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P1: NRM
October 21, 2000 10:48 Annual Reviews AR118-06
Annu. Rev. Energy Environ. 2000. 25:147–97
Copyright
c
2000 by Annual Reviews. All rights reserved
WINDPOWER: ATurnoftheCentury Review
1
Jon G. McGowan and
2
Stephen R. Connors
1
Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Massachusetts,
Amherst, Massachusetts 01003; e-mail: jgmcgowa@ecs.umass.edu, jgmcgowa@aol.com
2
The Energy Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge,
Massachusetts 02137-4307; e-mail: connorsr@mit.edu
Key Words wind energy, renewable energy, offshore, electricity,
electricity competition
■ Abstract The 1990s saw a resurgence in the windpower industry, with installed
grid-connected capacity expanding more than five-fold between 1990 and 2000. Most
of this increase occurred in Europe, where governmental policies aimed at developing
domestic energy supplies and reducing pollutant emissions provided a sheltered mar-
ket for renewable energy generation. The 1990s were also marked by a return to large,
megawatt-sized wind turbines, a reduction and consolidation of wind turbine manufac-
turers, and increased interest in offshore windpower. This article reviews recent trends
in the windpower industry, including some ofthe fundamental engineering principles
of wind turbine design. Technological impediments and advances are discussed in the
context of changes in the global electricity markets and environmental performance.
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION 148
RECENT TRENDS
149
WIND ENERGY APPLICATIONS AND ECONOMICS
151
WIND TURBINE DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS
155
Rotor Axis
156
Orientation
157
Rotational Speed
158
Rotor Characteristics
158
Aerodynamic Power Control
159
Dynamic Load Management at the Hub
160
Tower Structure
160
Other Design Constraints
161
Maintenance Issues
162
Standards and Certification
163
ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS
165
Land Use
165
Avian Interaction
166
Local Opposition
167
1056-3466/00/1129-0147$14.00
147
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October 21, 2000 10:48 Annual Reviews AR118-06
148 MCGOWAN
CONNORS
WIND RESOURCE CONSIDERATIONS 170
RECENT ADVANCES IN WIND TECHNOLOGY
173
Rotor and Blades: Aerodynamics
174
Blades: Materials and Testing
178
Drive Train and Generators
178
Controls and Conditioning
179
Towers and Construction-Erection Issues
181
Resource Trends
181
FUTURE WINDPOWER APPLICATIONS AND DEPLOYMENT
182
Development of Large Wind Turbines
183
Offshore Windpower
183
Small Wind Turbine Systems
187
INDUSTRY TRENDS
187
CONCLUSIONS
191
INTRODUCTION
In 1990 there were roughly 2200 MW of grid-connected wind generating capacity
in the world, mostly in California (1). After the end ofthe OPEC oil shock, and the
end of U.S. investment tax credits for wind, the industry entered a period of slow
growth. In the early1990s, withconcernsoverclimatechangeand an over-reliance
on fossil fuels reemerging, governmental policies in Europe, the United States,
and elsewhere were re-instituted to help renewable power generation. This, along
with technology improvements and lower installed costs, has led to a remarkable
resurgence in the industry. Denmark and Germany introduced rules that ensured
that wind farms received payments of up to 85% to 90% ofthe retail price of
electricity (2). In the United States, the Energy Policy Act of 1992 instituted a
production tax credit for wind and other renewables of 1.5¢ per kWh. However,
with the introduction of competition for electricity in nearly every industrialized
country, the long-term planning function of vertically integrated electric utilities
has all but disappeared. In the place of utilities’ integrated resource planning has
arisen renewable portfolio standards and the potential to sell “value priced” green
power. Against this background of liberalized electricity markets, wind turbine
developers have continued to work, improving the technology and bringing out
bigger and bigger machines. In Europe especially, issues regarding land use have
wind farm developers looking to the sea, a very suitable place for large wind
turbines and smoother, faster winds.
To bring the reader up to date, this article covers three main topics. First are the
recent changesinthe wind industry itself, withparticularattentionpaid to therange
and types of wind turbines—or wind energy conversion systems (WECS)—that
are now being installed in onshore and offshore wind farms. Second is areview of
the key wind turbine design issues upon which the continued development of the
wind industry depends. Third is a discussion of where the industry is going. Of
particular interest is how increased competition, or liberalization, in the electric
P1: NRM
October 21, 2000 10:48 Annual Reviews AR118-06
WINDPOWER 149
sector will effect the market for windpower and, of course, how this impacts the
increasing need to reduce pollutant emissions and mitigate global climate change.
