Wind energy.




Let's look at non-traditional options for power generation, namely wind power. It is still a moot point to the possible existence of this type of energy production without major subsidies for extensive and widespread use of these devices (not just for special occasions). However, the environmental issue is not challenged. Well, that's besides the beautiful:-)

Let's see ...

In Europe and the United States are huge wind turbines - a familiar element of a country landscape. These beautiful giants are set not only on land but also on the water expanse.


The idea of ​​using wind power to produce electricity is not new. She was born in the late 19th century, and it's winter 1887-88, when one of the founders of the American electrical industry, Charles F. Brush built a prototype is automatically controlled wind turbine to produce electricity. At that time, it was a giant - rotor diameter was equal to 17 meters, and consisted of 144 blades made ... cedar.

In Europe, the first wind power station was commissioned in 1900, and the beginning of the II World War II worked on the planet millions of wind turbines.



Modern wind turbine - a steel tower 70 to 125 m, on top of which are set generator and rotor blades made of composite materials. Today use 56-meter blades.

Enormous energy of moving air masses. Reserves of wind energy in more than one hundred times the reserves of energy content of all the world's rivers. Constantly and everywhere on earth winds. Climatic conditions allow to develop wind power in the vast territory.

At first glance, the wind seems to be one of the most affordable and renewable energy sources. Unlike the Sun, he can "work" in summer and winter, day and night, in the north and the south. But the wind - it is very diffuse energy source.

Wind energy is almost always "smeared" over a vast territory. Basic parameters of the wind - speed and direction - sometimes change quickly and unpredictably, which makes it less "robust" than the Sun. Thus, faces two problems that need to be addressed to make full use of wind energy. Firstly, it is able to "catch" the wind kinetic energy with the maximum area. Secondly, even more important to achieve uniformity, the constancy of the wind flow. Until the second problem is solved with difficulty.

To solve the first problem of the structure of the aircraft involved experts who know how to choose the most appropriate profile of the blade, in order to maximize the energy of the wind. Efforts of scientists and engineers created a variety of designs of modern wind turbines.

This multibladed "daisy" and screws like airplane propellers with three, two or even one blade. Vertical structures are good because they catch the wind from any direction; the rest have to be developed in the wind. This vertical rotor resembles cut along the axis and mounted on a barrel. There are also original solutions. For example, a truck with a sail goes on the ring of the rail, and its wheels are driven by an electric generator.


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Among the tens of thousands of wind turbines are huge, and there are small, one house. And this is just the giant windmills. One of the largest wind turbines today was built in September 2002 near Magdeburg in Germany. His power - 4.5 MW each of the three blades is 52 meters long and 6 wide, and weighs 20 tons. Is attached to the rotor 120-meter tower.



The latest achievement of wind energy - wind turbines, rotor diameter which is greater than the wingspan of the aircraft giant, even our "Ruslan". Such a plant has a capacity of 2.1 MW and is capable of providing electricity for 800 modern houses.


The most common type of wind power (wind turbines) is a turbine with horizontal shaft and the number of blades from 1 to 3 According to various authors, wind energy potential of the Earth is 1,200 TWh, but the use of this type of energy in different parts of the Earth are not the same. In Russia, the gross potential of wind energy - 80 trillion. kWh / year, and in the North Caucasus - 200 billion. kW / h (62 million. tce. consumption). These values ​​are significantly higher than the corresponding values ​​of the technical capacity of fossil fuels. The average wind speed at a height of 20-30 meters above the ground should be large enough to power the air flow passing through the duly oriented vertical section reaches a value suitable for conversion.

Wind power plants are beneficial, as a rule, in the regions where the average annual wind speed of 6 meters per second and above, which are poor in other energy sources, as well as in areas where the supply of fuel is very expensive.




Norway announced plans to build the world's largest wind turbine in 2011. Work is already underway. The height of the wind turbine will be 533 feet and a rotor diameter - 475 feet. As expected, the turbine will provide electricity for 2,000 homes. Record prototype worth $ 67.5 million.



Wind-power plant located at the site where the average power density of the air flow is about 500 W / m 2 (the velocity of air flow is then equal to 7 m / s) can convert into electrical energy of about 175 of the 500 W / m 2. should also take into account the changes made wind turbines in the landscape of the area, their location should not only conform to standards of safety and effectiveness, but also the correct placement on the ground (mill wind turbine located chaotically less effective than those that are in a certain geometric sequence) .

Small wind turbines are usually designed for standalone operation. System, which they give out energy, finicky, require the power supply of higher quality and do not allow interruptions in power, for example, during periods of calm. Therefore they need a doubler, i.e. reserve energy sources, such as diesel engines, the same as that of wind turbines or less power.

