ENERGY CONSCIOUS

ARCHITECTURE

WIND ENERGY

WIND ENERGY
Wind energyis a form ofsolar energy.
Wind energy describes the process by
which wind is used to generate
electricity. Wind turbines convert the
kinetic energy in the wind into
mechanical power.
A generator can convert mechanical
power into electricity.
Mechanical power can also be utilized
directly for specific tasks such as
pumping water.

WIND ENERGY BASICS

Wind is caused by the uneven heating of the
atmosphere by the sun, variations in the
earth's surface, and rotation of the earth.
Mountains, bodies of water, and vegetation
all influence wind flow patterns .
Wind turbines convert the energy in wind to
electricity by rotating propeller-like blades
around a rotor. The rotor turns the drive
shaft, which turns an electric generator.
Three key factors affect the amount of
energy a turbine can harness from the wind:
wind speed, air density, and swept area.

WIND ENERGY BASICS

WIND SPEED :

Wind speed have a large

impact on the amount of power available in
the wind

DENSITY OF AIR :

The more dense the air,

the more energy received by the turbine. Air
density varies with elevation and temperature.
Air is less dense at higher elevations than at sea
level, and warm air is less dense than cold air.

SWEPT AREA OF TURBINE :

The larger
the swept area (the size of the area through
which the rotor spins), the more power the
turbine can capture from the wind.

Why Wind Energy?

o Clean, zero emissions
- NO2, SO2, CO, CO2
- Air quality, water quality
- Climate change
o Reduce fossil fuel dependence
- Energy independence
- Domestic energynational
security
o Renewable
- No fuel-price volatility

LIMITATION OF WIND ENERGY

o Power density is very low.
o Needs a very large number of wind
mills to produce modest amounts of
power.

o Cost.
o Environmental costs.
o material and maintenance costs.
o Noise, birds and appearance.

o Cannot meet large scale and

transportation energy needs.

WIND TURBINE
Awind turbineis a device
thatconverts the wind'skinetic
energyintoelectrical power
Wind turbines are manufactured in a
wide range of vertical and horizontal
axis types.

WIND TURBINE

WIND TURBINE
Vertical axis
Horizontal axis

HOW WIND TURBINE WORK?

oWind turbines operate on a simple
principle:
The energy in the wind turns the
propeller-like blades around a rotor. The
pitch of the blades makes optimum use of
the wind direction.
oThe rotor is connected to the main drive
shaft, which spins a generator to create
electricity.
oWind turbines are mounted on a tower to
capture the most energy. At 30 metres or
more above ground, they can take
advantage of faster and less turbulent
wind.

WIND FRAM
oAwind farmis a group ofwind
turbinesin the same location used to
produce electricity. A largewind farm
may consist of several hundred
individualwind turbinesand cover an
extended area of hundreds of square
miles, but the land between
theturbinesmay be used for agricultural
or other purposes.

HOW WIND TURBINE WORK?

Pitch

Rotor

Generat
or

Blades
Tower

WIND FARM

WIND TURBINE
Onshore advantages
A regular onshore turbine last
for around 20 years
Normally it takes about 2-3
months before the wind
turbine has paid itself back.
This also includes the energy,
which were used to produce,
install, maintain and remove
the wind turbine.
Cheaper foundation
Cheaper integration with
electrical-grid network

Onshore
disadvantages
Wind turbines are
noisy
Each one can
generate the same
level of noise as a
family car travelling
70 mph
Some people thinks
that the large towers
of wind turbines
destroys the view of

WIND TURBINE
Jaisalmer wind farm
[The 2 largest on shore wind farm in the
world]

WIND TURBINE
Offshore advantages

Offshore
disadvantages
More expensive to

A offshore wind turbine is

stronger than a onshore
built
turbine. It lasts around 25- More difficult to
30 years, and produces
maintain and access
about 50 % more energy
than a onshore turbine.
When a strong wind
blows, it produces around
3-5 MW per hour.
Higher and more constant
wind speed

WIND TURBINE
London Array
[Worlds largest off shore wind farm]

WIND TURBINE PERSPECTIVE

Workers

Blade
112 long

Nacelle
56 tons

Tower
3 sections

WIND TURBINE PERSPECTIVE

THE FUTURE OF WIND ENERGY

Future of wind energy can be bright

if government policies subsidize and
encourage its use.
Technology improvements unlikely to
have a major impact.
Can become cost competitive for
electricity generation if fossil energy
costs skyrocket.