Physics of wind power

Wind turbines
Parts of a wind turbine
Typical power curves
Power fluctuations in wind farms
Aggregation in the wind farm
References

ECE 566: Grid Integration of Wind Energy

Systems

S. Suryanarayanan

Associate Professor
ECE Dept.

Suryanarayanan ECE 566 Lecture/Week 2

 Physics of wind power
Wind turbines
Parts of a wind turbine
Typical power curves
Power fluctuations in wind farms
Aggregation in the wind farm
References

Reminders and notifications

1 Homework 1: Due on 9.9.2014 at 515pm (mtn time) via
RamCT Blackboard.

Suryanarayanan ECE 566 Lecture/Week 2

 Physics of wind power
Wind turbines
Parts of a wind turbine
Typical power curves
Power fluctuations in wind farms
Aggregation in the wind farm
References

Reminders and notifications

1 Homework 1: Due on 9.9.2014 at 515pm (mtn time) via
RamCT Blackboard.
2 Due to my travel engagement, the first half of the lecture
(from 515pm-630pm) on 9.9.2014 is canceled.

Suryanarayanan ECE 566 Lecture/Week 2

 Physics of wind power
Wind turbines
Parts of a wind turbine
Typical power curves
Power fluctuations in wind farms
Aggregation in the wind farm
References

Reminders and notifications

1 Homework 1: Due on 9.9.2014 at 515pm (mtn time) via
RamCT Blackboard.
2 Due to my travel engagement, the first half of the lecture
(from 515pm-630pm) on 9.9.2014 is canceled.
3 The second half of the lecture (from 645pm-8pm Mtn
time) on 9.9.2014 is as scheduled. You are expected to
attend the second half of the lecture.

Suryanarayanan ECE 566 Lecture/Week 2

 Physics of wind power
Wind turbines
Parts of a wind turbine
Typical power curves
Power fluctuations in wind farms
Aggregation in the wind farm
References

Reminders and notifications

1 Homework 1: Due on 9.9.2014 at 515pm (mtn time) via
RamCT Blackboard.
2 Due to my travel engagement, the first half of the lecture
(from 515pm-630pm) on 9.9.2014 is canceled.
3 The second half of the lecture (from 645pm-8pm Mtn
time) on 9.9.2014 is as scheduled. You are expected to
attend the second half of the lecture.
4 In lieu of the cancellation of the first half, you will be
required to view a seminar on the topic. Link and other
information will be provided via RamCT Blackboard.

Suryanarayanan ECE 566 Lecture/Week 2

 Physics of wind power
Wind turbines
Parts of a wind turbine
Typical power curves
Power fluctuations in wind farms
Aggregation in the wind farm
References

From the Week-1 reading material

1 What is the expression for maximum possible power
extraction from the wind stream?

Suryanarayanan ECE 566 Lecture/Week 2

 Physics of wind power
Wind turbines
Parts of a wind turbine
Typical power curves
Power fluctuations in wind farms
Aggregation in the wind farm
References

From the Week-1 reading material

1 What is the expression for maximum possible power
extraction from the wind stream?
2 What is the maximum power coefficient termed as and
what is its numeric value?

Suryanarayanan ECE 566 Lecture/Week 2

 Physics of wind power
Wind turbines
Parts of a wind turbine
Typical power curves
Power fluctuations in wind farms
Aggregation in the wind farm
References

From the Week-1 reading material

1 What is the expression for maximum possible power
extraction from the wind stream?
2 What is the maximum power coefficient termed as and
what is its numeric value?
3 What is the practical achievable value of this coefficient?

Suryanarayanan ECE 566 Lecture/Week 2

 Physics of wind power
Wind turbines
Parts of a wind turbine
Typical power curves
Power fluctuations in wind farms
Aggregation in the wind farm
References

From the Week-1 reading material

1 What is the expression for maximum possible power
extraction from the wind stream?
2 What is the maximum power coefficient termed as and
what is its numeric value?
3 What is the practical achievable value of this coefficient?
4 What is the definition of tip-speed ratio?

Suryanarayanan ECE 566 Lecture/Week 2

 Physics of wind power
Wind turbines
Parts of a wind turbine
Typical power curves
Power fluctuations in wind farms
Aggregation in the wind farm
References

From the Week-1 reading material

1 What is the expression for maximum possible power
extraction from the wind stream?
2 What is the maximum power coefficient termed as and
what is its numeric value?
3 What is the practical achievable value of this coefficient?
4 What is the definition of tip-speed ratio?
5 How do the TSR and the blade pitch angle affect the power
coefficient?

Suryanarayanan ECE 566 Lecture/Week 2

 Physics of wind power
Wind turbines
Parts of a wind turbine
Typical power curves
Power fluctuations in wind farms
Aggregation in the wind farm
References

From the Week-1 reading material

1 What is the expression for maximum possible power
extraction from the wind stream?
2 What is the maximum power coefficient termed as and
what is its numeric value?
3 What is the practical achievable value of this coefficient?
4 What is the definition of tip-speed ratio?
5 How do the TSR and the blade pitch angle affect the power
coefficient?
6 What is the definition of capacity factor (CF)? Qualitatively
compare the CFs of a nuclear power plant and a wind
power plant?
Suryanarayanan ECE 566 Lecture/Week 2
 Physics of wind power
Wind turbines
Cp v. λ
Parts of a wind turbine
P(MW) v. ω
Typical power curves
Wind velocities v. tower height [2]
Power fluctuations in wind farms
In-class problem
Aggregation in the wind farm
References

