Types of Wind turbine:

Wind turbines can be separated into two basic types determined by which way the
turbine spins. Wind turbines that rotate around a horizontal axis are more common
(like a wind mill), while vertical axis wind turbines are less frequently used (Savonius
and Darrieus are the most common in the group) There is also a modern type of wind
turbine known as ducted wind turbine which is more efficient than the others.

1. Horizontal Axis Wind Turbines (HAWT):

Horizontal axis wind turbines, also shortened to HAWT, are the common style that
most of us think of when we think of a wind turbine. A HAWT has a similar design to
a windmill, it has blades that look like a propeller that spin on the horizontal axis.

1.1 HAWT advantages:

 The tall tower base allows access to stronger wind in sites with wind shear.
In some wind shear sites, every ten meters up the wind speed can increase
by 20% and the power output by 34%.
 High efficiency, since the blades always move perpendicularly to the
wind,receiving power through the whole rotation. In contrast, all vertical
axis wind turbines, and most proposed airborne wind turbine designs,
involve various types of reciprocating actions, requiring airfoil surfaces to
backtrack against the wind for part of the cycle. Backtracking against the
wind leads to inherently lower efficiency.
1.2 HAWT disadvantages:

 Massive tower construction is required to support the heavy blades, gearbox,

and generator.
 Components of a horizontal axis wind turbine (gearbox, rotor shaft and
brake assembly) being lifted into position.
 Their height makes them obtrusively visible across large areas, disrupting
the appearance of the landscape and sometimes creating local opposition.
 Downwind variants suffer from fatigue and structural failure caused by
turbulence when a blade passes through the tower's wind shadow (for this
reason, the majority of HAWTs use an upwind design, with the rotor facing
the wind in front of the tower).

2. Vertical Axis Wind Turbines (VAWT):

Vertical axis wind turbines, as shortened to VAWTs, have the main rotor shaft
arranged vertically. The main advantage of this arrangement is that the wind turbine
does not need to be pointed into the wind. This is an advantage on sites where the
wind direction is highly variable or has turbulent winds.
2.1 VAWT advantages

 A VAWT can be located nearer the ground, making it easier to maintain the
moving parts.
 VAWTs have lower wind startup speeds than the typical the HAWTs.
 VAWTs may be built at locations where taller structures are prohibited.
 VAWTs situated close to the ground can take advantage of locations where
rooftops, hilltops, ridgelines, and passes funnel the wind and increase wind
velocity

2.2 VAWT disadvantages

 Most VAWTs have an average decreased efficiency from a common HAWT,

mainly because of the additional drag that they have as their blades rotate
into the wind. Versions that reduce drag produce more energy, especially
those that funnel wind into the collector area.
 Having rotors located close to the ground where wind speeds are lower and
do not take advantage of higher wind speeds above.
 Because VAWTs are not commonly deployed due mainly to the serious
disadvantages mentioned above, they appear novel to those not familiar with
the wind industry. This has often made them the subject of wild claims and
investment scams over the last 50 years.
Components of a wind turbine:

i. Anemometer:
Measures the wind speed and transmits wind speed data to the controller.

ii. Blades:
Lifts and rotates when wind is blown over them, causing the rotor to spin. Most
turbines have either two or three blades.

iii. Brake:
Stops the rotor mechanically, electrically, or hydraulically, in emergencies.

iv. Controller:
Starts up the machine at wind speeds of about 8 to 16 miles per hour (mph) and
shuts off the machine at about 55 mph. Turbines do not operate at wind speeds
above about 55 mph because they may be damaged by the high winds.

v. Gear box:
Connects the low-speed shaft to the high-speed shaft and increases the rotational
speeds from about 30-60 rotations per minute (rpm), to about 1,000-1,800 rpm;
this is the rotational speed required by most generators to produce electricity.
The gear box is a costly (and heavy) part of the wind turbine and engineers are
exploring "direct-drive" generators that operate at lower rotational speeds and
don't need gear boxes.
vi. Generator:
Produces 60-cycle AC electricity; it is usually an off-the-shelf induction
generator.

vii. High-speed shaft:

Drives the generator.

viii. Low-speed shaft:

Turns the low-speed shaft at about 30-60 rpm.

ix. Nacelle:
Sits atop the tower and contains the gear box, low- and high-speed shafts,
generator, controller, and brake. Some nacelles are large enough for a helicopter
to land on.

x. Pitch:
Turns (or pitches) blades out of the wind to control the rotor speed, and to keep
the rotor from turning in winds that are too high or too low to produce
electricity.