As for the more powerful wind turbines (over 100kW), they are used as power and included generally in the power system. Usually on the same site set a sufficiently large number of wind turbines forming the so-called wind farms. At one end (farm) can blow wind on another in this quiet time. Wind turbines can not be placed too closely, so they do not obstruct each other. Therefore (farm) takes a lot of space.





Wind power is heavily dependent on the vagaries of nature. Wind speed is so low that the wind machine can not work, or so high that the wind machine, you must stop and take measures to protect it from destruction. If the wind speed exceeds the nominal operating speed of the excavated mechanical wind energy is not used, so as not to exceed the rated electric power generator. For efficient operation of wind turbines they are placed in open spaces, at least in the territories of agricultural land, which increases their productivity. In mountain areas, wind plants operate efficiently due to the natural features of these areas, there is dominated by the movement of air masses with great force and speed, in addition, it provides energy in remote areas.

Proper installation affects the efficiency of the wind units so specific production of electricity during the year is 15 - 30% of the energy of the wind, or even less, depending on the location and position of installation options.


The current world record for the size and capacity (141 meters and 7 MW) of wind generators belongs Enercon E-126, located near the German town of Emden.

Installation of the wind turbine Enercon E-126:




Wind turbines do not pollute the environment, no effect on the heat balance of the Earth's atmosphere, the lack of oxygen consumption, carbon dioxide emissions and other pollutants. To make using them a lot of electricity, needed a huge area of ​​land. They work best where strong winds blow.

Today, wind power units reliably supply current oil; they are successfully working in remote areas, on the distant islands in the Arctic, thousands of farms, where there is no nearby large settlements and electric utilities.




In designing the system the most difficult problem was that at different wind strength to provide the same number of revolutions of the propeller. After connecting to the network generator must give not just rkakuyu some electricity, but only an alternating current with a given number of cycles per second, ie. E. Standard frequency 50 - 60 Hz. Therefore, the angle of inclination of the blades relative to the wind is controlled by poporota around their longitudinal axis: in a strong wind, this acute angle, the air stream flows freely blades and gives them a smaller part of its energy. In addition to regulating the entire blade generator automatically turns on the mast of the wind.



One of the problems of the wind units is excess energy in windy conditions and welfare of its period without vetreya. Ways to store a lot of energy windy consider the most simple one way: is that the wind wheel is driven by a pump which pumps water into the upstream reservoir, and then the water draining out of him, drives a water turbine and generator AC or DC . There are other ways, and projects from the ordinary, although low-power batteries to unwind giant flywheel or injection of compressed air in underground caverns and up to the production of hydrogen as a fuel. Especially promising is the last way. Electric current from the wind machine decomposes water into oxygen and hydrogen. Hydrogen can be stored in liquefied form, and burned in the furnaces of thermal power plants as required.



Windmills put not only on land but also on the water expanse:

The highest wind turbine in the world is located in the province of San Juan at a height of 4110 meters above sea level. It has established the largest gold mining company in the world - Barrick. Turbine is listed in the Guinness Book of Records.



Wind turbine - expensive equipment, but the cost of its acquisition will pay off for the first 7 years of operation. Expected lifetime - 25 years.



European leader in wind energy - Denmark. In this country, they are usually placed on the rocky reefs and shallow waters to a distance of 2 km from the coast.


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The most windy place in Europe believe the Scottish External Hybrids. The northern part of the island is blown continuously. Wind there is almost never ceases.



At the end of last year the company Deepwater Wind announced plans to create the world's largest deep-water wind farm.

It is expected that it will be built over 29 to 43 miles off the coast of Rhode Island and Massachusetts, and will produce up to 1,000 megawatts, which is comparable to the nuclear power unit. Wind turbines will be installed in the bottom of the ocean with a depth of 52 meters - it's much deeper than any other modern wind farm.

Aufbau Offshore-Windpark Thornton Bank, Belgien

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But there is still an interesting windmill

The world's first floating wind turbine has been installed in the North Sea off the coast of Norway. This was reported on Tuesday, the Norwegian energy company StatoilHydro. Turbine, called Hywind, reaches a height of 65 meters and weighs 5,300 tons. Installed it about 10 kilometers from the island Karma, at the south-western coast of the country, according to a company press release.

"Turbine" is set to a floating platform that is secured by three anchors. Act as ballast water, and stones are placed inside the platform.

StatoilHydro plans to test Hywind over the next two years, before deciding on the production of a larger number of floating wind turbines.

