Wind Farm Design & ConstructionLesson of Module 1.1

Tutor: John Stavenuiter PhDVersion: March 2015

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Wind Farm Design & ConstructionIntended Learning Outcomes

The learner has/can/is:

• some knowledge and understanding of relevant terminology

• aware of the complex organizational structure, processes and design aspects, of the asset (Wind Farms) with respect to Wind Farm Design & Construction

• recognize a Wind Farm Design approach

• some understanding about the necessity of appropriate methods and techniques

• awareness of future threats and opportunities.

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Wind Energy Context & FeaturesSection 1

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http://www.wwindea.org/webimages/WWEA_half_year_report_2014.pdf

Global wind map, installed capacity and production for lead countries (data from 2013)

KEY POINT: good wind resources are found in many regions, notably in the United States, Europe and China, which lead the global market.

Estimated Renewable Energy Share of Global Final Energy Consumption, 2012

[Renewables 2014 GLOBAL STATUS REPORT, page 21]

Fossil, the lowest cost of electricity?How should you calculate? [GWEC Global Wind Report 2014]

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Pollution from Electric Power

Source: Northwest Foundation, 12/97

23%

28%

33%

34%

70%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80%

Toxic Heavy Metals

Particulate Matter

Nitrous Oxides

Carbon Dioxide

Sulfur Dioxide

Percentage of U.S. Emissions

Electric power is a primary source of industrial air pollution

Example from the US

Wind Farm Design Principles2 examples

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Onshore Wind Farm Anacacho, Texas, 201255 Vestas 1.8 MW WT in total 100 MW installed

Offshore Wind Farm Horns Ref, Denmark, 200280 Vestas V80-2.0 MW units, in total 160 MW installed

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Wind Energy History• 1 A.D.

• Hero of Alexandria uses a wind machine to power an organ

• ~ 400 A.D. • Wind driven Buddhist prayer wheels

• 1200 to 1850 • Golden era of windmills in western Europe – 50,000• 9,000 in Holland; 10,000 in England; 18,000 in Germany

• 1850’s• Multiblade turbines for water pumping were made

• 1882 • Thomas Edison commissions first commercial electric generating stations in NYC and London

• 1900• Competition from alternative energy sources reduces windmill population to fewer than

10,000

• 1850 – 1930• Heyday of the small multiblade turbines

• As many as 6,000,000 units installed in US

• 1936+• US Rural Electrification Administration extends the grid to most formerly isolated rural sites

• Grid electricity rapidly displaces multiblade turbine uses

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Wind Turbines

Power for a House or City

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Significant Power Source

coal

petroleum

natural gas

nuclear

hydro

other renewables

wind

Wind could

generate

6% of

worlds

electricity

by 2020.

coal

petroleum

natural gas

nuclear

hydro

other renewables

wind

Wind currently (2014) produces

less than 1% of the world power.

Source: Energy Information Agency

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Benefits of Wind Power

• Environmental

• Economic Development

• Fuel Diversity & Conservation

• Cost Stability

Wind Farms: Are All the Best Spots Taken?

Source: Vestas

How much Power a Wind Turbine can generate?

13 [Wind Learning Centre, 2015]

Note: Power is the rate of producing energy. Power is measured in kiloWatts (kW) or MegaWatts (MW). Energy is what is used to do work and is measured in kilowatt-hours (kWh) or Megawatt-hours (MWh)

How much Energy a Wind Farm Turbine can generate?

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Notes;1. Some of turbines in the table are not

suitable for ‘class 1’ sites with annual average wind speeds above 8.5 m/s, hence are shown as n/a. Where there is a figure provided for 9 m/s, this will be a special ‘class 1 variant’ which generally has a smaller rotor and shorter tower to limit the extreme loads on the turbine.

2. The Enercon E82 comes in three variants with maximum power outputs of 2, 2.3 and 3 MW depending on the average wind speed at the site. In the table we have selected the most appropriate variant.

[Wind Learning Centre, 2015]

Wind Turbine Annual Energy Production for a range of Annual Mean Wind Speeds

15 [Wind Learning Centre, 2015]

How much does a (small) Wind Turbine cost?