xi. Rotor:
Blades and hub together form the rotor.

xii. Tower:
Made from tubular steel (shown here), concrete, or steel lattice. Supports the
structure of the turbine. Because wind speed increases with height, taller towers
enable turbines to capture more energy and generate more electricity.

xiii. Wind direction:

Determines the design of the turbine. Upwind turbines—like the one shown
here—face into the wind while downwind turbines face away.

xiv. Wind vane:

Measures wind direction and communicates with the yaw drive to orient the
turbine properly with respect to the wind.

xv. Yaw drive:

Orients upwind turbines to keep them facing the wind when the direction
changes. Downwind turbines don't require a yaw drive because the wind
manually blows the rotor away from it.

xvi. Yaw motor:

Powers the yaw drive.
Offshore Wind turbines:

Advantages:

 Offshore wind speeds tend to be faster than on land. Small increases in wind
speed yield large increases in energy production: a turbine in a 15-mph wind can
generate twice as much energy as a turbine in a 12-mph wind. Faster wind speeds
offshore mean much more energy can be generated.

 Offshore wind speeds tend to be steadier than on land. A steadier supply of wind
means a more reliable source of energy.

 Many coastal areas have very high energy needs. 53% of the United States’
population lives in coastal areas, with concentrations in major coastal cities. Building
offshore wind farms in these areas can help to meet those energy needs from nearby
sources.

 Offshore wind farms have many of the same advantages as land-based wind farms
– they provide renewable energy; they do not consume water; they provide a domestic
energy source; they create jobs; and they do not emit environmental pollutants or
greenhouse gases.

Disadvantages:

 Offshore wind farms can be expensive and difficult to build and maintain. In
particular:

 It is very hard to build robust and secure wind farms in water deeper than around
200 feet (~60 m), or over half a football field’s length. Although coastal waters off the
east coast of the U.S. are relatively shallow, almost all of the potential wind energy
resources off the west coast are in waters exceeding this depth.

 Wave action, and even very high winds, particularly during heavy storms or
hurricanes, can damage wind turbines.

 The production and installation of power cables under the seafloor to transmit
electricity back to land can be very expensive.

 Effects of offshore wind farms on marine animals and birds are not fully
understood.

 Offshore wind farms built within view of the coastline (up to 26 miles offshore,
depending on viewing conditions) may be unpopular among local residents, and may
affect tourism and property values.

Wind energy projects in Bangladesh:

Implemented Projects:
The potential of wind energy is limited to coastal areas, off-shore islands, rivers
sides and other inland open areas with strong wind regime. In order to generate
electricity from Wind Energy, BPDB installed 4x225 KW = 900 KW capacity grid
connected Wind Plant at Muhuri Dam area of Sonagazi in Feni.

Another project of 1000 KW Wind Battery Hybrid Power Plant at Kutubdia

Island was completed in 2008 which consists of 50 Wind Turbines of 20 kW
capacity each.

Ongoing Projects:
 Repairing work of the existing 900 kW grid connected Wind Power Project at
Muhuri Dam of Sonagazi in Feni is going on.
 Repair and operation & maintenance of the existing Kutubdia 1000 kW Wind
Battery Hybrid Power Project is underway
 Steps have been taken to install 15 MW Wind Power Plant across the coastal
regions of Bangladesh after 1 year Wind Resources Assessment in Muhuri
Dam Area of Feni, Mognamaghat of Cox’sbazar, Parky Beach of Anwara in
Chittagong, Kepupara of Borguna and Kuakata of Patuakhali. Wind Mapping
is going on at Muhuri Dam area of Feni and at Mognamaghat of Cox’sbazar
by Regen Powertech Ltd. of India.
 Installation of Wind Monitoring Stations at Inani Beach of Cox'sbazar, Parky
Beach of Anwara, Sitakundu of Chittagong and at Chandpur under USAID TA
project is underway
Projects under Planning:
 BPDB has planned to implement 50-200 MW Wind Power Project at Parky
Beach area, Anawara in Chittagong on IPP basis.
 Power Division and BPDB have primarily identified 22 potential sites for
Wind Resource Mapping in Bangladesh. Wind monitoring stations will be
installed at these sites for comprehensive Wind Resource Assessment
(WRA).
 BPDB has also plan to expand On-shore Wind Power Plants along the
coastline of coastal regions of Bangladesh.

Hybrid Projects
Ongoing Projects:
 7.5 MW off Grid Wind-Solar Hybrid System with HFO/Diesel Based Engine
Driven Generator in Hatiya Island, Noakhali.