Wind power stations. Wind power plants for a private home: features and characteristics. Is it profitable to use alternative energy sources?

Wind power plants- This is the most alternative option for saving electrical energy today.

Very often, such installations can be found in summer cottages.

People use them in places where suburban areas are remote from main electrical networks. But this is not the only reason. Most people use wind power plants for reasons of economy and autonomy.

Wind power plants have their own characteristics that potential buyers need to know, and how productivity depends on their competence.

The main incentive to purchase a wind generator- this is undoubtedly its expediency. One of the main criteria for achieving this goal is wind requirements. It is known that the average annual wind speed is about 4.0-4.5 m/s, this figure is more than enough for a home wind power plant to be profitable to use, that is, it makes it possible to save electricity.

To estimate the wind speed in your area, you can use a wind map. If you want to measure wind speed with maximum accuracy, you should purchase a special device that will help you with this.

This invention includes a part called an anemometer. With its help, you receive a signal equivalent to the speed of the wind. Also, you will need a device that reads the signals that the anemometer gives. There are other devices of this type.

In order for the data to be as accurate as possible, such devices must be installed high so that external factors, such as trees, various buildings, etc., do not distort the results of the device.

Device components

When purchasing home wind power plants, it is very important to know its components; this will give you the opportunity to be more competent in this matter and choose the best model for your home.

The wind power plant includes:

Rotor with blades(depending on the model, wind generators are divided into two-blade, three-blade and multi-blade).
A gearbox, in other words, a gearbox. Its job is to regulate the speed between the rotor and the generator.
Protective cover- its name speaks for itself; it is designed to protect all components of a wind power plant from external influences.
"Tail" of a wind turbine- needed to rotate the structure in the direction of the wind.
Accumulator battery– its main purpose is to accumulate electricity. This is due to the fact that weather conditions are not always favorable for a wind power plant, and with the help of this component a certain amount of energy is saved.
Inverter installation– designed to convert direct current into alternating current. This is necessary to ensure the operation of household electrical appliances.

Types and principle of operation

Wind power plants are divided into types according to the following four criteria:

In the direction of the axis of rotation of the blades(divided into horizontal and vertical. Vertical ones are more resistant to external conditions, but they have less electricity generation).
By number of blades(in this case, wind generators are two-, three- and multi-blade).
According to the material used(they are distinguished with rigid and sailing blades. The main difference is that sailing blades are cheaper, but they are less durable);
According to the method of controlling the blades(they exist with fixed and variable blade pitch. Experts recommend a fixed blade pitch, since variable pitch causes difficulties in use).

When choosing a power plant, it would be advisable to know what the operating principle of the wind generator is. The operating principle of the installation is extremely simple. The design consists of a shank with blades mounted on a metal mast, which rotate with the help of the wind and spin the generator rotor.

Before current is supplied to the battery compartment, it passes through a converter, where alternating current is converted into direct current to a voltage of 220 volts with a frequency of 50 hertz and supplies the house with electricity in calm weather.

A modern wind generator does not need strong wind. Its design is so well thought out that for a private house a wind speed of up to 4 - 5 m/s is sufficient.

Advantages and disadvantages

The main advantages of wind generators:

Costs go towards installation and maintenance of the device. No more expenses are required since the design does not require fuel to operate.
You do not need to control or interfere with the operation of the windmill, since energy generation occurs whenever there is wind.
Depending on the type of generator, it will not produce unnecessary noise.
The device is suitable for most climate conditions.
Part wear is insignificant.

The main disadvantages of a wind power plant:

In certain modes or when the mast is not installed correctly, a wind generator can produce infrasound.
High mast necessarily requires grounding.
The need for regular prevention.
Possibility of damage to the device during hurricanes, etc.

Selecting the size and location

The size of a wind farm is a very important issue for potential buyers. In order to determine the size, you need to carefully study - how much energy do you consume in one month? The resulting figure must be multiplied by 12 months.

