horizontal wind turbines vs vertical wind turbines - advantages and disadvantages

Wind Turbines

Renewable energy

Renewable energy is generally defined as energy that comes from resources which are naturally replenished on a human timescale

Wind Energy

Wind energy is useful form of energy converted from

kinetic wind power

Wind Energy is an indirect form of solar energy which can be used continu-ously

unlike solar energy

Wind turbinesTurbines can be categorized into two classes

based on the orientation of the rotor

Vertical Axis turbines

Turbines with rotary axis that are vertical

New design concepts come to market on a regular basis.

Vertical Axis turbine examples

Vertical Axis turbine examples

Vertical Axis turbine examples

Vertical Axis turbine examples

Vertical Axis turbine examples

Advantages of being vertical

o Omni-directional - accepts wind from any di-rection

o Components can be mounted at ground levelo lighter weight towerso ease of service

Disadvantages

o Rotors generally near ground where wind is poorero Poor self-starting capabilitieso Requires entire rotor to be removed to replace bearingso Overall poor performance and reliability

Horizontal Axis turbines

Turbines with rotary axis that are horizontal

Old and time tested design that gets slight improvements constantly

Horizontal Axis turbine examples

Horizontal Axis turbine examples

Horizontal Axis turbine examples

Horizontal Axis turbine examples

Horizontal Axis turbine examples

How do they work?

Advantages

o Old time tested designo Tall tower allows placement on uneven land or

in offshore locationso Tall tower allows access to stronger windo Ability to warp blades, which gives the turbine blades the best angle of attack

Disadvantages

o Difficult to transporto Difficult to installo Local opposition to aesthetics and noise levelso Difficult maintenance

Vestas V164 8MW

Current biggest wind turbine in the world

Key factso Output of 8.0 MW – enough to power over 13 000 homes

Key factso Output of 8.0 MW – enough to power over 13 000 homeso  Height of 220 metres

Key factso Output of 8.0 MW – enough to power over 13 000 homeso  Height of 220 metreso Blade length of 80 meters

Key factso Output of 8.0 MW – enough to power over 13 000 homeso  Height of 220 metreso Blade length of 80 meterso Nacelle weight of around 390 tones

Key factso Output of 8.0 MW – enough to power over 13 000 homeso  Height of 220 metreso Blade length of 80 meterso Nacelle weight of around 390 toneso Developed from the beginning as a off-shore solution