Cp v. λ (Figure from: [1])

For MOD-2 type turbine

1 1
= λ+0.08θ − 0.035
β 1+θ 3

Cp (λ, θ) =
1 − C θ − C θ x − C )e −C6 1
C1 (C2 β β
3 4 5

Suryanarayanan ECE 566 Lecture/Week 2

 Physics of wind power
Wind turbines
Cp v. λ
Parts of a wind turbine
P(MW) v. ω
Typical power curves
Wind velocities v. tower height [2]
Power fluctuations in wind farms
In-class problem
Aggregation in the wind farm
References

P(MW) v. ω (Figure from: [1])

For MOD-2 type turbine

λ = ωυw R
1
1 1
= λ+0.08θ − 0.035
β 1+θ 3

Cp (λ, θ) =
1 − C θ − C θ x − C )e −C6 1
C1 (C2 β β
3 4 5

Red line represents the maximum power

extraction curve.

Suryanarayanan ECE 566 Lecture/Week 2

 Physics of wind power
Wind turbines
Cp v. λ
Parts of a wind turbine
P(MW) v. ω
Typical power curves
Wind velocities v. tower height [2]
Power fluctuations in wind farms
In-class problem
Aggregation in the wind farm
References

How does tower height affect wind velocities?

Wind speeds differ from blades nearest to the ground and

the blades at the top of the rotation
This may produce flow and power effects on the turbine
When wind speeds lie in the operational range of the
turbine and exceed 4m/s, the formula for wind speed at
height h is:
υw (h) = υ10 ( hh10 )a
where, υ10 is the wind speed measured at 10m
For onshore wind farms, typical values of the Hellman
exponent, a is: | 0.14 ≤ a ≤ 0.17

Suryanarayanan ECE 566 Lecture/Week 2

 Physics of wind power
Wind turbines
Cp v. λ
Parts of a wind turbine
P(MW) v. ω
Typical power curves
Wind velocities v. tower height [2]
Power fluctuations in wind farms
In-class problem
Aggregation in the wind farm
References

The Hellman exponent [3]

The Hellman exponent, a, quantifies variation of wind

speed with height
a depends on:
1 coastal location
2 terrain shape on the ground
3 air stability.

Suryanarayanan ECE 566 Lecture/Week 2

 Physics of wind power
Wind turbines
Cp v. λ
Parts of a wind turbine
P(MW) v. ω
Typical power curves
Wind velocities v. tower height [2]
Power fluctuations in wind farms
In-class problem
Aggregation in the wind farm
References

The Hellman exponent: Example values from [3]

Location Hellman exponent

Unstable air above open water surface 0.06
Neutral air above open water surface 0.1
Unstable air above flat open coast 0.11
Neutral air above flat open coast 0.16
Stable air above open water surface 0.27
Unstable air above human inhabited areas 0.27
Neutral air above human inhabited areas 0.34
Stable air above flat open coast 0.4
Stable air above human inhabited areas 0.6
For more on types of air, see [4].

Suryanarayanan ECE 566 Lecture/Week 2

 Physics of wind power
Wind turbines
Cp v. λ
Parts of a wind turbine
P(MW) v. ω
Typical power curves
Wind velocities v. tower height [2]
Power fluctuations in wind farms
In-class problem
Aggregation in the wind farm
References

Hellman exponent a=0.16 for υ30 v. υ10 [2]

12

10

8
υ 30

0
0 2 4 6 8 10 12
υ1 0

Suryanarayanan ECE 566 Lecture/Week 2

 Physics of wind power
Wind turbines
Cp v. λ
Parts of a wind turbine
P(MW) v. ω
Typical power curves
Wind velocities v. tower height [2]
Power fluctuations in wind farms
In-class problem
Aggregation in the wind farm
References

Vertical profile effects on turbines [2], [5]

First
approximations
Figure shows variation of

wind speed with tower

height for υ10 = 9 m/s.

First approximations: You

may assume r=0.7R (i.e.,

70% of rotor radius) for

calc. purposes.

Suryanarayanan ECE 566 Lecture/Week 2

 Physics of wind power
Wind turbines
Cp v. λ
Parts of a wind turbine
P(MW) v. ω
Typical power curves
Wind velocities v. tower height [2]
Power fluctuations in wind farms
In-class problem
Aggregation in the wind farm
References

In-class problem
For a MOD-2 type turbine with 80m blade diameter, the wind
velocity measured at a height of 10 m is 4.9 m/s. If the blades
are making 20 rotations per minute and the pitch angle is 1◦ ,
find the power generated by this turbine. Use the following
given values: C1 : C6 = [0.5 116 0.4 0.022 5.6 21], x = 1.5, and
ρ = 1.23 kg/m3 .