RECENT TRENDS
At the end of 1999, it was estimated that there was more than 12 GW of grid-
connected windpower in the world. This is more than five and a half times the
amount of installed capacity in 1990 (1, 3). Figure 1 (see color insert) shows how
installed capacity has grown from 1995 through 1999, broken down by geographic
region (4–6). Here the influence of European renewable energy policies is appar-
ent. Table 1 provides details for 1996, 1998, and 2000. In the mid-1990s, North
America and Europe had roughly the same amount of installed capacity (at 46%
of the world’s total each). However, by the end of 1999 Europe’s share of total
installed capacity had risen to over two thirds. From 1997 to 2000, Europe installed
new wind generating capacity at the rate of 1600 MW per year, and from 1995 to
2000 wind generating capacity grew at an average annual rate of 37%. Over the
sameperiod, windcapacityin Asia hasquintupled,primarilydue to efforts inIndia.
By the late 1980s, commercial grid-connected wind turbines were in the 150 to
450 kW range. By the late 1990s, most manufacturers had roughly doubled the size
of wind turbines, offering600to750kW machines. 1000 to 1600 kW machines are
now commercially available. The latest models being developed range well above
2 MW, primarily for offshore applications. Figure 2 shows the comparative height
andsweptareaforvariousmachines. Althoughrotor diameterand tower/hub height
varies among manufactures, the variation is not overly large. Tower height is the
most variable, as site characteristics such as uniformity ofthe wind’s flow field,
surface roughness, and visual impacts must be considered. However, towers are
commonly one to one-and-a-half the rotor’s diameter in height. A good overview
TABLE 1 Installed wind generating capacity (4, 5, 6)
Region Jan. 1996 Jan. 1998 Jan. 2000
Europe 2518 52.0 46.1 4766 62.8 35.9 8349 67.0 29.1
North America 1676 34.6 −2.7 1615 21.3 0.2 2617 21.0 30.2
Asia and Pacific 626 12.9 157.6 1149 15.1 24.5 1363 10.9 8.4
Latin America 7 0.1 −30.0 34 0.4 21.4 87 0.7 67.3
Middle East 12 0.2 −50.0 21 0.3 0.0 36 0.3 38.5
Africa 0 0.0 3 0.0 0.0 3 0.0 0.0
Total 4839 30.0 7588 24.5 12455 26.9
(MW) (%) (D%) (MW) (%) (D%) (MW) (%) (D%)
(D%—Percent change from previous year)
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October 21, 2000 10:48 Annual Reviews AR118-06
150 MCGOWAN
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5000 kW
112 m
100 m
: Capacity
: Rotor Dia.
: Tower Hgt.
750 kW
48 m
60 m
50 kW
15 m
25 m
1000 kW
60 m
70 m
300 kW
34 m
40 m
2000 kW
72 m
80 m
160 m
120 m
80 m
40 m
Figure 2 Representative size, height and diameter of wind turbines.
of how the size and performance of Danish wind turbines has changed over time
can be found in References 7–9.
Whereas most new wind farm installations remain onshore, The Netherlands,
Denmark, and Sweden have begun to develop their expertise in offshore appli-
cations. Table 2 lists current offshore wind farms (10). Most of these represent
near-shore, sea floor mounted WECS installations. As is discussed below, off-
shore applications present a tradeoff between installed costs and maintenance and
superiorwind resourcesandlowerland-useandcommunity acceptanceconstraints.
TABLE 2 Existing offshore wind installations (10)
Location Country Year Capacity No. Size Manufacturer
Vindeby Denmark 1991 4.95 11 450 Bonus
Lely (Ijsselmeer) Netherlands 1994 2.00 4 500 NedWind
Tunø Knob Denmark 1995 5.00 10 500 Vestas
Dronten I (Ijsselmeer) Netherlands 1996 11.40 19 600 Nordtank
Bockstigen Sweden 1997 2.75 5 550 Wind World
Total 26.10 49
(MW) (kW)
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October 21, 2000 10:48 Annual Reviews AR118-06
WINDPOWER 151
WIND ENERGY APPLICATIONS AND ECONOMICS
How individual wind turbines are bundled into wind farms depends upon the wind
resource, topography, economics, and the sensitivity of local populations. Figure 3
(see color insert) shows some ofthe potential configurations a wind farm can take,
includingsome prospectivearrangements foroffshorepower. Thelargewindfarms
in California range from ridge-top arrays in the Altamont pass to large rectilinear
arrays near Palm Springs. Europe, due in part to population density, has deployed
its wind turbines in smaller groupings, as linear arrays or clusters of perhaps a
dozen machines each (7). Another important factor is the regulatory treatment of
grid interconnections. At what voltage level is the local utility comfortable with
the insertion ofa variable power source? Furthermore, there may be economies
of scale for larger wind farms, especially if they are connecting to higher voltage
transmission lines for delivery to distant population centers. Interest in offshore
applications has increased because large high quality wind regimes are relatively
close to population and load centers.