According to experts StatoilHydro, this technology may be of interest to Japan, South Korea, the American state of California, the East Coast of the United States and Spain. This is only part of the potential markets.

Hywind can be installed at a greater distance from the shore than static wind turbines already in operation. We are talking about a depth of 120 meters to 700 meters, which allows you to place a new turbine is much farther from the coast.

In the creation of 2.3-megawatt floating turbine has been invested in a total of 400 million. Kroons (46 million euros), which makes it more expensive than terrestrial counterparts. Now the main task of the manufacturer - reduce the cost of its development.



Wind energy is an enormous energy, you just have it properly prepared and stored.

We now consider the negative impact of wind turbines on the habitat of humans and animals, on television and communication paths of seasonal migration of birds. Really big wind turbines affect the TV signal. At a distance of 0.5 km, they cause interference to TV signals, due to the fact that the blades of the wind turbine wind wheel reflect signals causing interference to TV signals. As a consequence of the large wind turbines over 20 kW there sufficient number of infrasound that affects the state of humans and animals. From large wind turbines and natural noise arises from the operation of the wind wheel. Therefore, placement of wind turbines over 10 kW is not desirable in the redistribution of the city limits. These negative factors are trying to combat, in particular by using new types of materials that are capable of transmitting signals in a large range, etc.

Wind power is growing interest in and commitment to the improvement of facilities for maximum efficiency. Many countries are beginning to use them in homes, farms, small production.



But such a project:



Unusual wind farm, which has not three, but two blades, will soon appear on the eastern coast of Scotland. Extravagant wind turbine is likely to be more famous for the fact that he can take vertolёty.Po According to Inhabitat, the Scottish Energy Minister Fergus Ewing (Fergus Ewing) recently announced that the government approved the construction of an innovative wind turbine designed by a Dutch company 2-B Energy. Giant two-bladed wind turbine 6 MW will be erected in the complex Energy Park Fife about 20 meters from the shore.




Raises many questions helipad is present only in the project pictures in the "overall impression." In the Scottish government helicopters landing on the wind turbine is not discussed (Figure 2-B Energy).
2-B Energy from scratch developed a new type of turbines in 2007. Its wind turbines designed specifically for work on the water in the coastal zone, where there are no strict requirements for noise and severe restrictions on the size of the structure. As for the two blades instead of three, the company explains, the less moving parts, the better in terms of maintainability.

According to BusinessGreen, 2-B Energy wanted to install two wind turbine in Scotland, but has been approved for only one.

"The fact that innovative companies decide to test their new ideas is in Scotland, once again confirms the reputation of our country as a place for the development and implementation of all types of new" green "energy technologies", - the Minister said Ewing. Apparently, the construction of the experimental turbines will begin in 2014.




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Well, another proektik:


A small American company Joby Energy has developed a setup project in the form of huge flying snake. The serpent is a rectangular metal frame, carrying a dozen small blades. First blade driven by the motor and, like a propeller plane, raise the frame to a height of 400-500 meters. There it take powerful high-altitude winds that rotate the blade, producing electrical energy. Part of it is to maintain the carcass in the air, and the main part is transmitted to the ground for the metal "thread" that connects the frame to the launch site. Of course, this requires strong and light materials needed to build a flying (and under intense pressure) giant, tens of meters in length, frame, and electronics, which should provide automatic flight control and maneuvering, and sensors continuously measure the speed, wind direction and orientation of the device and the computers that are on the instructions of these sensors is automatically and continuously monitor and change orientation as desired frame to the wind in order to maximize efficiency, and much more, which was not even 10 years ago.






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The new plan is not just real. He is also quite promising, as one says, but rather eloquent figure: the current energy needs of humanity is, an estimated 17 TWh, while the power of the winds in the troposphere is 870 TWh, ie more than 50 times greater. (Recall that the troposphere is called the surface layer of the atmosphere to an altitude of 20-30 km, separated from the above lying stratosphere transition layer, this layer is formed under the characteristic of the troposphere permanent "jet streams» (jet streams) with wind speeds of 100 to 400 kilometers per hour. For comparison, the earth is considered hurricane speed above 117 kilometers per hour.) It is no accident that the company feels so strongly one system after another. Agency NASA in the near future holds a kind of all-American competition to design a reliable and safe flying turbine capacity of 300 kilowatts. The fact that in this competition the firm will be one of several dozen competitors, demonstrates the interest shown by a new kind of "clean" energy. But even more pronounced on the same says the interest in the new plan, the American government. That's exactly it, NASA has allocated money to coordinate and verify all these private projects.