Suryanarayanan ECE 566 Lecture/Week 2

 Physics of wind power
Wind turbines
Cp v. λ
Parts of a wind turbine
P(MW) v. ω
Typical power curves
Wind velocities v. tower height [2]
Power fluctuations in wind farms
In-class problem
Aggregation in the wind farm
References

In-class problem: Solution

Find the rotor length for which we can assume steady state
wind conditions thru first approximations:
r = (Rotord /2) ∗ 0.7 = 28m

Suryanarayanan ECE 566 Lecture/Week 2

 Physics of wind power
Wind turbines
Cp v. λ
Parts of a wind turbine
P(MW) v. ω
Typical power curves
Wind velocities v. tower height [2]
Power fluctuations in wind farms
In-class problem
Aggregation in the wind farm
References

In-class problem: Solution

Find the rotor length for which we can assume steady state
wind conditions thru first approximations:
r = (Rotord /2) ∗ 0.7 = 28m
r 0.16
If υ10 = 4.9m/s, υ28 = υ10 ∗ 10 = 5.77m/s

Suryanarayanan ECE 566 Lecture/Week 2

 Physics of wind power
Wind turbines
Cp v. λ
Parts of a wind turbine
P(MW) v. ω
Typical power curves
Wind velocities v. tower height [2]
Power fluctuations in wind farms
In-class problem
Aggregation in the wind farm
References

In-class problem: Solution

Find the rotor length for which we can assume steady state
wind conditions thru first approximations:
r = (Rotord /2) ∗ 0.7 = 28m
r 0.16
If υ10 = 4.9m/s, υ28 = υ10 ∗ 10 = 5.77m/s
If the blades are turning at 20 rpm, then
∗Rotord
ωw = 2∗π∗20
60 = 2.09rad/s, and λ = ωw2∗υ 28
= 14.52

Suryanarayanan ECE 566 Lecture/Week 2

 Physics of wind power
Wind turbines
Cp v. λ
Parts of a wind turbine
P(MW) v. ω
Typical power curves
Wind velocities v. tower height [2]
Power fluctuations in wind farms
In-class problem
Aggregation in the wind farm
References

In-class problem: Solution

Find the rotor length for which we can assume steady state
wind conditions thru first approximations:
r = (Rotord /2) ∗ 0.7 = 28m
r 0.16
If υ10 = 4.9m/s, υ28 = υ10 ∗ 10 = 5.77m/s
If the blades are turning at 20 rpm, then
∗Rotord
ωw = 2∗π∗20
60 = 2.09rad/s, and λ = ωw2∗υ 28
= 14.52
1 1 0.035
β = λ+0.08θ − 1+θ3
for λ = 14.52 and θ = 1 is 0.0511

Suryanarayanan ECE 566 Lecture/Week 2

 Physics of wind power
Wind turbines
Cp v. λ
Parts of a wind turbine
P(MW) v. ω
Typical power curves
Wind velocities v. tower height [2]
Power fluctuations in wind farms
In-class problem
Aggregation in the wind farm
References

In-class problem: Solution

Cp (14.52, 1) =
−21 β1
0.5(116 β1 − 0.4θ − 0.002θ1.5 − 5.6)e = −0.0164

Suryanarayanan ECE 566 Lecture/Week 2

 Physics of wind power
Wind turbines
Cp v. λ
Parts of a wind turbine
P(MW) v. ω
Typical power curves
Wind velocities v. tower height [2]
Power fluctuations in wind farms
In-class problem
Aggregation in the wind farm
References

In-class problem: Solution

Cp (14.52, 1) =
−21 β1
0.5(116 β1 − 0.4θ − 0.002θ1.5 − 5.6)e = −0.0164
P = Cp ∗ ρ ∗ π ∗ R 2 ∗ υ28
3 ∗ 0.5 = −9756.5 kW

Suryanarayanan ECE 566 Lecture/Week 2

 Physics of wind power
Wind turbines
Cp v. λ
Parts of a wind turbine
P(MW) v. ω
Typical power curves
Wind velocities v. tower height [2]
Power fluctuations in wind farms
In-class problem
Aggregation in the wind farm
References

In-class problem: Solution

Cp (14.52, 1) =
−21 β1
0.5(116 β1 − 0.4θ − 0.002θ1.5 − 5.6)e = −0.0164
P = Cp ∗ ρ ∗ π ∗ R 2 ∗ υ28
3 ∗ 0.5 = −9756.5 kW

Typically, for negative Cp values, wind turbine controllers

are set to produce 0 electricity.

Suryanarayanan ECE 566 Lecture/Week 2

 Physics of wind power
Wind turbines
Parts of a wind turbine Types of wind turbines
Typical power curves Horizontal-axis wind turbine (HAWT)
Power fluctuations in wind farms Vertical-axis wind turbine (VAWT)
Aggregation in the wind farm
References

Types of wind turbines [6]

Horizontal-axis wind turbine (HAWT): Where the main rotor

and the electric generator are pointed in the (upwind or
downwind) direction of the wind.
Vertical-axis wind turbine (VAWT): Where the rotor blades
are arranged vertically to capture wind blowing in any
direction.