As maintenance requirements drop and remote control and operation capabili-
ties expand, the economics of co-location will diminish. In areas where there are
more people, or existing agricultural land-uses, the “European model” of smaller
groups of WECS allows better integration and synergy of windpower generation
with existing land uses. Although the close proximity of wind may invite local
opposition, if there is good community buy-in, owing in part to local economic
and employment benefits, wind deployment can continue (11).
Of course, interest in windpower is not limited to grid-onnected power. As
illustrated in Figure 4 (see color insert), large- and smaller-scale grid-connected
windpoweris only part ofthe picture. For veryrural areas, including village power
in developing countries, there is considerable interest in hybrid systems, or mini-
grids. Recent experience in wind-diesel applications in Alaska and Canada focus
on the delivery of reliable power, especially when already expensive fuel deliveries
are interrupted for part ofthe year due to harsh weather (12, 13). These smaller
kW systems are driven by a different economic equation. Rather than competing
against the grid price of power, they are measured by the value ofthe service
they provide. In developing countries this can be measured in terms of improved
medical services, equivalent cents per lumen from a kerosene lamp, or clean and
reliablewatersupplies.Onthefarendofthisspectrumaresmall single-usesystems,
generally associated withtelecommunicationsandnavigational applications. Here
the electricaldemandis generally for acontinuouspowersource, ratherthana large
demand for electrical energy. Such battery-charging systems are rarely judged on
a cost per unit power basis.
The primary tradeoff effecting the economics of windpower is the capital cost
of the machine or farm and the quality ofthe wind resource. Currently, to be
cost-competitive, wind farms must be sited in high quality wind regimes, nor-
mally a Wind Power Class of 4 or higher, preferably 5 or higher. Figure 5 shows
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October 21, 2000 10:48 Annual Reviews AR118-06
152 MCGOWAN
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0
10
20
30
40
50
45678910
Capacity Factor (%)
0
200
300
400
500
600
800
200
300
400
500
600
800
2000
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Wind Power
Density (W m-1)
5.6
6.4
7.0
7.5
8.0
8.8
11.9
0.0
5.6
6.4
7.0
7.5
8.0
8.8
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Wind Speed
Range (m s-1)
( 1 )
( 2 )
( 3 )
( 4 )
( 5 )
( 6 )
( 7 )
Wind Power
Class
(at 50m height)
(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7)
Average Wind Speed (m s
-1
at hub height)
Figure 5 Comparison of average wind speed and wind power class to capacity factor (14, 15).
a plot ofthe annual generation from a Vestas 600 kW machine, expressed as a
capacity factor—the percent ofa year it would need to run at rated power to pro-
duce its annual output (14). For reference purposes the equivalent Wind Power
Classes have been included on the graph (15). As power output, and therefore
generation, is related to the cube ofthe wind speed, slightly higher average wind
speeds, or wind regimes with a higher variability in the high velocity range, can
produce significantly more power. The very best wind sites tend to be Class 6.
A Class 4 site is considered marginal by economic standards, especially when
the wake effects of other wind turbines within a wind farm are taken into ac-
count. Therefore, in today’s market, a capacity factor of about 25% can be con-
sidered a lower bound, unless the combined capital and operating costs of wind
turbines drop.