Then, you need to use the formula: AEO = 1.64 * D*D * V*V*V.

Notations you need to know when using the formula:

AEO- the electricity you use per year.
D– rotor diameter, which is indicated in meters.
V– average annual wind speed, indicated in m/sec.

So these calculations will help you determine what size generator you need based on your power consumption.

When thinking about purchasing a wind power plant for your home, you need to study as accurately as possible all the details associated with the design, since the extent to which your goal will be satisfied depends on this.

When placing a wind generator, you should consider the following factors:

There should be no trees near your installation, various buildings and other things that could interfere with the maximum productivity of your generator.
It is best to install the wind generator on a specially constructed structure, which should be a couple of meters higher than obstacles located at a distance of at least 200 meters.
It is recommended to place wind power plants at a distance of about 30-40 meters from residential buildings, since they create a certain noise that brings discomfort.

Also, you must take into account that you will not be able to constantly get the same result from your wind power plant, since natural conditions change, there may be different gusts of wind in the same place, and accordingly, the amount of energy you receive will be dynamic.

Price overview

In most cases, the price of wind power plants depends on their power. In domestic conditions, generators with a power of 5 to 50 kW are quite sufficient.

More details about the price ratio and types of generators:

Wind generators with a power of 3 kW /48V– approximate cost 93,000.00 rub. These can be used not only as an additional source of power supply, but also as the main one. Such models are able to provide electricity to a cottage.
Wind generators with a power of 5 kW /120V– approximately 220,100.00 rub. This design can provide energy to an entire house. You can simultaneously turn on a fairly large number of household electrical appliances.
Wind generators with a power of 10 kW/240V– prices within 414,000.00 rub. It is enough to power a farm or several homes. In addition to household appliances, you can use, for example, electric construction tools all day long without any problems. Such electric generators are often used for supermarkets to ensure constant operation of departments and video surveillance.
Wind generators with a power of 20 kW/240V– the price of such a device is RUB 743,700.00. Power plants of this type are very powerful. They are able to provide electricity to an entire water system. In domestic conditions, it will be able to more than fully provide energy to a huge house.
Wind generators with a power of 30 kW/240V– cost within 961,800.00 rubles. This model is so powerful that it can provide electrical energy to a five-story building.
Wind generators with a power of 50 kW/380V– approximate price about 3,107,000.00 rub. This model is not rational for use in domestic conditions, since it is so powerful that it can more than provide energy to several multi-story buildings.

When purchasing a home power station, it is worth knowing that in most cases the prices are indicated for the complete set, but you can add or exclude certain components yourself. This is subject to your personal discretion.

Efficiency and payback

Wind power plants for home are an alternative solution for saving energy. They have become quite widespread.

In order to provide energy to an entire house, it is enough to use one wind generator and at the same time not limit yourself by saving on electricity.

It is also beneficial that to obtain such an effect, a minimum wind speed of 1.8 to 4.5 meters per second is sufficient.

But weather conditions are not always suitable for a wind generator, so you need to purchase a backup generator that will provide a reserve of energy. This will provide the opportunity to increase the productivity of your home wind farm.

Among the positive aspects of the installation, it is worth noting the following:

Having spent a large amount on an electric generator, you will no longer need to spend money, since fuel is not needed to operate the device. That is, your purchase will be able to pay for itself within a few years.
Wind generator performance does not depend on the time of year or other weather conditions, its operation does not stop even in winter, which is undoubtedly a plus, since in the winter season energy consumption is greater than in others. This fact undoubtedly testifies to its effectiveness and payback.
Minor wear on generator parts, taking into account regular maintenance of the wind generator, which is necessary. With proper and competent installation, as well as operation of a wind power plant for your home, it can serve you for more than thirty years, which is undoubtedly a significant advantage.

The full payback period for wind power plants is approximately 5-7 years, and then you will be able to use electricity absolutely free.

