scholarly journals WIND FARMS AND AVIATION

Aviation ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 56-59 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrej Novák

Wind is an increasingly important source of energy for the Slovak Republic. It is exploited by the use of turbines to generate electricity. Because of their physical size, in particular their height, wind farms can have an effect on aviation. Additionally, rotating wind turbine blades may have an impact on certain aviation operations, particularly those involving radar. Santrauka Vejas yra vis didejantis energijos šaltinis Slovakijos Respublikoje. Jis naudojamas generuoti elektra turbinomis. Vejo fermos pagal savo fizikini dydi ir ypač pagal aukšti gali tureti itakos aviacijai. Besisukančios vejo turbinu mentes gali tureti itakos tam tikroms aviacijos operacijoms, ypač susijusioms su radarais.

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (8) ◽  
pp. 2319
Author(s):  
Hyun-Goo Kim ◽  
Jin-Young Kim

This study analyzed the performance decline of wind turbine with age using the SCADA (Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition) data and the short-term in situ LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) measurements taken at the Shinan wind farm located on the coast of Bigeumdo Island in the southwestern sea of South Korea. Existing methods have generally attempted to estimate performance aging through long-term trend analysis of a normalized capacity factor in which wind speed variability is calibrated. However, this study proposes a new method using SCADA data for wind farms whose total operation period is short (less than a decade). That is, the trend of power output deficit between predicted and actual power generation was analyzed in order to estimate performance aging, wherein a theoretically predicted level of power generation was calculated by substituting a free stream wind speed projecting to a wind turbine into its power curve. To calibrate a distorted wind speed measurement in a nacelle anemometer caused by the wake effect resulting from the rotation of wind-turbine blades and the shape of the nacelle, the free stream wind speed was measured using LiDAR remote sensing as the reference data; and the nacelle transfer function, which converts nacelle wind speed into free stream wind speed, was derived. A four-year analysis of the Shinan wind farm showed that the rate of performance aging of the wind turbines was estimated to be −0.52%p/year.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessio Castorrini ◽  
Paolo Venturini ◽  
Fabrizio Gerboni ◽  
Alessandro Corsini ◽  
Franco Rispoli

Abstract Rain erosion of wind turbine blades represents an interesting topic of study due to its non-negligible impact on annual energy production of the wind farms installed in rainy sites. A considerable amount of recent research works has been oriented to this subject, proposing rain erosion modelling, performance losses prediction, structural issues studies, etc. This work aims to present a new method to predict the damage on a wind turbine blade. The method is applied here to study the effect of different rain conditions and blade coating materials, on the damage produced by the rain over a representative section of a reference 5MW turbine blade operating in normal turbulence wind conditions.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Arabian ◽  
L. H. Shu

Abstract Increased adoption of wind-energy technology helps address climate change, but also requires disposition of retired wind-turbine blades that are not easily recycled. This pressing environmental problem is used as the prompt in a creativity study, where participants are asked to identify potential reuses in a Wind-turbine-blade Repurposing Task (WRT). In past iterations of this study, participants consistently struggled with correctly incorporating the large physical size of wind-turbine blades in their reuse concepts. The Alternate Uses Task (AUT) is an established measure of creativity and asks participants to identify uses for much smaller objects like bricks and paper clips. The current work explored whether an AUT can be adapted as an intervention to help overcome the scale challenge in the WRT. Students in a fourth-year undergraduate engineering design course (N = 28) underwent both of two conditions, a scaled-AUT intervention and a control, typical AUT before the WRT. AUT fluency and flexibility (number and categories of ideas) were significantly lower in the scaled AUT than the typical AUT. This result supports that object scale more than unfamiliarity is the main WRT challenge, since the AUT objects were relatively common. Notably, correctly scaled WRT concepts significantly increased after the scaled AUT, supporting the intervention’s effectiveness. Finally, the WRT is proposed as a standard design-study task whose solutions help address a real-world problem.