Thecostofwind-generatedelectricityisinfluencedbynumerousfactors.Table 3
shows how the cost of windpower changes as assumptions regarding capacity fac-
tor, capital cost, financing, and operation and maintenance change. Using conser-
vative mid-range assumptions for costs and performance, six cents per kWh is in
line with recent experiences. Costsarecontinuing to drop for windpower, and with
turbine costs approaching $800 per kW, wind generated electricity costs of 4–5¢
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October 21, 2000 10:48 Annual Reviews AR118-06
WINDPOWER 153
TABLE 3 Parametric evaluation of electricity cost from wind
Best Mid- Worst
range range range Unit
Capacity/plant factor 40.0% 25.0% 20.0% % of year at rated output
Greenfield overnight cost
$750 $1,000 $1,500 $/kW
Fixed O&M costs
$10.00 $15.00 $30.00 $/kW-yr
Variable O&M costs
$2.00 $8.00 $12.00 $/MWh (mils/kWh)
Cost of generation 2.63 6.05 11.47
¢/kWh
All three calculations use a levelized carrying charge of 10%
per kWh are expected in the near future. The cents per kWh number is a simple
calculation of annual fixed and variable costs divided by the expected generation
suppliedto thegrid. The“BestRange” and“WorstRange”columns inTable3show
how this number changes if the combined best/optimistic and worst/pessimistic
assumptions are used from a recent literature review (16). Greenfield overnight
costs represent the “all-in” cost ofthe generation facility including grid inter-
connections and access roads, as well as wind turbine costs. Fixed operation and
maintenance costs (O&M) refer to regularly scheduled servicing, while variable
O&M includes utilization-based service and repairs. Payments to landowners and
taxes can be either fixed or variable O&M, based upon contractual and other legal
arrangements.
The four to six cents number is currently one and a half to three times the
average spot price of electricity in the United States, depending on region, so to
be competitive on a head-to-head basis with other sources of wholesale electricity
these factors have to change, or some sort of subsidization or credit calculation
must occur. By comparison, the total cost of generation for a new natural gas–fired
unit can range from two to four cents per kWh, based upon technology and fuel
cost assumptions (16).
In the last Annual Reviews chapter on windpower, Sørensen (17) discussed
the avoided environmental costs of choosing windpower over other options with
pollutant emissions, as well as the life cycle impacts associated with mining,
refining, fuel transportation, and combustion. Also important in addressing the
social costs of various generation alternatives are the risks of severe accidents
and longer-term fuel and solid waste issues. The external costs of windpower
are not included in Table 3’s calculations. Nor are there any credits given in the
calculationforsubsidiessuch asthe ProductionTaxCredit, oravoidedexpenditures
such as the cost of sulfur emissions allowances that U.S. fossil units must now
consider. Portfolio benefits, as demonstrated in Reference 18, can reduce system-
wide variability in costs and emissions, and have some synergistic benefits when
coupled with end-use efficiency efforts. Such estimates of avoided environmental
and other costs are difficult to make without detailed analyses that incorporate the
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October 21, 2000 10:48 Annual Reviews AR118-06
154 MCGOWAN
CONNORS
●
●
●
2.0
4.0
6.0
8.0
10.0
12.0
14.0
0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0
Cents per kWh
Ratio to Mid-Range Assumptions
Best Range
Worst Range
Var. O&M
Fixed O&M
Carrying
Charge
Overnight
Cost
Mid-Range
Capacity Factor
(Site Wind Speed)
Figure 6 Parametric evaluation of cost of electricity from wind.
composition ofthe regional power system, as well as other regional demographics,
air quality, and other environmental criteria. With these factors in mind, what
opportunities are there to bring down the cost of wind-generated electricity?
Figure 6 shows how the cost of wind generated electricity changes as cost and
performance assumptions are varied about the mid-range assumptions in Table 3.
The lines showing variations in fixed and variable O&M and the lines showing
capital costs and carrying charges overlay one another. Although still significant,
changesin O&Massumptionsdonoteffecttheresultingcostas muchasdocarrying
charge, capital cost, or capacity factor. As with other large capital projects, project
finance (represented by the levelized carrying charge) can be as important to the
success ofthe project as the technology cost itself. Not surprisingly, capacity
factor also plays a large role. It must also be recognized that capacity factor is not
just the wind resource alone. The amount of scheduled maintenance a particular
technology requires and the amount of time a unit is unavailable due to unforeseen
outages also effects capacity factor.
How will the costs of windpower technologies change in the coming decade
and beyond? Arecentstudyexamining the possible impacts of introducing 10 GW
of windpower in the United States by 2006 assumed installed windpower capital
costs would drop to $600 per kW in 2006, owing largely to the economies of mass
P1: NRM
October 21, 2000 10:48 Annual Reviews AR118-06
WINDPOWER 155
production (19). A U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)/Electric Power Research
Institute report the previous year had costs dropping to $740 per kW by 2005 (20).
