A wind turbine is a device that converts kinetic energy from the wind into electrical power. Small wind turbines we discussed for domestic use have fewer requirements to properties, but more considerations of cost compared to large wind turbine.
2.1 Blade material choice
According to its working principles, the blade materials of wind turbine not only have to face large aerodynamic, inertial and fatigue loads, but are now being designed to endure environmental effects such as degradation of surface, accumulation of dust particles, ice accretion on blades, insect collision on blades and moisture ingress [5]. The carbon-fiber has the highest tensile strength and modulus and can pose extremely high resistance to fatigue, corrosion and moisture which are all desired for wind turbine blade. Due to the high strength to weight ratio, lighter blades allow sensitivity to minor wind movements and a rapid response to wind gusts. Besides, lighter blades require less robust turbine and tower components, so the whole cost savings decrease the additional cost of carbon fiber [6]. However, this kind of cost saving is only effective on large wind turbines. On the contrary, the carbon fiber has disadvantages such as: low strain to failure, low impact resistance, high electrical conductivity and high cost. For the remote households or farms which need to use small wind turbines, the high cost of carbon fiber will increase the price of the whole wind turbine which is the biggest shortcoming. Specifically, the carbon fiber costs more than 10 times as much as E-glass fiber, which is also a feasible alternative (in Table 1). In conclusion, the carbon fiber is fully suitable as a blade material of large-scale wind turbine, but for domestic small wind tu...
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As for the attachment method, there are two main types of joint: mechanically fastened joints (bolted, riveted) and adhesively joints. The method of using screws which is applied in the project can be classify as mechanically fastened and uses friction between the joined parts to force them together. The joint is designed to allow load transfer between the components in such a way that the structure has the necessary performance. The benefits of bolted joint are lower installation costs, lower maintenance costs, increased productivity, lower fastener costs and flexibility. One problem is that wind turbines are fatigue machines—always vibrating and working to loosen their fasteners. Therefore, the lifetime of the bolted joint may need to be considered. Another problem is that with carbon-fiber and metal, galvanic corrosion can occur which is harmful to the machines.
Every so often workers have to go up the tower and unwind the wire that is located in the generator at the top of the tower (Campbell). The reason they have to unwind the wire is so the wind turbine can turn into the wind to create energy. These wind turbines only rotate one way, they don’t rotate both ways, so after a while the wire turning the wind turbine tightens and the wind turbine is unable to turn anymore. So the workers have to go up to the generator of the wind turbine and unwind the wire manually (Campbell). Also, with all the wiring and gears up in the generator, workers have to go up the ladder which is found on the inside of a turbine, and check to make sure everything is alright (Gipe).
General Electric has been able to reduce some of the fuel consumption of their jet engines by incorporating composite fan blades. One of the biggest factors that affect the efficiency of aircraft jet engines today is component weight. If you were to weigh a single fan blade from a fairly large jet engine you would be very surprised at how much it weighs. Each one of those blades has to be propelled, using energy from the fuel that is burned in the combustion chamber, creating high fuel consumption. General Electric is trying to reduce the weight of the fan blades that they use on their engines by manufacturing them from different lightweight materials. The original blades were made out of very heavy metal, in order to increase their strength and durability. In an article about the new GE9X turbine engine, Bill Millhaem is quoted to say: “The GE9X fan blade will feature new high-strength carbon fiber material and a steel alloy leading edge.” These blades have been installed in engines that are being used in flig...
There is physics involved in these wind turbines as they change wind into mechanical energy and then into electricity. The energy produced depends on the volume of the air, the density, and the wind speed. The mass per unit time is the mass times the density times the wind speed or m = mass, p = density, A = area, and v = wind speed; m = pAV. Because the function of the wind turbine is to transform the wind’s kinetic energy into electricity the equation for kinetic energy is needed; KE = ½ mv2 or kinetic energy equals one half the mass times the velocity squared. Then, using substitution, the power in the wind depends on the density of the air, area swept out by rotors, and the cube of the velocity or ½ pAV3. Using Betz’ law the theoretical energy model for extracting 59% of the energy is power = 16/27(½ pAV3) .
The study aims to analyse the structural effects and operational characteristics of wind turbines during hurricane conditions, where wind speeds could range between 50-58 m/s for a category 3 hurricane [1]. A detailed study of wind turbine operation at high velocity will be carried out from available literature, more specifically, the braking systems being employed in the nacelle of the wind turbine and the related susceptibility to fire and mechanical failures. Data available from knowledge repositories such as QUT library, IEEE Xplore will be used to obtain qualitative data such as pyrolysis tests, mechanical gearbox specifications and failure modes. The following are specific goals to help guide us to a conclusion:
Wind energy can play a critical role in saving our planet from the negative effects of energy powered by fossil fuels. Wind turbines work effectively at reducing carbon dioxide emissions. For instance, a single utility scale wind turbine can prevent the emission of 5,000 tons of CO2 into the atmosphere a year by displacing the power generated by fossil fuels. Also, a single 750-kilowatt turbine can produce roughly 2 million kilowatt hours of electricity annually. Turbines of this nature are the ones now being used in power plants around the world (Wind Energy Weekly). One good example is California. Their wind power plants displace 4.5 billion pounds of CO2 each year with the 3 billion kilowatt hours of energy they produce. To put it into an environmental perspective, that is as much CO2 as could be absorbed by a forest covering 1100 square miles (Wind Energy Weekly). Although wind energy has little to no impact on the environment when it comes to air pollution or greenhouse gases, there are other environmental concerns surrounding this form of energy production. Some of the concerns about wind energy include visual impacts, birds and other living resources, lightning and noise (Wind Energy Development).
