WIND

POWER
Power Plant Seminar 1

S.N
.

Student Name

ID. No.

Lemi Chala

01165/03

Abate Tasfaye

01828/03

Asnake Mitaw

00551/03

Ashenafi Abera

00542/03

Solomun Kidanemariam

01517/03

Asrat Alemayehu

00553/03

Kayo Babu

01792/03

1 | Page

Introduction
Wind turbine technology offers a cost-effective alternate renewal
energy source. It is important to mention that a wind turbine is capable
of generating greater amounts of electrical energy with zero
greenhouse effects compared to other energy generating schemes
including solar cell, tidal wave, biofuel, hydrogen, biodiesel, and
biomass technologies. A wind turbine is the reverse of an electrical fan.
A wind turbine uses wind energy to generate the electricity; a fan uses
electricity to generate wind. In more sophisticated terminology, a wind
turbine converts the kinetic energy of the wind into electrical energy.
Wind turbines come in different sizes and types, depending on power
generating capacity and the rotor design deployed. Small wind turbines
with output capacities below 10 kW are used primarily for residences,
telecommunications dishes, and irrigation water pumping applications.
Wind turbine technology offers cost-effective solutions to eliminate the
dependence on costly foreign oil and gas now used to generate
electricity. Additionally, this technology provides electrical energy
without greenhouse effects or deadly pollution releases. Furthermore,
wind turbine installation and electricity generating costs are lower
compared to other electrical energy generation schemes involving coal
fired steam turbo-alternators, tidal wave turbines, geothermal-,
hydrothermal-, biofuel-, and biodiesel-based electrical energy sources
and nuclear reactor-based generators.

Working principles of wind turbine

The operation is based on the scientific theory of fluid mechanics and some elements of
aerodynamics. Modern wind turbines catch the wind by turning into or away from air
flows. Wind moves the propellers mounted on a rotor and the movement turns a highspeed shaft coupled to an electric or induction generator. Air currents that blow over flat
terrains or over-the-hill regions have wind velocities ranging from 10 to 65 miles per
hour and are sufficient to turn large blades attached to a high-speed shaft coupled to a
generator. Rotor blade design parameters such as chord, twist angle, and length are
selected to achieve optimum aerodynamic performance and acceleration effects under
various wind conditions at different tower height levels.

2 | Page

Aerodynamics
The blades of a wind turbine have an airfoil design such that the top half is curved and
the bottom half is flat, as shown in Figure 1. When laminar wind flows over the thicker,
curved section of the blade, the wind initially slows down and then speeds up to match
the speed of the relative wind. The increased speed of the wind above the airfoil
produces a low-pressure region while the air below the airfoil remains at a higher
pressure. This causes a phenomenon called lift, where the turbine blade is lifted
perpendicular to the wind flow, towards the low-pressure region. The turbine blade also
experiences drag, which is caused by friction along the blade. Drag (D) causes the
resulting direction of lift (L) to change, as seen in Figure 5. Both effects of lift and drag
cause the turbine blades to rotate around a rotor, which generates kinetic, or mechanical,
energy. To determine whether the turbine is mostly affected by drag or lift, the tip speed
ratio can be calculated using where
of the wind.

is the velocity of the rotor and

is the velocity

Equation 1: Tip Speed Ratio

If > 1, lift force allows the blades to turn faster than the speed of the
wind and, therefore, allows the turbine to output more power more
efficiently.
If < 1, the turbine blades spin using drag force, which means that the
maximum speed at which the blades can turn is the speed of the wind.
The power produced by the wind can be calculated using Equation 2
where A is the cross sectional area of the rotor,
is the wind velocity.

3 | Page

is the air density, and

Equation 2: Power Production of a Wind Turbine

Figure 1: Laminar Flow over an Airfoil

4 | Page

Figure 2: The Effect of Lift and Drag on an Airfoil1

Advantages of wind turbine

Compared to other energy sources wind turbine technology offers affordability, pollutionfree and maintenance-free operation. Major benefits of wind turbine technology can be
briefly summarized as follows:
It saves substantial money on utility bills; users face no power shortages or
failures as experienced by customer.
It delivers environmentally friendly and efficient electrical energy at
lower cost, particularly, in areas where electrical grids are not available, for
example in remote locations with difficult terrain features.
Installation does not jeopardize the value of a home, office building, or
commercial building. The installation can be easily undone and leaves no adverse
visible effects at installation sites.
The turbine does not require frequent or intermittent maintenance or
employment of operations personnel; unlike steam and gas turbine-based
alternator systems, no maintenance or operational costs are incurred.
The technology essentially offers home-made electrical energy and off-grid living,
which is not readily possible with other technologies.
Despite these benefits, wind turbine technology has a few shortcomings.
Damage to its tower structure or housing caused by strong winds may necessitate costly
repairs or maintenance, particularly if a component must be replaced on a tower typically
ranging from 50 to 70 m in height.

Disadvantages
It would be unfair not to identify the potential disadvantages or the imminent dangers.
Consistent noise is the most annoying factor. For example, a constant high wind noise
problem may be overcome by selecting installation sites away from residential areas,
schools, and commercial buildings. It is important to understand that wind turbines are
1
5 | Page

generally loud and the turbine blades represent a danger to birds flying less than 350 ft
above the ground. Older turbines built 15 to 25 years ago are not only louder, but also
less cost-effective. Turbine noise increases with operating height, rotor blade size, and
power output. Most current wind turbine blades vary in length from 50 to 150 ft and the
heights vary from100 to 300 ft, depending on ground surface roughness, vertical
distribution of wind speeds, local terrain features, number of turbines on wind farm, and
electrical power generating requirements.

Wind turbine installation cost depends on site selection, tower height, and output
power rating. A typical 1.5-MW General Electric wind turbine costs around $2.5 million
including parts, installation, and site selection. This cost will be much higher for wind
turbines with higher output ratings. Other costly factors are site selection and tower
structure. However, the cost of producing wind power has dropped four-fold since 1980,
based on Electric Power Research Institute estimates.
A wind turbine normally sits about 30 stories above the ground at the hub, where three
130-ft blades are connected to the tower head. Although maintenance is rarely required
after careful installation, an ordinary maintenance or erection technician is not qualified
to perform the required tasks. Turbine installation and maintenance require intelligence,
quick thinking, split-second decision making, stamina, strong knees, and the ability to
function at dizzying heights. In other words, a technician must be hyper vigilant while
working in tight spaces at heights exceeding 235 ft, in the presence of high-voltage
electrical cables and spinning metal components. A turbine tower contains no elevator.
Access to the top is only possible by climbing rung by rung on a narrow-steel ladder
inside the tower. It is extremely difficult for an ordinary technician to perform tasks in
such a narrow environment. However, an agile and experienced technician will be able to
reach the tower top in 10 minutes or less several times a day. Wind turbine technicians
require 8 weeks of rigorous training and classroom instruction covering installation,
operation, and maintenance. Under working conditions, wind turbine technicians face
inherent dangers while working alone almost 300 ft in the air with little support.
However, crack wind turbine technicians earn annual salaries in six figures.

6 | Page

Wind Energy Projects In Ethiopia

The Ashegoda Wind Farm, about 700 km, North of Addis Ababa has started
generating 120 MW of electricity per year. It helps to start diversifying electricity
generation, which would otherwise remain entirely from hydropower and thus
susceptible to extreme weather events. Its construction was funded from both
domestic and international sources.

The Adama Wind Farm, which is also now operational, is about 80kms South of
Addis Ababa. It produces 51MW of electricity per year.

7 | Page

8 | Page

9 | Page