Wind-generated Electricity Research Articles

Kansas Wind Power Status

Wind-generated electricity has grown from a niche enterprise in the late 20th century to become a major energy source globally and nationally, and Kansas has played a significant role. Kansas wind power expanded more than six-fold between 2008 and 2018. Among states, Kansas now ranks fourth for total wind generating capacity (>6 GW) and second for combined wind and solar electricity production as a fraction of electricity consumption (47%). Kansas is virtually tied with Iowa for the highest amount of wind energy as part of the electric grid mix (>41%). From early development in the High Plains, wind farms and energy complexes have expanded into nearly all regions of the state. The drainage divide between the Missouri River and Arkansas River basins is a geographic focus for recent development of wind farms in eastern Kansas.Generation of electricity in Kansas mirrors overall energy trends in the United States during the past two decades. Coal, petroleum, and nuclear have declined, hydroelectric has been stable, natural gas has grown, and renewable (wind, solar) energy has expanded dramatically. These shifts in energy sources are reflected likewise in significant declines of carbon, sulfur, and nitrogen emissions. Kansas reflects the international character of the wind-energy industry. Installed wind turbines are mainly of Danish, German, and/or Spanish origin with some components manufactured in Kansas and other nearby states.

Electricity Generation Potential and Energy Cost of Wind Conversion Systems in Ikeja Southwest Nigeria

In this study, the wind electricity generation potential and energy cost at Ikeja were investigated using 31 years wind speed data obtained from Nigeria Meteorological Agency. The study addresses the challenges of inadequate electricity supply and the development of alternative source of electricity. The measured data, captured at 10m height were subjected to 2-parameter Weibull and other statistical analysis. Weibull analysis of wind speed showed good fit between actual data and Weibull predicted data confirming the adequacy of the model. The value of wind speed at 10m height ranged between 3.47m/s and 5.33m/s with annual average of 4.5m/s. Also, the Wind Power Density (WPD) ranged between 116.3 W/m² and 423.3W/m² with annual average value of 257.85W/m². The mean electric power outputs from the model turbines varied between 11KW and 290KW while its Capacity Factor (CF) ranged between 13.8% and 0.36%. Also, the generation cost per kilowatt-hour varied between $0.11 and $2.39 annually. Therefore, the wind energy potential at Ikeja could be adjudged marginal and belonging to wind power class 2. The generation cost of wind electricity is cost-effective in the months of April and August while cost-deficit in the remaining months of the year. The location is considered suitable for small to medium scale wind power generation, but economically infeasible for large scale grid connected wind electricity generation.

How might controlled fusion fit into the emerging low-carbon energy system of the mid-twenty-first century?

We examine the characteristics that fusion-based generation technologies will need to have if they are to compete in the emerging low-carbon energy system of the mid-twenty-first century. It is likely that the majority of future electric energy demand will be provided by the lowest marginal cost energy technology-which in many regions will be stochastically varying renewable solar and wind electric generation coupled to systems that provide up to a few days of energy storage. Firm low-carbon or zero-carbon resources based on gas-fired turbines with carbon capture, advanced fission reactors, hydroelectric and perhaps engineered geothermal systems will then be used to provide the balance of load in a highly dynamic system operating in competitive markets governed by merit-order pricing mechanisms that select the lowest-cost supplies to meet demand. These firm sources will have overnight capital costs in the range of a few $/Watt, be capable of cycling down to a fraction of their maximum power output, operate profitably at low utilization fraction, and have a suitable unit size of order 100 MWe. If controlled fusion using either magnetic confinement or inertial confinement approaches is to have any chance of providing a material contribution to future electrical energy needs, it must demonstrate these key qualities and at the same time prove robust safety characteristics that avoid the perceived dread risk that plagues nuclear fission power, avoid the generation of long-lived radioactive waste and demonstrate highly reliable operations. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'Prospects for high gain inertial fusion energy (part 1)'.

