Mechanical EngineeringME217 Energy, Environment & Society

ME 217: Energy, Environment & Society Fall 2013

Wind power

photo by Michael "Mike" L. Baird bairdphotos.com

Wind power 2/29Mechanical EngineeringME217 Energy, Environment & Society

Modern wind turbines

Wind power 3/29Mechanical EngineeringME217 Energy, Environment & Society

Inside a nacelle

generator

windspeed meters

gearbox

brake

Wind power 4/29Mechanical EngineeringME217 Energy, Environment & Society

At the base

Wind power 5/29Mechanical EngineeringME217 Energy, Environment & Society

Inside the tower

Wind power 6/29Mechanical EngineeringME217 Energy, Environment & Society

Basic aerodynamics

Wind power 7/29Mechanical EngineeringME217 Energy, Environment & Society

Turbine efficiency – the Betz limit

Wind power 8/29Mechanical EngineeringME217 Energy, Environment & Society

Turbine performance

Wind power 9/29Mechanical EngineeringME217 Energy, Environment & Society

Global atmospheric circulation

Wind power 10/29Mechanical EngineeringME217 Energy, Environment & Society

Local wind patterns

Wind power 11/29Mechanical EngineeringME217 Energy, Environment & Society

Wind speed vs. height

Wind power 12/29Mechanical EngineeringME217 Energy, Environment & Society

Tornado!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0KdVCxY9o4s&feature=youtu.be&t=2m21sOn November 7, 2011, the Basehunters chase team of Isaac Pato, Kevin Rolfs, Scott Peake and Colt Forney tracked a tornado-producing supercell across southwest Oklahoma, documenting numerous tornadoes including one that impacted a large wind farm near Fort Cobb!

Wind power 13/29Mechanical EngineeringME217 Energy, Environment & Society

This time not so lucky!

Damage done by tornado at Flat Ridge 2 wind farm in Kansas.

Wind power 14/29Mechanical EngineeringME217 Energy, Environment & Society

Time variability of wind speed

Wind power 15/29Mechanical EngineeringME217 Energy, Environment & Society

Wind resource assessment

sodar

direct measurement

Wind power 16/29Mechanical EngineeringME217 Energy, Environment & Society

Weibull distributions

Wind power 17/29Mechanical EngineeringME217 Energy, Environment & Society

Turbine power curve

Wind power 18/29Mechanical EngineeringME217 Energy, Environment & Society

What goes into the cost of energy

Wind power 19/29Mechanical EngineeringME217 Energy, Environment & Society

Wind farm – following terrain

New Mexico Wind Energy Center (204MW)

Wind power 20/29Mechanical EngineeringME217 Energy, Environment & Society

Wind farm – flat land

Wind farm in West Texas

Wind power 21/29Mechanical EngineeringME217 Energy, Environment & Society

Typical arrangement

Wind power 22/29Mechanical EngineeringME217 Energy, Environment & Society

Turbine wake demonstration

Wind power 23/29Mechanical EngineeringME217 Energy, Environment & Society

Effect of wake

Wind power 24/29Mechanical EngineeringME217 Energy, Environment & Society

Q: where is electricity needed most?

A: at the major population centers near the coasts

Is wind available near there?

Wind power 25/29Mechanical EngineeringME217 Energy, Environment & Society

Offshore technology

Wind power 26/29Mechanical EngineeringME217 Energy, Environment & Society

Transitional depth concepts

www.nrel.gov/docs/gen/40462.pdf

Wind power 27/29Mechanical EngineeringME217 Energy, Environment & Society

Deepwater concepts

www.nrel.gov/docs/gen/40462.pdf

Wind power 28/29Mechanical EngineeringME217 Energy, Environment & Society

Small wind

What is the wind resource like in Albuquerque?

Wind power 29/29Mechanical EngineeringME217 Energy, Environment & Society

Generation – load match (or not)