Renewable Energy

Wind Power Generation

Spring Semester 2019

Contact: Dr. Eduard Muljadi

Reference:
1) Masters, Gilbert M.. Renewable and Efficient Electric Power Systems (Wiley - IEEE).
2) www.nrel.gov/publications.html
 Renewable Energy

Overview
Spring Semester 2019

Contact: Dr. Eduard Muljadi

Reference:
1) Masters, Gilbert M.. Renewable and Efficient Electric Power Systems (Wiley - IEEE).
2) www.nrel.gov/publications.html
Large Wind Turbine

Clipper Wind Power

2.5-MW wind turbine

The DOE Wind

Program
works with
industry
partners to
verify the
performance
and increase
reliability of
 wind turbine
components.

GE 1.5-MW wind turbines

Offshore Wind Turbine

The Wind Program

conducts research on
offshore wind
technologies for
shallow water,
transitional depth, and
deepwater.
 Small Wind Turbine

Southwest Windpower 1.8-

kW Skystream wind turbine. Windward Engineering
4.2-kW wind turbine.

Northern Power Systems

100-kW wind turbine
 Advantages of Wind Energy
• POLLUTION FREE: Wind energy is fueled by the wind, so it's a clean fuel source. Wind energy
doesn't pollute the air like power plants that rely on combustion of fossil fuels, such as coal
or natural gas. Wind turbines don't produce atmospheric emissions that cause acid rain or
greenhouse gasses.
• DOMESTIC: Wind energy is a domestic source of energy, produced in the United States.
The nation's wind supply is abundant.
• RENEWABLE: Wind energy relies on the renewable power of the wind, which can't be
used up. Wind is actually a form of solar energy; winds are caused by the heating of the
atmosphere by the sun, the rotation of the earth, and the earth's surface irregularities.
• LOW COST OF ENERGY: Wind energy is one of the lowest-priced renewable energy
technologies available today, costing between 4 and 6 cents per kilowatt-hour,
depending upon the wind resource and project financing of the particular project.
• ECONOMIC BENEFITS: Wind turbines can be built on farms or ranches, thus benefiting the
economy in rural areas, where most of the best wind sites are found. Farmers and ranchers
can continue to work the land because the wind turbines use only a fraction of the land.
Wind power plant owners make rent payments to the farmer or rancher for the use of
the land.
 Challenges of Wind Energy
• SITE SPECIFIC: Wind power must compete with conventional generation sources on a cost
basis. Depending on how energetic a wind site is, the wind farm may or may not be cost
competitive. Even though the cost of wind power has decreased dramatically in the past
10 years, the technology requires a higher initial investment than fossil-fueled generators.
• LOCATION FROM LOAD CENTER: Good wind sites are often located in remote locations,
far from cities where the electricity is needed. Transmission lines must be built to bring
the electricity from the wind farm to the city.
• LAND USE: Wind resource development may compete with other uses for the land and
those alternative uses may be more highly valued than electricity generation.
• SITING: Although wind power plants have relatively little impact on the environment
compared to other conventional power plants, there is some concern over the noise
produced by the rotor blades, aesthetic (visual) impacts, and sometimes birds have
been killed by flying into the rotors. Most of these problems have been resolved or
greatly reduced through technological development or by properly siting wind plants.
 Grid Integration
Small Wind Farm (less
Power plant Utility Scale Wind Farms (above 10 MW) than 10 MW)
Single Large Wind
Turbine
Small Wind Turbine

Step-up Step-up
transformer transformer Step-down Step-down
Step-down
transformer transformer transformer

Transmission to Subtransmission
other utilities Distribution
Customers Customers

Distribution Customers

115kV and higher 26-115 kV 4-35 kV 120-480 V

Wind Farm Interconnections Distributed Interconnections per

IEEE-1547
 Conventional vs
Wind Power Plant
Load Other Conv. Load
Generator

POI or PointPOIof or
Interconnectionconnection Collector
to the grid Collector System
System

Station

GSU Interconnection
Transmission Line
Xfmr Transmission Line

Large Prime
Synchronous Mover
Generator
Individual WTGs
Individual
WTGs
Feeders and Laterals (overhead
Feeders and Laterals (overhead
and/or underground)
and/or underground)
 Conventional vs Wind Power Plant
• Single or multiple large (100 • Many (hundreds) of wind turbines (1 MW – 5
MW) generators. MW each)
• Prime mover: steam, combustion engine • Prime mover: wind (wind turbine) –renewable
– non-renewable fuel affected by fuel (free, natural, pollution free)
cost, politics, and pollution restrictions.
• Controllability: adjustable up to max limit • Controllability: curtailment
and down to min limit.
• Predictability: preplanned generation • Predictability: wind variability based on wind
based on load forecasting, influenced forecasting, influenced more by nature
by human operation based on optimum (wind) than human, based on maximizing
operation (scheduled operation). energy production (unscheduled operation).
• Located relatively close to the load • Located at wind resource, it may be far from
center. the load center.

• Generator: synchronous generator • Generator: Four different types (fixed speed,

variable slip, variable speed, full converter) –
non synchronous generation
• Fixed speed – no slip: flux is controlled • Type 3 & 4: variable speed with flux oriented
via exciter winding. Flux and rotor rotate controller (FOC) via power converter. Rotor
synchronously. does not have to rotate synchronously.
 Typical Cost
Breakdown of Turbine Component Cost (1.5MW Type 3)
Smart Control Applications:
• Signature Analysis
• Predictive Maintenance
• Health Monitoring
• Gearbox Stress Reduction
• Smart sensors for
Generator and Converter

Design Improvement:
• Voltage Rating
• Current Rating
• Switching Capability
• Modularity Concept
• Onsite Assembly
• Environment Condition
• Efficiency Improvement