Wind Energy Basics

Wind EnergyBasics

The Kidwind ProjectThe Kidwind Projectwww.kidwind.orgwww.kidwind.org

What is Electricity?

Electricity is energy transported by

the motion of electrons

Electricity is energy transported by

the motion of electrons

**We do not make electricity, we CONVERT other energy sources into electrical energy****We do not make electricity, we CONVERT

other energy sources into electrical energy**

Conversion is the name of the gameConversion is the name of the gameKidWind Project | www.kidwind.org

Faraday Effect

• Faraday Effect

• Basic Concepts• Voltage – V – Potential to Move Charge (volts)• Current – I – Charge Movement (amperes or amps)• Resistance – R – V = IxR (R in =ohms)• Power – P = IxV = I2xR (watts)

KidWind Project | www.kidwind.org

How Does a Generator Work?


Electricity!

• How much would it cost to run this 100 Watt bulb for a full day (24 hrs)?

• 100 Watts x 24 hours = 2400 Watt Hours (2400 Watt Hours = 2.4 Kilowatt Hours)

• 2.4 kWh x $0.08/kWh = $0.19

• What about this 25 Watt CFL light bulb, which produces the same amount of light?

• 25 Watts x 24 hours = 600 Watt Hours (600 Watt Hours = 0.6 Kilowatt Hours)

• 0.6 kWh x $0.08/kWh = $0.05

More efficient light bulbs are great, but what is the BEST way to conserve electricity and reduce our consumption of fossil fuels???

TURN IT OFF!!!Be conscious of your energy choices!

Where do we get our electricity?


http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/51/Sources_of_Electricity_in_the_US_2005_New.png

What is a Fossil Fuel???

What is “Renewable Energy?”

Types of Electricity Generating Windmills

Small (10 kW)•Homes•Farms•Remote Applications (e.g. water

pumping, telecom sites, icemaking)

Large (250 kW - 2+MW)

•Central Station Wind Farms

•Distributed Power

Intermediate (10-250 kW)•Village Power•Hybrid Systems•Distributed

Power


Parts of a Wind Turbine

Wind Turbine Perspective

Nacelle56 tons

Tower3 sections

Workers Blade112’ long


Large Wind Turbines

• 450’ base to blade• Each blade 112’• Span greater than 747• 163+ tons total• Foundation 20+ feet deep• Rated at 1.5 – 5 megawatt• Supply at least 350 homes

Yawing – Facing the WindYawing – Facing the Wind• Active Yaw (all medium &

large turbines produced today, & some small turbines from Europe)– Anemometer on nacelle tells

controller which way to point rotor into the wind

– Yaw drive turns gears to point rotor into wind

• Passive Yaw (Most small turbines)– Wind forces alone direct rotor

• Tail vanes• Downwind turbines


Importance of Wind Speed• No other factor is more

important to the amount of power available in the wind than the speed of the wind

• Power is a cubic function of wind speed– V X V X V

• 20% increase in wind speed means 73% more power

• Doubling wind speed means 8 times more power


Calculation of Wind Power

•Power in the wind 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).

Power in the Wind = ½ρAV3

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Wind Energy Basics

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