Humanity has long learned to use the power of the wind to its advantage. If at the dawn of progress people had no idea about the mass movement of air across the earth's surface, then they learned to use the power of the wind as a draft force immediately with the advent of the first ships. Windmills became a logical continuation of the use of wind for the benefit of people.

The next round of interest in controlling air masses and adapting them to serve man occurred at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. Then a tool appeared that converted wind power into energy, that is, a wind power plant. As at all times, the reason for its creation was the desire to save money. In this case, traditional fuel resources, which, while remaining popular, were constantly rising in price.

With the flourishing of industry, windmills were constantly modified and by the 21st century they acquired that recognizable appearance that even a child can unmistakably distinguish from other units.

But recognizing something by its appearance is one thing, but understanding how it works is another. Let's fill this gap.

Operating principle of a wind power plant

Wind turbine, or inverter, has an operating principle identical to other wind turbines: the force of the wind rotates the blades of the wind wheel, which transmits torque to the generator shaft through a gear system. Depending on the design, wind energy is also transferred to an electric generator or water pump.

A person familiar with the basics of physics can easily understand that the amount of energy generated is directly proportional to the diameter of the wind wheel and the size of its blades. The more wind simultaneously affects the blade, the stronger the return in the form of electricity.

The solution to the issue of obtaining maximum returns is not limited to size alone. Air flows behave differently at different altitudes. Near the ground, their strength decreases and their speed slows down due to the terrain slowing down the movement of the wind. The higher the wind wheel is, the more powerful the air flow hitting it.

Wind power plant design

It would be a mistake to assume that the inverter looks exclusively like a windmill on a less extensive base. Currently, there are three main types of wind farm design:

propeller The rotating shaft in this case is located horizontally relative to the wind direction. The stabilizer blade on the back of the wind wheel allows the entire structure to move it in the direction of the wind. The most economical of all types of wind farms. The rotation speed of such units is inversely proportional to the number of blades, so the optimal number is three. They have the highest efficiency (0.48) of wind energy;
drums;
carousel

In both cases, the shaft rotating the blades is located vertically. This type of inverter is installed in places where the direction of the wind is not very important (for example, in the mountains).

Such power plants have a significantly higher torque than propeller ones. The efficiency ranges from 0.10 to 0.15.

The massive use of inverters is currently a panacea for several modern diseases of civilization (more on them below). At the same time, the operation of wind power plants depends on many factors that humans cannot influence.

Problems associated with the operation of wind power plants

The main problem is the irregular operation of the energy supplier, that is, the wind itself.. Wind power plants directly depend on this factor, and the operation of nodes that receive electricity in this way cannot be continuous. The situation is further aggravated by the fact that wind force can be both beneficial and harmful - an increase in wind force can damage inverters.

Only one conclusion can be drawn: for achieving a colossal economic effect from the use of air flows, humanity pays by depending on their whims, difficult to predict and completely unpredictable in time. This begs the question about the advisability of their use and installation in general. Why do people need such an unscrupulous and unpunctual assistant, and also a wild one? The answer lies in the history of civilization, which has long ago calculated everything.

