Module 3

By
Bharath.M
WIND ENERGY & BIOMASS ENERGY
Properties of wind, availability of wind energy in India, wind velocity
and power from wind; major problems associated with wind power,
wind machines; Types of wind machines and their characteristics,
horizontal and vertical axis windmills, elementary design principles;
coefficient of performance of a windmill rotor, design aspects,
numerical examples.

Energy from Biomass: Energy plantation, biogas production from

organic wastes by anaerobic fermentation, description of bio-gas
plants, transportation of biogas, problems associated with bio-gas
production, application of biogas, application of biogas in engines,
cogeneration plant, advantages & disadvantages.
Wind Energy:
Wind is caused by the uneven heating of the atmosphere by
 The sun
 Variations in the earth's surface
Rotation of the earth.
The definition of wind is the movement of gas molecules in
the atmosphere commonly known as air.
The differences in air pressure in a specific location causes air
to move from areas of high pressure to areas of low pressure.
Mountains, bodies of water, all influence wind flow patterns.
Wind energy (or wind power) describes the process by which
wind is used to generate electricity
Wind turbines convert the kinetic energy in the wind into
mechanical power by rotating propeller like blades.
A generator can convert mechanical power into electricity i.e.
by rotating the propeller blades around a rotor
The Earth is spherical, which means that the widest part of
the Earth, near the equator, is slightly closer to the sun and the
sunlight hits the equator more directly.
There is hotter air over regions near the equator.
cooler air at the poles
Winds are caused because of two factors
(1) The absorption of solar energy on the earth’s surface and in the
atmosphere.
(2) The rotation of the earth about its axis and its motion around the
sun.
Because of the above 2 factors alternate heating and cooling cycles
occur.

Wind has two important characteristics—direction and speed

The direction of wind can be gauged using an instrument called the
wind vane. Wind direction at which air is moving.
The speed of wind is usually measured with an instrument called the
anemometer. Wind speed indicates the speed of air movement from
one point to another.
PROPERTIES OF WIND:
1. Wind is non-conventional energy source
2. Wind is due to differences in air pressure in the atmosphere
3. Wind at high pressure tends to move to areas at low air pressure, greater
the pressure difference faster will be the flow of air
4. The wind is also a critical means of transportation for seeds, insects, and
birds, which can travel on wind currents for thousands of miles
5. Winds are often referred to according to their strength, and the direction
from which the wind is blowing.
AVAILABILITY OF WIND ENERGY IN INDIA
Wind power generation capacity in India has significantly
increased in recent year
As of 31 December 2022, the total installed wind power
capacity was 41.93 gigawatts (GW)
Wind power accounts for nearly 10% of India's total installed
power generation capacity
Karnataka Gadag by Shah Gajendragarph power plant
produces 10.8MW
62.03 TWh(terawatt-hours) in the fiscal year 2018–19, which is
nearly 4% of total electricity generation.
NOTE: Megawatts are used to measure the output of a power plant or the amount of
electricity required by an entire city. One megawatt (MW) = 1,000 kilowatts =
1,000,000 watts. For example, a typical coal plant is about 600 MW in size .
Tamil Nadu's wind production capacity was around 24% of
India's total in 2021
Gujarat has around 22% of the total capacity of the country.
The largest capacity wind turbine of 4.2 MW is installed in
Tamil Nadu state as of October 2022.
Muppandal wind farm, the total capacity is 1500 MW with
nearly 3000 wind turbines, the largest wind power plant in India.
Wind power capacity is mainly spread across the Southern,
Western and Northern regions
Wind in India are influenced by the strong south-west summer
monsoon

WIND VELOCITY:
Wind speed largely determines the amount of electricity
generated by a turbine.
Wind velocity is the measure of speed of wind in horizontal
direction.
Higher wind speeds generate more power because stronger
winds allow the blades to rotate faster.
Wind velocity at pedestrian level --refers to the wind speed measured at
approximately 2 meters above the ground.
This measurement is important for assessing the impact of wind on human
comfort and safety in urban environments.

WIND POWER:
Kinetic energy exists whenever an object of a given mass is in motion with a
translational or rotational speed.

When Air is in motion ,

The kinetic energy of moving air can be determined using the following
formula:
KE=1/2 ​mv2
M—Mass of the Air
V-Velocity of the air
The wind energy formula is given by,

Where- P= Power, = Density of air, A= πr2, 𝛒 (Swept area of blades), V=

velocity of the wind
Major problems associated with wind power:
Wind energy can have adverse environmental impacts, including the
potential to reduce, fragment, or degrade habitat for wildlife, fish, and
plants.
Wind power must still compete with conventional generation
sources in, on a cost basis
i.e. wind projects must be able to compete economically with the
lowest-cost source of electricity and some locations may not be windy
enough to be cost competitive.
Good land-based wind sites are often located in remote locations,
far from the cities where electricity is needed.
Transmission lines must be built to bring the electricity from the
wind farm to the city.
Wind resource development might not be the most profitable use of the
land
Land suitable for wind turbine installation must compete with alternative
uses for the land, which might be more highly valued than electricity
generation
Turbines might cause noise and aesthetic pollution
Wind plants can impact local wildlife. Birds have been killed by flying into
spinning turbine blades.
Wind turbines require regular maintenance to ensure reliable and efficient
operation, and the availability of skilled technicians and spare parts can be a
challenge in remote locations.
WIND MACHINES
Wind machines or wind turbines or wind energy converter, are the devices
that converts the wind's kinetic energy into electrical energy.
Wind turbines are manufactured in a wide range of sizes, with either
horizontal or vertical axes.

BASIC COMPONENTS OF WIND ENERGY CONVERSION SYSTEM

(WECS)
BLOCK DIAGRAM WIND ENERGY CONVERSION
SYSTEM
WIND ENERGY CONVERSION SYSTEM
COMPONENTS OF WIND TURBINE:
Blades-
Most turbines have either 2 or 3 blades.
Wind blowing over the blades causes the blades to “lift”
and rotate
Blades are made of Fibers with a polymer matrix
Carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) can also be used as
blade material.
Rotor-Blades and hub together are called rotor
Tower- Towers are made from tubular steel or steel lattice.
Because wind speed increases with height, taller towers enable turbines to
capture more energy and generate more electricity.
Low-speed shaft- The rotor turns the low-speed shaft at about 30 to 60
rotations per minute.
High-speed shaft- Drives the generator
Generator- Usually an off-the-shelf induction generator that produces 60-
cycle AC electricity, It should have a cooling system to make sure there is no
overheating.
Controller-Controller starts up the machine at wind speeds of about 8 to 16
miles per hour(mph) & shuts off machine at about 55 mph to avoid damage
at high winds
WORKING OF WIND MILL
Wind blows toward the turbine's rotor blades.
The rotors spin around, capturing some of the kinetic energy
from the wind, and turning the central drive shaft that supports
gearbox inside nacelle converts the low-speed rotation of the
drive shaft into high-speed rotation fast enough to drive the
generator efficiently.
If it's too windy or turbulent, brakes are applied to stop the
rotors from turning (for safety reasons).
The electric current produced by the generator flows through
a cable running down through the inside of the turbine tower.
A step-up transformer converts the electricity to about 50
times higher voltage so it can be transmitted efficiently to the
power grid.
Wind turbines are mounted on a tower to capture the most
energy. At 30 meters or more above ground, they can take
advantage of faster wind.