WIND TURBINE

Abstract

Electricity generated from wind turbines is increasingly in demand across the world.
Government incentives (state and federal), renewable portfolio standards, improved
technology, and marketable
renewable energy credits are driving the wind power industry, producing favorable
economics at both the utility
scale as well as the smaller, community scale. Wind power is now comparable in
price with the most commonenergy sources, such as coal and natural gas, resulting
in a large percentage increase in the number of wind
turbines being erected throughout the country. With increasing demand for wind
power, there will be a greater
need for wind technicians, or windsmiths, that provide maintenance on the turbines.
There will also be a need for
training programs that provide instruction in wind turbine technology, turbine
maintenance, tower construction
and erection, tower safety and wind economics. In addition, there will be an
increasing need for research on
developing technologies to make wind power a steady reliable source of electricity,
available on demand rather
than just when the wind blows.

Aims & objectives

An association was formed to develop the idea, which aimed to promote wind
energy projects
that benefit local people and that are subject to a significant degree of local control.
To gain experience in wind measurement, site development and
operation of large scale wind turbines at sites in complex terrain and
especially under the specific geographic and climatic conditions in the
West Balkan area with the aim of increasing efficiency and reliability of
wind turbine technology.
To gain experience with innovative measurement and simulation
techniques in complex terrain and under specific local wind systems in
SEE.
To improve the accuracy of energy yield prediction in complex terrain.
To increase efficiency and reliability of operating MW scale wind turbines
at sites in complex terrain.
To standardize and harmonize building codes and related standards for
wind turbine construction in West Balkans.

Objectives

The North American Wind Research and Training Center will accomplish the
following objectives:
Develop a comprehensive wind energy training curriculum to train technicians in all
aspects of modern wind
turbines and wind farm management, including customized industry training for
each turbine design
Provide a location for applied wind research in a Class 4-5 wind energy resource
region in close proximity to
major wind farms.
Provide an educational environment for instruction on wind power technology
Promote wind power as an economic development tool for the region
Serve as a demonstration site for other public institutions and industries seeking to
reduce utility costs.
7/18/05

 HISTORY

Wind machines were used in Persia as early as 200 B.C. The windwheel of Heron of Alexandria
marks one of the first known instances of wind powering a machine in history.
However, the first practical windmills were built in Sistan, a region between Afghanistan and
Iran, from the 7th century. These were vertical axle windmills, which had long vertical driveshafts
with rectangle-shaped blades. Made of six to twelve sails covered in reed matting or cloth
material, these windmills were used to grind corn and draw up water, and were used in the
gristmilling and sugarcane industries.
A forerunner of modern horizontal-axis wind generators was in service at Yalta, USSR in 1931.
This was a 100 kW generator on a 30 m (100 ft) tower, connected to the local 6.3 kV distribution
system. It was reported to have an annual capacity factor of 32 per cent, not much different from
current wind machines. In the fall of 1941, the first megawatt-class wind turbine was
synchronized to a utility grid in Vermont. The Smith-Putnam wind turbine only ran for 1100
hours. Due to war time material shortages the unit was not repaired.
The first utility grid-connected wind turbine operated in the UK was built by John Brown &
Company in 1954 in the Orkney Islands. It had an 18 meter diameter, three-bladed rotor and a
rated output of 100 kW.

Resources
Wind turbines locations with constantly high wind speeds bring best return on investment. With
a wind resource assessment it is possible to estimate the amount of energy the wind turbine will
produce.

Types of wind
turbine

Horizontal axis

Components of a horizontal axis wind turbine (gearbox, rotor shaft and brake assembly) being lifted
into position
Horizontal-axis wind turbines (HAWT) have the main rotor shaft and electrical generator at the top of a
tower, and must be pointed into the wind. Small turbines are pointed by a simple wind vane, while
large turbines generally use a wind sensor coupled with a servo motor. Most have a gearbox, which

turns the slow rotation of the blades into a quicker rotation that is more suitable to drive an electrical
generator.
Horizontal subtypes

Doesburger windmill, Ede, The Netherlands.

