Crane.Dindy.spring2011

Wind Power


 * History of Wind Power:** The concept behind wind energy is to capture the power of the wind and turn into useful energy, as an alternative to electricity. The idea of capturing the immense power of the wind is not a new idea though, for thousands of years the winds power has been harnessed for propulsion of ships, electricity was even made from wind in the late 1800’s. Wind power as we know it today however came to existence around 1980 when companies like vestas began manufacturing what we today would call a small wind turbine. In the Babylonian times emperor Hammurabi used wind power for his irrigation systems’ that would become famous for eternity. In the first century Greece an engineer used wind to power what he called a wind wheel which was then hooked up to a wind powered organ. Early china also used wind with what was called a prayer wheel. These windmills however weren’t practical it took until the 9th century for a practical windmill to be invented and used with success in the middle east. This windmill did not provide mass power like we picture a windmill doing, its job was for agricultural purposes such as grinding corn. The windmill wound have a vertical axis with sails attached to it and a long crankshaft which powered the equipment needed such as a corn grinder, pump and various sugarcane procedures. Seeing the success of these windmills the idea spread throughout central Asia and Europe. The dutch were able to truly capitalize on widmills seeing there function in an agricultural setting and they began t pop up all over the countryside of Holland. So many of these windmills sprouted up through the countryside that even today the windmill is a recognizable symbol of Holland, specifically horizontal axis windmill’s. The history from here only goes on and continues all the way to the modern use of wind so as you can see it’s got quite a long history.

media type="youtube" key="eXejxcW-XGo" height="349" width="425" Anemometer: Measures the wind speed and transmits wind speed data to the controller. Blades:Most turbines have either two or three blades. Wind blowing over the blades causes the blades to "lift" and rotate.Brake:A disc brake, which can be applied mechanically, electrically, or hydraulically to stop the rotor in emergencies Controller:The controller starts up the machine at wind speeds of about 8 to 16 miles per hour (mph) and shuts off the machine at about 55 mph. Turbines do not operate at wind speeds above about 55 mph because they might be damaged by the high winds. Gear box:Gears connect the low-speed shaft to the high-speed shaft and increase the rotational speeds from about 30 to 60 rotations per minute (rpm) to about 1000 to 1800 rpm, the rotational speed required by most generators to produce electricity. The gear box is a costly (and heavy) part of the wind turbine and engineers are exploring "direct-drive" generators that operate at lower rotational speeds and don't need gear boxes. Generator:Usually an off-the-shelf induction generator that produces 60-cycle AC electricity .High-speed shaft:Drives the generator.Low-speed shaft:The rotor turns the low-speed shaft at about 30 to 60 rotations per minute .Nacelle:The nacelle sits atop the tower and contains the gear box, low- and high-speed shafts, generator, controller, and brake. Some nacelles are large enough for a helicopter to land on.Pitch:Blades are turned, or pitched, out of the wind to control the rotor speed and keep the rotor from turning in winds that are too high or too low to produce electricity .Rotor:The blades and the hub together are called the rotor. Wind vane:Measures wind direction and communicates with the yaw drive to orient the turbine properly with respect to the wind. Yaw drive:Upwind turbines face into the wind; the yaw drive is used to keep the rotor facing into the wind as the wind direction changes. Downwind turbines don't require a yaw drive, the wind blows the rotor downwind.Yaw motor: Powers the yaw drive.
 * How it works:**The idea behind a wind turbine believe it or not is actually quite simple. The idea behind it is kind of like the opposite of a fan, fans use electricity no make wind, and well turbines use wind to make electricity. Since the turbines are high up they catch the maximum amount of wind, turning the blades. The blades are then attached to a shaft which turns a generator. In case your wondering what a generator is electric generator is a device or machine that is used to convert mechanical energyinto electrical energy. The mechanical energy in this generators case is the shaft that is being turned by the blades. The electricity from the generator is then runs down the turbine and goes to a a converter to convert the electricity to AC which is what is used. After this converter the electricity is sent to the grid to power homes, buildings and anything else requiring electricity.
 * The basic parts of the turbine and their function are:**


 * CO2 Emissions:**The projected reduction in CO2 emmisions 2,300 tonnes which is nearly 50% of what is currently being emitted by power stations. This seams like it is a good deal considering the largest wid turbine is capable of producing 6-MW which is enough power for 1,600 homes.