Suryanarayanan ECE 566 Lecture/Week 2

 Physics of wind power
Wind turbines
Parts of a wind turbine Types of wind turbines
Typical power curves Horizontal-axis wind turbine (HAWT)
Power fluctuations in wind farms Vertical-axis wind turbine (VAWT)
Aggregation in the wind farm
References

Horizontal-axis wind turbine (HAWT). Fig. from [7]

Suryanarayanan ECE 566 Lecture/Week 2

 Physics of wind power
Wind turbines
Parts of a wind turbine Types of wind turbines
Typical power curves Horizontal-axis wind turbine (HAWT)
Power fluctuations in wind farms Vertical-axis wind turbine (VAWT)
Aggregation in the wind farm
References

Horizontal-axis wind turbine (HAWT) [6], [2]

For small rating HAWT, wind vanes are used to point

blades in wind direction
For larger HAWT, servo-controlled motors are used for
orienting blades in wind direction
For larger HAWT, blade lengths vary from 20-40 meters

Suryanarayanan ECE 566 Lecture/Week 2

 Physics of wind power
Wind turbines
Parts of a wind turbine Types of wind turbines
Typical power curves Horizontal-axis wind turbine (HAWT)
Power fluctuations in wind farms Vertical-axis wind turbine (VAWT)
Aggregation in the wind farm
References

Horizontal-axis wind turbine (HAWT) [6], [2]

TSR (λ) is a critical measure for determining blade

dimensions .
Since, λ = (υυw1)R , large machines have low rotational
speeds and vice-versa
kW rated machines reach speeds of 180 rpm
MW rated machines reach speeds of 20 rpm

Suryanarayanan ECE 566 Lecture/Week 2

 Physics of wind power
Wind turbines
Parts of a wind turbine Types of wind turbines
Typical power curves Horizontal-axis wind turbine (HAWT)
Power fluctuations in wind farms Vertical-axis wind turbine (VAWT)
Aggregation in the wind farm
References

Vertical-axis wind turbine (VAWT) [6]

Used in cases where the wind direction changes frequently

Sub-types include: Darrieus, Giromill, Savonius, and
twisted-Savonius
Darrieus or egg-beaters with curved blades have good η but
poor reliability due to high cyclical stress; they have low starting
torques and may need external sources to start turning.
Giromill uses the Darrieus construction with straight blades.
Advantages include self-staring, higher starting torque, higher
Cp , higher η in turbulent winds, lower TSR for reduced blade
stresses.

Suryanarayanan ECE 566 Lecture/Week 2

 Physics of wind power
Wind turbines
Parts of a wind turbine Types of wind turbines
Typical power curves Horizontal-axis wind turbine (HAWT)
Power fluctuations in wind farms Vertical-axis wind turbine (VAWT)
Aggregation in the wind farm
References

Darrieus and Giromill types VAWT. Figs. from [8], [9]

Suryanarayanan ECE 566 Lecture/Week 2

 Physics of wind power
Wind turbines
Parts of a wind turbine Types of wind turbines
Typical power curves Horizontal-axis wind turbine (HAWT)
Power fluctuations in wind farms Vertical-axis wind turbine (VAWT)
Aggregation in the wind farm
References

Vertical-axis wind turbine (VAWT) [6]

Savonius type uses scoops such as on anemometers and are

used in high reliability, lower efficiency turbines. When three or
more scoops are present, the Savonius type is self-starting.
Twisted-Savonius has long helical scoops for smoother torques
for use in rooftops.

Suryanarayanan ECE 566 Lecture/Week 2

 Physics of wind power
Wind turbines
Parts of a wind turbine Types of wind turbines
Typical power curves Horizontal-axis wind turbine (HAWT)
Power fluctuations in wind farms Vertical-axis wind turbine (VAWT)
Aggregation in the wind farm
References

Savonius and twisted-Savonius types VAWT. Figs. from [10], [11]

Suryanarayanan ECE 566 Lecture/Week 2

 Physics of wind power
Wind turbines
Parts of a wind turbine Types of wind turbines
Typical power curves Horizontal-axis wind turbine (HAWT)
Power fluctuations in wind farms Vertical-axis wind turbine (VAWT)
Aggregation in the wind farm
References

Comapring HAWT and VAWT. Fig. from [12]

Suryanarayanan ECE 566 Lecture/Week 2

 Physics of wind power
Wind turbines
Parts of a wind turbine Types of wind turbines
Typical power curves Horizontal-axis wind turbine (HAWT)
Power fluctuations in wind farms Vertical-axis wind turbine (VAWT)
Aggregation in the wind farm
References

Cp v. λ for wind turbine types [2], fig. from [13]

Darrieus and fast two-blades are high-speed rotors with aerodynamic blades

American multi-blade and Dutch 4-blade with non-aerodynamic blades have lower Cp
Suryanarayanan ECE 566 Lecture/Week 2
 Physics of wind power
Wind turbines
Parts of a wind turbine
Typical power curves
Power fluctuations in wind farms
Aggregation in the wind farm
References

Parts of a wind turbine. Fig. from [14]

Suryanarayanan ECE 566 Lecture/Week 2

 Physics of wind power
Wind turbines
Parts of a wind turbine
Typical power curves
Power fluctuations in wind farms
Aggregation in the wind farm
References

Parts of a wind turbine [14]

Tower: Since wind speeds are higher at greater heights,
tubular towers made of concrete or steel are used for
supporting the wind turbine structure

Suryanarayanan ECE 566 Lecture/Week 2

 Physics of wind power
Wind turbines
Parts of a wind turbine
Typical power curves
Power fluctuations in wind farms
Aggregation in the wind farm
References

Parts of a wind turbine [14]

Tower: Since wind speeds are higher at greater heights,
tubular towers made of concrete or steel are used for
supporting the wind turbine structure
Blades: When wind blows over them, they lift and rotate
causing the rotor to spin. Together with the hub, blades
form the rotor

Suryanarayanan ECE 566 Lecture/Week 2

 Physics of wind power
Wind turbines
Parts of a wind turbine
Typical power curves
Power fluctuations in wind farms
Aggregation in the wind farm
References

Parts of a wind turbine [14]

