaller amounts of wind)
Vertical Axis Wind Generator
·
Doesn’t need to be repositioned to capture wind energy
·
Easy to maintain and repair as the mechanical components are mounted on or
close to ground level
Disadvantages
Horizontal Axis Wind Generator
·
Needs to be adjusted realign towards the wind direction
·
Difficult to maintain and repair as the mechanical components are mounted
at height
Vertical Axis Wind Generator
·
A more difficult design to construct and install
·
Inefficient in capturing and converting wind energy (requires large amounts
of wind power to generate electricity)
6. COST (PER GIGAWATT)
The production of power over time is measured in
megawatt-hours (MWh) or kilowatt-hours (kWh) of energy.
A kilowatt is one thousand watts. Production of
power at the rate of 1 MW for 1 hour equals 1 MWh of energy.
Turbines are now generally in the range of 2-3 MW
which if you calculate it is 0.02-0.03 gigawatts per hour.Here is the
operation:
Wind turbines do not generate near their capacity.
Industry estimates project an annual output of 30-40%, but real-world
experience shows that annual outputs of 15-30% of capacity are more typical.
For example, if a 1.5-MW
turbine generates power over one year at an average rate of 0.5 MW, its
capacity factor is 33% for that year.
7. MISCELLANEOUS(OTHERS:I will speak about the history of
wind energy)
THE
HISTORY OF WIND POWER
PERSIA 500 AD
The development of sail boats led directly to the development
of the first recorded wind powered device in Persia (the Middle
East). Sails were used to drive a mill stone for the grinding of grain. These
were seen first in Persia, 500 AD.
1000 AD
As sails developed, wind powered devices became more powerful.
Similar devices can be seen in Cyprus and the Greek islands today.
They are still used to pump water for agricultural livestock.
The difference between this design and earlier designs is that the
sails are shaped more efficiently to capture the wind.
Earlier devices relied en sails similar to tose used by sail ships.
WIND POWER IN EUROPE IN THE 1800s
Throughout
the 1800s windmill technology evolved slowly. Wind mills like the one
above were primarily used for milling grain and occasionally for pumping water.
WIND POWER IN THE USA IN THE 1800s
In the USA wind powered
devices like the one shown opposite were developed to pump water. These
were especially useful in arid areas were deep wells were necessary to
find drinking water.
In the 1800s the Halladay windmill was very popular with thousands been made.
This basic design was reliable and was used even up to the 1940s.
With the development of electrical power, scientists and technologists
developed ways of producing electricity through the use of wind generators
.Experiments took place in Russia, USA France Germany and Britain. In the 1930s
one of the largest experimental machines, called the Palmer-Putman machine
was first used. This was capable of producing 1.25 megawatts of electricity.
SECOND WAORLD WAR
After the
Second World War the search for efficient wind power
generators (turbines) restarted. In Denmark the Gedser Wind Turbine was
developed and operated until the mid 1960s. This was 200 Kilowatt machine. The
rotors had a set pitch (angle) to catch the wind more efficiently. The main
body of the device was built in a similar way to that of the body of an
aeroplane..Developments in the generation of electricity through wind power was
slow in the 1950s and 1960s.
AFTER SECOND WORLD WAR
Throughout
the 1960s, a German Technologist called ProfessorUlrich Hutter designed a
number of wind generators that used modern materials such as fibreglass and
types of plastics. The lighter materials meant that the device could
operate in lighter winds, generating electricity. Slowly , wind
powered turbines were beginning to look economic to build and maintain
The rapid
rise in oil prices throughout the late 1970s and 1980s the
development of wind generators (turbines) accelerated. Recently wars and
unstable governments in oil producing regions has led to the understanding that
alternative forms of energy production have to be developed. Also, there is a
greater understanding that using fossil fuels to produce electricity causes
pollution that damages the environment and causes global
warming. Modern designs are shown below. They are built from
composite materials that are light and very strong.