16 [Wind Learning Centre, 2015]

Wind Power TheorySection 2

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This Section will treat the following issues:

1. Generalities on wind power plants2. Theory of wind turbines3. Energy producibility

Generalities on Wind Power PlantsPhysics and nature of wind

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Figure 1 Figure 2

Wind as Energy Source

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Figure 3 – Worldwide wind map: average wind speed in m/s at 10m height

Environmental Impact

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Figure 3 - Decibel chart

Tipology of Wind Power Plants

• Grid connected plants• single wind turbine plants (connected to the grid with or without household

or industrial loads in parallel)

• plants structured as Wind Farms

• Non-grid connected plants

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WT’s Onshore and Offshore

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Figure 14Figure 15

Support Structures for Offshore Wind Turbines

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Figure 4 Figure 5

Non-grid connected plants

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The ideal solution based on a hybrid systems by using wind power energy and other renewable sources) combined wit a back-up system (batteries).

Spreading of wind energy in the world and in the European Union (EU) [2010]

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Trends in construction technology

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Figure 6 Figure 7

Theory of Wind Turbines

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Power Curve of Wind Turbine

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Different Turbines different Cp/λ

Cp, is the ratio between the theoretical wind power and max. power converted by the blades.λ, is the ratio between the tangential speed of the blade tips and the undisturbed wind speed.

The so called ideal curve of the Betz limit.

λ

Assessment of energy producibility 1/2

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Source: E. Troester, 2014

Vertical profile of the wind

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Influence of the height from the ground level

Influence of the height from the ground level

Wind Turbine PrinciplesSection 3

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This Section will treat the following issues:

1. Main components of a wind turbine2. Energy producibility3. Regulation systems 4. Power generation systems

Operation principle of Wind Turbines

33Figure 8

Types of Wind Turbines

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Turbine Savonius type

Different Turbines different Cp/λ

Cp, is the ratio between the theoretical wind power and max. power converted by the blades.λ, is the ratio between the tangential speed of the blade tips and the undisturbed wind speed.

The so called ideal curve of the Betz limit.

λ

Recap slide of M2.2-002

Vertical axis Wind Turbines – Darrieus type

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Figure 1.10 - Hybrid turbine Darrieus-SavoniusFigure 1.9 - Turbine Darrieus type

Horizontal axis Wind Turbines

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Figure 10 - Three-blade turbines

Figure 9

Figure 11 - Two-blade turbine

Figure 13 - Single-blade with counterweight turbine

Figure 12 - Multi-blade turbine

Main components of Wind Turbines

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Figure 14

1. blade

2. blade support

3. Pitch angle actuator

4. hub

5. spinner

6. main support

7. main shaft

8. aircraft warning lights

9. gearbox

10. mechanical brakes

11. hydraulic cooling devices

12. generator

13. power converter and electrical control,

protection and disconnection devices

14. anemometers

15. transformer

16. frame of the nacelle

17. supporting tower

18. yaw driving device

Wind Turbine component cost

39 Source: Wind Directions, January/February 2007

WT Transformers

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Towers

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Figure 15 Figure 16

Control Strategies

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Fixed Speed Turbines

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Control Diagram of the Variable-speed Turbines

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Protection against overcurrents and earth faults

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Since wind is a variable and uncertain source, blowing inconstantly and subject to sudden variations, the dedicated mechanical and electrical devices must guarantee high performances in order to maximize the extraction of the mechanical power and its conversion into electric power for input into the grid.

Protection against overvoltages

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Wind power plants, being installed outdoor, may be subject to direct and indirect overvoltages of atmospheric origin, besides being subject to switching overvoltages.Lightning protection allows risks for people (mainly the personnel in charge) and maintenance operations due to damages on structure and on the internal components to be reduced and measures against economical losses because of drop of energy production due to the plant failure to be taken.

Use of Surge Protective Devices

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In order to avoid heavy damages due to lightening, which can cause the failure of the various components, it should be guaranteed that each device within a given zone is not exposed to lightning currents and to induced electromagnetic fields (with the consequent overvoltages of atmospheric origin) exceeding their own withstand levels.