12th-century windmills
These squat structures, typically (at least) four bladed, usually with wooden shutters or fabric sails,
were developed in Europe. These windmills were pointed into the wind manually or via a tail-fan and
were typically used to grind grain. In the Netherlands they were also used to pump water from lowlying land, and were instrumental in keeping its polders dry.
Vertical-axis wind turbines (or VAWTs) have the main rotor shaft arranged vertically. Key
advantages of this arrangement are that the turbine does not need to be pointed into the wind to be
effective. This is an advantage on sites where the wind direction is highly variable.
With a vertical axis, the generator and gearbox can be placed near the ground, so the tower doesn't need
to support it, and it is more accessible for maintenance. Drawbacks are that some designs produce
pulsating

Darrieus wind turbine

"Eggbeater" turbines, or Darrieus turbines, were named after the French inventor, Georges
Darrieus. They have good efficiency, but produce large torque ripple and cyclical stress on the
tower, which contributes to poor reliability. They also generally require some external power
source, or an additional Savonius rotor to start turning, because the starting torque is very low.
The torque ripple is reduced by using three or more blades which results in a higher solidity for
the rotor. Solidity is measured by blade area divided by the rotor area. Newer Darrieus type
turbines are not held up by guy-wires but have an external superstructure connected to the top
bearing.

Turbine design and construction

Components of a horizontal-axis wind turbine

Wind turbines are designed to exploit the wind energy that exists at a location. Aerodynamic modeling
is used to determine the optimum tower height, control systems, number of blades and blade shape.
Wind turbines convert wind energy to electricity for distribution. Conventional horizontal axis turbines
can be divided into three components.

The rotor component, which is approximately 20% of the wind turbine cost, includes the blades
for converting wind energy to low speed rotational energy.
The generator component, which is approximately 34% of the wind turbine cost, includes the
electrical generator, the control electronics, and most likely a gearbox component for converting
the low speed incoming rotation to high speed rotation suitable for generating electricity.
The structural support component, which is approximately 15% of the wind turbine cost, includes
the tower and rotor yaw mechanism.

INDIA WIND ENERGY

In the early 1980s, the Indian government established the Ministry of NonConventional Energy Sources (MNES) to encourage diversification of the country's energy
supply, and satisfy the increasing energy demand of a rapidly growing economy. In 2006, this
ministry was renamed the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE).
Renewable energy is growing rapidly in India. With an installed capacity of 13.2 CW,
renewable energy sources (excluding large hydro) currently account for 9% of India's overall
power generation capacity. By 2012, the Indian government is planning to add an extra 14
CW of renewable sources.
In its 10th Five Year Plan, the Indian government had set itself a target of adding 3.5 GW of
renewable energy sources to the generation mix. In reality, however, nearly double that figure
was achieved. In this period, more than 5.4 GW of wind energy was added to the generation
mix, as well as 1.3 GW from other RE ssurces The tdi^ot si.t tor the pound tism 2008-2012
was increased to 14 GW, 10.5 GW of which to be new wind generation capacity.
The Indian Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) estimates that there is a potential
of around 90,000 MW for the country, including 48,561 MW of wind power, 14,294 MW of
small hydro power and 26,367 MW of biomass In addition, the potential for solar energy is
estimated for most parts of the country at around 20 MW per square kilometer of open,
shadow free area covered with 657 GW of installed capacity.
The total potential for wind power in India was first estimated by the Centre for Wind Energy
Technology (C-WET) at around 45 GW, and was recently increased to 48.5 GW. This figure
was also adopted by the government as the official estimate.
The C-WET study was based on a comprehensive wind mapping exercise initiated by MNRE,
which established a country-wide network of 105O wind monitoring and wind mapping

stations in 25 Indian States. This effort made it possible to assess the national wind potential
and identify suitable areas for harnessing wind power for commercial use, and 216 suitable
sites have been identified.
However,the wind measurements were carried out at lower hub heights and did not take into
account technological innovation and improvements and repowering of old turbines to replace
them with bigger ones At heights of 55-65 meters, to replace them with bigger ones. At
heights of 55-65 meters, the Indian WindTur bine Manufacturers Assodation (IWTMA)
estimates that the potential for wind development in India is around 65-70 GW. The World
Institute for Sustainable Energy, India (WISE) considers that with larger turbines, greater land
availability and expanded resource exploration, the potential could be as big as 100 GW.

India Wind Energy Market Analysis and Forecasts to 2013 (Global Data)
The report provides detailed analysis and forecasts of the global wind power market and the India wind
market in particular. It also helps in analyzing and forecasting key metrics relating to the installed
capacities, market size and growth. The report facilitates to understand onshore and offshore market in
India. It provides information relating to the major wind farms onshore and offshore projects and also
the upcoming projects in India. The report helps to comprehend the wind turbine industry and the
regulatory framework regarding the wind market in India. It offers interesting results on the market
share of the top manufacturers in the Italy wind turbine industry. Additionally, it also provides ten
profiles of the major wind turbine companies in India.
The report also provides trends and analysis of investments in the India wind power market as well as
deal summary and news flow for the last 6 months. On an all, it helps an investor to gauge the market
and technological development of the India wind market.

