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Wind power stations. Types of wind power plants. Main structural elements

Fully autonomous wind power plants with electricity generation exceeding 100 kW/h.

A serious approach to ensuring energy independence for medium and large businesses, as well as for collective use in remote residential areas.

Wind power plants with a power of more than 100 kW should be considered as a production unit as part of a complex of energy supply for residential or industrial facilities or as an independent enterprise. In both cases, application-specific factors should be taken into account:

  • A wind generator, if used as an element of an autonomous power supply system, must have a backup element that will back up the system. Most often this is a diesel generator, which should start automatically when the voltage in the network drops due to lack of wind. For stable operation of the system, accurate accounting of the power and structure of consumers (active and reactive components of alternating current) is required. In addition, application issues must be addressed; excess electricity, which can occur due to uneven load throughout the day. This can be a heat accumulator (part of the heating and hot water system) or a battery station of sufficient capacity.
  • A wind generator with a power of 100 kW or more, used as an additional generating unit, must have a switching device that switches the modes: consumption (recharge) from the central network and return of excess energy to the network. You will need an agreement with the energy supply company and metering devices.

Wind power plant high power can be an effective long-term investment if the costs and payback period of the project are correctly calculated. The scope of application is not limited to the power supply of residential buildings. The efficiency of investments increases sharply when using a wind power plant of 100 kW or more to supply energy to consumers that are not demanding on current characteristics: for heating and lighting greenhouses, street lighting or energy-intensive industries that operate on a mobile basis.

The configuration and price of a wind power plant are usually calculated individually for a specific task.

Wind turbine VETROX Arctic GE-50 (Produced in Russia)

Equipment:

Hydraulic mast 18m

Controller

Price: 4,879,867 rub.

  • Cost of 6 VETROX Arctic GE-50 wind turbines: RUB 29,879,202.
  • The production of 6 VETROX Arctic GE-50 wind turbines, including testing, will take up to 100 calendar days.
  • The installation is assembled from imported components at the Murmansk Machine-Building Plant.
  • Delivery from Murmansk to the port of Arkhangelsk will take up to 3 days.
  • Delivery cost: 470,000 rub.
  • The warranty on wind turbines is 3 years.
  • Annual maintenance costs for VETROX Arctic GE-50 wind turbines (1 piece) - RUB 97,000.
  • Personnel training: RUB 870,000.

Wind power plants 100 kW/380V

It is very important to maintain a constant supply of electricity in large medical institutions and hospitals, because... The lives of patients depend on any power failure. It will help to avoid such problems wind power plant 100 kW.

Wind generator 100 kW can be installed on the territory of a medical institution as the main or.

Also, the power of this power plant is enough to supply current to large hotels, educational institutions, and companies. The average number of jobs in such enterprises should be about 100-150.

The service life of such devices, subject to maintenance standards, is 25 years or more.

Wind farms are often used as remote sites. They are used on drilling rigs and to provide electricity to rotational camps, where the supply of electricity is often difficult due to a number of weather conditions.

Wind power plant 200 kW will be an ideal option for supplying electricity during large-scale construction work, where downtime will mean missing deadlines, large additional financial costs and a delay in the delivery plan.

The service life of such devices with constant diagnostic maintenance is more than 25 years.

Wind power plant price does not seem so exorbitant if you count the amount of electricity that it will produce over its service life.

For medium and large businesses, a stable supply of electricity often plays an important role. Power outages cause delays in deliveries and orders.

To solve the problem without interrupted power supply, there is wind power plant 300 kW. Its power is quite enough to provide uninterrupted power to companies with 200 to 500 jobs.

Development of integrated circuits, creation of databases and industrial concepts; you won’t have to worry about all this if you have your own personal power plant installed on the territory of the enterprise.

The service life of such devices with constant maintenance is from 20 to 25 years, combined with ultra-high product reliability.

Buy a wind power plant You can lease or loan, and our company will help you prepare all the related documents.

Large enterprises that produce large quantities of products often experience power outages. In order to prevent stagnation and losses, power sources are often used industrial wind generators.

