There are two basic types of wind turbines:
- Horizontal-axis turbines.
- Vertical-axis turbines.
Types of Wind Turbines Are:
The horizontal axis and the vertical axis are the two main types of turbines. Other types of wind turbines are Diffuser-augmented, multi-rotor, and Co-axial wind turbines, among others.
A wind turbine consists of five major and many auxiliary parts. The major parts are the tower, rotor, nacelle, generator, and foundation or base.
By the IEEE definition, a Type 4 wind turbine is a variable speed wind turbine with synchronous or asynchronous generator connected to the grid through a full scale power converter.
A Type 1 wind turbine is characterized by a Squirrel-cage Induction Generator (SCIG), which is connected directly to the step up transformer. The turbine rotates at a speed that closely follows the electrical grid frequency.
The model is based on GE's wind turbine model. The generator model is very similar to the Type 3 generator model. The main difference is that the model takes as inputs both reactive and active current commands. The active power control seems to be too simple, for the existing first generation type 4 model.
Wind Turbine Components. Click on the parts of the open wind turbine to learn about the nacelle, rotor blades, hub, low speed shaft, gearbox, high speed shaft with its mechanical brake, electrical generator, yaw mechanism, electronic controller, hydraulics system, cooling unit, tower, anemometer and wind vane.
Wind turbine components : 1-Foundation, 2-Connection to the electric grid, 3-Tower, 4-Access ladder, 5-Wind orientation control (Yaw control), 6-Nacelle, 7-Generator, 8-Anemometer, 9-Electric or Mechanical Brake, 10-Gearbox, 11-Rotor blade, 12-Blade pitch control, 13-Rotor hub.
There are two types of wind turbines: the horizontal-axis wind turbines (HAWTs) and vertical-axis wind turbines (VAWTs). HAWTs are the most common type of wind turbine. They usually have two or three long, thin blades that look like an airplane propeller.
As of January 2022, the U.S. Wind Turbine Database (USWTDB) contains more than 70,800 turbines. These turbines have all been constructed since 1980 in approximately 1,500 wind power projects spanning at least 44 states (plus Puerto Rico and Guam).
With three blades, the angular momentum stays constant because when one blade is up, the other two are pointing at an angle. So the turbine can rotate into the wind smoothly.
The size of the wind turbine you need depends on your application. Small turbines range in size from 20 Watts to 100 kilowatts (kW). The smaller or "micro" (20- to 500-Watt) turbines are used in applications such as charging batteries for recreational vehicles and sailboats.
Rotor Blades - The rotor blades of a wind turbine operate under the same principle as aircraft wings. One side of the blade is curved while the other is flat. The wind flows more quickly along the curved edge, creating a difference in pressure on either side of the blade.
A wind turbine turns wind energy into electricity using the aerodynamic force from the rotor blades, which work like an airplane wing or helicopter rotor blade. When wind flows across the blade, the air pressure on one side of the blade decreases.
According to a report from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (Table 30), depending on make and model wind turbines are predominantly made of steel (66-79% of total turbine mass); fiberglass, resin or plastic (11-16%); iron or cast iron (5-17%); copper (1%); and aluminum (0-2%).
15.1 includes 14 major components common to many modern wind turbines: three blades, three pitch bearings, a hub, main bearing, main shaft, gearbox, generator, main frame, yaw bearing, and tower. Some turbine designs may include more or fewer major components [19].
Which type of windmill has better performance? Explanation: The horizontal axis mills generally have netter performance. They have been used for various applications including electric power generation, and pumping water.
Standard in wind energy: Permanent magnet synchronous generators. The type of generator most used in wind turbines are the permanent magnet synchronous generators.
The wind turbine generator converts mechanical energy to electrical energy. Wind turbine generators are a bit unusual, compared to other generating units you ordinarily find attached to the electrical grid.
The doubly-fed induction generator (DFIG) with the back-to-back converter is a system frequently used in wind turbines. Traditional wind turbines have fixed turning speeds, while DFIG enables wind turbines to operate with various range of speeds.
A Wind Class 3 turbine is designed for an easy life with average wind speeds up to 7.5 m/s, and these turbines typically have extra-large rotors to allow them to capture as much energy as possible from the lower wind speeds they are subjected to.