Latest Updates: wind turbine RSS

• Double Pack – Wind Energy Plus Solar Power
  Srikant Rajan 04:14:23 am on October 7, 2008 | 1 | # |
  Tags: Moncada energy group, solar energy, solar panel, wind energy, wind farm, wind turbine

  Italian based Moncada Energy Group is planning a model of energy generation that would combine bot solar and wind power .Moncada plans to erect solar panels in its wind farm fields and hopes to draw power when the sun shines during the day and in the night when the wind intensity is higher as compared to day time.Salvatore Moncada , executive says “   The panels will be used for our solar farm and placed under the towers in our wind farms. This will allow both the panels and the wind turbines—55 meters tall, with 40-meter long blades—to use the same infrastructure in place to collect energy   ”

  This double harvest technique would add 400 MW to 105 MW of energy from wind farms , but the power output would vary as sometimes solar panels could be hampered by presence of turbine shadows.

   

• Pump the Wind Under The Ground
  Srikant Rajan 06:14:39 am on September 14, 2008 | 1 | # |
  Tags: carbon emissions, solar energy, wind energy, wind storage, wind turbine

  You had solar energy without the sun , how about wind energy when there is no wind ? A new Jersey company is trying to find a method for trapping wind based power in underground reservoirs.This process involves using excess power from the grid at times of low demand , such as in the night and using it to pump air into underground caverns.During periods of higher demand , this air is released and heated to run air expansion turbines.Michael Nakhamkin , pioneer of storage techniques says “   This technology significantly reduces fuel oil and natural gas consumption   “. Nakhamkin adds , that this methods uses of fossil fuels results in low emissions compared to traditional turbine systems.

  Now here is yet another add on to power grid after plug in hybrids.I am inclined to say that this process merely delays the carbon emissions , its impact on the reduction front is very low.

   

• Pickens Planning Largest Wind Farm
  Srikant Rajan 06:14:44 am on August 26, 2008 | 1 | # |
  Tags: active damping system, t boone pickens, turbine control system, wind energy, wind power, wind turbine, windmill

  Wind energy suddenly seems to have found a lot of takers.Following the recent plans of New York mayor Bloomberg to have windmills literally everywhere within the city,billionaire T Boone Pickens , is planning the biggest wind farm ever constructed.The proposed wind farm is being planned over 200,000 acres of land and  an estimated cost of $10.4 billion , including transmissions costs.The wind farm power production is anticipated to be 1,000 megawatts (MW)  by the end of 2011 and 4,000 MW by 2014. One megawatt can power about 300 average homes, but turbines do not produce 100 percent of their capacity because the wind varies in speed and blows intermittently

  Dismissing the noise generated by turbine operation as a potential disadvantage,Pickens said “ If you’re getting royalties from them, it might be a pleasant sound “ .Considering the recent development of active noise damping systems for limiting turbine operation noise the sound, it seems that it might even make the sound musical ! 

   

• Silent Wind Turbines ?
  Srikant Rajan 09:49:30 am on August 16, 2008 | 2 | # |
  Tags: active damping system, Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt, passive damping system, turbine control system, turbine noise, wind power, wind turbine

  Wind turbine operation normally leads to a great deal of noise production , thus preventing their widespread use particularly near residential areas.Additionally a gigantic wind turbine on the roof isn’t exactly visually appealing.A way around this problem is to operate the turbine under partial load to limit the noise production.However this also reduces the power output associated with the turbine.Damping systems used till now were of passive kind and in some cases even entail replacing the gearbox which is an expensive proposition.Passive systems are capable of absorbing noise at a certain frequency and in turn produce a humming sound which in turn penetrates the surrounding areas and sometimes cause more discomfort than actual noise.

  In a project funded by the Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt researchers are developing an active damping system for wind turbines.These systems are dynamic in operation that is they react autonomously to any change in frequency , irrespective of the speed of turbine operation.This system uses piezo actuators which convert electricity into mechanical motion and cancel out the vibrations produced by the turbines. A working model of the system is already in place and field trials are expected soon.The challenge however would be to integrate these sensors with the mainstream turbine control system in a cost effective manner.

   

• US Wind Power Sector Blowing Strong
  Srikant Rajan 12:41:03 pm on August 9, 2008 | 0 | # |
  Tags: Iberdrola, renewable energy, US, wind power, wind turbine

  The first wind farm to be constructed in Arizona has already found buyers of its power yet to be produced.The Dry Lake Wind Project , being built by Iberdrola Renewable’s has entered  into agreement with Salt River Project (SRP), according to which SRP would purchase 100% of power generated by this wind farm.The contract also give SRP an option to buy additional power in case of capacity expansion.

  SRP’s optimistic estimation of power demand is partly governed by strong business sense .The existing transmission line in Arizona are in proximity with the proposed wind farm,which would save a significant amount of additional construction for building up transmission capabilities.And Iberdrola seems to have got right its market estimate regarding wind power viability . It had recently signed up with GE for delivery of 200 wind turbines .Judging by the present demand ,  Iberdrola  would find good use for all 200 of the wind turbines.