Economic assessment of hydrogen production from sea water using wind energy: A case study

This study seeks to scrutinize the economic aspects of establishing the proposed system for producing electricity and hydrogen in the nominated city. For this, levelized cost of wind-generated electricity, levelized cost of seawater desalinated using wind energy, levelized cost of wind-powered hydrogen, payback period of investing on electricity, and hydrogen production are predicted. The results indicated that levelized cost of wind-generated electricity would vary from 0.0208 to 0.053 US$/kWh under different cases and scenarios. This range regarding levelized cost of seawater desalinated using wind energy was between 0.0147 and 0.0404 US$/m3 and also the amount of levelized cost of wind-powered hydrogen was guessed to be from 7.0074 to 10.5667 US$/kg. All values of payback period calculated as to wind electricity were less than half of the project lifetime. In addition, payback period of generating hydrogen was arguable only for the turbine with a rated power of 900 kW.

Sustainability Implications of Using Hydrogen as an Automotive Fuel in Western Australia

Hydrogen is regarded as a potential solution to address future energy demands and environmental protection challenges. This study assesses the triple bottom line (TBL) sustainability performance of hydrogen as an automotive fuel for Western Australia (WA) using a life cycle approach. Hydrogen is considered to be produced through water electrolysis. Two scenarios, current grid electricity and future renewable-based hydrogen, were compared with gasoline as a base case. The results show that locally produced grid electricity-based hydrogen is good for local jobs but exhibits higher environmental impacts and negative economic benefits for consumers when compared to gasoline. After incorporating wind-generated electricity, reductions of around 69% and 65% in global warming potential (GWP) and fossil fuel depletion (FFD), respectively were achieved compared to the base case gasoline. The land utilization for the production of hydrogen is not a problem as Western Australia has plenty of land to accommodate renewable energy projects. Water for hydrogen feedstock could be sourced through seawater desalination or from wastewater treatment plants in WA. Hydrogen also performed better than gasoline in terms of human health and conservation of fossil fuel indicators under the renewable energy scenario. Local job creation potential of hydrogen was estimated to be 1.29E-03 man-hours/VKT. It has also been found that the cost of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles (HFCV) needs to be similar to that of gasoline vehicles (GV) in order to be comparable with the gasoline life cycle cost per vehicle kilometre travel (VKT).

Analysis of wind characteristics and wind energy potential in complex mountainous region in southwest China

As a very important clean energy, exploring the application of wind energy can provide a new idea for solving the problem of energy shortage in remote mountain areas. Based on ultrasonic, propeller and radar detective technology, the wind characteristics including temporal and spatial distribution characteristics in mountain areas were observed in multiple dimensions. The spatial and temporal wind charactertics in mountainous areas are different from that in flat area. Wind speed is mainly driven by thermal effects and the wind profiles is mainly S-shaped which is not conformed to the logarithmic distribution or exponential distribution. Comparing four Weibull parameters estimate methods, the maximum likelihood method is recommended. The maximum likelihood method has the best fit behavior, and has the smallest wind power density as compared to other methods. The power density increases from 39 W/m2 at 100 m a.r.g.l to 279 W/m2 at 500 m a.r.g.l. And the total cost of 1 kWh wind-generated electricity is about 0.305CNY/kWh with HAWTs and 0.406CNY/kWh with VATWs. This shows that the wind energy is more economical and feasible than conventional electricity in the mountainous areas of southwestern China. The results are also expected to provide useful reference for the application of distributed wind energy in complex mountainous region in the future.