Now the preliminary test are a variety of options flying turbines - in the form of a kite balloon suspended, flying wing, parachute and so on. Tackling charged NASA who already has experience in this area. Will first find the most effective type of carrier turbine. To do this, they will be tested in the same conditions of flight at a height of 600 meters - a limit which is set to begin with the federal government.
Even at this altitude flying turbine may well show its advantages over the ground, because the force of the wind, as already mentioned, increases with altitude, and the power of wind turbines, as we have learned the practice, is proportional to the cube of the wind strength. This means that even twice the height due to the force of the wind turbine can provide a flying 8 times more power than the ground, while the triple - even 27 times larger. Estimator is believed, in the future, when such turbines will be flying at an altitude of 8-9 km, the lowest rate "jet streams" with their average wind speed of 240 kilometers per hour, they will be able to give 20 000-40 000 watts per square meter blades instead of 500 watts, which give the current terrestrial wind turbines .





In addition, they have the further advantage that the installation run, where attached nanotube "thread" (aka - the cable to receive power), occupies a very small area. And the cost of the turbine, the snake is much smaller than, say, of the Norwegian giant, which is now preparing to swim in the sea. On the other hand, flying windmills, of course, inferior to such giants on the maximum capacity for each individual installation. To catch up with the capacity of Norwegian floating wind turbine, wind turbine flying must have a working area of ​​several hundred square meters, and it confronts designers are very difficult - and yet unsolvable - technical problems (in the sense of strength, lift and so on.) So overtake ground wind turbines on the total power can only be due to the amount of I, and therefore the new plan enthusiasts say today the formation of a huge network of flying windmills launchers which will be collected in certain areas of a country - a sort of project "Desertec", offering sugar-coated solid solar mirrors.


Unlike "Desertec" in this case there is, however, difficult question of airspace. Each turbine requires flying its thread, and since this turbine is not standing in one place, and under the influence of wind and string describes certain path in the sky, it needs as its "air corridor" - a kind of well, the bottom of which is its launcher, and "wall" set boundaries unimpeded movement of the turbines in the wind. But in the air today, fly planes: private - at low altitude, military, freight and passenger - a large, and each of them requires its air corridor. The system is installed in the corridors of the national and international scale, and the presence of multiple "threads" and themselves flying turbines can create a huge hazard. For this reason, the development of a network of flying turbines require complex calculations and dispatching system of international agreements. Therefore, NASA is planning to hold its competitive tests of existing projects flying turbines and validation projects to further develop them in a single location - on the coast of California (so that the thread passed over the sea) and not more than 600 meters, so as not to interfere with the general aviation flights.
And yet, despite all these difficulties, we can say that the plan of energy extraction from the air begins to take shape. Friendly and possibly very significant over time contribute to a world free of the stranglehold of oil and the dangers of global warming flying windmills future probably will make.












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Hywind: Siemens and StatoilHydro install first floating wind turbine / Hywind: Siemens and StatoilHydro install first floating wind turbine

























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REpower alpha Ventus





West Wind - First wind farm in New Zealand / West Wind - First wind farm in New Zealand





Onshore Wind Farm Farr, Scotland / Onshore-Windpark Farr, Schottland



















Whitelee Wind Farm on Eaglesham Moor.<br />Pictures by Chris James   10/2/09












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But what happens to wind turbines during ekspluotatsii:
























The windmill collapsed in the near Hornslet.



























By the way, who missed the discussion of the prospects of fusion energy (Tokamak) - YOU HERE.