2017 ◽  
Vol 29 (17) ◽  
pp. 3426-3435
Author(s):  
Sang-Hyeon Kang ◽  
Lae-Hyong Kang

Over the past several decades, wind turbines have been established as one of the promising renewable energy systems for safe and clean energy collection. In order to collect more energy efficiently, the size of wind turbines has been increased and many wind farms have been constructed. Wind farms generate lots of energy, but they cause several side effects, such as noise and a threat to wildlife. It is reported that the bird collision rate of a wind turbine ranges from 0.01 to 23 annually. It is more serious in the case of rare and endangered birds. In order to monitor the effect on birds in wind farms, researchers have developed remote sensing technology for a detection apparatus using heat and radar. In addition, paint color and other variables have been studied regarding their effects on the collision rate. However, the existing methods are passive ways to prevent bird collision or just monitor bird conditions. Therefore, in this study, we propose a bird collision monitoring system that can detect where the bird collision occurred, which will aid in rescuing the birds. If the wind turbine blade has its own ability to capture an impact signal, the impact location can be easily detected, and the birds can be rescued. For this purpose, piezoelectric paint was applied to the wind turbine blades used in this study. The piezoelectric paint is also known as 0-3 piezoelectric composite, which is composed of piezoelectric particles and polymer resin. It is sensitive to high-frequency signals such as impacts, so it is suitable for monitoring bird collision signals. In order to amplify and transmit the impact signal from the rotating blade to a stationary base, a wireless transmission device using a ZigBee module and signal conditioning circuit was also installed. Through lab-scale tests, it was confirmed that this bird collision monitoring system shows a 100% bird collision detection rate.


2005 ◽  
Vol 127 (4) ◽  
pp. 563-569 ◽  
Author(s):  
Herbert J. Sutherland ◽  
John F. Mandell

Mandell et al. have recently presented an updated constant-life diagram (CLD) for a fiberglass composite that is a typical wind turbine blade material. Their formulation uses the MSU/DOE fatigue data base to develop a CLD with detailed S-N information at 13 R-values. This diagram is the most detailed to date, and it includes several loading conditions that have been poorly represented in earlier studies. Sutherland and Mandell have used this formulation to analyze typical loads data from operating wind farms and the failure of coupons subjected to spectral loading. The detailed CLD used in these analyses requires a significant investment in materials testing that is usually outside the bounds of typical design standards for wind turbine blades. Thus, the question has become: How many S-N curves are required for the construction of a CLD that is sufficient for an “accurate” prediction of equivalent fatigue loads and service lifetimes? To answer this question, the load data from two operating wind turbines and the failure of coupons tested using the WISPERX spectra are analyzed using a nonlinear damage model. For the analysis, the predicted service lifetimes that are based on the CLD constructed from 13 R-values are compared to the predictions for CLDs constructed with fewer R-values. The results illustrate the optimum number of R-values is 5 with them concentrated between R-values of −2 and 0.5, or −2 and 0.7.


2020 ◽  
Vol 59 (10) ◽  
pp. 1717-1733 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Letson ◽  
T. J. Shepherd ◽  
R. J. Barthelmie ◽  
S. C. Pryor

AbstractDeep convection and the related occurrence of hail, intense precipitation, and wind gusts represent a hazard to a range of energy infrastructure including wind turbine blades. Wind turbine blade leading-edge erosion (LEE) is caused by the impact of falling hydrometeors onto rotating wind turbine blades. It is a major source of wind turbine maintenance costs and energy losses from wind farms. In the U.S. southern Great Plains (SGP), where there is widespread wind energy development, deep convection and hail events are common, increasing the potential for precipitation-driven LEE. A 25-day Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Model simulation conducted at convection-permitting resolution and using a detailed microphysics scheme is carried out for the SGP to evaluate the effectiveness in modeling the wind and precipitation conditions relevant to LEE potential. WRF output for these properties is evaluated using radar observations of precipitation (including hail) and reflectivity, in situ wind speed measurements, and wind power generation. This research demonstrates some skill for the primary drivers of LEE. Wind speeds, rainfall rates, and precipitation totals show good agreement with observations. The occurrence of precipitation during power-producing wind speeds is also shown to exhibit fidelity. Hail events frequently occur during periods when wind turbines are rotating and are especially important to LEE in the SGP. The presence of hail is modeled with a mean proportion correct of 0.77 and an odds ratio of 4.55. Further research is needed to demonstrate sufficient model performance to be actionable for the wind energy industry, and there is evidence for positive model bias in cloud reflectivity.


Author(s):  
Fardin Khalili ◽  
Pradip Majumdar ◽  
Mehdi Zeyghami

Far-field noise propagation from wind turbines propel development of wind farms to an issue for public acceptance. Airstream contains pressure fluctuations as a result of instability, giving a regular eddy pattern or an irregular turbulent motion which are responsible for the sound produced by wind turbine blades. Aeroacoustic noise emanated from a wind turbine is mainly generated by the interactions of tip and trailing edge of wind turbine blades with the mechanics in wake region such as inflow turbulence structures, boundary layer separation and vortex shedding. Hence, there is a strong necessity for an analytical investigation for noise reducing design and development of the technology in order to further expand wind farms. The objectives of this study are to analyze the far-field aeroacoustics of wind turbines with the purpose of predicting far-field sound pressure levels at different receivers and monitoring total acoustic power captured within wind turbine performance for various wind speeds. Blades are modeled based on NREL S825 airfoil since it has high maximum lift and low profile drag. With the purpose of predicting far-field noise, the Ffowcs Williams-Hawkings (FW-H) acoustics model is the preferred method in order to compute the far-field sound signal which is released from near-field flow. As the key attribute of the research, detached eddy simulation (DES) provides accurate results for the desired simulation since it is a hybrid modeling approach that combines features of Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) simulation in boundary layers and irrotational flow regions, and large-eddy simulation (LES) in unsteady separation regions. In addition, SST K-Omega detached eddy turbulence model is used due to its good compromise between robustness, computational cost and accuracy. Aerodynamic and aeroacoustic analysis of a wind turbine is performed using a three-dimensional model and a commercial CFD Software, STAR-CCM+. In order to predict far-field sound pressure levels and acoustic powers on different locations, five point receivers are defined downstream of the wind turbine model. Receivers are placed one diameter, D, over the wind turbine rotor blades with 1D, 2D, 5D, 10D and 15D away from the wind turbine that represent receivers 1 to 5. Higher acoustic powers are delivered at closer receivers. It means that acoustic power fades out with larger distances. It is observed that there is a fractional variation of 61%, 17%, 6% and 3% as compared to the receiver 1 for receivers 2, 3, 4 and 5 respectively. Moreover, the results show that variation in total acoustic power is non-linear and higher acoustic powers will be captured for higher velocities. This comparison is done between wind speeds of 10m/s and 15m/s.


2018 ◽  
pp. 214-223
Author(s):  
AM Faria ◽  
MM Pimenta ◽  
JY Saab Jr. ◽  
S Rodriguez

Wind energy expansion is worldwide followed by various limitations, i.e. land availability, the NIMBY (not in my backyard) attitude, interference on birds migration routes and so on. This undeniable expansion is pushing wind farms near populated areas throughout the years, where noise regulation is more stringent. That demands solutions for the wind turbine (WT) industry, in order to produce quieter WT units. Focusing in the subject of airfoil noise prediction, it can help the assessment and design of quieter wind turbine blades. Considering the airfoil noise as a composition of many sound sources, and in light of the fact that the main noise production mechanisms are the airfoil self-noise and the turbulent inflow (TI) noise, this work is concentrated on the latter. TI noise is classified as an interaction noise, produced by the turbulent inflow, incident on the airfoil leading edge (LE). Theoretical and semi-empirical methods for the TI noise prediction are already available, based on Amiet’s broadband noise theory. Analysis of many TI noise prediction methods is provided by this work in the literature review, as well as the turbulence energy spectrum modeling. This is then followed by comparison of the most reliable TI noise methodologies, qualitatively and quantitatively, with the error estimation, compared to the Ffowcs Williams-Hawkings solution for computational aeroacoustics. Basis for integration of airfoil inflow noise prediction into a wind turbine noise prediction code is the final goal of this work.


2009 ◽  
Vol 129 (5) ◽  
pp. 689-695
Author(s):  
Masayuki Minowa ◽  
Shinichi Sumi ◽  
Masayasu Minami ◽  
Kenji Horii

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