Taking a Shortcut: Direct Power-to-X Conversion

Power-to-X technologies provide avenues to help de-fossilize a range of large-scale technologies in the mobility, manufacturing, chemical, as well as energy delivery industries. This relates to energy carriers such as hydrogen and hydrocarbons as well as availability of feedstock materials, such as methanol. Technologies for solar and wind-generated electricity and subsequent electrochemical processing are available and are further developed for efficiency and yields. An alternative pathway can be pursued by fully integrating the electricity generation and chemical conversion into one device, thereby reducing technical complexity and removing inefficiencies due to multi-step cascading of processes. In this perspective article, we provide an overview on the recent developments and prospects of artificial photosynthesis, i.e., the chemical transformation of sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide into high-energy-rich fuels. Primary discussions will be focused on the recent development of scalable artificial photosynthesis technology using common semiconductors, e.g., silicon and gallium nitride, for solar fuel production. Technology advances for both hydrogen production from solar water splitting and liquid fuel generation from CO2 reduction will be discussed. The basic operating principles, key design principles, critical components, and potential integration with existing and emerging energy infrastructures will be analyzed. The challenges, future prospects of achieving sustainable, large scale applications will also be presented.

Constructing statutory energy goal compliant wind and solar PV infrastructure pathways

Abstract Concerns over climate change have led governments around the world to establish a range of renewable, low-carbon energy goals. Plans for meeting these targets vary widely in their ambition, specificity, and time horizons. Wind and solar electricity generation will feature prominently in future energy systems that meet these renewable, low-carbon energy goals. Implementing largescale wind and solar PV infrastructure configurations in a timely fashion will require cooperation between and among electric grid stakeholders and communities that host the infrastructure. This paper presents methods for constructing a diverse range of wind and solar PV energy infrastructure pathways that meet statutory energy goals, measuring their land use impacts, and assessing their performance relative to electricity demand. A case study on the state of Vermont’s statutory energy goals from its 2016 Comprehensive Energy Plan is presented as an example. While total wind and solar PV infrastructure requirements would increase several-fold, Vermont’s statutory energy goals can be met while occupying less than 1% of the state’s land area. Vermont electricity demand was most effectively met by balanced configurations of wind and solar PV similar to the state’s present wind and solar PV resources, while 100% wind or 100% solar PV configurations were less effective.

Estimation of solar and wind energy resources over Lesotho and their complementarity by means of WRF yearly simulation at high resolution

Abstract An application of the Weather Research and Forecasting model aiming to estimate wind and photovoltaic energy resources over Lesotho is presented. To this scope, the whole year 2015 was simulated in a two-way nesting mode reaching 1 km horizontal resolution. Different model parameterizations were tested and compared to available observations, then the best performing simulation was used to elaborate wind and photovoltaic potential maps over Lesotho. Concerning the photovoltaic potential, Lesotho presents a good potential countrywide, having values ranging from around 1600 kWh/kWp to 1750 kWh/kWp, with maxima in the highlands. The results also show that there are many promising areas for wind power exploitation. Zones with higher wind potential are mainly found all along the eastern border with South Africa, from north to south and in general in the highlands. The wind potential exhibits much more variability respect to the photovoltaic one, with estimated energy production ranging from 1000 kWh/kW up to 4000 kWh/kW. Finally, an evaluation of complementarity of wind and solar electricity generation was done at different time scales, showing that some areas with negative correlation coefficient exist, where it is possible to minimise intermittent production and allowing an optimal integration in the electricity grid.

Combining wind, solar, and in-stream tidal electricity generation with energy storage using a load-perturbation control strategy

Combining intermittent renewable generation with energy storage in the electricity grid has become a preferred route to maintaining stability and reliability while decarbonizing. The effects of combining three uncorrelated intermittent resources with energy storage are not well understood. This study reports on a data-driven model and control strategy that optimizes relative installed capacities of wind, solar, and in-stream tidal generation with energy storage for smoothing and shaping to follow electrical load perturbations. The model is applied to a case study in Nova Scotia, Canada which has strong wind and tidal resources, and moderate solar resources. For load-perturbation control on hour shaping timescales the total system capital costs are approximately 20% greater than the costs of the renewable generation without energy storage and output shaping. Shaping timescales of days and weeks favour greater installed wind, solar, and tidal generating capacity and the use of curtailment for economic optimization, with less installed energy storage capacity. Hour-timescale shaping uses the energy storage to mitigate power variability in intermittent generation, which benefits short-term electricity generation dispatch and reliability. Day-timescales shaping uses the energy storage to supply the load’s variable energy needs using for day-ahead or future electricity generation scheduling.