The factors at work in these anticipated reductions are discussed by Neij (21), and
include not only the economies of mass production, but the increasing expertise
of the industry as it designs, builds, installs, and operates greater numbers of wind
turbines. Using data from Denmark, Neij calculated experience curves and rates
of technology improvement, and predicted that if a growth rate of 15%–20% can
be maintained, the cost of wind-generated electricity can drop by 45% over the
next 2 decades (21). For such significant cost reductions to occur, the application
of experience will certainly be needed, not only in the installation and operation
of wind turbines, but also in their design, materials selection, construction, and
siting.
Although such technology forecasting is a tricky business, it remains a valuable
exercise. Anotherfactor toconsiderin estimating thefuturecost ofwind-generated
electricity is the availablewind resource. Thereisa finite amount of land with high
quality Class 5 and 6 winds. How much of this land can be used for windpower,
owing to ecological, local acceptance, and other factors such as access to the high
voltage grid are always a topic of debate. Therefore, over the long run, capital
costs must drop such that more readily available Class 4 wind regimes can be
utilized. It is estimated that in the United States alone there are 232,000 km
2
of
Class 4 land within 10 miles of transmission facilities, nearly 8 times more land
area than there is for Class 5 and 6 wind regimes combined (20). Therefore, a
combination of capital cost drops and operating performance improvements are
required if the predicted cost of wind-generated electricity predictions are to occur
assuming Class 4 wind regimes. Larger land area Class 4 wind regimes also allow
greater siting flexibility, and may avoid some ofthe siting problems past wind
projects have experienced because they required wind ridge sites in order to be
economically viable.
With this ultimate tradeoff between cost reductions and the finite nature of high
quality onshore wind regimes, the following sections look at some ofthe more
fundamental aspects of wind energy engineering, beginning with wind turbine de-
sign and environmental considerations, the effects of site selection (offshore versus
onshore in particular), and recent technical advances and how they are effecting
the industry in the development and deployment of windpower.
WIND TURBINE DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS
The design ofa wind turbine involves the integration ofa large number of mechan-
ical and electrical systems. This process is subject to a variety of constraints that
directly effect the performance and economic viability of wind-generated elec-
tricity. As discussed above, the cost of electrical energy from a wind turbine is a
function of many factors, but the primary ones are the cost of turbine itself and its
annual energy productivity or capacity factor. These and other factors are directly
P1: NRM
October 21, 2000 10:48 Annual Reviews AR118-06
156 MCGOWAN
CONNORS
influenced by turbine design and necessarily must be considered in the design.
The productivity ofthe turbine is a function both ofthe turbine’s design and the
wind resource. Whereas designers cannot control the wind resource, development
of wind turbines that maximize performance given the variability ofthe wind and
other meteorological factors is of paramount importance. Therefore, a fundamen-
tal tradeoff exists between low capital costs and robust operating performance.
Minimizing initial capital costs has far-reaching implications. It compels the
designer to minimize the cost ofthe individual components, which in turn pushes
him to consider the use of inexpensive materials. The impetus is also to keep the
weight ofthe components low, for a variety of reasons. On the other hand, the
resulting turbine must be strong enough to survive any likely extreme events and
operate reliably with a minimum of maintenance for a long time. Wind turbine
components, because they are kept light and flexible, tend to experience relatively
high, variable stresses. These periodic stresses result in fatigue damage, which
eventually leads to failure ofthe component, requiring its repair or replacement.
The need to balance the cost ofthe wind turbine with the requirement that the
turbine have a long, fatigue-resistant life is therefore a fundamental concern of the
designer.
Over the past decade, the general design of larger grid-connected machines
has converged, at least to some degree. The overwhelming majority are horizontal
axis machines, usually with three blades. Nearly all now utilize asynchronous
generators that, although they require power conditioning to match the generator’s
output to the grid, provide greater operational flexibility and energy capture from
the wind. Asynchronous generators are now even employed on fixed-speed wind
turbines.
It should be noted that within the wind community there are proponents of par-
ticular aspects of design, such as rotor orientation, number of blades, etc. A good
overview of these disparate design philosophies can be found in Doerner (22).
