Technological and Operational Aspects That Limit Small Wind Turbines Performance

Abstract

Small Wind Turbines (SWTs) are promissory for distributed generation using renewable energy sources; however, their deployment in a broad sense requires to address topics related to their cost-efficiency. This paper aims to survey recent developments about SWTs holistically, focusing on multidisciplinary aspects such as wind resource assessment, rotor aerodynamics, rotor manufacturing, control systems, and hybrid micro-grid integration. Wind resource produces inputs for the rotor’s aerodynamic design that, in turn, defines a blade shape that needs to be achieved by a manufacturing technique while ensuring structural integrity. A control system may account for the rotor’s aerodynamic performance interacting with an ever-varying wind resource. At the end, the concept of integration with other renewable source is justified, according to the inherent variability of wind generation. Several commercially available SWTs are compared to study how some of the previously mentioned aspects impact performance and Cost of Electricity (CoE). Understanding these topics in the whole view may permit to identify both tendencies and unexplored topics to continue expanding SWTs market.

Динаміка, Концепції Та Перспективи Розвитку Вітрової Енергетики

“…Вiдпoвiднo дo рoбiт [11,12] пульсaцiї пoтужнoстi вiтру мaйжe бeзпoсeрeдньo пeрeдaються в eлeктричну мeрeжу. Крiм цьoгo, вiдсутнiй кoнтрoль aктивнoї тa рeaктивнoї пoтужнoстей, якi зaзвичaй є вaжливими пaрaмeтрaми кeрувaння для рeгулювaння чaстoти тa нaпруги.…”

Energy Conversion Strategies for Wind Energy System: Electrical, Mechanical and Material Aspects

“…However, possibilities for the evolution of technologies are endless. However, a future emerging technology in this field of study would consider the following criteria to be accepted [ 77 ]: Technologies based on supply and conversion of wind energy; A technical overhaul, with new fundamentals, which cannot be a result of incremental research on prevalent technologies; and A technology which is in its early developmental stages. …”

Impact of turbulence and blade surface degradation on the annual energy production of small‐scale wind turbines

“…Compared to the multi‐MW output and over 100‐m‐long diameters of current LSWTs, the capacities of SSWTs may seem negligible, but their recent global increase and widespread use deserves special attention. Especially in the United States and the European countries, policies stimulating the inclusion of electric power from SSWTs have been encouraged by governmental institutions, mainly on the scope of pushing self‐sufficient and decentralized power generation systems within the green deal strategy of the European Union 6–8 . The appeal of a self‐sufficient prospection is linked to the rise of environmental concerns, such as the global warming due to the increase of greenhouse gas emissions or the visual impact they induce.…”