I.

Principles of Wind Energy

Wind energy is energy from moving air, caused by temperature (and therefore pressure)
differences in the atmosphere. Irradiance from the sun heats up the air, forcing the air to rise.
Conversely, where temperatures fall, a low pressure zone develops. Winds (i.e. air flows) balance
out the differences. Hence, wind energy is solar energy converted into kinetic energy of moving
air. Wind energy is generated by converting kinetic energy through friction process into useful
forms such as electricity and mechanical energy.

Wind Energy Converters (WECs) or wind turbines capture the air flow by converting it into
a rotational movement, which subsequently drives a conventional generator for electricity. A
wind turbine works on a simple principle. The energy in the wind turns two or three propeller-like
blades around a rotor. The rotor is connected to the main shaft, which spins a generator to create
electricity. Wind power is the use of air flow through wind turbines to mechanically power
generators for electricity.

When air mass is flowing through an area A with speed v, the power of that air movement at time
t is given by:

Where ρ is the density of air, which is around 1.22kg/m³. The

energy (kWh) is the product of power and time:

There are two forces in play: Lift and Drag. The Lift Force is perpendicular to the wind
direction. It is caused by a pressure difference between the airs on either side of the blade.
The Drag Force is in the same direction as the wind.

Advantages
 Free source of energy
 Environmentally friendly, no fossil fuels are burnt to generate electricity from wind energy
 Wind turbines take up less space than the average power station
 Wind turbines are a great resource to generate energy in remote locations
 Newer technologies are making the extraction of wind energy much more efficient

Disadvantages
 In many areas, the winds strength is too low to support a wind turbine or wind farm
 Wind turbines generally produce allot less electricity than the average fossil fueled power
station, requiring multiple wind turbines to be built in order to make an impact
 The noise pollution from commercial wind turbines is sometimes similar to a small jet
engine.
II. Different Types of wind turbine

a.) Horizontal axis Wind Turbine

Horizontal axis wind turbines are the most common type used. All of the components
(blades, shaft, and generator) are on top of a tall tower, and the blades face into the wind. The
shaft is horizontal to the ground. The wind hits the blades of the turbine that are connected to a
shaft causing rotation. The shaft has a gear on the end which turns a generator. The generator
produces electricity and sends the electricity into the power grid. The wind turbine also has some
key elements that adds to efficiency. Inside the Nacelle (or head) is an anemometer, wind vane,
and controller that read the speed and direction of the wind. As the wind changes direction, a
motor (yaw motor) turns the nacelle so the blades are always facing the wind. The power source
also comes with a safety feature. In case of extreme winds the turbine has a break that can slow
the shaft speed. This is to inhibit any damage to the turbine in extreme conditions.

b.) Vertical axis Wind Turbine

In vertical axis turbines the shaft the blades are connected to is vertical to the ground. All
of the main components are close to the ground. Also, the wind turbine itself is near the ground,
unlike horizontal where everything is on a tower. There are two types of vertical axis wind
turbines; lift based and drag based. Lift based designs are generally much more efficient than
drag, or ‘paddle’ designs.

c.) Ducted Wind Turbines

Ducted wind turbines are positioned at the edge of the roof of a building and utilize the
airflow along a building’s side. The air flows upwards, hugging the building wall then enters the
front of the duct.

III. Schematic Diagram of a Horizontal Up-Wind Turbine

Step-by-step look at each piece of the up-wind turbine schematic diagram:

(1) Nose - constructed with an aerodynamic design and faces the wind
(2) Blades - Lifts and rotates when wind is blown over them, causing the rotor to spin. Most
turbines have either two or three blades
(3) Main turbine shaft - connects the spinning blades to the inner workings of the machine. The
turbine shaft spins with the blades and is the mechanism that transfers the rotational/mechanical
energy of the blades towards the electrical generator.
(4) Brake - installed to prevent mechanical failure from high wind and high rotational speeds. It
can also stop the turbine when it is unneeded.
(5) Gearbox - Connects the low-speed shaft to the high-speed shaft. Used to increase the
rotational speed of the turbine shaft.
(6) High-speed turbine shaft connects the gear box and the generator. Its high rotating speeds
are what spin the turbine generator.
(7) Turbine generator - the most essential part of how a wind turbine works. The turbine
generator is what converts the mechanical energy from the wind into electrical energy using the
rotating force that is transferred from the gears and turbine shaft.
(8) Controller - is installed in case the wind speeds reach an undesired speed, the anemometer
can instruct the controller to use the brake and stop the rotating blades. The controller is also
used to help start spinning the blades and rotor in low wind speeds.
(9) Wind vane - measures the direction of the wind. The wind vane is important for up-wind
turbines that need to be facing the wind in order to operate properly.
(10) Anemometer - is a device that measures wind speeds. They are usually installed to instruct
the controller to stop or start the turbine in certain wind speed conditions.
(11) Yaw drive - the mechanism that receives data from the wind vane and instructs the wind
turbine to rotate to be facing the wind.
(12) Yaw motor - physically rotates the turbine to be facing the wind or as instructed by the yaw
drive.
(13) Turbine tower - contains wiring so the generator can send electricity into a transformer or a
battery which will eventually distribute usable electric power. A crucial structural support system
that holds the turbine high in the air where wind speeds are more desirable.
(14) Nacelle - Sits atop the tower and contains the gear box, low- and high-speed shafts,
generator, controller, and brake.