Multi-site measurement for energy application of small distributed wind farm in complex mountainous areas

As a clean and highly valuable renewable energy, wind energy has gradually become an important branch of energy technology. By means of measurement methods, the wind characteristics, energy applications for distributed wind energy source (DWES) in six sites in Henduan Mountains and economic evaluation are investigated. According to the results, the wind characteristics including wind speed and wind direction in mountainous regions are affected significant by topography. Wind speed is season-dependent, while the mean wind direction is not. The maximum wind speed occurs in spring, the minimum wind speed occurs in summer. As for extreme value distribution, the wind data in mountainous areas are more in line with Frechet distribution type. By using Weibull distribution function, Weibull parameters are calculated and energy potential are estimated with five methods. Estimation methods suitable for coastal areas can also be used for energy assessment in mountain environments. The maximum wind power density is over 200 W∕m2, occurred in Zanli site, while the minimum value is less than 10 W∕m2 in Yimen-A. Similar to mean wind characteristics, wind power density shows strong seasonality, with the maximum value in spring and the lowest value in summer. In addition, power generation facilities should be built in valleys or on the top of the mountain, and should not be built in the flat land surrounded by mountains. And the total cost of 1kWh wind-generated electricity is 0.305 CNY/kWh and 0.406 CNY/kWh with different type of wind turbine.

Sub-national variability of wind power generation in complex terrain and its correlation with large-scale meteorology

The future European electricity system will depend heavily on variable renewable generation, including wind power. To plan and operate reliable electricity supply systems, an understanding of wind power variability over a range of spatio-temporal scales is critical. In complex terrain, such as that found in mountainous Switzerland, wind speeds are influenced by a multitude of meteorological phenomena, many of which occur on scales too fine to capture with commonly used meteorological reanalysis datasets. Past work has shown that anticorrelation at a continental scale is an important way to help balance variable generation. Here, we investigate systematically for the first time the possibility of balancing wind variability by exploiting anticorrelation between weather patterns in complex terrain. We assess the capability for the Consortium for Small-scale Modeling (COSMO)-REA2 and COSMO-REA6 reanalyses (with a 2 and 6 km horizontal resolution, respectively) to reproduce historical measured data from weather stations, hub height anemometers, and wind turbine electricity generation across Switzerland. Both reanalyses are insufficient to reproduce site-specific wind speeds in Switzerland’s complex terrain. We find however that mountain-valley breezes, orographic channelling, and variability imposed by European-scale weather regimes are represented by COSMO-REA2. We discover multi-day periods of wind electricity generation in regions of Switzerland which are anticorrelated with neighbouring European countries. Our results suggest that significantly more work is needed to understand the impact of fine scale wind power variability on national and continental electricity systems, and that higher-resolution reanalyses are necessary to accurately understand the local variability of renewable generation in complex terrain.

A Feature-Based Cost Estimation Model for Wind Turbine Blade Spar Caps

A problem for wind turbine operators is decreasing prices for wind-generated electricity. Many turbines are approaching their rated 20-year lives. A more economically viable and sustainable solution that reduces Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) and avoids expensive turbine replacement is retrofitting new spar caps blades. A new cost model assesses the feasibility of retrofitting 35 to 75 m turbines with GFRP (glass fiber reinforced polymer composite) and longer length CFRP (carbon fiber reinforced composite) spar caps. Spar cap cost scales with features such as mass, volume fraction and complexity. Organizational learning is a cost factor. Material and direct labor increase as proportions of total cost while tooling, capital, utilities, and indirect labor decrease. There is good agreement between a manufacturer and the model. Twenty-year turbines were compared with retrofitted spar caps over 25 years for LCOE. Same length GFRP and longer length CFRP spar cap retrofits decrease LCOE. Longer length CFRP spar caps decrease LCOE compared with GFRP retrofits over 25 years. CFRP material cost impacts CFRP retrofit feasibility. Retrofitted turbines must meet engineering, operational performance, and planning requirements criteria. Software algorithms may improve human learning and enable automatic updates from varying design and cost inputs, thereby increasing cost prediction accuracy.

