Wind Turbines

The main work of wind turbines is to utilize the energy of wind and convert it into electricity; stronger wind is considered good for electricity production. But the speed of wind should not be too strong because it makes turbines spin too fast and in this process it commits suicide! Why is it so? Because turbine blades get ripped off by stronger winds – excessive heat damages the alternator. Turbine tower too can't remain unaffected by the strong wind. To prevent all this damage a mechanical breaking system furling is generally used. This method prevents wind turbine from spinning too quickly by turning the blades away from the direction of the wind. Furling can be manual or automatic with same goal i.e. turning the turbine blade edges into the wind when the wind is dangerously strong and stormy. 1 Comment

Officials from Highland Community College (HCC) and EcoEnergy officially broke ground in early October for a facility to house the HCC Wind Turbine Technology Program, the first associates’ degree program of its kind offered in the state of Illinois. 4 Comments

Wind energy has a formidable place in the field of alternative energy but critics always worry about the preservation of bio-diversity and farm birds. It is always a priority for the wind energy producers to keep in mind the comforts of the human and bird population. When plans were announced that UK will built the tallest wind turbines in the country the Npower Renewables tried to tackle the issue of biodiversity to alley the fears of environmentalists. Though they propose a plan of placing 65 turbines on nearly 5,000 acres (2,000ha) of hillside near Llanbrynmair in Powys they are tackling the issue of ecosystem too. Each turbine would be 137m (449ft) high. 1 Comment

When we talk about wind energy, we don’t specifically mention ocean winds. But global satellite maps from NASA promise a new hope. Nearly a decade of data from NASA’s QuikSCAT satellite gives us hope that we can harness ocean’s wind for energy generation. These maps can help in locating and planning the offshore wind farms for producing electric energy. 2 Comments

Wind energy is clean energy but not without its usual baggage. Their noise disturbs those who reside in the close proximity with a wind farm. Many a time wind turbines are forced to operate under partial load so that residents and wind farms can exist in peaceful co-existence. But operating under partial load means lower energy production. Even high winds go unutilized in residential areas. The sources of the noises are many. First is the motion of the rotor blades and another is the cogwheels. Cogwheels generate noise in the gearboxes. These are transported to the tower of the wind turbine, where they are emitted across a wide area -- and what the residents hear is a humming noise. This noise comes out as if mosquitoes are buzzing constantly. 6 Comments

Wind turbines experience problem due to sudden drop in voltage in a portion of the electric grid. Industrial engineer and member of INGEPER Research Team at the Public University of Navarre, Jesús López Taberna is trying to tackle this problem. His team has come out with a rotor model which predicts how the wind power units will behave under these circumstances. Mr López has already patented two techniques and one of which is already with a manufacturer who will utilize it internationally. They have designed generator turbines in such a way that when voltage dips occur, generators continue to function uninterrupted. 1 Comment

Wind energy is 'sustainable energy', just like solar energy and water power. We already know the benefits of wind energy and why we should opt for it. But currently manufacturers are concentrating on the drawbacks of the wind energy and trying to eliminate or minimize those shortcomings. For example turbines are noisy and this sound nuisance can be a problem for the residents of the areas. Wind turbines are unsafe for birds too. Birds can be injured or die if they are caught up in the wings of the turbines. Turbines might annoy you due to horizon pollution i.e. they might meddle with your aesthetic sense. 4 Comments

Right now wind energy is only being harnessed in the windy regions of the earth. Installation of wind energy on individual basis is unpopular because of production and cost inefficiency. Noise pollution and birds getting killed are also not quite attractive side-effects of the windmills. We can’t even imagine of installing windmills on high rise buildings due to their size and cost. 13 Comments

Norwegian company StatoilHydro is working on a 2.3 megawatt floating wind turbine that will be attached to the top of 'Spar-buoy' and moored to the seabed by three anchor points. It is hoped that the 80 meter diameter, 65 meter high Siemens turbine will have lower deep-water installation costs when compared to traditional wind installations. The company plans to have the first prototype ready by fall of 2009, when they will begin feasibility tests to assess how it stands up to high winds. A 3 meter high scale model has already been tested in a wave tank simulator. 3 Comments

According to a recent article from Greentech Media, a Massachusetts aerospace company called FloDesign is working on a wind turbine concept that could potentially be at least twice as efficient as traditional rotor blade turbines, which force air around them instead of through them. It works by channeling wind into a vortex that spins the blades and generates electricity. The company hopes to have a working prototype completed by the end of 2009. Unfortunately their website at flodesignwindturbine.org is not currently functional, but the following video gives a great overview and technical details. 9 Comments

The Bahrain World Trade Center (BWTC) has completed the construction of the three wind turbines that will generate electricity between it's twin towers. The BWTC design blends maritime aesthetics with the functionality of traditional wind-towers. The buildings are the tallest in Manama and the turbines officially make it the world's first wind-powered mega structure. The three wind turbines are horizontally supported between the towers by three bridges weighing a substantial 65-tonnes each, and will provide 11-15% of the electricity needs of both towers. 1 Comment

The First Wind Turbine at a Mountain Ski Resort Begins Producing Power - Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort in Hancock, MA begins generating its own power today. Friday August 3, 2007, the blades of a GE 1.5 MW wind turbine caught the Berkshire breeze and began generating electricity to directly satisfy Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort's electrical demands. As the first kilowatts seamlessly flowed through the resort's facilities, the resort became the first business of its kind in North America to produce its own electricity from a wind turbine. Sitting high atop the mountain resort, the wind turbine is a dramatic testament to the viability of renewable wind energy as an on-site power resource. 1 Comment

Toronto Inventor Tom J. Gilmour recently published his conceptual designs for what he is calling Tom's Whirligig. Patent applications have been made, and Tom hopes to reserve all rights and worldwide patents for his design. Tom believes his windmill plans to be the most complex ever devised. While he is not yet sure of the workability of this concept, he is optimistic about its feasibility and hopes to soon find the time to build a working model. His website provides detailed descriptions, illustrations, Google Sketchup files and a blog for visitor comments. 12 Comments

Manitowoc Crane Group will launch a new technology designed for the assembly and maintenance of wind turbines. The Grove GTK1100 will be unlike any crane available to the market today. MCG produces Manitowoc crawler cranes and Grove mobile cranes used for erecting wind turbines. The new GTK1100 is a result of extensive customer research within the Manitowoc and Grove global customer base. 3 Comments

The company constructing the Olympic Games site plans to build a wind turbine which would provide enough energy to power about 1,200 homes for a year, it was announced today. The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) said the 120-metre tall turbine, which will have a lifespan of about 20 years, will be used to power local amenities including street lighting and housing in the Olympic Park area after London 2012. The turbine, which will cost about £2 million to build and install and has 40-metre-long blades, will be located at Eton Manor in the north of the Olympic Park site in east London. No Comments

The U.S. Department of Defence has released a report about the impact of wind farms on military radar installations. The report undermines previous U.S. Air Force report which stated that the impacts were minimal, and the new report calls more a more in-depth look at the risks. The report covers all aspects of risk, including the impact on military radar, commercial air radar and fishing and ocean navigation systems. The department would like to see radar 'red zones' implemented in order to appease national security concerns and maintain the credibility of current systems. No Comments

In August the electrical retailer Currys began selling photovoltaic solar panels at selected stores. Now DIY superstore B&Q plans to sell budget-priced wind turbines and solar panels in 300 towns and cities throughout the UK. The wind turbines will cost £1,498 and the solar thermal panels by R M Solar cost from the same - with a survey and installation included in the price. 1 Comment