Chapter-2 Wind Energy

Chapter Outlines

▪ Introduction to Wind Energy

▪ Working of WPPs

▪ Types of Wind Power Plants

▪ Components of WPPs
▪ Power In the Wind
▪ Siting of WPPs
▪ Grid integration issues of WPPs
▪ Wind potential in Ethiopia (basic example Adama wind farms).
 Introduction to Wind Energy
▪ Wind is simple air in motion. It is caused by the uneven heating of the earth’s surface
by the sun.

▪ Since the earth’s surface is made of very different types of land and water, it absorbs
the sun’s heat at different rates.

▪ During the day, the air above the land heats up more quickly than the air over water.

▪ The warm air over the land expands and rises, and the heavier, cooler air rushes in to
take its place, creating winds.

▪ At night, the winds are reversed because the air cools more rapidly over land than
over water.
Cont..

▪ Today, wind energy is mainly used to generate electricity.

▪ Wind is called a renewable energy source because the wind will blow as long as the
sun shines.
 Working of WPPs

• Like old windmills, today’s wind machines use blades to collect the wind’s kinetic
energy.

• Windmills work because they slow down the speed of the wind.

• The wind flows over the airfoil shaped blades causing lift, like the effect on airplane
wings, causing them to turn.

• The blades are connected to a drive shaft that turns an electric generator to produce
electricity.

• With the new wind machines, there is still the problem of what to do when the wind
isn’t blowing. At those times, other types of power plants must be used to make
electricity.
 Types of Wind Power Plants (WPPs)

• There are two types of wind turbines used today based on the direction of the
rotating shaft (axis):

• Horizontal–axis wind machines and vertical-axis wind machines.

• The size of wind machines varies widely. Small turbines used to power a single home
or business may have a capacity of less than 100 kilowatts.

• Some large commercial sized turbines may have a capacity of 5MW. Larger turbines
are often grouped together into wind farms that provide power to the electrical grid.
 Horizontal Wind Turbine
• Most wind machines being used today are the horizontal-axis type.

• Horizontal-axis wind machines have blades like airplane propellers.

• A typical horizontal wind machine has three blades.

 Vertical Wind Turbine
• Blades rotate around a vertical axis, turbine is in an optimal position to use this wind.

• One of the advantages of VAWT, it does not require a yaw mechanism, since it can
harness the wind from any direction.
Components of WPPs
 Wind Turbine Components

• A wind turbine usually has the following components:

• Rotor consisting of the hub and blades of the turbine. Most turbines have
rotors with three blades and a few designs with two blades.
• Nacelle that houses the main components of the wind turbine, such as the
controller, gearbox, generator, and shafts.
• Shafts including the low speed and high speed shafts connected to the
rotating components.
• Gear box to convert the low rotational speed of the rotor into a higher
speed for the electric generator.
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Cont..
• Generator that converts the mechanical energy from the wind turbine’s rotation
into electrical energy.

• Yaw system responsible for the orientation of the wind turbine rotor towards
the wind.

• Mechanical brake used to hold the turbine at rest for maintenance..

• Anemometer for measuring the wind speed.

• Tower usually made of tubular steel and is 60 to 100 meters high.

• Power electronic converter used to adjust the electrical output of the wind
turbine (must be used with grid connected WECS).

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 Principal Subsystems
• The principal subsystems of a typical (land-based) horizontal axis wind turbine are

• The rotor, consisting of the blades and the supporting hub.

• The drive train, which includes the rotating parts of the wind turbine (exclusive of the rotor);
it usually consists of shafts, gearbox, coupling, a mechanical brake, and the generator.

• The nacelle and main frame, including wind turbine housing, bedplate, and the yaw system.

• The tower and the foundation.

• The machine controls.

• The balance of the electrical system, including cables, switchgear, transformers, and possibly
electronic power converters
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Power In the Wind
 Siting of WPPs
• The power available in the wind increases rapidly with the speed.

• WECS should be located preferable in areas where the wind is strong and persistent.

• Daily winds at a given site may be highly variable, the monthly and especially annual
average are remarkably constant from year to year.

• Technical, economic, environmental, social and other factors are examined before a
decision is made to erect a generating plant on a specific site.
 Some of the main site selection consideration

1. High annual average wind speed: the speed generated by the wind mill
depends on cubic value of velocity of wind, the small increases in velocity
markedly affect the power in the wind.

2. Availability of anemometry data: the anemometry data should be available

over some time period at the precise spot where any proposed WECS is to be
built and that this should be accomplished before a sitting decision is made
3. Availability of wind V(t) curve at the proposed site: this important curve
determines the maximum energy in the wind and hence is the principle initially
controlling factor in predicting the electrical output and hence revenue return of the
WECS machine.

4. Wind structure at the proposed site: WECS should be built at a site the V(t) curve
is flat i.e. a smooth steady wind that blows all the time.

5. Altitude of the proposed site: it affects the air density and thus the power in the
wind and hence the useful WECS electric power output.
Cont..
6. Terrain and its aerodynamic: one should know terrain of the site to be chosen.

7. Local Ecology: if the surface is base rock it may mean lower hub height hence lower
structure cost.

8. Distance to road or railways: one of factor the system engineer must consider for
heavy machinery, structure, materials blades and other apparatus will have to be moved
into any chosen WECS.

9. Nearness of site to local center/user: This obvious criterion minimizes

transmission line length and hence losses and cost.
Cont..
10. Nature of ground: the foundation for a WECS should be stable.

11. Favorable land cost: Land cost should be favorable as this along with other siting
costs, enters into the total WECS system cost.

12. Other conditions such as icing problem, 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.
 Grid integration issues of WPPs

• The electrical grid is the electrical power system network comprised of the generating
plant, the transmission lines, the substation, transformers, the distribution lines and the
consumer.

• Ideally the electric grid is aimed to operate at constant voltage and frequency.

• Wind power generation varies depending on how wind fluctuates.

• Wind power as a generation source has specific characteristics, including variability,

geographical distribution, favorable economics.
 Some of the issues considered during grid integration

• Variability: Power plants that run on fuel (along with some hydro and geothermal
plants) can be ramped up and down on command.

• But Variable Renewable Energy (VRE) plants produce power only when the wind is
blowing or the sun is shining.

• Grid operators don't control VRE, they accommodate it, which requires some agility.

• Uncertainty: The output of VRE plants cannot be predicted with perfect accuracy in
day-ahead and day-of forecasts, so grid operators have to keep excess reserve running
just in case.
Cont..
• Location-specificity: Sun and wind are stronger (and thus more economical) in
some places than in others — and not always in places that have the necessary
transmission infrastructure to get the power to where it's needed.

• Nonsynchronous generation: Conventional generators provide voltage support and

frequency control to the grid. VRE generators can too, potentially, but it's an
additional capital investment.

• Low-capacity factor: VRE plants only run when sun or wind cooperates.

• The average capacity factor production relative to potential for utility scale solar PV
was around 28 percent; for wind, 34 percents.
Cont..

• Design and operation of the power system: Reserve capacities and balance
management, short-term forecasting of wind power, demand side management and
storage and optimization of system flexibility;

• Grid infrastructure issues: Optimization of present infrastructure, extensions and

reinforcements, offshore grids and improved interconnection;
• Grid connection of wind power: Grid codes and power quality and wind power
plant capabilities;
Cont..
• Market redesign issues: Market aggregation and adapted market rules increase the
market flexibility particularly for cross-border exchange and operating the system
closer to the delivery hour;

• Institutional issues: Stakeholder incentives, non-discriminatory third party grid

access and socialization of costs.
 Wind potential in Ethiopia (basic example Adama wind farms)

Questions

• How much is the total potential of Adama I and Adama II WPP?

• How much is the total number of wind turbine ?