This type of power plant can easily provide uninterrupted power to large financial facilities, such as factories involved in the production of machinery and large household appliances, processing and mass mining of minerals, etc.

Wind power plant 500 kW will be able to ensure stable and secure operation of the network, and all this coupled with the possibility of easy remote maintenance.

Wind power price does not seem so exorbitant if you count the amount of electricity that it will produce during operation.

The service life of these devices with constant maintenance ranges from 20 to 25 years.

Minerals extracted from the depths of the earth and used by humanity as energy resources, unfortunately, are not unlimited. Every year their value increases, which is explained by a reduction in production levels. An alternative and growing option for energy supply is wind power plants for the home. They allow you to convert wind energy into alternating current, which makes it possible to provide all the electrical needs of any household appliances. The main advantage of such generators is their absolute environmental friendliness, as well as free use of electricity for an unlimited number of years. What other advantages does a wind generator have for the home, as well as the features of its operation, will be discussed further.

Even ancient people noticed that the wind can be an excellent assistant in carrying out many works. Windmills, which made it possible to turn grain into flour without expending their own energy, became the ancestors of the first wind generators.

Wind power plants consist of a number of generators capable of receiving, converting and storing wind energy into alternating current. They can easily provide an entire house with electricity that comes out of nowhere.

However, it must be said that equipment costs and their maintenance are not always cheaper than the cost of central power grids.

Advantages and disadvantages

So, before you join the supporters of free energy, you need to realize that wind power plants have not only advantages, but also certain disadvantages. On the positive side The use of wind energy in everyday life can be distinguished as follows:

  • the method is absolutely environmentally friendly and does not harm the environment;
  • simplicity of design;
  • ease of use;
  • independence from power grids.

Home mini-generators can either partially provide electricity or become a full-fledged substitute for it, transforming into power plants.

However, we must not forget about flaws, which are:

  • high cost of equipment;
  • payback occurs no earlier than after 5-6 years of use;
  • relatively small efficiency factors, which is why power suffers;
  • requires expensive equipment: a battery and a generator, without which the station cannot operate on windless days.

In order not to waste a lot of money, before purchasing all the necessary equipment, you should evaluate the profitability of the power plant. To do this, calculate the average power of the house (this includes the power of all electrical appliances used), the number of windy days per year, and also evaluate the area where the wind turbines will be located.

Main structural elements

The ease of construction of the power plant is explained by the primitiveness of the structural elements.

To use wind energy, you will need these details:

  • wind blades – capture the wind flow, transmitting impulse to the wind generator;
  • wind generator and controller - help convert the impulse into direct current;
  • battery – stores energy;
  • inverter - helps convert direct current into alternating current.

Design and types of wind power plants

Wind power plants are one of the options for producing alternative energy. Wind energy is a renewable type, along with solar, thermal, etc. The potential of wind energy, of course, is less than solar, but still covers humanity’s modern energy needs. The efficiency of wind power plants is low, at best 30 percent. But still, their construction continues, and they are considered a rather promising type of energy installations.

A wind farm consists of a certain number of generators that are assembled together. Large wind farms include up to 100 or more free-standing wind generators. In the literature you can also find the name ─ wind farms. It’s worth saying right away that such power plants can only be built in certain regions of the planet. In these places, the average wind speed should be at least 4.5 meters per second.



Before a wind farm is built in any location, a lengthy study of the wind characteristics is carried out there. To do this, experts use instruments such as anemometers. They are installed at an altitude of approximately 30-100 meters, and for 1-2 years information about the direction and speed of the wind in this place is accumulated. Then, based on the information obtained, wind energy availability maps are compiled. These maps and various calculation methods are used by those entrepreneurs who want to assess the prospects of building wind power plants in any region of the world.

It is worth noting that standard information from meteorologists is not suitable when assessing the feasibility of constructing a wind farm. After all, meteorologists collect information about wind at a height of up to 10 meters above the Earth’s surface. In almost all countries of the world, special maps of wind energy availability are created either by the state or with its participation.

