Wind Energy Flashcards
Despite being made of fragile materials like clay, these windmills have functioned for centuries and are still operational today
Nashtifan windmills
Where did the first horizontal axis windmill appeared in year 1150 located?
England
This windmill gained cultural significance due to Miguel de Cervantes’ novel
La Mancha windmills
Windmills in La Mancha, Spain, gained cultural significance due to Miguel de Cervantes what novel?
Don Quixote
In 1887, the first multi-bladed wind turbine (12 kW DC), used to charge lead-acid batteries is built by whom
Charles Francis Brush (USA)
Who improved Brush’s design, reducing rotor blades to increase energy efficiency?
Poul la Cour
Formerly the world’s most powerful
offshore turbine
GE Renewable Energy’s 12 MW Haliade-X
Currently the world’s largest
wind turbine
Mingyang Smart Energy’s 16 MW MYSE 16.0-242
It is defined as the measure of the wind turbine or wind farm’s potential to produce electrical energy
Availability
True or False.
If the turbine is available, meaning it is grid-connected and the wind and other conditions are within its operational specifications, then power will be generated.
True
Definition of Availability based on Manufacturers
They define availability in a manner that reflects the performance of their turbines while excluding external factors such as grid failures or scheduled maintenance. Their approach is typically contractual, ensuring that their turbines meet specified uptime requirements without accounting for external disruptions beyond their control. This perspective helps manufacturers demonstrate the reliability of their technology but may not always align with the actual power output experienced by the wind farm.
Definition of Availability based on Operators/Owners
They adopt a broader definition of availability,
incorporating all factors that impact energy production, including grid outages, maintenance downtime, and environmental limitations. Their primary concern is the total energy output and financial viability of the project, making it necessary to account for all potential sources of downtime.
Standardized Frameworks used by Industry regulators and Energy analysts.
International Electrotechnical Commission
(IEC) or the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC)
Their definitions often serve as a middle ground between the perspectives of manufacturers and
operators, aiming to provide a balanced and widely applicable measure of availability.
Industry regulators and energy analysts
A renewable resource that harnesses the kinetic energy of moving air to generate electricity.
Wind Energy
It relies on naturally occurring wind patterns driven
by atmospheric pressure differences, making it an environmentally friendly alternative to conventional
energy production.
Wind Energy
Energy transformation process from Solar Energy to Wind Energy
The conversion of solar energy into wind energy begins with the sun heating the Earth’s surface unevenly. This temperature variation causes differences in air pressure, which in turn generate
wind as air moves from high-pressure to low-pressure areas. Approximately 2% of the solar energy that reaches Earth is transformed into wind’s kinetic energy.
True or False.
Higher elevations experience stronger, more consistent winds, making them ideal for wind farms.
True
Commercial wind projects typically require average wind speeds of at least ____ m/s at turbine height of __ m.
6.5 m/s; 80 m
Approximately how much of the solar energy that
reaches Earth is transformed into wind’s kinetic energy.
2%
Dominant design of Wind energy technology.
horizontal-axis wind turbines (HAWT)
Key components of a HAWT.
Key components include blades, a rotor, a shaft, a gearbox, a generator, and a nacelle.
It states no turbine can capture more than 59% of wind’s kinetic energy.
Betz Limit
Defined as the limiting wind farm output due
to grid constraints
Curtailment
