AKSUM UNIVERSITY

FACULTY OF WATER TECHNOLOGY

DEPARTEMENT OF HYDRAULIC AND WATER RESOURCES ENGINEERING
COURSE : SMALL SCALE HYDROPOWER & ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

(HENG-4264)

• GROUP ASSIGNMENT ON WIND ENERGY

NAME OF MEMBERS ----------------------------------------------------------ID
1 .BIZEN YOHANNES ----------------------------------------------------------1101908
2 HAGOS NIREAYO ------------------------------------------------------------1102647
3 TILAHUN G/EGZIABHER ----------------------------------------------------1102467
SUMMITED TO : INSTRUCTORE DESTA TEKLE

SUMMITION DATE -05/05/2016

 CONTENT

• Introduction to wind energy

• Wind energy turbines
• How wind energy turbines work
• Types of wind energy turbines
• Measuring the energy in wind
• Wind in Ethiopia
• Wind energy and environment
 INTRODUCTION

Wind is movement of air from one region to another region .

All renewable energy (except tidal and geothermal power), and even the energy in fossil fuels,
ultimately comes from the sun. The sun radiates 1.74 x 10 17 watt hours of energy to the
earth per hour. In other words, the earth receives 1.74 x 10 17 watts of power. About 2 % of
the energy coming from the sun is converted into wind energy. That is about 50 to 100 times
more than the energy converted into biomass by all plants on earth .
Therefore the wind systems that exist over the earth’s surface are a result of variations in air
pressure. These are in turn due to the variations in solar heating. As the sun strikes the earth,
it heats the soil near the surface. In turn, the soil warms the air lying above it. Warm air is
less dense than cool air and, like a hot-air balloon, rises. Cool air flows down to take its place
and becomes heated. The rising warm air eventually cools and falls back to earth, completing
the convection cycle. This cycle is repeated over and over again. The atmosphere is a huge,
solar-fired engine that transfers heat from one part of the globe to another..
• The large-scale convection currents, set in motion by the sun’s rays, carry heat from
lower latitudes to northern climates.
• The flow of air that rushes across the surface of the earth in response to this global
circulation is called wind. This wind resource is renewable and inexhaustible, as long
as sunlight reaches the earth .
• There are also localized wind patterns due the effects of temperature differences
between land and seas, or mountains and valleys. The energy from the sun does not
strike Earth evenly. Air around the equator absorbs more energy than the air above
the poles. This difference causes air, a fluid much like water, to move in currents.
Air, like any substance, expands when it is warmed and contracts when it is cooled.
Warm air, because it is less dense than cool air, is lighter, so it rises, much like a less-
dense piece of wood rises to the top of more-dense water. . This effect can be seen by
looking at the hot air above a fire, which seems to shimmer as it expands and moves
upward, carrying smoke and ash with it.
Cold air, because it shrinks, is denser than surrounding warm air, so it sinks. This
property explains in part why a freezer generally operates more efficiently when it is
placed at the bottom of a refrigerator rather than at the top and why the basement is
generally colder than the upper levels of a house as warm air rises, colder, heavier air
flows in to replace it, causing a current of air—in other words, wind. Earth’s rotation
also plays a role in wind production.
If Earth did not rotate, air heated at the equator would rise only about 6 miles (10
kilometers) into the atmosphere and flow toward the North Pole and the South Pole,
where it would cool, sink, and return to the equator. Earth’s rotation allows winds to
circulate in more or less predictable patterns across the Northern Hemisphere and
Southern Hemisphere. These winds contain huge amounts of kinetic (ku-NET-ik)
energy, or the energy contained in any fluid body in motion. About two percent of the
solar energy that strikes Earth is converted into wind. For various reasons, including
the revolution of Earth and features of its terrain, some parts of Earth have more
wind than others.
 Wind energy turbines

Wind turbines are fascinating machines that convert the kinetic energy of the wind into mech
energy and, ultimately, electrical power. Here's a detailed breakdown of how wind turbines wo
1. Capturing the Wind's Energy
Wind turbines are equipped with large rotor blades designed to captur
kinetic energy of the wind. When the wind blows, it causes the rotor bl
to spin. The angle and shape of the blades are optimized for efficient
energy capture.

2 Driving the Rotor

As the rotor blades rotate, they turn a shaft connected to a generator located inside the turbin
housing, or nacelle.
This rotational motion initiates the energy conversion process.
4. Power Transmission
The electricity generated by the wind turbine is transmitted down the tower and, in the case
of utility-scale wind turbines, typically fed into the electrical grid.
The power is then distributed to homes, businesses, and industries for use.

Additional Considerations:
- Yaw System:
Wind turbines are often equipped with a yaw system, which enables the rotor to turn and
face into the wind. This allows the turbine to capture the most energy from the wind
regardless of its direction.

- Control Systems:
Modern wind turbines incorporate advanced control systems, which monitor wind
conditions and adjust the blade pitch and rotor speed for optimal energy production.
These systems help maximize efficiency and protect the turbine from extreme wind
conditions.
 Types of Wind Turbines:
1. Horizontal Axis: The most common type, with the rotor blades mounted on a
horizontal axis, typically facing the wind. Large utility-scale turbines often employ this
design.

2 .Vertical Axis: These turbines have their rotor blades mounted on a vertical axis.
They can be more compact and may be used in smaller-scale applications.

Site Selection
- Site selection is critical for wind turbines, as they operate most efficiently in areas with
consistent and strong wind resources. Coastal regions, open plains, and elevated areas are
often chosen for wind farms due to their favorable wind conditions.

