Wind Turbine Power Generation - Optimizing Power Generation

Wind farms are being established in greater numbers and larger dimensions all across the globe from the United States to China.  Although the eco-friendly attributes of these wind farms in terms of power generation are beyond question, issues still remain about their costs and benefits.  Operators must constantly find ways to maximize the efficiency of the wind turbines in power generation lest critics of wind farms, of which there are many, have another weapon on their side to shoot down wind power.  In short, wind farms must be designed so as acquire benefits in excess of the cost.

Scientists are now working to find the ways in which wind turbine power generation can be optimized.  So far, there are two developments in this area - first, the configuration of the wind turbines in relation to each other and; second, the pitch and yaw system.  These two factors in optimal wind power generation are best combined although it must be emphasized that in-depth study must be performed before changes can be made.  With the millions of dollars in investments that even a small wind farm requires, any revisions must be well-thought out, to say the least.

Studies have shown that the optimal distances between wind turbines in a wind farm is farther apart than the distances applied in existing facilities. These findings were discovered with a combination of small-scale experiments in wind tunnels and large-scale computer simulations. Said combination is in contrast with previous studies where only computer models were used to calculate the optimal distances between the wind turbines.

The result of the new approach is that we have a clearer understanding of the cumulative effects of hundreds, perhaps thousands, of wind turbines interacting with each other and affecting the environment. In previous experiments, the primary focus was on the wind turbine interaction for small wind farms, thus, making these studies inapplicable to the large wind farms of today.

When the right configuration of the wind turbines is applied, turbulence is created. The result is that there is greater pulling down of the kinetic energy from above that boosts the power generation efficiency of the wind turbines.

Let's take the example of 5 megawatt wind turbines. At the present calculations, the optimal distance between these wind turbines is 7 rotor diameters. But new calculations will place the optimal distance at more than twice the present one - 15 rotor diameters, to be exact.

Thus, wind farm operators must start planning on spacing their wind turbines farther apart. The goal is more efficient energy generation - more power with the same number of turbines.

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Learn about vertical axis wind turbines at this hub.

First off, an introduction to the pitch and yaw system is necessary. The pitch refers to the blades being turned out of the wind, which keeps the rotor from turning in extreme conditions. Too low winds result in little electricity generated, thus, cost outpaces benefits. Too high winds lead to damaged turbines and, hence, cost again outweighs benefits.

The yaw refers to the yaw drive powered by the yaw motor. Its main function is to keep the upwind turbine facing into the direction of the wind as it changes.

Wind turbines can suffer from wear and tear, too, especially when exposed to extreme conditions. To slow down the process, variable-speed wind turbines are equipped with intelligent pitch and yaw drives. But the most important thing about this feature is that it can optimize wind power generation.

In many instances, the smartness of the pitch and yaw drives, in a manner of speaking, come from the built-in controls that automatically adjusts these two components depending on environmental factors. For example, each wind turbine can be equipped with a weather station that sends data to an electronic controller.

When the power output is too high, the turbine's rotor blades are slightly turned out of the wind's path so as to protect the entire system from extreme stress. When the wind speed drops, the rotor blades can then be turned back into the wind's direction.

With experimentation and keeping on top of the trends in wind power technology, it is possible to squeeze more power out of wind farms. Soon, our world can start relying more on wind power and other renewable sources of energy than on fossil fuel.

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Also learn about what motor to choose at this useful hub.