 * Can it purify water?:**The reason for wind turbines is not to purify water, it produces power. Many companies however are using wind turbines power to purify water. Wind turbines producing 3 and 30 KW of power are what is used for this procedure and although not all the power is used just to purify the remaining power is used. Some advantages of purifying water this way are 'lLower initial cost than all known purifiers including reverse osmosis, Lower operating costs, the purifying system is less sensitive than standard osmosis.



"In a century there will be no more gas, and in 40 years there will be no more oil. It;s time to think about the future. France must triple its number of wind turbines to achieve the EU's goal of reducing greenhouse gas emisssions by 20% by 2020." French President Nicolas Sarkozy media type="youtube" key="UjsObPiQe_s" height="349" width="560"
 * Is it used?:**Yes it is being used, although not in the mass amounts that many would like to see done. Although the wind power is being used around the world there are only a few places that use it enough to make a major impact. The US, Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Spain, India and France are the places using this alternative power source in large amounts and have plans to continue producing large amounts of wind energy. Recently wind power has been on a rapid rise in the US and more and more turbines are being put up. As many countries are seeing just how huge a success wind power has been they are starting to develop wi[[image:http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/64/GlobalWindPowerCumulativeCapacity.png width="388" height="234" align="left"]]nd power. Many hae suggested that 3rd world countries be involved with wind power, however these place do not have the initial start up fees requires to build wind farms. Right now though only around 3% of all power used world wide comes from the wind, this is a number that must increase. Countries like Denmark however are aiming to make all their energy green energy and for them wind farms are a major part of this exploration. Denmark for opportunist is seen as a model that is can be done and we should all try to follow their model.

as the land below can still be farmed and when your income is dependent on how much land you have, such as a farmer the smallest amount of land taken up is very important. Believe it or not there are manypeople all around the world living in remote areas that are not connected to any power grid, with a small wind turbine these isolated people can produce all their own power. Wind turbines, like people are made in all sorts of shapes and sizes. There is a wind turbine out there perfect for everyone, from a single house to small business to an entire town. Lastly many people find wind farms to be an interesting unusual sight to see. With all these advantages how could anyone not be for wind. "So I support comprehensive legislation that would overhaul our energy taxes; signal the market we're in this for the long run by extending for 10 years the production tax credit..." "We absolutely need the turbines." Senator Hillary Clinton, NY
 * Pro’s of wind power**: The best thing about wind power is that its FREE, who doesn’t love free things. In a world where people are always trying to save any money they can, wind power is amazing as once the initial equipment is bought the wind is free. No greenhouse gasses. We all know that greenhouse gasses are bad and are one of the major cause of global warming, so wind power can help us slow down global warming and maybe just maybe more polar bears can live and well who doesn’t love them they’re just cute. A wind turbine may be tall but it takes up a very small amount of land. With the cost of land rising drastically a solution that takes up a small amount of land is great for saving money. The small amount of land taken up is also key to agricultural areas

room and it sure does get annoying, If I don’t like this outside my dorm I’m sure I would hate living next to one all the time. Nature many believe should be left as it is, and when these huge wind farms that would be required would be built we are finished we would be destroying nature. John Muir best put this when he stated “We abuse land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect." In order to power whole towns massive wind farms must be built. Currently the largest wind turbine produces enough power for 475 homes, now think of the all the turbines to power a town of 100,000 let alone a city like Los Angeles with a population of nearly 10 million. Lastly the money required to build the wind farms is huge and would only be another tax that people are required to pay. This cost is one of the fundamental reasons legislators are against the wind farms. "The turbines are the worst desecration of oucountryside since it was laid waste in the 30 Years War nearly 400 years ago." Hans-Joachim Mengel, Berlin University professor
 * Cons**: Well despite all the advantages that make wind power seem perfect some people are against it. The wind is not a constant reliable power source. There may be days when there are storm force winds and that wind turbine can capture tons of energy however there are also days when the air is completely still and there is no wind, meaning the turbine will be still and producing no power. As anyone who sails knows having no wind to power you can be devastating and leave many people stranded without any power. The simple answer to this problem however is to use wind power as a primary source and have a backup system in place for when there is no wind to produce power. Wind turbines are also UGLY, and many people don’t want to look at them. I don’t know about you but I have never seen anyone dying to live with a wind turbine view, people would much rather look at beautiful ocean. This topic of turbines destroying ocean views was one of the largereasons why the Long Island Sound wind farm faced opposition. Much like a large fan turbines are loud, trust me I can hear Mass Maritimes wind turbine every night when it is on from my

media type="youtube" key="QJGjRro1Pm8" height="349" width="425" align="left" “With the right subsidies, wind could become a viable energy source. And, with the right subsidies, gasoline could be made free, and 2-carat diamonds could be given away in cereal boxes. How is it that wind, with a 4000-year head start, is such a small player in the energy scene? Could it be — just possibly — that the answer has something to do with physics instead of economics and politics?“ Dr. Howard Hayden, Professor Emeritus of Physics, University of Connecticut

