scholarly journals Peaks in bat activity at turbines and the implications for mitigating the impact of wind energy developments on bats

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Suzanne M. Richardson ◽  
Paul R. Lintott ◽  
David J. Hosken ◽  
Theo Economou ◽  
Fiona Mathews
Keyword(s):  
Wind Energy ◽  
Wind Turbines ◽  
Wind Farms ◽  
Minimal Impact ◽  
Bat Activity ◽  
Environmental Impact Assessments ◽  
Global Increase ◽  
And Control ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Large Wind

AbstractWind turbines are a relatively new threat to bats, causing mortalities worldwide. Reducing these fatalities is essential to ensure that the global increase in wind-energy facilities can occur with minimal impact on bat populations. Although individual bats have been observed approaching wind turbines, and fatalities frequently reported, it is unclear whether bats are actively attracted to, indifferent to, or repelled by, the turbines at large wind-energy installations. In this study, we assessed bat activity at paired turbine and control locations at 23 British wind farms. The research focussed on Pipistrellus species, which were by far the most abundant bats recorded at these sites. P. pipistrellus activity was 37% higher at turbines than at control locations, whereas P. pygmaeus activity was consistent with no attraction or repulsion by turbines. Given that more than 50% of bat fatalities in Europe are P. pipistrellus, these findings help explain why Environmental Impact Assessments conducted before the installation of turbines are poor predictors of actual fatality rates. They also suggest that operational mitigation (minimising blade rotation in periods of high collision risk) is likely to be the most effective way to reduce collisions because the presence of turbines alters bat activity.

scholarly journals Tourist Viewshed Externalities and Wind Energy Production

2017 ◽  
Vol 46 (2) ◽  
pp. 224-241 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacob R. Fooks ◽  
Kent D. Messer ◽  
Joshua M. Duke ◽  
Janet B. Johnson ◽  
Tongzhe Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Wind Energy ◽  
Wind Turbine ◽  
Wind Turbines ◽  
Energy Production ◽  
Hotel Room ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Large Wind

This study uses an experiment where ferry passengers are sold hotel room “views” to evaluate the impact of wind turbines views on tourists’ vacation experience. Participants purchase a chance for a weekend hotel stay. Information about the hotel rooms was limited to the quality of the hotel and its distance from a large wind turbine, as well as whether or not a particular room would have a view of the turbine. While there was generally a negative effect of turbine views, this did not hold across all participants, and did not seem to be effected by distance or hotel quality.

Full-Load Converter Connected Asynchronous Generators for MW Class Wind Turbines

2005 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 341-351 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vladislav Akhmatov
Keyword(s):  
Wind Turbines ◽  
Short Circuit ◽  
Wind Farms ◽  
Variable Speed ◽  
Full Load ◽  
Frequency Converters ◽  
Fault Ride Through ◽  
System Operator ◽  
And Control ◽  
Large Wind

Wind turbines equipped with full-load converter-connected asynchronous generators are a known concept. These have rating up to hundreds of kW and are a feasible concept for MW class wind turbines and may have advantages when compared to conventional wind turbines with directly connected generators.* The concept requires the use of full-scale frequency converters, but the mechanical gearbox is smaller than in conventional wind turbines of the same rating. Application of smaller gearbox may reduce the no-load losses in the wind turbines, which is why such wind turbines with converter connected generators may start operation at a smaller wind speed. Wind turbines equipped with such converted connected asynchronous generators are pitch-controlled and variable-speed. This allows better performance and control. The converter control may be applied to support the grid voltage at short-circuit faults and to improve the fault-ride-through capability of the wind turbines, which makes the concepts relevant for large wind farms. The Danish transmission system operator Energinet-DK has implemented the general model of wind turbines equipped with converter connected asynchronous generators with the simulation tool Powerfactory (DlgSilent). The article presents Energinet-DK's experience of modeling this feasible wind turbine concept.

scholarly journals Testing the performance characteristics of specific profiles for applications in wind turbines

2019 ◽  
Vol 108 ◽  
pp. 01015
Author(s):  
Krzysztof Pytel ◽  
Stanislaw Gumula ◽  
Piotr Dudek ◽  
Sebastian Bielik ◽  
Szymon Szpin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Wind Energy ◽  
Wind Turbines ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Mechanical Energy ◽  
Wind Farms ◽  
Aerodynamic Characteristics ◽  
Electricity Production ◽  
Air Masses ◽  
Rotor Wheel ◽  
The Impact

The publication presents the results of aerodynamic characteristics of selected profile blades for applications in wind turbines. Considering the potential of energy resources and investors’ preferences, the amount of energy produced in wind farms in the total amount of electricity generated will be systematically growing and probably, in the next few years, wind energy will be the first in the field of electricity production from all types of power plants. Harnessing the power of moving air masses is now a global phenomenon. Rotor wheel converts wind energy into mechanical energy when using blades with chosen shape and oriented in the terms of the optimum performance. The aim of the measurements was to determine the impact of blade shape and blade angle of attack on the efficiency of conversion of wind energy into mechanical energy on the rotor wheel. The obtained power coefficients were presented as results.

scholarly journals Analysis of the Gearbox Oil Maintenance Procedures in Wind Energy

Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (13) ◽  
pp. 3414
Author(s):  
José Ramón del Álamo ◽  
Mario J. Duran ◽  
Francisco J. Muñoz
Keyword(s):  
Wind Energy ◽  
Wind Turbines ◽  
Wind Farms ◽  
Experimental Results ◽  
Reliable Information ◽  
Accurate Information ◽  
Operation And Maintenance ◽  
Analytical Results ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Operational Data

This work analyzes the impact of the operation and maintenance procedure on the condition of gearbox oil. The analytical results reveals how different scenarios modify them. The analysis is based on key operational data collected from 30 different multi-megawatt wind turbines at different locations in Spain with a variety of technologies from different top-tier manufacturers. The study includes various situations and decisions, such as leakage and replacement of oil, offline filter installation, oil brand change, substitution of valves, and even the position where the sample is taken and how these situations can provoke false warnings that trigger modifications in the operation and maintenance of wind farms with new unnecessary tasks and costs. The experimental results conclude that complete and reliable information is crucial when warning about risk situations. It is not possible to take appropriate actions without accurate information and consequently the spread of the problem cannot be stopped.

scholarly journals Using participatory GIS to examine social perception towards proposed wind energy landscapes

2017 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 42 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea Lombard
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Land Use ◽  
Wind Energy ◽  
Wind Turbines ◽  
Wind Farm ◽  
Social Acceptance ◽  
Wind Farms ◽  
Western Cape ◽  
Participatory Gis ◽  
The Impact

Thirteen onshore wind farm projects, totalling approximately 700 wind turbines, are proposed for the West Coast Region (WCR) of the Western Cape Province in South Africa. Wind energy exploitation possesses the ability to transform what can be classified as natural landscapes into landscapes of power, making the type of landscape on which wind turbines are deployed a prominent factor in its social acceptance or rejection. This paper examines the landscape aesthetics and land use interference of proposed wind farms in the WCR of South Africa through determining if social acceptance or rejection of proposed wind farms is dependent on the residents and visitors scenic and land use valuation of the natural landscape. The results indicate that the visual intrusion of wind turbines is the impact that respondents are least concerned with contrasting with the findings of international literature and further reasons for this anomaly are interrogated against the background of South Africa’s dire electricity needs. The paper concludes that visual impact assessments alone are not sufficient for evaluating landscapes and this paper recommends that participatory geographic information systems (PGIS) be used in addition to existing wind energy landscape assessments.

A study of the impact of very large wind farms on regional weather using the WRF model in high resolution

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simon Jacobsen ◽  
Aksel Walløe Hansen
Keyword(s):  
Wind Speed ◽  
Wind Turbines ◽  
Wind Farm ◽  
Wrf Model ◽  
Wind Farms ◽  
Real Data ◽  
Power Production ◽  
Wake Effects ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Large Wind

<p>The Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model fitted with the Fitch et al. (2012) scheme for parameterization of the effect of wind energy extraction is used to study the effects of very large wind farms on regional weather. Two real data cases have been run in a high spatial resolution (grid size 500 m). Both cases are characterized by a convective westerly flow. The inner model domain covers the North Sea and Denmark. The largest windfarm consists of 200.000 wind turbines each with a capacity of 8MW. The model is run for up to 12 hours with and without the wind farm. The impact on the regional weather of these very large wind farms are studied and presented. Furthermore, the effect of horizontal spacing between wind turbines is investigated. Significant impact on the regional weather from the very large wind farms was found. Horizontal wind speed changes occur up to 3500m above the surface. The precipitation pattern is greatly affected by the very large wind farms due to the enhanced mixing in the boundary layer. Increased precipitation occurs at the front? within the wind farm, thus leaving the airmass relatively dry downstream when it reaches the Danish coast, resulting in a decrease in precipitation here compared to the control run. The formation of a small low level jet is found above the very large wind farm. Furthermore, wake effects from individual wind turbines decrease the total power production. The wind speed in the real data cases are well above the speed of maximum power production of the wind turbines. Yet most of the 200.000 wind turbines are producing only 1MW due the wake effects. A simulation run with a wind farm of 50.000 8MW wind turbines was also run. This windfarm covers the same area as the previous one, but horizontal distance between wind turbines are 1000m instead of 500m. This configuration was found to produce a similar amount of power as the 200.000 configuration. However, the atmospheric impact on regional weather is smaller but still large with 50.000 wind turbines.</p>

scholarly journals Offshore Wind Energy Resource Assessment across the Territory of Oman: A Spatial-Temporal Data Analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 2862
Author(s):  
Amer Al-Hinai ◽  
Yassine Charabi ◽  
Seyed H. Aghay Kaboli
Keyword(s):  
Data Analysis ◽  
Wind Energy ◽  
Wind Turbines ◽  
Energy Resource ◽  
Wind Farms ◽  
Offshore Wind ◽  
Wind Data ◽  
Offshore Wind Energy ◽  
Offshore Wind Turbines ◽  
Wind Potential