Benefits and disadvantages of wind power plants

Advantages of wind farms

Simplicity of design.
The unit, which is simple in structure, can be operated by people without special education. The principle of operation is clear to everyone who has mastered a physics course at school level. There will be no questions regarding the work.
Renewability (inexhaustibility) of an energy source.
Producing electricity through the use of bio- or synthetic fuel depends on the availability of this fuel itself. The slightest interruption in supply renders all thermal power plants useless. The wind is everywhere and constantly reminds of its presence. It will disappear only with the air.
Economical.
Producing electricity in this way is a visual aid to the dream of every businessman - obtaining maximum profit with minimal investment. The power of one wind farm ranges from 10 to 1000 W and these parameters depend only on the business sense of its owner.
No alternative in special cases.
There are practically no areas left on the planet that have not been developed by humans, which cannot be said about the supply of these places with everything they need (primarily energy). Difficult mountain areas, taiga, Arctic or desert - everywhere the delivery of electricity using conventional methods will take months, if not years. The presence of wind power plants solves this problem once and for all.
Environmental friendliness.
Any production based on the conversion of fuel into energy emits huge amounts of harmful impurities into the atmosphere. The scourge of our planet for many years has been the emergence of greenhouse zones that destroy all living things. Inverters do not worsen the environment and help maintain the climate and human health.
Availability.
The wind blows everywhere. It may have different values relative to sea level or other parameters. But one thing remains unchanged - it exists.
Compactness.
Inverters are lightweight. They are easy to transport and install both far from civilization and literally among the urban centers of the largest metropolises, where there is a fierce struggle for every free square meter of space.
Independence external and internal.
No matter how funny it may sound at first glance, the presence of a developed network of wind power plants serves to reduce the dependence of small states on monopolists in the oil and gas market. If we project the situation onto a smaller scale, then when operating a wind farm for its own domestic needs, the owner of such a wind turbine is less exposed to the risk of changes in his budget due to rising fuel prices.

Disadvantages of wind farms

The disadvantages of wind power plants are more subjective than objective, however, they must be taken into account in each specific case of installation of installations.

Dependence on the wind.
There may sometimes be no wind, or its strength will be insufficient. This will lead to a complete stop of electricity supply and related problems.
Starting price.
Equipment for a wind farm costs money, and a one-time restructuring of the farm to generate electricity from the air is expensive. In addition to the stations themselves, energy storage devices are required - batteries that have a limited service life.
Noise near residential buildings.
Noise is present near houses, but it creates discomfort only in the case of a large number of wind farms operating simultaneously. Mostly powerful power plants make noise.
Changing the natural landscape.
From an aesthetic point of view, of course, the abundance of masts with rotating blades does not add beauty to the surrounding nature. The question is what externally disfigures nature more.
Radio and TV interference.
Cases of obstructions to the operation of television and radio receivers have been recorded, and their statistics are constantly being studied.
Large areas.
While installing compact wind power plants is beneficial in the city, completely replacing biofuel in rural areas is only possible if inverters are used on a large scale. This requires their installation in large quantities, which leads to the use of large areas.

As can be seen from the information provided, wind power plants have much more significant advantages than disadvantages. Having weighed everything, made all the necessary calculations and made sure of the need to use a wind farm, you wonder where to get these same wind turbines.

Wind Power Manufacturers

The main players in this market are from Europe. These are Germany (Repower, Siemens, Nordex, Enercon - this company ranks second in the world), Denmark (Vestas - the world market leader), Spain (Ecotechnia, Gamesa).

The world leaders also include the USA (General Electric), Japan (Mitsubishi), India (Suzlon).

All these companies produce equipment with power ranging from 0.5 to 6,000 kW.

In Russia, some of the large private manufacturers of wind farms are Vetro Svet LLC, Sapsan-Energia LLC, LMV Wind Energy, SKB Iskra LLC, EnergyWind LLC, etc. Their production is also carried out at the industrial facilities of military-industrial complex enterprises .

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Geography of application of wind power plants

As well as among manufacturers, the leader in the construction of wind farms is Germany. Europe is generally experiencing a boom in the construction of wind turbines, their number grows in Scandinavian countries and Greece.

In Asia, the greatest practical interest comes from China. The construction program provides for the mandatory installation of such installations during the construction of new buildings.

North and South America have been widely using wind energy for decades and are actively displacing traditional forms of electricity in farming. The United States contains one fifth of the world's wind energy.

In recent years, Russia has been actively involved in the process of constructing wind farms, and today we can talk about the launch of such noteworthy facilities as:

Tyulkildy (Bashkortostan).
Kalmyk wind farm (Kalmykia).
Zelenograd wind turbine (Kaliningrad region).
Crimea. There are 5 (3 of them are the largest in the country) wind farms on the Crimean Peninsula.
The wind farms installed in Murmansk and the Sakha Republic are worthy of mention.