This debate is centered around the issue of how light a wind turbine can be and
still withstand operational and environmental stresses it will experience during its
intended service life. Similar issues are also discussed by Geraets et al (23). As
such, there are a wide variety of possible layouts or “topologies” for a wind tur-
bine. Most of these relate to the rotor. Below we discuss the design considerations
related to rotoraxis, orientation, rotational speed, and other general characteristics,
as well as aerodynamic power control and load management. Design considera-
tions regarding choice of tower structure, meteorological and other environmen-
tal factors, and issues related to maintenance and design certification are also
addressed.
Rotor Axis
A fundamental decision in the design ofa wind turbine is the orientation of the
rotor axis—horizontal or vertical. In most modern wind turbines the rotor axis is
horizontal (parallel to the ground), or nearly so. The turbine is then referred to as
[...]... MCGOWAN AR118-06 CONNORS Evaluation of Control and Protection Systems Evaluation of Loads and Load Cases Evaluation of Structural Components Evaluation of Mech and Electrical Components Evaluation of Component Tests Evaluation of Foundation Design Requirements Evaluation of Design Control Evaluation of Manufacturing Plan Evaluation of Installation Plan Evaluation of Maintenance Plan Evaluation of Personnel... was the initiation ofa program to generate long-term (10 year equivalent), highcycle fatigue data for candidate structural materials Following this recommendation, NREL has sponsored approximately 10 years of fatigue testing at Montana State University, Bozeman The result of this program has been the compilation ofa database containing a broad range of glass-fiber-based materials parameters encompassing... cost-effective It is also important for a wind engineer to realize that the visual appearance ofa wind turbine or a wind farm must be considered at an early stage in the design process For example, the degree of visual impact is influenced by such factors as the type of landscape, the number and design of turbines, the pattern of their arrangement, their color, and the number of blades Visual or aesthetic resources... spite of some promising advantages ofthe vertical axis rotor, the design has not met with widespread acceptance Many machines built in the 1970s and 1980s suffered fatigue damage ofthe blades, especially at connection points to the rest ofthe rotor This was an outcome ofthe cyclic aerodynamic stresses on the blades as they rotate and the fatigue properties of the aluminum from which the blades were... utilizes a small portion ofthe land In the United States wind farm facilities may occupy only 3% to 5% of the wind farm’s total acreage, leaving the rest available for other uses In Europe it has been found that the percentage of land use by actual facilities is even less than the California wind farms For example, U.K wind farm developers have found that typically only 1% of the land covered by a wind farm... 10:48 Annual Reviews AR118-06 WINDPOWER 157 a horizontal axis wind turbine (HAWT) There are two main advantages to having the rotor axis horizontal First, the rotor solidity ofa HAWT (the total blade area relative to its swept blade area) is lower when the rotor axis is horizontal (at a given design tip speed ratio) This reduces capital costs on a per kilowatt basis Second, the rotor ofa HAWT is... direction, at all times Another advantage is that in most VAWTs, the blades can have a constant chord or cross-section, and no twist These characteristics should enable the blades to be manufactured relatively simply and cheaply (e.g by aluminum extrusion) A third advantage is that much ofthe drive train (gearbox, generator, brake) can be located on a stationary tower, relatively close to the ground... 80 acres (4 to 32 hectares) per megawatt of installed capacity The dense arrays ofthe California wind farms have occupied from about 15 to 18 acres (6 to 7 hectares) per megawatt of installed capacity Typical European wind farms have the wind turbines spread out more and generally occupy 30 to 50 acres (13 to 20 hectares) per megawatt of installed capacity (7) Because wind generation is limited to areas... (the area ofthe blades relative to the swept area ofthe rotor) A higher speed rotor with longer blades will have less blade area, or solidity, than the rotor ofa slower machine For a constant number of blades, the chord and thickness ofthe blades will decrease as the turbine’s solidity decreases Owing to structural limitations, there is a lower limit to how thin the blades may be Thus, as the solidity... to the natural and cultural features of an environmental setting that are of visual interest to the public An assessment ofa wind project’s visual compatibility with the character ofthe project setting is based on a comparison ofthe setting and surrounding features with simulated views ofthe proposed project To address the potential impacts, the National Wind Coordinating Committee developed a list . generating capacity grew at an average annual rate of 37%. Over the
sameperiod, windcapacityin Asia hasquintupled,primarilydue to efforts inIndia.
By the late. the choice of the generator. Using a low speed generator
can eliminate the need for a gearbox and have a dramatic effect on the layout of
the entire machine.