Wind Power Plants

Wind Power Plants: Theory and Design covers the fundamentals and historical developments in the technology of wind power plants around the world. This book is composed of nine chapters that consider the main theories for accurately fixing measurements and characteristics of a wind rotor for producing electricity or pumping water, either horizontal or vertical-axis.
After a short introduction to wind energy, this book goes on dealing with fluid mechanics necessary to the understanding of wind energy problems. The succeeding chapters describe the horizontal-axis installations and the various systems of orientation and regulation effectively used. These topics are followed by discussions on blade calculations of horizontal-axis systems, the vertical-axis wind installations, pumping water, and the production of electricity by wind energy. The remaining chapters describe small and high power wind plants constructed throughout the world. These chapters also consider the problem of adapting the wind rotor to electrical generators or to pumps. This book is intended for researchers, engineers, and technicians who wish to extend their knowledge in the wind energy field.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

FOREWORD

INTRODUCTION

THE HISTORY OF WINDMILLS

Chapter 1: THE WIND

Publisher Summary

1 THE WIND DIRECTION

2 MEASUREMENT OF THE WIND VELOCITY

3 WIND VELOCITY

4 GENERAL ATMOSPHERIC CIRCULATION

5 GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION OF THE WIND ON THE EARTHS SURFACE

6 PERIODICAL VARIATIONS OF WIND SPEED

7 SUDDEN VARIATIONS OF THE WIND DIRECTION AND VELOCITY

8 THE EFFECT OF ALTITUDE

9 THE EFFECTS OF RELIEF: AIRFLOW OVER RIDGES, HILLS AND CLIFFS. CHOICE OF SITE

10 STATISTICAL STUDY OF WIND

11 THEORETICAL AVAILABLE WIND ENERGY

12 ACTUAL AVAILABLE WIND ENERGY

Chapter 2: GENERAL THEORIES OF WIND MACHINES BASIC LAWS AND CONCEPTS OF AERODYNAMICS

Publisher Summary

1 BETZ’ THEORY

2 WING AND AEROFOIL: GEOMETRY AND AERODYNAMIC CHARACTERISTICS

3 AERODYNAMICS OF THE ROTOR

4 PERFORMANCES OF SIMILAR GEOMETRIC WIND MACHINES

Chapter 3: DESCRIPTION AND PERFORMANCES OF THE HORIZONTAL-AXIS WIND MACHINES

Publisher Summary

1 THE CLASSIC HORIZONTAL-AXIS WINDMILL

2 SLOW WIND TURBINES

3 FAST WIND TURBINES

4 PROFILES USED

5 VARIATION OF THE RELATIVE SURFACE OF THE BLADES IN CONNECTION WITH THE TIP-SPEED RATIO: λ0

6 ORIENTATION SYSTEMS

7 REGULATING DEVICES

8 OTHER MODELS OF HORIZONTAL-AXIS WIND MACHINES

9 BLADE CONSTRUCTION

Chapter 4: HORIZONTAL-AXIS WIND TURBINES DESIGN OF THE BLADES AND DETERMINATION OF THE FORCES ACTING ON THE WIND POWER PLANT

Publisher Summary

A Aerodynamic Configuration of the Rotor

I — THE SIMPLIFIED WINDMILL THEORY

Chapter 5: DESCRIPTION AND PERFORMANCES OF VERTICAL AXIS WINDMILLS

Publisher Summary

1 DIFFERENTIAL DRAG MACHINES

2 SCREENED MACHINES

3 FLAPPING-BLADE MACHINES

4 TURNING-BLADE MACHINES

5 MACHINES WITH FIXED BLADES WITH CYCLIC INCIDENCE (fig. 105)

6 COMPOSITE SAVON1US-DARRIEUS SYSTEMS

7 LOW SPECIFIC SPEED ROTOR DESIGNED BY PROFESSOR NGUYEN VINH

8 ANOTHER FIXED-BLADE MACHINE WITH CYCLIC INCIDENCE: THE ARNBAK WINDMILL

9 WINDMILLS WITH MOVING BLADES

10 OTHER TYPES OF MACHINES

Chapter 6: USE OF WIND ENERGY FOR WATER PUMPING

Publisher Summary

A Preliminary Studies

B Water Pumping by Low-Speed Windmills and Piston Pumps

C PUMPING OF WATER BY HIGH-SPEED WINDMILLS

OTHER SOLUTIONS

Chapter 7: THE GENERATION OF ELECTRICITY BY WIND POWER

Publisher Summary

A Installation Designs

B SMALL WIND POWER PLANTS

C High-Power Installations

Chapter 8: WIND POWER PLANT PROJECTS

Publisher Summary

1 Design Of A Water Pumping Station Using A Savonius Rotor

Chapter 9: WIND POWER PLANTS: ECONOMIC AND DEVELOPMENT PROSPECTS

Publisher Summary

1 WIND ENERGY

2 MINIMUM GENERATING COSTS AS A FUNCTION OF THE WIND MACHINE DIAMETER AND OF THE MEAN AND RATED WIND SPEED

3 Generating Cost For Other Energy Systems

4 Analysis Of The Situation And Conclusions

COMPUTER PROGRAMS

SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY

Inside Back Cover