The conclusions obtained based on data processing allow us to predict the active growth of the use of wind power plants in our country.

The trend in recent years to increase the capacity of wind farms irrefutably leads to the following conclusions: wind energy will be in demand in even greater volumes, and you need to be prepared for this in advance.

That is why countries around the world are spending more and more budget funds. Investing in this industry is a guarantee that the world will not stop production when natural resources run out. When using VEU, there are no decomposition products, which is very important.

We need to be prepared for this now. This is what humanity understood.

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 energy supply option 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 the 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 proponents 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 – contribute to the conversion of the impulse into direct current;
battery – stores energy;
inverter - helps convert direct current into alternating current.

Humanity has been familiar with the use of wind energy since time immemorial. Once upon a time, an unknown inventor attached a sail to an unsightly floating craft, and with its help, centuries later, the entire Earth was explored by inquisitive sailors. Even today, windmills serve people well in many countries.

But today, using wind means, first of all, generating electricity. Let's try to figure out how simple, cheap and convenient it is. For those who want to immediately hear the result, the conclusion: wind electricity will never become cheaper than energy obtained from other sources: thermal, nuclear or hydroelectric power plants.

Therefore, working on wind power plants for home makes sense only for those who are itching to adapt a ready-made generator that they got “by chance,” or for clean energy enthusiasts who fanatically want to save the planet from environmental disaster. You simply cannot think of any other reasons to use wind energy when power is supplied from external electrical networks.

First, a little information about the possibilities of using wind energy. When wind influences turbine blades, the energy extraction efficiency (efficiency) cannot exceed 59%. A number of scientists (Lanchester, Betz, Zhukovsky) obtained this value in their works back in 1920. Since then it has been known as the “Betz limit.”

Does it make sense to calculate efficiency? wind generator, if it is driven by a free source of unlimited power? Of course have! Knowing the conversion efficiency, you can estimate the required power of the power plant, and then how much weight your wallet will lose after purchasing it.

The maximum power that can be “taken away” from the wind is equal to the area on which it acts (the propeller fan area), multiplied by the wind speed cubed and by the efficiency mentioned above, equal to 0.6. Expressing all the quantities in the SI system, we find that 1 m2 of turbine at a wind speed of 2 m/sec takes power as much as...4.8 W. At a wind speed of 8 m/sec (the nominal speed of most wind generators), the extraction per unit area will increase to 307 W.

Now food for thought: the real efficiency for home installations should be no more than 0.3. Working hours wind power plants with optimal wind speed ranging from 10 to 15% per year in the climatic conditions of the CIS countries.

Therefore, the power of the wind power plant obtained from the formula must be increased by another 4-5 times. In practice, it is recommended to install a wind power plant, focusing not so much on technical indicators, but on financial capabilities, according to the principle: “The more, the better.” You must immediately give up your dream of installing a powerful and, at the same time, compact installation. One contradicts the other in principle.

The design of a wind power plant, in general, consists of a generator, a rectifier, a battery and an inverter for converting the voltage to the usual value of 220V.

All blocks and elements of the power plant are monitored and controlled by a microprocessor controller or simpler logic circuits. Studying technical characteristics of wind power plants

, preference should be given to those in which the speed at which the rotor began to move, the initial speed of charging the batteries and the speed at which they reach operating mode are minimal. The wider the range of operating wind speeds, the greater the likelihood of obtaining energy. Cost in this case plays a secondary role: why buy a cheaper installation if it will work in your region for several days a year?

Now it’s time to ask the price of products from companies offering ready-made equipment sets. We won’t talk about homemade wind power plants here at all. Even the best examples of industrial production have an efficiency of no more than 30%, and homemade structures made from auxiliary materials can only produce noise.

Horizontal vane-type generators have higher efficiency and lower material consumption. But they require the use of masts of greater height, have complex mechanical parts and are inconvenient to maintain. Vertical-type stations are less economical, they have a higher material consumption, but they operate in a wider range of wind speeds and are more compact.

