Wind turbines for high wind speed areas

rachel
rachel Registered Users Posts: 1
Hi, I'm pretty new here but was hoping I could get some help with a project I am working on for an engineering scheme. I've been researching for a while to find wind turbines which are capable to withstand high speed winds (30m/s - 100k/h - 68mph) but as of yet haven't been able to find any with enough information about how much energy will be produced.
I need to produce roughly 60,000 kWh per year and the budget is, as of yet, undecided, so any values will be fine. I would be expecting to have a wind farm, with several wind turbines, to produce this amount and was hoping that someone could help with recommending a suitable turbine/ where to find information about turbines like this.

Thank you!

Rachel

Comments

  • icarus
    icarus Solar Expert Posts: 5,436 ✭✭✭✭
    Re: Wind turbines for high wind speed areas

    Not that I can really help, but the great Irony with small scale wind, is if you have enough to be useful, you have too much for most hardware to withstand the loading issues.

    Tony
  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,431 admin
    Re: Wind turbines for high wind speed areas

    There is running at high wind speeds and there is surviving high wind speeds.

    What is the average wind speed 98% of the time?

    Most turbines furl/brake/shutdown in in winds over around 30 miles per hour.

    If you need to generate during heavy winds, you need a turbine that has blades that adjust pitch based on rpm.

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
  • Dragonlady5
    Dragonlady5 Registered Users Posts: 19 ✭✭
    Re: Wind turbines for high wind speed areas

    There are products specifically designed for high wind sites. e.g. http://www.windside.com/products/ws-12

    Depending on the AVERAGE wind speed you may be able to meet your needs with this model as they spec this unit at: 48,000 kWh per year with and average of 10 m/sec wind speed.
  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,431 admin
    Re: Wind turbines for high wind speed areas

    I would stay away from vertical axis turbines... They are pretty much useless.

    If you are interested in any wind turbine, get verified output numbers month by month for your wind conditions/tower elevation.

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
  • Dragonlady5
    Dragonlady5 Registered Users Posts: 19 ✭✭
    Re: Wind turbines for high wind speed areas

    Agreed 100% with verified output/specs Bill.

    But not so on your VAWT comment. They (some designs) can fit some applications and do a good or better job at it ( e.g. turbulence can be a cause of early failure of yaw bearings on HAWT, and loss of power when directions shift frequently ) . You have verified "uselessness" for this generalization.
  • Cariboocoot
    Cariboocoot Banned Posts: 17,615 ✭✭✭
    Re: Wind turbines for high wind speed areas

    Of course VAWT's create their own turbulence (having to spin the blades back into the wind that is driving them) and so lose efficiency for any given blade area in comparison to the same swept area of a HAWT (whose self-generated turbulence tends to be behind the blades and thus has little effect on generation). Can't get around that no matter what.

    With any turbine get those output numbers verified because the makers tend to, not to put too fine a point on it, lie about power output.

    One thing is for certain: if you don't expect much from them you won't be disappointed.
  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,431 admin
    Re: Wind turbines for high wind speed areas
    ( e.g. turbulence can be a cause of early failure of yaw bearings on HAWT, and loss of power when directions shift frequently )

    Problem is turbulent airflow has almost no useful extractable energy... A VAWT is not able to extract anymore useful energy from turbulence that any HAWT can (from any numbers I have seen). From simple dynamics, a VAWT needs ~2x the swept area as a typical HAWT device would (1/2 of the VAWT is always going "up wind").

    So while you are correct that yaw bearings can (and do) fail on HAWT--I have yet to see any verified output from any HAWT over a one year period... Either they simply do not output a lot of power, or they have their own failures (structural/blade failures, bearing failures, and electronics failures--Many of the same problems as HAWT).

    One big problem with VAWT is that they are installed by architects in areas that are not good for wind (next to buildings, on roof lines, short towers near ground level, etc.). To get up into "clean air flow", the swept area of a turbine needs to be on the order of 60 feet above the ground--And 30' above any nearby upwind obstructions.

    Very few of the VAWT are installed 60+ feet off the ground in clear air--They have additional issues of trying to keep the top of the rotor from flexing (guy wires, external structure, like you like to the customer turbine vendor)--And flexing is a huge issue for any mechanical structure.

    Some real-life experiences with small wind--worth repeating here:
    Windsun wrote: »
    http://www.stthomasspringdale.org/about/trinity-wind-test-project.html Read down the page for a timeline.

    http://www.earthbilly.com/wind_turbine.htm I feel sorry for this guy...

    http://www.nrel.gov/wind/smallwind/pdfs/mariah_report.pdf (this NREL report is about the failed Mariah VAWT type turbine tests, June 2009. Though not associated with SWWP it mirrors many of the problems with small wind turbines, especially the recently much hype vertical axis turbines).

    The first link is with Skystreams (three of them)--And is probably the longest record I have ever read about a set of them running.

    You can review the Dutch small wind study (1 year of operation in a 8.5 mph average wind open field test). There are both VAWT and HAWT in the tests:
    BB. wrote: »
    One other interesting point to ponder... How far off most of the production numbers were (if I read the Dutch Specs. correctly).

    Link to Article (in OP--Measured Yield).
    Link to translated Dutch specs. (yearly power estimates from Vendors):

    - Energy Ball v100 (4,304 euro) : 73 kWh per year, corresponding to an average output of 8.3 watts
    Predicted by Vendor: Power: 0.5 kW with the supplier an estimated yield of 350 kWh / year
    • Prediction Accuracy: 21% of predicted output

    - Ampair 600 (8,925 euro) : 245 kWh per year or an average output of 28 watts
    Predicted by Vendor: Power: 0.6 kW with a supplier by the estimated yield of 1,500 kWh / year
    • Prediction Accuracy: 16% of predicted output

    - Turby (21,350 euro) : 247 kWh per year or an average output of 28.1 watts
    Power: 2 kW with the supplier an estimated yield of 1485 kWh / year
    • Prediction Accuracy: 17% of predicted output

    - Airdolphin (17,548 euro) : 393 kWh per year or an average output of 44.8 watts
    Power: 1 kW by a supplier estimated yield of 1800 kWh / year
    • Prediction Accuracy: 22% of predicted output

    - WRE 030 (29,512 euro) : 404 kWh per year or an average output of 46 watts
    Power: 3 kW, according to the supplier with an estimated yield of 900 kWh / year
    • Prediction Accuracy: 45% of predicted output

    - WRE 060 (37,187 euro) : 485 kWh per year or an average output of 55.4 watts
    Power: 6 kW, according to the supplier with an estimated yield of 6000 kWh / year
    • Prediction Accuracy: 8% of predicted output

    - Passaat (9,239 euro) : 578 kWh per year or an average output of 66 watts
    Power: 1.4 kW with a supplier by the estimated yield of 1250 kWh / year
    • Prediction Accuracy: 46% of predicted output

    - Skystream (10,742 euro) : 2,109 kWh per year or an average power output of 240.7 watts
    Power: 1.8 kW with the supplier an estimated yield of 1360 kWh / year
    • Prediction Accuracy: 155% of predicted output

    - Montana (18,508 euro) : 2,691 kWh per year or an average power output of 307 watts.
    Power: 5 kW with a supplier by the estimated yield of 4500 kWh / year
    • Prediction Accuracy: 60% of predicted output

    Most of them average around 20% of predicted performance--And only Skystream exceeded predicted performance!

    -Bill

    Wind requires a lot of maintenance (usually) to keep running. Doing it on a 60-120 foot tall tower--Even adds more excitement.

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset