Performance Evaluation of PS-600 kW Wind Turbine

Abstract

The evaluation of PS-600 kW wind turbine is of prime importance as the wind turbine Annual Energy Production (AEP) undertaken for study does not meet the desired value. The two key elements of wind turbine technology are the system availability and turbine performance. This paper presents modeling of Weibull distribution parameters to assess the wind potential and to carry out performance analysis of the wind turbine at Mangalapuram, TN, India over the period from April 2009 to March 2010 at 50 m height. The various liabilities of wind turbine are studied for the efficient energy production. Thus the capacity factor observed for PS-600 kW wind turbine was 24.26 % with AEP being 1258946 kWh which resulted in 18 % power loss. Therefore the turbine under study is noted to have lesser capacity factor than the desired value which results in lesser AEP. The theoretical results obtained are verified by using Windographer which is wind data analysis software. Further extrapolating to higher hub height and escalating the rotor swept area would yield in the increased AEP.