Let's look at one sample of the most interesting representatives of wind power plants in each group. The greatest interest among power plants with a horizontal rotor arrangement is gearless loop generator "Windtronics".

In it, aerodynamic drag is reduced due to the special design of the turbine, in which strong permanent magnets are attached to the ends of the blades, and 68 stator coils are mounted along the rim. With this solution, the rotor is also a generator of electrical energy. Special flaps on the blades allow the turbine to start moving at a wind speed of 0.2 m/sec. Today this value is a record for generators.

At a speed of 0.9 m/sec. the turbine begins to generate electricity. Other types of generators cannot even move at these wind speeds. The weight of the product is about 110 kg, the diameter is 1.8 meters, the noise level is no more than 35 dB.

Thanks to its rigid design, the turbine can withstand wind speeds of up to 62.6 seconds. Annual productivity from 1500 to 2750 kW/h of electricity. The American company “Honeywell Wind Turbine” comes complete with the turbine with all the necessary electronics designed to connect 2 generators or an additional solar panel. The serious and only drawback of the wind power plant is its price - $5,750 with a rated generator power of only 1.5 kW.

A promising representative of power plants with a vertical type generator can be considered "Eddy" turbines from Urban Green Energy. The generators are very compact, almost silent and can be installed even in urban environments. With a generator weight of 95 kg, it occupies an area of slightly more than 2.5 m2.

The turbine can be installed in an hour, and it lasts up to 20 years. The generator can withstand wind loads of up to 193 km/h and produces, depending on the modification, from 2000 to 4000 kW/h of energy per year. The main disadvantage is the high initial wind speed for the turbine - 3.2 m/sec. There is no information about the cost of the generator yet.

Wind generator "Eddy"

The original shape of the turbine, reminiscent of rose petals, gave the architects the idea of creating a power plant in the form of a tree, with 3 to 12 turbines mounted on its branches. The project was called "Power Flowers" - "flower tree" and attracted wide public attention, creating good advertising for Eddy generators and the UGE company.

Wind farm "Power Flowers" with generators "Eddy"

We can talk about various designs and models of power plants for a very long time, but they have one thing in common: a very high price. From an analysis of companies’ proposals, one can derive a certain unit cost of 1 kW of equipment power. It costs approximately $2,000 without installation work. By adding about another $500 for installation and setup, we will get the average cost of equipment that will produce 2000-3000 kWh of electrical energy for you per year.

According to experts, electricity obtained from environmentally friendly sources is 3-4 times more expensive than conventional energy. When using low-power wind power plants, the cost of energy can be an order of magnitude (10 times) higher than that obtained from traditional sources. This is due to large one-time costs for equipment and work on installation, commissioning and maintenance of wind power plants.

In order to hide this fact, they often use the assertion that with rising energy prices, environmentally friendly sources will become profitable. This ignores the consideration that as energy prices rise, the cost of equipment that has significant material consumption will also rise. And there are no prospects for reducing such a “fork” even in the distant future.

If you have an irresistible desire to install a wind power plant, then you first need to get acquainted with the archive of weather reports for the last few years in your region. Such information is now available on the Internet and will immediately clarify the real possibilities for using wind energy.

A wind generator is a device for converting the kinetic energy of the wind into mechanical energy and then into electrical energy.

Large ones, with a capacity of up to several megawatts, are used as single elements of wind power plants, which transmit energy to the main power grid for a large number of consumers. Wind power plants are located on the shores of seas, large bodies of water and in desert areas. A mandatory attribute for their deployment is the infrastructure for transmitting energy to power lines.

Some small wind generators, which will be discussed in this article, have found application for power supply of private houses and autonomous objects for various purposes - telecommunication towers, street lighting, elements of traffic control systems. They are installed near the site and are often supplemented with a diesel generator.

