Wind Power

How wind energy works

- Modern wind turbines come in different styles, but most are based on horizontal axis design
(blades are perpendicular to the ground) (UoCS, 2013)
- Small turbines are used for providing power off the grid, some power batteries on boats, others
power dairy farms and villages. 250W to 50kW machines.
- Large wind turbines provide power to the grid, are usually bunched together in a farm to
increase efficiency in windy locations. 250kW to 5MW machines used off shores.
- Blades are attached to axle attached to gearbox, producing AC electricity.
- Electricity must be produced at the correct frequency and voltage to be compatible with the
grid. (UoCS, 2013)

Benefits
-Wind power does not require the burning of fossil fuels, thereby reducing CO
2
emissions
-Flow control can be used to conserve energy, make turbines more efficient, and decrease noise
(Djojodihardjo, 2013)
-Global wind-power capacity is growing, making wind the fastest-growing non-fossil fuel energy
source (Keith, 2004)
-The cost of electricity from wind power is declining (Keith, 2004)
-Windmills can be a tourist attraction (Mariani, 2009)
-Wind energy is the nearest term cost-competitive renewable energy source (Turner, 1999)
-Wind energy facilities can pay back the original energy investment and the emissions produced
from their manufacture in 20 years (Turner, 1999)
-Some energy generated is redundant. This excess energy can possibly be used to create
hydrogen via electrolysis. (Marchenko, 2013)

Drawbacks
-Wind turbines can kill or injure migrating birds (Eveleth, 2013)
-Wind turbines noise can potentially have adverse short- and long-term health effects on nearby
residential areas (Jeffery, 2013)
-Large-scale use of wind power can potentially influence local and global climate by altering air
currents in the atmosphere (Keith, 2004)
-Windmills could potentially collapse/fall (Mariani, 2004)

How best to implement wind power in the U.S.
-The largest potential for onshore windpower in the U.S. is in the western and central Great
Plains, while the least potential is the southeastern U.S. (Lopez, 2012)
-The largest estimated potential for offshore windpower in the U.S. is around Hawaii (Lopez,
2012)
-Wind farms can be used to power oil rigs offshore, offering power for various energy
consuming processes. (He, 2013)




Annotated Bibliography

Djojodihardjo, H., Abdul Hamid, M. F., Jaafar, A.A., Basri, S., Romli, F.I., et al. Computational
Study on the Aerodynamic Performance of Wind Turbine Airfoil Fitted with Coanda Jet. 2013:
Article ID 839319.
http://www.hindawi.com/journals/jre/2013/839319/

This source speaks about the development of the Coanda configured airfoil, or blade/wing. This
source can be used as a way to show that technology concerning blades is being improved to
increase efficiency and reduce drag of the blades.


Eveleth, R. December 16, 2013. How Many Birds Do Wind Turbines Really Kill?.
smithsonianmag.com. Date Retrieved April 2014.
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/how-many-birds-do-wind-turbines-really-kill-
180948154/?no-ist

This source is about how many birds are injured or killed by wind turbines. This source provides
a solid range of numbers concerning a major reason against using wind power: the effect on
wildlife and migratory paths of some species.


He, W., Uhlen, K., Hadiya, M., Chen, Z., Shi, G., Rio, E. 2013. Case Study of Integrating an
Offshore Wind Farm with Offshore Oil and Gas Platforms and with an Onshore Electrical Grid.
Journal of Renewable Energy. 2013: Article ID 607165.
http://www.hindawi.com/journals/jre/2013/607165/

This article explains how a wind farm could be used to power various energy consuming
processes, like drilling in deep water areas. A model was proposed to see how realistic this
operation could be. It could be a good example of implementation.


Jeffery, R.D., Krogh, C., and Horner, B. September 2013. Adverse health effects of industrial
wind turbines. Canadian Family Physician. 59: 921-925.
http://www.cfp.ca/content/59/9/921.short?rss=1

This source is associated with the various short and long term health effects of having wind
turbines in residential areas. It really focuses on one single problem; noise annoyance. But, with
noise annoyance comes many symptoms like stress, sleep disturbance, and headaches.


Keith, D.W., DeCarolis, J.F., Denkenberger, D.C., Lenschow, Malyshev, S.L., Pacala S., et al.
November 2004. The influence of large-scale wind power on global climate. PNAS. 106: 16115
16120.
http://www.pnas.org/content/101/46/16115.full

This article discusses the effects of large-scale wind power on global climate. This shows some
consequences that may result from greater implementation of wind power facilities.


Lopez, A., Roberts, B., Heimiller, D., Blair, N., and Porro, G., 2012. U.S. Renewable Energy
Technical Potentials: A GIS-Based Analysis. National Renewable Energy Laboratory.
http://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy12osti/51946.pdf

This report assesses the potential of different renewable energy resources. This can be used to
compare wind powers technical potential to that of other resources.


Marchenko, O.V., Solomin, S.V. 2013. Economic Efficiency Assessment of Autonomous
Wind/Diesel/Hydrogen Systems in Russia. 2013: Article ID 101972.
http://www.hindawi.com/journals/jre/2013/101972/

This source, although not based completely on wind energy, has a lot of great information on
prime locations in Russia where the use of wind farms could be implemented. It explicitly states
that at the current prices of fossil fuels, the application of wind turbines is efficient even with a
low, annual average wind speed of 4.5 meters per second.


Mariani, J. December 2009. Officials investigating why 187-ton windmill collapsed in Fenner.
Syracuse.com. Date Retrieved April 2014.
http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2009/12/officials_hope_to_learn_why_wi.html

This article discusses a turbine that fell inexplicably. This is an example of a potential danger or
consequence associated with windmill use.


Turner, J.A. July 1999. A Realizable Renewable Energy Future. Science. 285: 687-689.
http://www.energycrisis.info/Apollo2/turner_sci.pdf

This source speaks about the failures of fossil fuels, and some about cleaner options. Wind
power and its cost is not as prevalent in this article, but it can be used for the negatives of the
non-renewable energies.


Union of Concerned Scientists. October, 2013. How Wind Energy Works. Union of Concerned
Scientists. Date Retrieved April 2014.
http://www.ucsusa.org/clean_energy/our-energy-choices/renewable-energy/how-wind-energy-
works.html

This site offers a lot of general information on wind power. It covers topics such as the history of
wind power, the mechanical functions of the turbines, and the economic market for wind.