Tower: Since wind speeds are higher at greater heights,
tubular towers made of concrete or steel are used for
supporting the wind turbine structure
Blades: When wind blows over them, they lift and rotate
causing the rotor to spin. Together with the hub, blades
form the rotor
Pitch control: Used for controlling the rotor speed when
wind speeds change by turning (or pitching) blades. The
rotor will stop turning in winds that are too high or too low
to produce electricity

Suryanarayanan ECE 566 Lecture/Week 2

 Physics of wind power
Wind turbines
Parts of a wind turbine
Typical power curves
Power fluctuations in wind farms
Aggregation in the wind farm
References

Parts of a wind turbine [14]

Tower: Since wind speeds are higher at greater heights,
tubular towers made of concrete or steel are used for
supporting the wind turbine structure
Blades: When wind blows over them, they lift and rotate
causing the rotor to spin. Together with the hub, blades
form the rotor
Pitch control: Used for controlling the rotor speed when
wind speeds change by turning (or pitching) blades. The
rotor will stop turning in winds that are too high or too low
to produce electricity
Brakes: Used to stop the rotor during emergencies

Suryanarayanan ECE 566 Lecture/Week 2

 Physics of wind power
Wind turbines
Parts of a wind turbine
Typical power curves
Power fluctuations in wind farms
Aggregation in the wind farm
References

Parts of a wind turbine (contd.) [14]

Shafts & gearbox: Low-speed shaft turns at 30 − 60 rpm
and captures the rotational energy of the rotor. This speed
is not optimal for driving the induction generator for
producing electricity. So, a gearbox is used for converting
low-speed rotation to high-speed rotation at 1000 − 8000
rpm. The high-speed shaft then drives the induction
generator

Suryanarayanan ECE 566 Lecture/Week 2

 Physics of wind power
Wind turbines
Parts of a wind turbine
Typical power curves
Power fluctuations in wind farms
Aggregation in the wind farm
References

Parts of a wind turbine (contd.) [14]

Shafts & gearbox: Low-speed shaft turns at 30 − 60 rpm
and captures the rotational energy of the rotor. This speed
is not optimal for driving the induction generator for
producing electricity. So, a gearbox is used for converting
low-speed rotation to high-speed rotation at 1000 − 8000
rpm. The high-speed shaft then drives the induction
generator
Generator: An induction machine for producing electric
energy at 60 Hz frequency

Suryanarayanan ECE 566 Lecture/Week 2

 Physics of wind power
Wind turbines
Parts of a wind turbine
Typical power curves
Power fluctuations in wind farms
Aggregation in the wind farm
References

Parts of a wind turbine (contd.) [14]

Controller: Taking information from the anemometer on
wind direction and speed, a controller will start and shut-off
the machine at certain speeds.

Suryanarayanan ECE 566 Lecture/Week 2

 Physics of wind power
Wind turbines
Parts of a wind turbine
Typical power curves
Power fluctuations in wind farms
Aggregation in the wind farm
References

Parts of a wind turbine (contd.) [14]

Controller: Taking information from the anemometer on
wind direction and speed, a controller will start and shut-off
the machine at certain speeds.
Nacelle: The cocoon-shaped housing in which the shafts,
gearbox, generator, and controller are located.

Suryanarayanan ECE 566 Lecture/Week 2

 Physics of wind power
Wind turbines
Parts of a wind turbine
Typical power curves
Power fluctuations in wind farms
Aggregation in the wind farm
References

Parts of a wind turbine (contd.) [14]

Controller: Taking information from the anemometer on
wind direction and speed, a controller will start and shut-off
the machine at certain speeds.
Nacelle: The cocoon-shaped housing in which the shafts,
gearbox, generator, and controller are located.
Yaw drive & motor: Housed at the base of the nacelle on
the tower top, these are used to orient the blades in the up
or down directions to upwind.

Suryanarayanan ECE 566 Lecture/Week 2

 Physics of wind power
Wind turbines
Parts of a wind turbine
Typical power curves
Power fluctuations in wind farms
Aggregation in the wind farm
References

Parts of a wind turbine (contd.) [14]

Controller: Taking information from the anemometer on
wind direction and speed, a controller will start and shut-off
the machine at certain speeds.
Nacelle: The cocoon-shaped housing in which the shafts,
gearbox, generator, and controller are located.
Yaw drive & motor: Housed at the base of the nacelle on
the tower top, these are used to orient the blades in the up
or down directions to upwind.
Animation from US DOE EERE:http://energy.gov/
eere/wind/how-does-wind-turbine-work

Suryanarayanan ECE 566 Lecture/Week 2

 Physics of wind power
Wind turbines
Parts of a wind turbine
Typical power curves
Power fluctuations in wind farms
Aggregation in the wind farm
References

Typical power curves [15]

Typical power curves [15]

Cut-in speed: Due to low torques at low wind speeds, wind
turbines do not begin to rotate and generate electricity until
a certain minimum wind speed, υmin , of approximately
3 − 4 m/s is reached.

Suryanarayanan ECE 566 Lecture/Week 2

 Physics of wind power
Wind turbines
Parts of a wind turbine
Typical power curves
Power fluctuations in wind farms
Aggregation in the wind farm
References

Typical power curves [15]

Typical power curves [15]

Cut-in speed: Due to low torques at low wind speeds, wind
turbines do not begin to rotate and generate electricity until
a certain minimum wind speed, υmin , of approximately
3 − 4 m/s is reached.
Rated speed: As wind speeds climb over υmin , the power
produced rises rapidly as a cubic function up to the rated
power output. The rated power output is usually reached at
12 − 17 m/s wind speed, and sustained till 23 − 25 m/s by
means of pitch and yaw controls.