Principle of operation

A wind generator is a complex of several devices:

The principle of operation of the device is that the pressure (pressure) of the wind rotates the wind wheel, which transmits rotation to the generator rotor. The generator rotor excites alternating current in the generator stator windings, which is supplied to the controller. The controller converts this current into direct current and charges the battery with it.

All consumers receive energy from the battery through an inverter (220 V) or directly (12, 24, 48 V - depending on the number of batteries). The energy of the windmill is not directly transferred to consumers, which is due to the instability of the parameters of the current it receives.

Types of wind power plants

The following criteria exist for classifying wind farms:

Number of blades. Wind turbines with up to 4 blades are called low-blade and high-speed. With a number of blades of 4 or more, multi-blade and low-speed. The division according to this criterion is due to the fact that the smaller the number of blades, the, other things being equal, the wind engine has a higher number of revolutions.
Rated power. The criterion is quite arbitrary, but the following gradation is applied: up to 15 kW household (for private homes, portable), 15-100 kW semi-industrial (for small farms, shops, pumping stations), 100 kW MW industrial units - intended for generating energy used a large number of consumers.
Direction of the rotation axis. This criterion is the most basic, as it affects the main characteristics of the windmill:
- With a horizontal axis of rotation. Most often they are two or three bladed, high-speed. The advantages of such devices include: high speed, which means a simpler generator; high utilization rate of wind energy and, as a result, higher efficiency; simplicity of design. Disadvantages include: high noise level, the need for a high mast for installation.
- With a vertical axis of rotation. There are many varieties of design known - Savonius wind generators, Darrieus rotors, helicoidal rotor, multi-blade wind generators. According to the author of the article, the merits of all such structures are very doubtful. These devices have a complex design, require a complex generator, and have a low wind energy utilization factor (0.18-0.2 versus 0.42 for horizontal ones). The advantages include low noise level and the possibility of installation at low heights.

A Question of Choice

When choosing a device, you must answer the following questions:

Required power in kW. It is required to estimate the total consumption per month and select a power plant based on this criterion;
Equipment manufacturer. It is necessary that the products be certified for use in the Russian Federation, then you can be sure that the characteristics of the device comply with national standards for noise levels and electromagnetic interference. Please note the warranty period and service life of the device; it must be at least 15 years. Find out about service and warranty repairs of equipment. It will not be superfluous to find out reviews about the manufacturer and seller from other users.
Required location for installing a wind turbine. Based on your real capabilities. If it is possible to install a high mast with a horizontal type of device, then give it preference. Otherwise, consider a vertical axis design.
Price. What is more expensive is not always better. Here, as elsewhere, you can overpay for a brand or for features that are completely unnecessary for you. Clearly define your requirements for the device, do not order unnecessary components.

If it is possible to install a high mast with a horizontal type of device, then give it preference

Installation

When installing, you should remember that in the Russian Federation there is no ban on the installation of wind power plants with a capacity below 75 kW and they are not subject to taxes. But it would still be useful to familiarize yourself with the regulations on the installation and use of such devices for each specific area.

What you should pay attention to:

Permissible mast installation height;
Presence of power lines near the proposed installation site;
Permissible noise level in decibels;
Presence of on-air interference from an operating power plant.

The permissible height is regulated by local regulations, but the mast cannot be placed near power lines.

For the last two points, it is necessary to take data from the technical characteristics of the power plant. For suppliers and manufacturers certified in the Russian Federation, these characteristics comply with local legislation.

A good step would be to obtain consent for installation from neighbors and the organization serving the territory, if any. Consent must be obtained in writing.

When all the formalities have been settled, it is necessary to determine the specific location for the mast installation. It should be noted that the efficiency will be higher if there are no trees or tall buildings nearby and the mast is located on a hill. The installation location should be chosen so that nearby buildings and trees are not in front of the windmill. It would also be wrong to place the mast on a hill, in front of a cliff.

The mast must be installed in strict accordance with the manufacturer's instructions. If necessary, qualified specialists and special equipment should be involved.