The aerofoil of the blade also very significant, the shape of the aerofoil that has been used would affect the result of the wind turbine performance. The CFD analysis result, such as pressure and velocity distribution, flow streamlines and calculation results such as rotational speed, torque, power, lift and drag coefficient , effect of TSP and angle of attack can be done. Regards for the shroud reviews, found that the differences between the bare wind turbine and the augmented shroud wind turbine affect the efficiency of power production
A lot of cultures have taken advantage of wind energy for hundreds of decades. It was used when sails were incorporated to navigate the River Nile in 5000BC and Persians used -windmills in 500AD so that they could pump water and grind grain. Now-a-days, wind energy is being realized as one of the “most promising new energy sources” and is going to be an important alternative in years to come.
In everyday life, there are things that one needs to survive. And sustainability problems arise every day. One such problem is energy loss. The world is using up a lot of energy and new ideas need to be formed to help the rest of the world and the future of the generations that are to follow, to survive. With that the problem is that people use up energy and they do not use it efficiently. Therefore scientists are needed to find ways to deal with the sustainability problem that is arising. That is where wind turbines are used to generate this energy but the actual wind-turbines are very large, loud and they kill birds, thus new designs need to be found in order to help energy usage and to bring the size and structure of the wind turbines to a smaller scale to prevent injuries to nature and the species around it.
Wind turbines can be very useful in bringing energy into your home. They are especially useful when solar panels aren't working. They take the wind speed from oceans, lakes, dugouts, or rivers and turn it into energy. To use the wind turbines most efficiently you should set up a wind power system.
The first process in designing the wind turbine involve the calculation of the various loads expected to act on the blade surface during operating wind conditions which in turn are used to calculate the stresses and deflections. These stresses and deflections are later compared with the design stresses and deflections of the material from which the component is to be made.
Urban area has been defined as a terrain with a population of 50,000 or a bunch of 2,500 to 50,000 people according to the US Census Bureau. Rural is later defined as anything external to that definition. Particular challenges are faced by rural areas when matter is of energy and water usage. For instance, utilities have to pay higher costs to modernize their energy groundwork and often find it stiffer to implement cleaner technologies because of the great distances between customers and crooked patchwork of reliable resources. Moreover, many system organizers and thought leaders for ground breaking energy know how live in suburban or urban areas and may discover it tougher to relate to the particular challenges of rural locations.
Winds are caused by the irregular heating of the atmosphere by the sun, the variations of the earth's surface, and rotation of the earth. This wind flow, or kinetic energy, when "harvested" by modern wind turbines, can be used to generate electricity. There is an abundance of wind to meet our needs, “the potential of [the total] wind power [in the world] is. 20 times more than what the entire human population needs” (Maehlum). Currently, wind power is one of the lowest-priced renewable energy technologies available, costing between four and six cents per kilowatt-hour, depending upon the wind resource.
Wind turbines are a great source of energy around the world. Wind turbines produce wind energy that can be used to power our homes. Wind turbines convert kinetic energy into mechanical power. Then this mechanical power gets generated into electricity. Wind turbines make energy by the wind turning the large blades, which spin a shaft that is connected to the large blades, which then operates the generator making electricity.
The wind is an incredibly valuable renewable energy source and is in the forefront of renewable energy developments. It is used to convert wind energy into energy that can be harnessed and used via a variety of methods, including; wind turbines, windmills, sails and windpumps. For a renewable energy source, however, it is wind turbines that are used to generate electricity (see figure 1). Wind power has been used for this since the end of the nineteenth century, after Professor James Blyth of the Royal College of Science and Technology first attempted it (Boyle, 2012). However, It wasn’t until the 1980s that using wind power technology was sufficient enough to experience a rapid growth of the technology.
Wind is a form of solar energy. The term wind energy describes the process by which the wind is used to generate electricity or mechanical power. Wind turbines convert mechanical energy from the wind into electrical power. Wind turbines usually have three main parts. There are blades that connect to a central hub, a box behind the blades that contains the generator, and a long stem that connects to the ground. The way how it works is that the wind turns the blades, which spins a shaft that connects to a generator making electricity. After the electricity is produced it is sent through transmission lines to a substation that is sent to business and homes. For the sake of our planet, we must promote a renewable energy economy. Wind power can be a foundation of that sustainable energy future because it provides jobs in states that are building wind turbines, is a renewable energy source, and does not damage our environment. The environment will not be damaged by the pollution, the natural resources will not be used up, and there won’t be generating of hazardous wastes. Welcoming wind energy today will lay the foundation for a healthy tomorrow that will affect everyone in the United States. There are obstacles and challenges that will make it more difficult, but the environmental impact is well worth it to invest more money into wind energy.