Fundamentals of

Wind Energy

1
Aerodynamics of Wind Turbines

 What makes the rotor turn?

 The wind turbines borrow technologies known from aeroplanes
and helicopters, plus a few advanced tricks of their own, because
wind turbines actually work in a very different environment with
changing wind speeds and changing wind directions.
Aerodynamics of Wind Turbines
 The aerodynamic operating principle of the turbine blade is similar
to the wings of an airplane. It can be explained by Bernoulli's
principle.
Aerodynamics of Wind Turbines

 The curved shape of the blade creates a difference between the

wind speed above (V1) and below (V2) the blade.
 The airflow above the blade is faster than the one below (V1 > V2),
which, according to the Bernoulli's principle, has the inverse effect
on the pressure (P2 >P1).
 The pressure difference between the top and bottom of the blade
results in a net lift force Fw on the blade.
 The force applied at a certain distance of a pivot (the turbine shaft)
produces torque, which creates the rotational movement of the
wind turbine.
 Aerodynamics of Wind Turbines
 One of the important parameters for
controlling the lift force of the blade is the
angle of attack α, which is defined as the
angle between the direction of the wind
speed V and the cord line of the blade.

 For a given blade, its lift force FL can be adjusted by α. When this angle is
equal to zero, no lift force or torque will be produced, which often occurs
when the wind turbine is stopped (parked) for maintenance or repair.
Aerodynamics of Wind Turbines: Stall

 The lift of the wing will indeed increase, as the wing is tilted
backwards.

 All of a sudden the lift from the low pressure on the upper surface
of the wing disappears. This phenomenon is known as stall.
Wind Turbine Controls

 Wind turbine control systems continue to play important roles for

ensuring wind turbine reliable and safe operation and to optimize
wind energy capture.
 The main control systems in a modern wind turbine include
 Pitch control.
 Stall control (passive and active).
 Yaw control.
Wind Turbine Controls

 Under high wind speed conditions, the power output from a wind
turbine may exceed its rated value. Thus, power control is required
to control the power output within allowable fluctuations for
avoiding turbine damage and stabilizing the power output.
 There are two primary control strategies in the power control: pitch
control and stall control. The wind turbine power control system is
used to control the power output within allowable fluctuations.
Pitch control

https://youtu.be/0ZU5AMlx_38
Pitch control

 The pitch control system is a vital part of the modern wind turbine.
 The pitch control system continually regulates the wind turbine's
blade pitch angle to enhance the efficiency of wind energy
conversion and power generation stability.
 Serves as the security system in case of high wind speeds or
emergency situations.
 In today’s wind power industry, there are primarily two types of
blade pitch control systems:
 Hydraulic controlled systems.
 Electric controlled systems.
Pitch control
 Early techniques of active blade
pitch control applied hydraulic
actuators to control all blades
together.
 The most significant advantages of
hydraulic pitch control system
include its large driving power, lack
of a gearbox, and robust backup
power.
 This techniques could not
completely satisfy all requirements
of blade pitch angle regulation,
especially for MW wind turbines
with the increase in blade length
and hub height.
 Pitch control
 The electric pitch control system
has a higher efficiency than that of
hydraulic controlled systems
(which is usually less than 55%)
and avoids the risk of
environmental pollution due to
hydraulic fluid being split or
leaked.
Stall control

 The concept of stall control is that the power is regulated through

stalling the blades after rated speed is achieved.
 Stall control can be divided into
 Passive control approaches
 Active control approaches
Stall control- Passive
 In passive-stall-controlled wind turbines, the blade is fixed onto the
rotor hub at an optimal (rated) angle of attack. When the wind
speed is below or at the rated value, the turbine blades with the
rated angle of attack can capture the maximum possible power
from the wind. With the wind speed exceeding the rated value, the
strong wind can cause turbulence on the surface of the blade not
facing the wind. As a result, the lifting force will be reduced and
eventually disappear with the increase of the wind speed, slowing
down the turbine rotational speed.
 This phenomenon is called stall. The stall phenomenon is
undesirable for airplanes, but it provides an effective means to limit
the power capture to prevent turbine damage.
Stall control- Passive
 The operating principle of the passive-stall control is illustrated in
the next figure, where the lift force produced by higher than rated
wind, which is the stall lifting force FL-stall, is lower than the rated
force FL-rated.
Stall control- Passive

 The blade profile is aerodynamically designed to ensure that stall

occurs only when the wind speed exceeds the rated value.
 To ensure that the blade stall occurs gradually rather than abruptly,
the blades for large wind turbines are usually twisted along the
longitudinal axis by a couple of degrees.
 The passive-stall-controlled wind turbines do not need complex
pitch mechanisms, but the blades require a complex aerodynamic
design. The passive stall may not be able to keep the captured
power at a constant value. It may exceed the rated power at some
wind speeds, which is not a desirable feature.
Stall control- Passive
Stall control- Active

 In active-stall turbines, the stall phenomenon can be induced not

only by higher wind speeds, but also by increasing the angle of
attack of the blade. Thus, active-stall wind turbines have adjustable
blades with a pitch control mechanism. When the wind speed
exceeds the rated value, the blades are controlled to turn more into
the wind, leading to the reduction of captured power. The captured
power can, therefore, be maintained at the rated value by adjusting
the blade angle of attack.
 Stall control- Active
 When the blade is turned completely into the wind, as shown in the
dashed blade, the blade loses all interaction with the wind and
causes the rotor to stop. This operating condition can be used
above the cut- out wind speed to stop the turbine and protect it
from damage.
 Stall control- Active
 With active-stall control, it is possible to maintain the rated power
above the rated wind speed, as can be appreciated in the next figure.
Active-stall controlled large megawatt wind turbines are commercially
available.
Active-Stall Control versus Pitch Control

 Both pitch and active-stall controls are based on rotating actions on the blade,
but the pitch control turns the blade out of the wind, leading to a reduction in lift
force, whereas the active-stall control turns the blades into the wind, causing
turbulences that reduce the lift force.
 Yaw control
 In order to maximize the wind
power output and minimize
the asymmetric loads acting on
the rotor blades and the tower,
a horizontal-axis wind turbine
must be oriented with rotor
against the wind by using an
active yaw control system.
Yaw control

 In modern wind turbines, yaw control is done by electric motors.

 The yaw control system usually consists of an electrical motor with
a speed reducing gearbox, a bull gear which is fixed to the tower, a
wind vane to gain the information about wind direction, a yaw
deck, and a brake to lock the turbine securely in yaw when the
required position is reached.
 For a large wind turbine with high driving loads, the yaw control
system may use two or more yaw motors to work together for
driving a heavy nacelle
Challenges in wind power generation

 Environmental impacts
 Wind turbine noise
 Integration of wind power into grid
 Thermal management of wind turbines
 Wind energy storage
 Wind turbine lifetime
 Cost of electricity from wind power