Price

Wind power plants for home are available on the market with power ranging from 0.4 kW to 75 kW from various manufacturers. The range of prices for devices of the same power is quite large.

Let's look at the table:

Model	power, kWt	Price, rub
EDS Group Condor Home	0,5	89600
EDS Group Condor Home	3	195400
EDS Group Condor Home	5	285000
EDS Group Condor Air	10	770000
EDS Group Condor Air	30	1790000
EDS Group Condor Air	50	2850000
Energospetsservice LLC	1	94000
BEKAR	1	171800
HY 400-L	0,4	66430
Energy stock	3	98000
Energy stock	5	220000
Energy stock	10	414000
Energy stock	30	961000
Energy stock	50	3107000

What's the matter? But the fact is that manufacturers often indicate the price only for part of the required set of equipment. As an example, consider a 2 kW windmill sold by Energostock. The price on the website is 57,600 rubles, but let’s go to the detailed description of the product.

And there is the price of a complete set of equipment: wind generator, controller, inverter, battery, mast. And the price of the complete set will be 176,800 rubles. Hence the conclusion - be sure to check the price for the entire set!

Average prices for Russian and Chinese-made generators are as follows: 1 kW 100-120 TR, 3 kW – 200 TR, 5 kW – 300 TR, 10 kW from half a million, and powerful devices of 20 kW or more will cost more than a million rubles. If you buy equipment from a Western manufacturer or the USA, the prices will be 20-30% higher.

DIY wind power plants

If you are planning to make a wind generator, then you should pay attention to the resources of the Network, which suggest 2 approaches: the first is to assemble all the elements with your own hands, and the second involves purchasing ready-made components.

During assembly, the greatest difficulty is in manufacturing the wind wheel. It is not easy to produce blades for a horizontal axis design with the required aerodynamic characteristics. There are two options here: either pay for a workshop with the necessary tools and experience, or look towards a design with a vertical axis of rotation, for which the blades can be made from an ordinary barrel.

You can purchase a used generator, use a washing machine or industrial engine. There is a large selection of ready-made generators and components for their assembly based on neodymium magnets.

Manufacturing a mast is a very important stage, because the safety of operation of the entire structure depends on it. You need to treat it carefully, entrusting the calculations of the strength of the structure to a specialist.

It is better to purchase controllers, inverters and batteries ready-made.

Diagram of a wind power plant for self-production

To install or not

When deciding the feasibility of installing a wind power plant, you need to obtain the following initial data:

The algorithm for assessing the payback of a wind turbine is as follows:

Using the wind map and technical characteristics of the device, determine the generated power for the summer and winter periods or monthly.
For example, for the 2 kW device discussed above, the generated power at a speed of 5 m/s will be 400 W; Based on the data obtained, determine
annual generated capacity; By cost per kilowatt hour
determine the price of generated electricity; Share the cost of a wind generator kit

the resulting figure will give you the payback in years.

To make adjustments to the calculation, you should consider: Rechargeable batteries will have to
change at least once every three years; Service life of modern
wind generator 20 years; The device needs to be serviced.
The cost and terms of service must be clarified with the equipment seller; The cost of a kilowatt-hour increases every year,

If the obtained payback figures are not satisfactory, but you want to have an alternative source of energy or there is no possibility of connecting to a centralized power supply, then you should consider options for increasing the efficiency of the windmill and reducing the costs of its installation and maintenance.

The following options are possible:

Installing several smaller devices instead of one large one. This will reduce the price of capital equipment, reduce installation and maintenance costs, and also increase productivity due to the fact that small wind turbines have greater efficiency at low wind speeds;
Installation of a special networked energy management system, combined with a central power supply system. Such devices can be found on sale today.

for power supply of even a large private house, a power of 10 kW is sufficient;
evaluate the power plant’s ability to generate electricity in your area;
choose the right location for installing the wind generator;
control the completeness of purchased equipment;
use ways to increase the payback rate of equipment;
If it’s expensive to buy, do it yourself, it’s not that difficult.