Suryanarayanan ECE 566 Lecture/Week 2

 Physics of wind power
Wind turbines
Parts of a wind turbine
Typical power curves
Power fluctuations in wind farms
Aggregation in the wind farm
References

Typical power curves [15]

Typical power curves [15]

Cut-out speed: As wind speeds increase further, the
torque on the machine may induce stress on the structure
and cause damage to the rotor. To prevent this, a braking
mechanism is used to stall or stop the rotor and bring it to
a standstill at the cut-out speed, υmax , of approximately 25
m/s.

Suryanarayanan ECE 566 Lecture/Week 2

 Physics of wind power
Wind turbines
Parts of a wind turbine
Typical power curves
Power fluctuations in wind farms
Aggregation in the wind farm
References

Typical power curves. Fig. from [15]

Suryanarayanan ECE 566 Lecture/Week 2

 Physics of wind power
Wind turbines
Parts of a wind turbine
Typical power curves
Power fluctuations in wind farms
Aggregation in the wind farm
References

Typical power curves [16]

Typical power curves [16]

Hysteresis: When wind speeds drop below υmax , the wind
turbine does not immediately start generating electricity.
Instead, depending upon the wind profile and the control
technology used (pitch, yaw, stall), the wind turbine will
restart operation. The restart, known as the hysteresis
loop, usually requires a reduction from υmax of 3 − 4 m/s
only.

Suryanarayanan ECE 566 Lecture/Week 2

 Physics of wind power
Wind turbines
Parts of a wind turbine
Typical power curves
Power fluctuations in wind farms
Aggregation in the wind farm
References

Typical power curves. Fig. from [17]

Suryanarayanan ECE 566 Lecture/Week 2

 Physics of wind power
Wind turbines
Parts of a wind turbine
Typical power curves
Power fluctuations in wind farms
Aggregation in the wind farm
References

Typical power curves [16]

Typical power curves [16]

In geographically distributed wind farms, the effect of
hysteresis may be smaller on the grid output. In other
cases, the output fluctuation is significant.
This is particularly significant in situations of dramatic
weather conditions such as a storm.
To minimize the effect of such sudden loss of large supply,
manufacturers provide wind turbines with power curves
that reduce power production in a step-wise fashion with
increase in wind speeds.

Suryanarayanan ECE 566 Lecture/Week 2

 Physics of wind power
Wind turbines
Parts of a wind turbine
Typical power curves
Power fluctuations in wind farms
Aggregation in the wind farm
References

Power curve for a pitch-regulated 1.5 MW wind turbine. Fig. from [16]

Suryanarayanan ECE 566 Lecture/Week 2

 Physics of wind power
Wind turbines
Parts of a wind turbine
Typical power curves
Power fluctuations in wind farms
Aggregation in the wind farm
References

Power fluctuations in wind farms [2]

We know that wind speed varies with height and this
causes fluctuations in the power production. Note, Hellman
exponent.

Suryanarayanan ECE 566 Lecture/Week 2

 Physics of wind power
Wind turbines
Parts of a wind turbine
Typical power curves
Power fluctuations in wind farms
Aggregation in the wind farm
References

Power fluctuations in wind farms [2]

We know that wind speed varies with height and this
causes fluctuations in the power production. Note, Hellman
exponent.
Power fluctuations also cause variations in the torque
during blade rotation

Suryanarayanan ECE 566 Lecture/Week 2

 Physics of wind power
Wind turbines
Parts of a wind turbine
Typical power curves
Power fluctuations in wind farms
Aggregation in the wind farm
References

Power fluctuations in wind farms [2]

We know that wind speed varies with height and this
causes fluctuations in the power production. Note, Hellman
exponent.
Power fluctuations also cause variations in the torque
during blade rotation
Other factors that cause power fluctuations are:

Suryanarayanan ECE 566 Lecture/Week 2

 Physics of wind power
Wind turbines
Parts of a wind turbine
Typical power curves
Power fluctuations in wind farms
Aggregation in the wind farm
References

Power fluctuations in wind farms [2]

We know that wind speed varies with height and this
causes fluctuations in the power production. Note, Hellman
exponent.
Power fluctuations also cause variations in the torque
during blade rotation
Other factors that cause power fluctuations are:
1 Tower wind-shadow: HAWT towers obstruct the airflow and
affect the streamline of wind by decreasing its axial speed.

