Wind Mill Power Plant

Contents
• Introduction
• Construction
• Working
• Advantages
• Disadvantages
• Conclusion
 Introduction
Wind power is the conversion of wind energy into
electricity or mechanical energy using wind turbines. The
power in the wind is extracted by allowing it to blow past
moving blades that exert torque on a rotor. The amount
of power transferred is dependent on the rotor size and
the wind speed.
Main Components

• Wind
• Poles
• Wings
• Turbines
• Generators
WIND POWER
• What is it?
• How does it work?
Wind Striking Turbine
Setup
Complete Setup
 Idea of conversion

•A wind turbine obtains its power input by

converting the force of the wind into a
torque (turning force) acting on the rotor
blades.
•The amount of energy which the wind
transfers to the rotor depends on the
density of the air, the rotor area, and the
wind speed.
WINDMILL DESIGN
• A Windmill captures wind
energy and then uses a
generator to convert it to
electrical energy.

• The design of a windmill

is an integral part of how
efficient it will be.

• When designing a
windmill, one must decide
on the size of the turbine,
and the size of the
generator.
Turbines
• Large Turbines
• Small Turbines
LARGE TURBINES:

Able to deliver electricity at lower cost than

smaller turbines, because foundation costs,
planning costs, etc. are independent of size.

Well-suited for offshore wind plants.

In areas where it is difficult to find sites, one

large turbine on a tall tower uses the wind
extremely efficiently.
SMALL TURBINES:

Local electrical grids may not be able to handle the large

electrical output from a large turbine, so smaller turbines may
be more suitable.

High costs for foundations for large turbines may not be

economical in some areas.

Landscape considerations
Wind Turbines: Number of Blades
Most common design is the three-bladed turbine. The most important
reason is the stability of the turbine. A rotor with an odd number of rotor
blades (and at least three blades) can be considered to be similar to a
disc when calculating the dynamic properties of the machine.

A rotor with an even number of blades will give stability problems for a
machine with a stiff structure. The reason is that at the very moment
when the uppermost blade bends backwards, because it gets the
maximum power from the wind, the lowermost blade passes into the
wind shade in front of the tower.
Wind Turbine Generators
• Wind power generators convert
wind energy (mechanical energy) to
electrical energy.

• The generator is attached at one

end to the wind turbine, which
provides the mechanical energy.

• At the other end, the generator is

connected to the electrical grid.

• The generator needs to have a

cooling system to make sure there
is no overheating.
Types of Generators
SMALL GENERATORS:
▪ Require less force to turn than a larger ones, but give much lower power output.
▪ Less efficient
i.e.. If you fit a large wind turbine rotor with a small generator it will be producing
electricity during many hours of the year, but it will capture only a small part of
the energy content of the wind at high wind speeds.

LARGE GENERATORS:
▪ Very efficient at high wind speeds, but unable to turn at low wind speeds.
i.e.. If the generator has larger coils, and/or a stronger internal magnet, it will
require more force (mechanical) to start in motion.
Construction
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.
Generator:
High-speed shaft:
Drives the generator .
Wind vane:
Measures wind direction and communicates with the yaw
drive to orient the turbine properly with respect to the
wind.
Anemometer:
Measures the wind speed and transmits wind speed data to
the controller.
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.
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.
Low-speed shaft:
Turns the low-speed shaft at about 30-60 rpm.
Rotor:
Blades and hub together form the rotor.
Blades:
Lifts and rotates when wind is blown over them,
causing the rotor to spin. Most turbines have
either two or three blades.
Brake:
Stops the rotor mechanically, electrically, or
hydraulically, in emergencies.
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.
Yaw motor:
Powers the yaw drive.
Wind direction:
Determines the design of the turbine. Upwind turbines—like the
one shown here—face into the wind while downwind turbines
face away.
Working
 Calculations
•Being able to measure the swept area of your blades is
essential if you want to analyze the efficiency of your
wind turbine. The swept area refers to the area of the
circle created by the blades as they sweep through the air.
•To find the swept area, use the same equation you would
use to find the areaof a circle can be found by following
equation:
•Π = 3.14159 (pi)
•r = radius of the circle. This is equal to the length of one
of your blades.
 Power in the Wind Equation
P = 1/2 x ρ x A x V3
•P = Power (Watts)
•ρ = Air Density (about 1.225 kg/m3 at sea
level)
•A = Swept Area of Blades (m2)
•V = Velocity of the wind
•By doing this calculation, you can see the
total energy potential in a given area of
wind.
Advantages of Wind Power

• The wind blows day and night, which allows windmills

to produce electricity throughout the day. (Faster
during the day)

• Energy output from a wind turbine will vary as the

wind varies, although the most rapid variations will to
some extent be compensated for by the inertia of the
wind turbine rotor.
Advantages of Wind Power

• Wind energy is a domestic, renewable source of energy that

generates no pollution and has little environmental impact. Up
to 95 percent of land used for wind farms can also be used for
other profitable activities including ranching, farming and
• forestry.
The decreasing cost of wind power and the growing interest in
renewable energy sources should ensure that wind power will
become a viable energy source in the United States and
worldwide.
Disadvantages

Rotors generally near ground where wind is poorer

Centrifugal force stresses blades

Poor self-starting capabilities

Requires support at top of turbine rotor

Requires entire rotor to be removed to replace bearings

Overall poor performance and reliability

 Wind Power and the Environment

Wind Turbines and the Landscape

- Large turbines don’t turn as fast attract less attention
- City dwellers “dwell” on the attention attracted by windmills

Sound from Wind Turbines

- Increasing tip speed less sound
- The closest neighbor is usually 300 m experiences almost no noise

Birds often collide with high voltage overhead lines, masts, poles, and
windows of buildings. They are also killed by cars in traffic. However, birds
are seldom bothered by wind turbines.
Stats