Examples of this include the wind atlas and the WEST computer model for Canada. This was done by the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Ministry of Development of this country. With this information, entrepreneurs can plan to build wind farms anywhere in Canada. The United Nations created a wind map for 19 developing countries back in 2005.



Wind generators operating as part of wind power plants are installed on various hills of natural or artificial origin. And this is no coincidence, since the wind speed is greater the higher you are from the surface of the planet. Therefore, wind generators operate on special towers, the height of which is from 30 to 60 meters. When planning a wind farm, the presence of trees, large buildings, etc. is also taken into account. All of this can also affect the wind speed.

In addition, when constructing such power plants, environmental protection requirements and the impact on humans must be taken into account. After all, a lot of noise comes from such installations. European countries have long passed laws that limit the maximum noise level of wind power plants. During the day, this figure should not exceed 45 dB, and at night ─ 35 dB. Such installations must be located at a distance of at least 300 meters from residential buildings. In addition, modern wind power plants stop while birds are migrating.

Wind farms typically occupy a large space. For their construction, regions that are sparsely populated and not involved in economic activity are used. Among them are:

  • Coastal areas;
  • Shelf;
  • Deserts;
  • Mountains.

Wind power plants include free-standing wind generators. Let's take a quick look at their design. It includes the following components and parts:

  • Rotor with blades. Converts wind energy into rotational energy. Typically, rotors have three blades. The blades of modern wind turbines can reach 30 meters in length. In most cases, they are made of polyester, which is reinforced with fiberglass. The rotation speed of the blades is on average 10─24 revolutions per minute;
  • Gearbox. Its task is to increase the shaft rotation speed from 10-24 rpm from the rotor to 1.5-3 thousand rpm at the input to the generator. There are also designs of wind generators where the rotor is directly connected to the generator;
  • Generator. It converts rotational energy into electricity;
  • Weather vane and anemometer. They are located on the back side of the wind generator housing. Their task is to collect data on wind speed and direction. The data obtained is used to increase electricity production. This information is used by the control system to start and stop the turbine and to monitor it while it is running. This mechanism turns the router in the direction of the maximum wind. The wind generator starts working at a wind speed of about 4 meters per second and turns off when it increases above 25 m/sec;
  • Tower. It is used to install a wind generator at height. The height of modern machines reaches 60-100 meters;
  • Transformer. It is designed to convert the voltage required by the electrical network. As a rule, it is located at the base of the tower or built into it.


Types of wind power plants

  • Coastal. Such power plants are built a short distance from the coastline. There is a breeze coming from the sea or ocean to the coast. It is caused by uneven heating of water and land. During the day, the wind moves from the side of the reservoir to the shore, and at night, on the contrary, from the coast towards the water.
  • Ground. This is the most common type of wind power plant, in which wind generators are installed at various elevations. Moreover, the construction of a wind generator on pre-prepared sites takes approximately 2 weeks. Significantly more time is spent on construction approval from regulatory authorities. The construction of such power plants in very remote areas is difficult, since their installation requires heavy lifting equipment. This means that access roads are required. In addition, the power plant must be connected by cable to electrical networks;
  • Offshore. These wind farms are built at a distance of several tens of kilometers from the coast. Their advantages are that they do not take up space on land, they are inaudible and their efficiency is higher. This type of power plants is built in places where there is shallow depth. They are installed on foundations, which are made of piles driven into sea soil. Undersea cables are used to transmit electricity into the electrical grid. This type of wind farm is more expensive than the onshore option. They require more powerful foundations, and sea water often leads to accelerated corrosion of metal structures. When constructing this type of power plant, jack-up vessels are used;
  • Floating. This is a rare type of wind power plant. The concept was once developed by the Soviet engineer Egorov (1930). The installation height of such wind generators is several hundred meters above the ground. The power of such turbines is 30-40 kilowatts. In order to raise the wind generator to such a height, an inflatable non-flammable shell is used, which is filled with helium. High-strength ropes are used as a conductor of the generated electricity;
  • Floating. Floating wind generators have appeared relatively recently. Structurally, they are large platforms with a tower extending several tens of meters under the water. And the tower rises approximately the same way above the water. To stabilize such a system on the water, ballast made of stones and gravel is used. To prevent the tower from drifting, anchors are used. Electricity is transmitted to shore using an underwater cable;
  • Mountain. By and large, these are the same onshore wind power plants, but only built in the mountains. In the mountains the wind blows much more intensely. Due to this, such stations are more efficient.