Suryanarayanan ECE 566 Lecture/Week 2

 Physics of wind power
Wind turbines
Parts of a wind turbine
Typical power curves
Power fluctuations in wind farms
Aggregation in the wind farm
References

Power fluctuations in wind farms [2]

We know that wind speed varies with height and this
causes fluctuations in the power production. Note, Hellman
exponent.
Power fluctuations also cause variations in the torque
during blade rotation
Other factors that cause power fluctuations are:
1 Tower wind-shadow: HAWT towers obstruct the airflow and
affect the streamline of wind by decreasing its axial speed.
2 Number of blades

Suryanarayanan ECE 566 Lecture/Week 2

 Physics of wind power
Wind turbines
Parts of a wind turbine
Typical power curves
Power fluctuations in wind farms
Aggregation in the wind farm
References

Power fluctuations in wind farms [2]

We know that wind speed varies with height and this
causes fluctuations in the power production. Note, Hellman
exponent.
Power fluctuations also cause variations in the torque
during blade rotation
Other factors that cause power fluctuations are:
1 Tower wind-shadow: HAWT towers obstruct the airflow and
affect the streamline of wind by decreasing its axial speed.
2 Number of blades
3 Positioning of turbine in upwind or downwind direction

Suryanarayanan ECE 566 Lecture/Week 2

 Physics of wind power
Wind turbines
Parts of a wind turbine
Typical power curves
Power fluctuations in wind farms
Aggregation in the wind farm
References

Power fluctuations in wind farms [2]

We know that wind speed varies with height and this
causes fluctuations in the power production. Note, Hellman
exponent.
Power fluctuations also cause variations in the torque
during blade rotation
Other factors that cause power fluctuations are:
1 Tower wind-shadow: HAWT towers obstruct the airflow and
affect the streamline of wind by decreasing its axial speed.
2 Number of blades
3 Positioning of turbine in upwind or downwind direction
4 General surroundings

Suryanarayanan ECE 566 Lecture/Week 2

 Physics of wind power
Wind turbines
Parts of a wind turbine
Typical power curves
Power fluctuations in wind farms
Aggregation in the wind farm
References

Power fluctuations in wind farms [2]

In symmetrically arranged multi-blade turbines, assuming
that the wind conditions are identical for all blades, the
torque experienced by transmission shaft is somewhat
constant.

Suryanarayanan ECE 566 Lecture/Week 2

 Physics of wind power
Wind turbines
Parts of a wind turbine
Typical power curves
Power fluctuations in wind farms
Aggregation in the wind farm
References

Power fluctuations in wind farms [2]

In symmetrically arranged multi-blade turbines, assuming
that the wind conditions are identical for all blades, the
torque experienced by transmission shaft is somewhat
constant.
However, due to existing Cp –λ characteristics, further
power/torque fluctuations arise in the drive train.

Suryanarayanan ECE 566 Lecture/Week 2

 Physics of wind power
Wind turbines
Parts of a wind turbine
Typical power curves
Power fluctuations in wind farms
Aggregation in the wind farm
References

Power fluctuations in wind farms [2]

Represented as: M(ψ) = Mu − z1 [(Mo (zωt)]

Suryanarayanan ECE 566 Lecture/Week 2

 Physics of wind power
Wind turbines
Parts of a wind turbine
Typical power curves
Power fluctuations in wind farms
Aggregation in the wind farm
References

Power fluctuations in wind farms [2]

Represented as: M(ψ) = Mu − z1 [(Mo (zωt)]
where: M(ψ) is pitch dependent torque; Mu is torque under
undisturbed wind distribution; Mo is the oscillating
component; z is the number of rotor blades.

Suryanarayanan ECE 566 Lecture/Week 2

 Physics of wind power
Wind turbines
Parts of a wind turbine
Typical power curves
Power fluctuations in wind farms
Aggregation in the wind farm
References

Aggregation in the wind farm

Increased number of wind turbines in a wind farm [16]. Fig. from [16]
⇑ wind turbines in a wind farm ⇓ the impact of the turbulent peak
Not all wind turbines experience wind gusts at the same time
−1
Ideally, % of variation in Pout ⇓ as n 2 , for n wind turbines.

Suryanarayanan ECE 566 Lecture/Week 2

 Physics of wind power
Wind turbines
Parts of a wind turbine
Typical power curves
Power fluctuations in wind farms
Aggregation in the wind farm
References

Percentage variation of power output with increase in

wind turbines

Suryanarayanan ECE 566 Lecture/Week 2

 Physics of wind power
Wind turbines
Parts of a wind turbine
Typical power curves
Power fluctuations in wind farms
Aggregation in the wind farm
References

Aggregation in the wind farm

Distribution of wind turbines in a wind farm [16]

When wind turbines are spatially distributed, the impact of
synoptic and diurnal peaks are reduced

Suryanarayanan ECE 566 Lecture/Week 2

 Physics of wind power
Wind turbines
Parts of a wind turbine
Typical power curves
Power fluctuations in wind farms
Aggregation in the wind farm
References

Aggregation in the wind farm

Distribution of wind turbines in a wind farm [16]

When wind turbines are spatially distributed, the impact of
synoptic and diurnal peaks are reduced
This is due to changing weather patterns affecting wind
turbines differently

Suryanarayanan ECE 566 Lecture/Week 2

 Physics of wind power
Wind turbines
Parts of a wind turbine
Typical power curves
Power fluctuations in wind farms
Aggregation in the wind farm
References

Aggregation in the wind farm

Distribution of wind turbines in a wind farm [16]

When wind turbines are spatially distributed, the impact of
synoptic and diurnal peaks are reduced
This is due to changing weather patterns affecting wind
turbines differently
Effects of varying wind speeds and associated cut-out or
hysteresis are diluted in large wind farm

Suryanarayanan ECE 566 Lecture/Week 2

 Physics of wind power
Wind turbines
Parts of a wind turbine
Typical power curves
Power fluctuations in wind farms
Aggregation in the wind farm
References

Aggregation in the wind farm

Distribution of wind turbines in a wind farm [16]