"Wind’s unpredictability means it truly has no generating capacity value, and its construction will not displace building any new coal or natural gas generating capacity. Grid reserve margins require wind-back up, and the inefficiency of quickly firing up a natural gas unit to meet erratic wind generation output means any emissions displacement is minimal. Wind is simply an additional capital cost which proves to be more than twice as expensive for the ratepayer." Tom Hewson, Power Engineering
 * Quotes:**

"As the wind installations multiply, companies have found themselves dumping energy late at night, adjusting the blades so they do not catch the wind, because there is no demand for the power. And grid operators, accustomed to meeting demand by adjusting supplies, are now struggling to maintain stability as supplies fluctuate." The New York Times

'I'll invest $150 billion over the next decade in affordable, renewable sources of energy - wind and solar and the next generation of biofules." Barack Obama

__**How Turbines will solve problems?****﻿**__ ====Oil and coal are not going to last forever. This sad but true fact is one of the reasons for the rising costs of these two natural resources. Unfortunately,most power plants run on oil and coal, so the price of electricity is increasing.Even more, to generate electricity from these resources they need to be burned,a process which releases great amounts of pollution into the environment.However, there is a solution to these critical problems. It is called wind turbines.==== ====Wind turbines are devices that use wind power to generate electricity. The processis very simple. Instead of using a fossil fuel to heat water that rotate agenerator, wind turbines use the wind to rotate the generator and generate electricity. This process creates pollution free energy that can be used topower up small and medium appliances.==== ====Although this may sound little, wind turbines can be quite powerful. When joined together, wind turbines can provide enough energy to run an entire house juston their electricity, or at least to cut an electricity bill by 20%-60%. These figures depend on the wind in the area, but they are right for almost anywhere.==== ====Even more than saving money, wind turbines also save the environment. Since they make you less dependent on the electric company, they make you less dependent on fossil fuels and air pollution. Wind is a natural power that does not generate any pollution, so using it to generate electricity is great for theenvironment.====



...... Our natural Resources wont last forever......


 * __How to make wind turbines better?__**

The world's strongest winds race high inthe sky, but that doesn't mean they're out of reach as a potentially potentenergy source. Floating turbines are being developed to turn high-altitudewinds into electricity. The challenges are huge, but the potential is immense.Scientists estimate the energy in the jet streams is 100 times the amount ofpower used worldwide annually. Wind speed generally increases with its heightabove the ground as surface friction diminishes. Each time wind speed doubles,the amount of energy it theoretically holds multiplies by eight times.

====Theworld's most powerful winds circulate in the jet streams, which are found 4 to10 miles off the ground and carry winds that regularly break 100 miles per hour.The dream is to eventually tap the jet streams, but high-altitude windcompanies are focusing for now below a 2,000-foot ceiling, above which complexfederal air-space restrictions kick in High-altitude lightweight turbines will be far cheaper tobuild and deploy than windmills with huge blades and towers that must bedrilled into land or the sea floor. Those savings would mean inexpensiveenergy. With wide-scale use, advocates see a range of prices, from somethingcomparable to land wind's current 9 or 10 cents per kilowatt hour down to anastonishingly low 2 cents per kilowatt hour. As the turbines eventually aimhigher, advocates say there are plenty of remote and offshore no-fly areaswhere they won't interfere with aircraft and have minimal interaction with people. ====

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====It produces no pollution, has no effect on the land the turbine uses.There are no wastes materials like spent nuclear fuel to dispose of. They needless maintenance than conventional power stations. In places that have constant wind, they can be used as a 'base-load', rather than coal or nuclear generators. The turbine would need some sort of mast, which could use recycled metals. They also use less concrete and cement than conventional powers tations, all of which cause air and water pollution during their manufacture. It uses little energy to produce wind turbines, given their workings lives and the amount of energy to produce. Wind farms can be installed relatively quickly andcan be expanded to meet extra demand or be retro-fitted with higher capacity generators to boost output.====