- Factors such as wind speed, airflow patterns, and obstructions play a key role in
determining the efficiency and output of a wind turbine.
 ADVANTAGE OF WIND ENERGY

1 Renewable of and clean Energy source

.Wind is an abundant and inexhaustible resource. Harnessing wind energy reduces the
dependency on finite and polluting fossil fuels, contributing to a reduction in greenhouse gas
emission and mitigating climate change.
2 Cost effectiveness

Once installed ,wind turbines can generate electricity at a relatively low cost .
Advances in technology and economies of scale have led to continual reductions in the cost of
wind energy production.
3 Job creation and economic development

The wind energy sector creates employment opportunities ,from manifacturing and installation
to maintenance and operation .wind power projects can also spur economic growth and
investment in local communities.
4. Energy independence:

. Utilizing wind energy contributes to energy diversity and reduces dependence on

imported fossil fuels , thus enhancing enegy security for both countries and regions.
5.Scalability and Flexibility:

Wind farms can range from small scale installation to large utility- scale projects ,
providing flexibility and adaptability to various energy needs and geographic
locations.
6 Low environmental effect

Wind energy production has a minimal environmental footprint compared to

traditional power generation .It has relatively low water consumption ,no direct
emissions, and occupies land area compared to many other energy sources.
 Disadvantages of Wind Energy:

1. Intermittency and Variability:

- Wind energy generation is dependent on wind speed and can be intermittent. Energy
production may fluctuate based on weather patterns, and energy storage solutions or
backup sources are needed to ensure a consistent power supply.

2. Visual and Noise Impacts:

- Wind farms, especially large-scale installations, can be visually obtrusive, and the
rotating blades may generate noise, impacting the aesthetics and tranquility of the local
landscape.

3. Land Use and Wildlife Impact:

- Wind farms require significant land areas, potentially impacting local ecosystems and
wildlife habitats. There are concerns about bird and bat collisions with turbine blades,
4. Initial Costs and Infrastructure:
- The upfront costs associated with installing and integrating wind turbines into the grid
can be substantial, and the infrastructure needed for transporting electricity from remote
wind farms to urban centers may require significant investment.

5. Public Acceptance and Community Opposition:

- Some communities may express opposition to the construction of wind farms due to
concerns about visual impact, noise, and perceived threats to property values.

6. Resource Limitations and Siting Challenges :

- Wind turbines are most effective in areas with consistent and strong wind resources,
leading to challenges in the optimal siting of wind farms and transmission infrastructure
 MEASURING WIND ENERGY

.There is no linear correlation between wind speed and wind energy. Doubling wind speed, from 4 m/s to
8 m/s for example, does not simply double the energy in the wind. Rather, the energy increases eight
times. A site with an average 7 m/s wind speed is much more valuable than a site with an average wind
speed of 5 m/s.
. Although there is only a small difference in wind speed, the windier site contains nearly 60 percent more
energy. Wind speed varies from year to year, season to season, and with the time of day. Wind speed also
varies with height above the ground.
.Every moving object has kinetic energy, which depends on it’s velocity V. In wind there is kinetic energy,
which also depends on it’s Velocity. Considering a mass of air passing through an area over a given time.
The mass flow rate
 The fact that the power is proportional to the cube of the wind speed is very significant.
This can be demonstrated by pointing out that if the wind speed doubles then the power
in the wind increases by a factor of eight! It is therefore worthwhile finding a site which
has a relatively high mean wind speed. Although the power equation above gives us the
power in the wind, the actual power that we can extract from the wind is significantly
less than this figure suggests.
The actual power will depend on several factors, such as the type of machine and rotor
used, the sophistication of blade design, friction losses, the losses in the Generator or
pump or other equipments connected to the wind machine.

There are also physical limits to the amount of power which can be extracted
realistically from the wind. It can be shown theoretically that any rotor can only
possibly extract a maximum of 59.3% of the power from the wind (this is known as the
Betz limit).
In reality, for a wind pump, this figure is usually around 30% to 40% and
for a large electricity producing turbine around 45% maximum so,
modifying the formula for ‘Power in the wind’ we can say that the power
that is produced by the wind machine can be given by:
Pm = ½.Cp p . A .V3
Where
PM is power (in watts) available from the machine
Cp is the coefficient of performance of the wind machine It is also worth
bearing in mind that a wind machine will only operate at maximum
efficiency for a fraction of the time it is running, due to variations in wind
speed. A rough estimate of the output from a wind pump can be obtained
using the following equation;
PA = 0.1 A V 3
Where
PA is the average power output in watts over the year
V is the mean annual wind speed in m/s
 Wind in Ethiopia
In Ethiopia most of the wind speeds measured from agro-meteorological stations are at 2m
above ground level, of which probably the sites are not suitable for wind measurement.
That means one might expect locations with higher wind speeds at wind exposed sites.
Taking some of the wind measurements on some parts of Ethiopia and calculating at 20m
above ground level by means of the logarithmic power law, we get several stations with more
than 6 m/s annual average wind speed.
At ( Mekelle )a place where the data at 10m above ground level has been measured at a well
exposed site showed an average annual wind speed of 6.7m/s.
That will be above 8m/s at 45m hub height. In general if a wind energy assessment with
standard measuring heights is made on wind exposed places there would be places with
sufficient wind speed to run a wind turbine.
In Ethiopia, wind energy development was almost entirely concentrated in the southern part
of Ethiopia for wind water pumping. The total wind resource of Ethiopia is estimated at
20.064 million TJ/year [4].
Wind energy is one of the resources which is virtually unexploited in
Ethiopia. Only some attempts were made by a few organizations to harness
this free and inexhaustible source of energy.
. According to some studies the Rift Valley, the Eastern lowlands and the
central highlands are suitable for low or medium wind turbines. In wind
energy survey made using wind data collected by the National
Meteorological Services Agency (NAMSA) showed that mean winds speeds
greater than 2.8 m/s are found extensively in Ethiopia.