Tags: Technology , Energy
August 31 2012, 11:55:49 UTC
Well, if they damage each other do not infect.
Photos struck by its beauty.
August 31 2012, 12:15:45 UTC
Thank you. Very interesting stuff.
August 31 2012, 13:03:38 UTC
once again amazed at the bulk of fasting, the number of pictures and information ..
thanks a lot.
a lot of time is spent on drawing up such detailed posts !? (Subject to finding the right pictures) ..
August 31 2012, 14:24:29 UTC
Well, about an average of 4 hours, it is sometimes necessary distractions that there is here ..:-)
August 31 2012, 13:12:11 UTC
Expensive, unprofitable, birds are dying.
August 31 2012, 13:17:24 UTC
Thanks for the post! Burning windmill is tough!
August 31 2012, 14:42:59 UTC
Very interesting.
Thank you very much.
And I'm somewhere else seen similar material on windmills.
There was listed another of their major drawback - they are very noisy.
So close to the cities and large towns have them is not recommended.
August 31 2012, 15:21:15 UTC
Well, the noise level is a graph in the post ... see picture. Though there are certain disadvantages of not a few.
September 2 2012, 17:00:08 UTC
Huge wind turbines in urban areas, of course, almost no give. But small wind turbines quite a lot.
October 25 2012, 11:05:00 UTC
abaldet.
while he is not on the blades is? and if the wind blows?
February 8 2013, 18:22:01 UTC
I landscapes Denmark and Germany are not impressive, but rather the contrary, the dominance of wind turbines strained.
February 8 2013, 19:07:14 UTC
Just started reading (that the post's comments), because maybe something was wrong ...
But one thing is clear - we all experience such that wind turbines built by aliens.
February 8 2013, 22:54:20 UTC
Thank you for a very interesting post. Confused only statement about the prospects of storage rezevrnoy energy in the form of liquid hydrogen. This is an extremely dangerous substance (depressurization bahnet single repository so that will spread to hell all wind farm), which requires, in addition, doroguschschih rezzervuarov storage (which will increase the cost of the wind turbine at times, and maintenance costs by orders of magnitude), which, in addition same, constantly require energy to maintain the hydrogen in a liquid state (this is not liquefied natural gas, which is suitable for a durable sealed barrel - for the liquefaction of hydrogen at room temperature, requires a lot of pressure (about 10,000 atmospheres, it is very very dohrena), vol. e. he needs constant very low temperature). Piped his transfer does not work, carry on the power kriogruzovikami on an industrial scale - it is expensive and also very dangerous. In the few places where the use LW, it is made ​​on the spot, so as to carry it very bad. In this case, the efficiency of hydrogen production by electrolysis hangs at 10%, which makes the venture even more country. In this regard, the same supermahovika look much more logical - much cheaper to build and maintain a very high efficiency of storing-recoil energy (98%), pretty safe, does not require any specific conditions. Heavy, though, but an increase in the strength of the base of the windmill - pennies compared to a hydrogen plant.


February 9 2013, 07:51:04 UTC
Well it all as versions of course, everything is controversial
February 9 2013, 16:53:48 UTC Edited: February 9 2013, 16:54:57 UTC
Windmills, guess more out of despair, when there is no choice. Gears and size is impressive, but they are more like brothers Cherepanovs first locomotive. Energy storage is also a complex issue. It is interesting to compare the kilowatts of energy of traditional power plants and wind turbines. Windmills are relevant far from civilization, when the cost of kilowatt already secondary. Interesting post, thank you.
February 9 2013, 22:12:44 UTC
The cost of energy from wind turbines have long been cheaper than from gas-fired plants.
now it is second only to the energy produced by nuclear power plants, but the truth is when the price of nuclear energy does not include the cost of eliminating the consequences of receiving such a "safe and cheap" energy. And of course the cheapest energy from hydroelectric vysokoperepadnyh.
February 9 2013, 22:13:41 UTC
strange only why wind energy is still tightly subsidized and unprofitable ...
1 year ago
February 11 2013, 08:07:34 UTC
In this article http://www.inosmi.ru/russia/20121011/200 754917.html says that in America the power plant produced only 6% of the electricity, and solar, biofuels, wind, and geothermal power plants, combined, - 3 %. If only it were that simple, then amers not fussed to renew the agreement of the Nunn-Lugar program. Would send a proud Russian far away and would make energy from the air.
February 11 2013, 19:09:58 UTC
interesting, but why not put at the bottom of the rotor? and service more convenient and more stable base, and build easier.
April 16 2013, 07:09:05 UTC
April 25 thriller "Surveillance", refer to the "Odyssey."
surveillance


Dear moviegoers we change the telephone number !!!
Now information on sessions and booking tickets by phone. 788-077.
May 3 2013, 19:33:10 UTC
Wow! Wow!
whole lecture! many photos and lots of information ..
thank you so much!
Now I know !!
May 3 2013, 19:38:35 UTC
health:-)
May 5 2013, 12:35:45 UTC
heard that windmills provoke brain cancer.
July 10 2013, 07:19:29 UTC
Something a little upsetting text quality small blots:
- kW / h (right kWh)
- Maintenance (correct operation)
- wind installation (well probably wind turbine)
while reading something else caught my eye, but at the moment writing kamentah already forgotten.
November 7 2013, 17:02:46 UTC
with all the beautiful pictures of the post seriously lacking in some specifics: - as now, for example, in Germany produced energy windmills - kWh and what proportion of the energy production in every way it is. - there is always a breeze - "this is how much in grams?" There are also figures for Germany and otsalnym countries already exploiting wind energy - how many hours a year working windmill at maximum capacity? Or in other words, what does the installed capacity to the actual? - for stable operation of electricity per unit of wind power requires a unit of coal-fired generation capacity. 's after these figures will see - the theme of sparkle with new colors.