Wind power plants (WPP) are several wind power plants that are collected in one place and integrated into one network.

People have been familiar with the use of wind energy since ancient times. Today, using wind means generating electricity. Wind farms are built in places with high wind speeds. You need to conduct a study of the area in advance. Conventional meteorological data will not be enough for the construction of a wind farm. It is necessary to study the speed and direction of the wind for several years. Wind power plants are installed on hills or hills, and generators are installed on towers, the height of which is from thirty to sixty meters. Particular attention is paid to trees and shrubs that can affect the wind.

The structure of a wind power plant consists of a generator, a rectifier, a battery and an inverter.

There are 6 types of wind power plants:

1) Ground;

The onshore type of wind power plant is the most popular today. The construction requires a road to the construction site and lifting equipment.

2) Coastal;

A coastal wind farm is built near the sea or ocean shore. On the coast there is a breeze that moves from the water to the land.

3) Offshore;

Offshore wind farms are built at sea, approximately 10-50 meters from the sea. The advantage of such structures is that they are barely visible from the shore, and they are also very effective, since the wind constantly blows at sea.

4) Floating;

Floating ones are installed directly in the sea a hundred meters deep. The height of the steel tower is 65 meters.

5) Soaring;

Floating wind farms are located high above the ground.

6) Mountain.

Mountainous, respectively, in a mountainous area.

In general, we note that the design and installation of a wind power plant requires not only a thorough and lengthy study of the climate of the area, but also large financial costs. This electricity is expensive due to the fact that it comes from a clean source. Also, the high cost is due to the high costs of the necessary equipment for construction. Maintenance of wind power plants, depending on their type, also requires a lot of money.

The inexhaustible energy that air masses carry with them has always attracted people's attention. Our great-grandfathers learned to harness the wind to the sails and wheels of windmills, after which it rushed aimlessly across the vast expanses of the Earth for two centuries.

Today useful work has been found for him again. A wind generator for a private home goes from being a technical novelty to a real factor in our everyday life.

Let's take a closer look at wind power plants, evaluate the conditions for their profitable use and consider the existing varieties. In our article, home craftsmen will receive information to think about on the topic of self-assembly of a windmill and the devices necessary for its efficient operation.

What is a wind generator?

The operating principle of a domestic wind power plant is simple: the air flow rotates the rotor blades mounted on the generator shaft and creates alternating current in its windings. The generated electricity is stored in batteries and used by household appliances as needed. Of course, this is a simplified diagram of how a home windmill works. In practical terms, it is complemented by devices that convert electricity.

Immediately behind the generator in the energy chain there is a controller. It converts three-phase alternating current into direct current and directs it to charge the batteries. Most household appliances cannot operate on constant power, so another device is installed behind the batteries - an inverter. It performs the opposite operation: it converts direct current into household alternating current with a voltage of 220 Volts. It is clear that these transformations do not take place without leaving a trace and take away quite a decent portion of the original energy (15-20%).

If the windmill is paired with a solar battery or another electricity generator (gasoline, diesel), then the circuit is supplemented with an automatic switch (ATS). When the main current source is turned off, it activates the backup one.

To obtain maximum power, the wind generator must be located along the wind flow. In simple systems the weather vane principle is implemented. To do this, a vertical blade is attached to the opposite end of the generator, turning it towards the wind.

More powerful installations have a rotating electric motor controlled by a direction sensor.

Main types of wind generators and their features

There are two types of wind generators:

  1. With a horizontal rotor.
  2. With vertical rotor.

The first type is the most common. It is characterized by high efficiency (40-50%), but has an increased level of noise and vibration. In addition, its installation requires a large free space (100 meters) or a high mast (from 6 meters).

