INTRODUCTION

TO WIND
ENERGY
RESOURCES

ALTERNATIVE
ENERGY
BEE 4163
Outline
• How is wind created?
• Where is the wind?
• How do we measure the wind?
• What are the sizes of turbines?
• What size turbine goes where?
• How do you site a turbine?
• How much energy can we get?
• What are the pros and cons?
 How is wind created?
• Temperatures vary
according to the amount
of sun it gets
• Uneven heating of the
Earth's atmosphere and
surface
• Balance between warm
and cool air is constantly
changing, creating wind.
Where is the Wind?

Ref: http://christopherteh.com/blog/2010/11/wind-energy/
How do we measure wind?
 Meteorological tower
 Anemometer
 Wind vane or sock
 Data logger
 Data chip
 Wind measurements
• Most countries are collecting wind data for over a century.
• These observations provide a basis for wind statistics that are used to describe
wind in different regions and to create so-called wind atlas data that may be
used to calculate, for instance, how much electricity wind turbines may be
expected to produce at different sites.

• A typical wind-cup anemometer works with a

diametric flow of air. As the wind blows, the
anemometer rotates at a speed proportional to the
wind speed.
• A permanent-magnet DC generator may be
installed on the shaft…
How much energy can we get?
Wind Turbine Perspective
Wind Turbine Perspective
Workers Blade
112’ long

Nacelle
56 tons

Tower
3 sections
 Relative height
Wind Power Today: of tall human
Relative Height structures

Empire Eiffel Umass 1.5 MW Medium Farm

State Tower Library Turbine Turbine Turbine
1250’ 986’ 297’ 356’ 212’ 142’
381 m 301 m 90 m 109 m 65 m 43 m
28 stories --------------examples -------------------
 Calculation of Wind Power
•Power
Power in Wind
in the the wind
= ½ρAV3
Effect of air density, 
– Effect of swept area, A
– Effect of wind speed, V
R

Swept Area: A = πR2

Area of the circle swept
by the rotor (m2).
Example – Calculating Power in the Wind

Power in the Wind = ½ρAV3

V = 5 meters (m) per second (s) m/s
ρ = 1.0 kg/m3
R = 0.2 m ,
So, A = 0.125 m2
Power in the Wind = ½ρAV3
= (0.5)(1.0)(0.125)(5)3
= 7.85 Watts
= (kg/m3)x (m2)x (m3/s3)
= (kg-m)/s2 x m/s
= N-m/s = Watt
 How do you site a turbine?
• Wind resource
• Current land use
• Environmental impacts
• Government regulations
• Cost of wind farm
• Economic payback
• Community opinion –
aesthetics
Mountaineer Wind Energy Center, WV
• Noise and flicker issues www.communityenergy.com
• Transmission lines
• Spacing of turbines
• Much, much more!
What does it take to install a Turbine?
• Utility Engineers
• Geophysical Engineers
• Concrete/Structural Engineering
• Turbine Engineering (ME/EE/Aerospace)
• Site/Civil Engineering
• Microelectronic/Computer Programming
• Business Expertise (Financial)
• Legal Expertise
• Meteorologists
 What are the pros and cons?
• Oil independence
• Locally produced (jobs)
• No air pollution (or CO2)
• Uses no water
Wind is not
• Renewable
• Lower cost the ONLY
BUT…
• Bird and bat issues
solution
• Aesthetic issues
• Intermittency
Question??