The optimal level of windpower that could be regulated with Norway\u2019s existing hydroreservoirs

This study estimates the optimal level of wind-generated electricity production in Nordic countries’ market region given the existing hydroreservoirs of Norway to regulate the intermittency in wind-energy production and to meet the market demand. Using realized, scaled patterns for hourly wind production and electricity demand, we perform a series of numerical simulations and find a threshold value of approximately 90 TWh for annual wind production after which surplus and deficit in the production begin to accumulate significantly, weakening the utilization factor of wind installments. In light of the ambitious climate policies in the Nordic countries, and that the existing annual capacity of installed wind in the region is approximately 41 TWh, the Nordic governments should consider investing heavily in both national and international grid infrastructure to enable private sector to double the existing wind capacity in the market region.

About the Possibility of the Bulk Thermo Gradient Effect Use for the Creation of the Effective Thermobattery

The theoretical basis has been developed and the idea of practical production and testing the semiconductor electric generator (thermobattery) of a new type acting on the basis of a metal – semiconductor system has been offered. It is shown that the thermobattery will work on the basis of the use of a bulk thermogradient effect. Such effect allows to gain a sufficient level of generated power from one unit of the whole volume of a semiconductor material. When using the semiconductor thermobattery together with solar and wind electric generators, it is possible to simplify significantly constructional and technological features of these installations

Pronghorn Winter Resource Selection Before and After Wind Energy Development in South-Central Wyoming

Few studies have evaluated the response of ungulate populations to wind energy development. Recent demand for wind-generated electricity coupled with a tendency for wind-energy facilities to be sited within suitable pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) winter range make this a critical issue for conservation of this icon of western North America. We evaluated pronghorn response to wind energy development at the winter home range scale, as well as within individual winter home ranges using data collected from 47 adult female pronghorn equipped with Global Positioning System transmitters. At both scales, we developed separate resource selection models for pronghorn before (winter 2010) and after (winters 2011 and 2012) development of the Dunlap Ranch wind energy facility in south-central Wyoming to evaluate the potential impacts of wind energy infrastructure on pronghorn winter resource selection. In general, pronghorn winter resource selection was correlated with greater sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) cover, lower snow depth, and lower slopes before and after wind energy development at both scales. At the larger scale, pronghorn selected home ranges closer to wind turbines during all winters. Within home ranges, pronghorn selected areas closer to future locations of wind turbines at Dunlap Ranch during 2010 before turbine erection. However, we found evidence that pronghorn avoided wind turbines in winters after development within their winter home ranges. This relationship was most evident during winter 2011, which coincided with the most severe winter of our study. Long-term replicated studies will be necessary to make inferences for pronghorn populations exposed to wind energy development in different environments and scales than we evaluated. Nonetheless, in the absence of additional information on how ungulates respond to wind energy development, our finding that pronghorn avoided wind turbines within their winter home ranges has important implications for future wind development projects, particularly in areas known to fulfill important seasonal requirements of pronghorn populations.

Evaluation of the cost of producing wind-generated electricity in Chad

This paper presents an economic analysis of the electricity produced by different types of wind turbines selected for Chad. Thus, the data considered for the analysis in this study are the average monthly wind speeds at selected locations, as well as the altitude value. Statistical analysis was performed using the Weibull distribution. The same energy factor allowed determining the Weibull parameters. The results obtained show that the average annual wind speed varies from 1 m/s in Am-Timan to 4.2 m/s in N'Djamena, at a height of 10 m from the ground. Weibull statistical parameters (k and c) were determined at 10, 30, 50, and 70 m. These were obtained by extrapolation using a power law based on Weibull parameters. Three models of wind turbines available on the market were used in this study: Bonus 300 kW/33, Bonus 1 MW/54, and Vestas 2 MW/V80. The performance of these wind turbines was evaluated using the calculation of the capacity factor and the annual energy produced by each type of wind turbine at 12 sites. The PVC (present value) method was used to perform an economic analysis. The lowest cost of wind power generation was obtained with the Vestas 2 MW/V80 model, with a cost per kilowatt-hour (kWh) of approximately $143.08/kWh/year in Moundou and 132343$89/kWh/year in Am-Timan. Therefore, it is recommended the use of a Vestas 2 MW/80 wind turbine in Chad.