Despite the long shoreline of Oman, the wind energy industry is still confined to onshore due to the lack of knowledge about offshore wind potential. A spatial-temporal wind data analysis is performed in this research to find the locations in Oman’s territorial seas with the highest potential for offshore wind energy. Thus, wind data are statistically analyzed for assessing wind characteristics. Statistical analysis of wind data include the wind power density, and Weibull scale and shape factors. In addition, there is an estimation of the possible energy production and capacity factor by three commercial offshore wind turbines suitable for 80 up to a 110 m hub height. The findings show that offshore wind turbines can produce at least 1.34 times more energy than land-based and nearshore wind turbines. Additionally, offshore wind turbines generate more power in the Omani peak electricity demand during the summer. Thus, offshore wind turbines have great advantages over land-based wind turbines in Oman. Overall, this work provides guidance on the deployment and production of offshore wind energy in Oman. A thorough study using bankable wind data along with various logistical considerations would still be required to turn offshore wind potential into real wind farms in Oman.

scholarly journals Wealth of Wind and Visitors: Tourist Industry Attitudes towards Wind Energy Development in Iceland

Land ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 693
Author(s):  
Anna Dóra Sæþórsdóttir ◽  
Margrét Wendt ◽  
Edita Tverijonaite
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Wind Energy ◽  
Wind Turbines ◽  
Wind Farm ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Wind Farms ◽  
Energy Development ◽  
Tourism Industry ◽  
Land Use Conflicts ◽  
Wind Energy Development

The interest in harnessing wind energy keeps increasing globally. Iceland is considering building its first wind farms, but its landscape and nature are not only a resource for renewable energy production; they are also the main attraction for tourists. As wind turbines affect how the landscape is perceived and experienced, it is foreseeable that the construction of wind farms in Iceland will create land use conflicts between the energy sector and the tourism industry. This study sheds light on the impacts of wind farms on nature-based tourism as perceived by the tourism industry. Based on 47 semi-structured interviews with tourism service providers, it revealed that the impacts were perceived as mostly negative, since wind farms decrease the quality of the natural landscape. Furthermore, the study identified that the tourism industry considered the following as key factors for selecting suitable wind farm sites: the visibility of wind turbines, the number of tourists and tourist attractions in the area, the area’s degree of naturalness and the local need for energy. The research highlights the importance of analysing the various stakeholders’ opinions with the aim of mitigating land use conflicts and socioeconomic issues related to wind energy development.

Simulation of Flow Field on a Large Scale Wind Turbine

2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. Janajreh ◽  
C. Ghenai
Keyword(s):  
Flow Field ◽  
Wind Energy ◽  
Wind Turbine ◽  
Wind Turbines ◽  
Cross Sections ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Wind Farms ◽  
Operating Characteristics ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Capital Costs

Large scale wind turbines and wind farms continue to evolve mounting 94.1GW of the electrical grid capacity in 2007 and expected to reach 160.0GW in 2010 according to World Wind Energy Association. They commence to play a vital role in the quest for renewable and sustainable energy. They are impressive structures of human responsiveness to, and awareness of, the depleting fossil fuel resources. Early generation wind turbines (windmills) were used as kinetic energy transformers and today generate 1/5 of the Denmark’s electricity and planned to double the current German grid capacity by reaching 12.5% by year 2010. Wind energy is plentiful (72 TW is estimated to be commercially viable) and clean while their intensive capital costs and maintenance fees still bar their widespread deployment in the developing world. Additionally, there are technological challenges in the rotor operating characteristics, fatigue load, and noise in meeting reliability and safety standards. Newer inventions, e.g., downstream wind turbines and flapping rotor blades, are sought to absorb a larger portion of the cost attributable to unrestrained lower cost yaw mechanisms, reduction in the moving parts, and noise reduction thereby reducing maintenance. In this work, numerical analysis of the downstream wind turbine blade is conducted. In particular, the interaction between the tower and the rotor passage is investigated. Circular cross sectional tower and aerofoil shapes are considered in a staggered configuration and under cross-stream motion. The resulting blade static pressure and aerodynamic forces are investigated at different incident wind angles and wind speeds. Comparison of the flow field results against the conventional upstream wind turbine is also conducted. The wind flow is considered to be transient, incompressible, viscous Navier-Stokes and turbulent. The k-ε model is utilized as the turbulence closure. The passage of the rotor blade is governed by ALE and is represented numerically as a sliding mesh against the upstream fixed tower domain. Both the blade and tower cross sections are padded with a boundary layer mesh to accurately capture the viscous forces while several levels of refinement were implemented throughout the domain to assess and avoid the mesh dependence.

scholarly journals Performance and Equivalent Loads of Wind Turbines in Large Wind Farms

2017 ◽  
Vol 854 ◽  
pp. 012001 ◽  
Author(s):  
Søren J. Andersen ◽  
Jens N. Sørensen ◽  
Robert F. Mikkelsen
Keyword(s):  
Wind Turbines ◽  
Wind Farms ◽  
Large Wind
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