Generators with a vertical rotor are less energetically efficient (the efficiency is almost 3 times lower than that of horizontal ones).

Their advantages include simple installation and reliable design. Low noise makes it possible to install vertical generators on the roofs of houses and even at ground level. These installations are not afraid of icing and hurricanes. They are launched from a weak wind (from 1.0-2.0 m/s) while a horizontal windmill needs an air flow of medium strength (3.5 m/s and above). Vertical wind generators are very diverse in the shape of the impeller (rotor).

Rotor wheels of vertical wind turbines

Due to the low rotor speed (up to 200 rpm), the mechanical life of such installations significantly exceeds those of horizontal wind generators.

How to calculate and select a wind generator?

Wind is not natural gas pumped through pipes or electricity that uninterruptedly flows through wires into our home. He is capricious and fickle. Today a hurricane tears off roofs and breaks trees, and tomorrow it gives way to complete calm. Therefore, before purchasing or making your own windmill, you need to assess the potential of air energy in your area. To do this, the average annual wind force must be determined. This value can be found on the Internet by request.

Having received such a table, we find the area of ​​​​our residence and look at the intensity of its color, comparing it with the rating scale. If the average annual wind speed is less than 4.0 meters per second, then there is no point in installing a wind turbine. It will not provide the required amount of energy.

If the wind strength is sufficient to install a wind power plant, then you can proceed to the next step: selecting the generator power.

If we are talking about autonomous energy supply at home, then the average statistical electricity consumption of 1 family is taken into account. It ranges from 100 to 300 kWh per month. In regions with low annual wind potential (5-8 m/sec), a wind turbine with a power of 2-3 kW can generate this amount of electricity. It should be taken into account that in winter the average wind speed is higher, so energy production during this period will be greater than in summer.

Selecting a wind generator. Approximate prices

Prices for vertical domestic wind generators with a capacity of 1.5-2.0 kW are in the range from 90 to 110 thousand rubles. The package at this price includes only a generator with blades, without a mast and additional equipment (controller, inverter, cable, batteries). A complete power plant including installation will cost 40-60% more.

The cost of more powerful wind turbines (3-5 kW) ranges from 350 to 450 thousand rubles (with additional equipment and installation work).

DIY windmill. Fun or real savings?

Let’s say right away that making a wind generator with your own hands that is complete and effective is not easy. Proper calculation of the wind wheel, transmission mechanism, selection of a generator suitable for power and speed is a separate topic. We will give only brief recommendations on the main stages of this process.

Generator

Car generators and electric motors from direct drive washing machines are not suitable for this purpose. They are capable of generating energy from the wind wheel, but it will be insignificant. To operate efficiently, self-generators need very high speeds, which a windmill cannot develop.

Motors for washing machines have another problem. There are ferrite magnets there, but the wind generator needs more efficient ones - neodymium ones. The process of self-installation and winding of current-carrying windings requires patience and high precision.

The power of a device assembled by yourself, as a rule, does not exceed 100-200 watts.

Recently, motor-wheels for bicycles and scooters have become popular among DIYers. From a wind energy standpoint, these are powerful neodymium generators that are optimally suited for working with vertical wind wheels and charging batteries. From such a generator you can extract up to 1 kW of wind energy.

Motor-wheel - a ready-made generator for a homemade wind power plant


Screw

The easiest to manufacture are sail and rotor propellers. The first consists of lightweight curved tubes mounted on a central plate. Blades made of durable fabric are pulled over each tube. The large windage of the propeller requires hinged fastening of the blades so that during a hurricane they fold and do not become deformed.

The rotary wind wheel design is used for vertical generators. It is easy to manufacture and reliable in operation.

Homemade wind generators with a horizontal axis of rotation are powered by a propeller. Home craftsmen assemble it from PVC pipes with a diameter of 160-250 mm. The blades are mounted on a round steel plate with a mounting hole for the generator shaft.