Sektor konwencjonalnej elektroenergetyki wobec wyzwania transformacji technologicznej

The article criticises the direction in which the Polish electrical power sector is to develop, as stated in the draft energy policy. Such a draft policy assumes not only that overwhelming dependence on hard and brown coal for electricity generation should be maintained in the long term, but also that large-scale nuclear power plants should be developed. The starting point of the article is a statement that the authors of this policy do not sufficiently take into account the challenges of, and related threats to, both types of energy generation resulting from progress in technology transformation involving the rapid development of renewable energy. The purpose of the article is to present arguments confirming the following twofold thesis. Firstly, the greatest threat to coal and nuclear power plants is the so-called death spiral, which results in those assets gaining a stranded status. Secondly, against the backdrop of the growing share of renewable energy sources in the national energy mix, there is a need to focus on the development of gas sources for electricity production. The justification of this thesis is based on an analysis of the current levels of knowledge about the progress and direction of the power sector technological transformation, especially in solar and wind electricity generation, electricity storage as well as smart grids and meters. The problem of spiral death as an existential threat for the economics of coal and nuclear power is then analysed, and against this background the advantages of gas source development are presented.

Utilization of res using seawater source heat pump with and without energy storage: Comparison of Thermal and Battery Energy Storage

Heat and cooling stands out with the great potential in decarbonisation since they have a large share in the final energy consumption. Power-to-heat technologies may contribute to the heat sector decarbonisation as well as the integration of renewables if they are sufficiently flexible. They are also shown to have a good effect on the system costs. This work will analyse the potential of seawater heat pump system for the utilization of high share of electricity production from the renewables. The Old City of Dubrovnik is selected as a case study because of its specific situation. A large number of the outdoor units are not well approved by UNESCO since the Old City is under the protection of the UNESCO World Heritage Centre. The results of the study showed that the combination of wind and solar electricity production can cover 67% of load for stand-alone seawater heat pump system based on hourly time step. Utilization of renewable electricity generation, for this case, resulted in 433.71 tCO2/y emission reduction. System based on 10 minutes time step gave poorer results by 6%. System with the additional energy storage gained best results in the case of combined wind and solar electricity generation, as well. It resulted in storage capacity reduction by 78% ac-cording to the case of solar electricity generation and by 60% according to the wind electricity generation. Battery energy storage resulted in 40 times lower volume and 13 times higher investment costs and levelised cost of heat in comparison to the thermal energy storage.

Design and simulation of wind turbine on rail coach for power generation

Energy resources in our modern fast paced techno world are fast depleting. Hence a renewable energy source is much required at the moment Wind energy is a renewable source of energy. today, the output power from wind turbines can be utilized in two ways, either by direct use of the mechanical shaft power (through a gear in gear ratio) or by letting the wind turbine power and electrical generator, and utilizing the generated power as electrical power. This paper brings a new possibility for the utilization of the wind generated power, for various electrical components inside a typical railway train through the batteries, charged by the wind energy harnessed by a wind turbine mounted at the top of the train coaches. This setup consists of duct, turbine, and generator. The setup is designed in such a way that it does not affect the performance of the train. Average velocity is estimated for the train and the suitable specification of generator is selected. The theoretical calculations of duct, turbine and pulley parameters are calculated and the whole setup is designed in CATIA, also by varying the inlet air velocity, the speed and torque of the turbine are calculated using CFX software. These parameters are used for calculating generator’s speed and torque and are validated by comparing with the theoretical design calculations. Future advancements are discussed, and a path for experimental verification is proposed.