Also, the maximum (up and down) ramp rates are slower
for dispersed wind farms

Suryanarayanan ECE 566 Lecture/Week 2

 Physics of wind power
Wind turbines
Parts of a wind turbine
Typical power curves
Power fluctuations in wind farms
Aggregation in the wind farm
References

Aggregation in the wind farm

Distribution of wind turbines in a wind farm [16]

Also, the maximum (up and down) ramp rates are slower
for dispersed wind farms
Maximum ramp rate for a 1000 MW wind farm with
dispersed clusters of 10 − 20 MW can be 6.6 MW/min

Suryanarayanan ECE 566 Lecture/Week 2

 Physics of wind power
Wind turbines
Parts of a wind turbine
Typical power curves
Power fluctuations in wind farms
Aggregation in the wind farm
References

Aggregation in the wind farm

Distribution of wind turbines in a wind farm [16]

Also, the maximum (up and down) ramp rates are slower
for dispersed wind farms
Maximum ramp rate for a 1000 MW wind farm with
dispersed clusters of 10 − 20 MW can be 6.6 MW/min
Maximum ramp rate for a 200 MW single wind farm can be
≥ 20 MW/min

Suryanarayanan ECE 566 Lecture/Week 2

 Physics of wind power
Wind turbines
Parts of a wind turbine
Typical power curves
Power fluctuations in wind farms
Aggregation in the wind farm
References

Fig. from [16]

Suryanarayanan ECE 566 Lecture/Week 2

 Physics of wind power
Wind turbines
Parts of a wind turbine
Typical power curves
Power fluctuations in wind farms
Aggregation in the wind farm
References

Dionysios C. Aliprantis. Fundamentals of Wind Energy

Conversion for Electrical Engineers. URL:
http://goo.gl/sHHZMU (visited on 08/29/2014).
S. Heier. Grid Integration of Wind Energy: Onshore and
Offshore Conversion Systems. Wiley, 2014. ISBN:
9781118703304.
Wind gradient: Wind turbines. Wikipedia. URL:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wind_
gradient#Wind_turbines (visited on 07/25/2014).
M. Jenkins. Atmospheric Stability And Instability. Utah
State University, WILD4520 - Wildland Fire Management
and Planning, Spring 2004 course. URL:
http://goo.gl/A1PyWa (visited on 2008).
Suryanarayanan ECE 566 Lecture/Week 2
 Physics of wind power
Wind turbines
Parts of a wind turbine
Typical power curves
Power fluctuations in wind farms
Aggregation in the wind farm
References

The Swiss Wind Power Data Website. Wind Profile

Calculator. URL:
http://wind-data.ch/tools/profile.php?h=
10&v=8.5&z0=0.1&abfrage=Refresh (visited on
08/29/2014).
Wind turbine. Wikipedia. URL: http://goo.gl/NIrw.
Michael Bloch. Electricity from the wind – how turbines
work. Green Living Tips. URL:
http://goo.gl/qp08kE (visited on 07/02/2008).
Darrieus-windmill. Licensed under Public domain via
Wikimedia Commons. URL: http://goo.gl/hp8wkH
(visited on 09/01/2014).

Suryanarayanan ECE 566 Lecture/Week 2

 Physics of wind power
Wind turbines
Parts of a wind turbine
Typical power curves
Power fluctuations in wind farms
Aggregation in the wind farm
References

Vertical Axis Wind Turbine Darrieus Giromill WG-1K5 1

kW. 2020 Solar Clean Technology. URL:
http://www.2020solar.com/WG-1K5-95.asp
(visited on 09/01/2014).
Technology solutions for wind power generated
electricity. Green Energy Reporter. URL:
http://goo.gl/nJFC6v (visited on 2013).
Small Wind Turbines. National Renewable Energy
Centre, UK. URL: http://goo.gl/f64H0n (visited on
2014).
Wind basics. Hill Country Wind Power. URL:
http://www.hillcountrywindpower.com/wind-
basics.php (visited on 09/01/2014).
Suryanarayanan ECE 566 Lecture/Week 2
 Physics of wind power
Wind turbines
Parts of a wind turbine
Typical power curves
Power fluctuations in wind farms
Aggregation in the wind farm
References

A. M. Ragheb M. Ragheb. Fundamental and Advanced

Topics in Wind Power. Ed. by R. Carriveau. InTech,
2011. Chap. Wind Turbines Theory - The Betz Equation
and Optimal Rotor Tip Speed Ratio.
The Inside of a Wind Turbine. US Dept. of Energy EERE.
URL : http://energy.gov/eere/wind/inside-
wind-turbine-0 (visited on 09/01/2014).
Wind turbine power ouput variation with steady wind
speed. WindPower Program. URL:
http://www.wind-power-
program.com/turbine_characteristics.htm
(visited on 09/01/2014).

Suryanarayanan ECE 566 Lecture/Week 2

 Physics of wind power
Wind turbines
Parts of a wind turbine
Typical power curves
Power fluctuations in wind farms
Aggregation in the wind farm
References

T. Ackermann. Wind Power in Power Systems. Wiley,

2012. ISBN: 9781119941835. URL: http:
//books.google.com/books?id=QM60LmgaeeQC.
High wind ride through: Intelligently providing more power
output. Siemens Energy. URL:
http://goo.gl/AmZxPr (visited on 09/01/2014).

Suryanarayanan ECE 566 Lecture/Week 2