Wind farm Siting & EnvironmentSection 4

This section will treat the following issues:

1. Wind Farm Life Cycle

2. Economic Impacts

3. Wind Power Siting and Environmental Effects

4. Wind Farm Layout Optimization Problem

5. Wind Energy Transmission and Grid Integration

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1. Wind Farm Life Cycle

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Financing

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Source: Hogan & Hartson, LLP

E.g. from the US:President Obama’s budget proposal called for making the Production Tax Credit (PTC) permanent and refundable. The PTC is vital to wind and other renewable energy industries.Ref.: www.greentechmedia.com

Operation & Maintenance and Decommissioning

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Operation

Maintenance

Decommissioning

2. Economic Impacts

Direct Economic Impacts:• Land Owner Revenu• Property Taxes• Development of

Regional Cooperatives• Job Creation

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Job Creation

• Construction Employment

• O&M Employment

• Manufacturing Employment

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3. Wind Power Siting and Environmental Effects

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A significant % Wind Energy offers substantial positive environmental impacts in today’s carbonconstrained world. Wind Farm siting and approval processes can accommodate increased rates of installation while addressing environmental risks and concerns of local stakeholders.

Ref.: 20% Wind Energy by 2030 in the U.S.

ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS

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E.g.: additional global CO2 emissions reduction in 2050 by region,according to the targets set out in the 2DS and hiRen. scenario’s

KEY POINT: China accounts for 35% to 44% of additional CO2 reductions attributed to wind power in 2050.

Ref.: Wind 2013 Roadmap

Public Perception and Engagement

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Public Attitudes

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Q: What way of generating electricity should increase, reduce or stay at about current levels, in your country over the next 15 year?

Addressing Environmental and SitingChallenges

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E.g.: multi use of space and technology, see: WFL Knowledge Portal

Addressing Environmental and Siting Challenges

59EXPAND OUTREACH AND EDUCATION

4. Wind Farm Layout Optimization Problem

60 Ref.: Wind Farm Layout Optimization Problem

Distribution of the normalized wind farm power output

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Ref.: Horns Rev Wind Simulation 2013-v2

Distribution of the normalized wind farm power output obtained with large-eddy simulations (LES) for a wide range of wind directions, from 173◦ to 353◦.

Contour plot of the streamwise turbulence intensity

62 Ref.: Horns Rev Wind Simulation 2013-v2

Contour plot of the streamwise turbulence intensity (resolved part) on a horizontalplane at hub level for different incoming wind directions of: (a) 270◦; (b) 284◦; (c) 295◦; and (d) 312◦.

Wind Flow Analysis in Practice

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This image shows clouds forming in the wakes of the front row of wind turbines of Horns Rev Wind Farm

Photo: Vattenfall

Estimated change in the LCOE between low- and high-wind-speed sites

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KEY POINT: cost of land-based wind power has fallen more rapidly at low-wind sitesthanks to the use of larger rotors.

Source: Wiser et al., 2012.

Ref.: Wind 2013 Roadmap

5. Wind Energy Transmission and Grid Integration

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An ideal situation where Wind Farms are located close by the users of energy

Ref.: 20% Wind Energy by 2030 in the US

Bottlenecks in the European electricity network

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This map is without prejudice to the status of or sovereignty over any territory, to the delimitation of international frontiers and boundaries and to the name of any territory, city or area.

KEY POINT: stronger grids would help integrate markets, secure supply and deploy renewables.

Source: ENTSO-E, 2012.

China’s West-East electricity transfer project

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KEY POINT: the vast majority of power sources in China – including wind resource – are far from demand centers.

Source: D. Tyler Gibson and James Conkling/China Environment Forum at the Woodrow Wilson Center.

Note: this is an indicative map figuring the concept of the West-East electricity transfers. The exact localization of corridors is still under discussion and subject to possible changes.

The Global Energy and Environment Challenges

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Questions to consider or to discuss

1. If the world has 400GW installed power and the average full production hours are 2.200 per year, how much European family houses can be provided when the average use is 3MWh per year?

2. Give three ‘key factors’ for improving the Power Production of a Wind Farm.

3. Why are the 3-blade Wind Turbines most used?

4. How many permanent job’s will be generated by O&M of a 1.000 MW Wind Farm?

5. To what extend can wake effect reduce the normalized power of a Wind Farm?

6. What are the toughest obstacles to achieve global grid?

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You are invited to the next level when these questions are fully understood.