Scope
- Global Wind Market Analysis
- India Wind Market Overview, Market Size and Growth
- Predict and forecast future wind industry trends in India
- Key policies and regulatory framework supporting the India Wind Market
- Identify growth segments and opportunities in the India Wind Industry
- India Wind Turbine Industry and the leading players in the Indian wind market
- Key details regarding the active and upcoming wind projects in India
Reasons to buy
- Gain the most up to date and in-depth information on the India wind power market
- Analyzes the India Wind Turbine Industry
- Identify the key growth and investment opportunities within the India market based on the deal
analysis
- Facilitate decision-making based on strong historic and forecast data, deal analysis and recent
developments
- Develop strategies based on the latest operational and regulatory events in India
- Rapidly help to prepare more detailed and effective planning materials
- Understand and respond to your competitors business structure, strategy and prospects
- Do deals with an understanding of how competitors are financed, and the mergers and partnerships
that have shaped the market
- Identify and analyze the strengths and weaknesses of the leading wind companies in India

Keywords
India, Indian, Asia Pacific, Renewable Energy, Renewable Power Market, Historical Cumulative

Installed Capacity, Renewable Type, Wind Market, World Wind Power Market, Market Dynamics,
Infrastructure Analysis, Supply Chain Analysis, Human Resources Analysis, Offshore Development,
Average Wind Farm Cost, Average Wind Turbine Size, Capital

Advantages of Wind Energy

1. Wind energy is nothing new. It's a well-known method of using kinetic energy (wind) to produce
mechanical energy and has been around for thousands of years since the Persians and later Romans
were using windmills to draw water and grind grain.
2. Wind energy is a renewable resource meaning that the Earth will continue to provide this and it's up
to people to use it and harness it to best advantage.
3. Wind energy is cheap and is largely dependent upon the manufacturing, distribution and building of
turbines for the initial costs. The U. S. DOE estimates wind energy can be produced for as low as 4 to 6
cents per kilowatt hour.
4. Wind energy replaces electricity from coal-fired power plants and thus reduces greenhouse gases that
produce global warming.
5. Wind energy is available worldwide and though some countries may be "windier" than others, the
product is not like oil that has to be transported on tankers to the far regions of the earth.
6. Wind farms on average have a smaller footprint than coal-fired power plants and even though some
people don't like the appearance to wind turbines, they object more to having a coal-fired power plant
in their backyards.
7. Wind turbines can also share space with other interests such as the farming of crops or cattle.
8. Wind energy is available in many remote locations where the electrical grid doesn't reach. Farms,
mountain areas and third world nations can take advantage of wind energy.
9. Wind energy is creating jobs that are far outpacing other sectors of the economy.
10. Wind energy doesn't have to be used solely on a commercial scale as residential wind turbines are
now gaining ground in many communities.

Disadvantages of Wind Energy

1. Wind is an intermittent source of energy and when connected to the electrical grid provides an
uneven power supply. Some places such as the Gulf Coast region of the U. S. have too strong of winds
during hurricane season that may damage wind turbines.
2. Some people object to the visual site of wind turbines disrupting the local landscape.
3. The wind doesn't blow well at all locations on Earth. Wind maps are needed to identify the optimal
locations.
4. The initial cost of a wind turbine can be substantial, though government subsidies, tax breaks and
long-term costs may alleviate much of this.
5. Transmission of electricity from remote wind farms can be a major hurdle for utilities since many
time turbines are not located around urban centers.
6. The storage of excess energy from wind turbines in the form of batteries, hydrogen or other forms
still needs research and development to become commercially viable.
7. Some environmentalists have complained that large utility wind turbines have a detrimental effect to
migratory bird flight paths.
8. Depending upon the type of wind turbine, noise pollution may be a factor for those living or working
nearby.
9. Even though costs of wind energy have come down dramatically it still has to compete with the ultra
low price for fossil fuel power plants.
10. Utility scale wind turbines can interfere with television signals of those living within a mile or two
of the installation, which can be frustrating for homeowners.
These are the top 10 advantages and top 10 disadvantages of wind energy. Make up your own mind
whether the advantages outweigh the disadvantages for your household and your community