Wind Power Generators

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Advantages & disadvantages of large wind turbines

Large wind turbines have been used to generate electricity for the past hundred years or so and today provide about 2% of the total power for the United States. That number is expected to grow dramatically as several large projects under construction become operational. The surge in new wind power generators is being driven by higher energy costs and a desire to invest in alternative and renewable energy sources to help the environment.

These new larger wind power generators also have several advantages that older versions didn't enjoy. They are more durable than models used in the past and are also much more efficient as well. These modern wind turbines are built from materials that were not available previously and as a result they are lighter and also able to withstand higher winds. They can to handle wind shear much better than older models and this is the number one threat to the larger wind turbines. Wind shear can occur from a number of varying conditions, but is most common in a wind that is changing directions quickly.

Wind turbine rotors have improved and are more substantial

When these larger wind turbines start spinning, they develop quite a bit of rotational inertia. They basically want to continue to spin once they get started. If the wind shifts suddenly in a direction that conflicts with the spinning blades, it can put a severe strain on the blades and their mounting components. In many cases this strain will be several times the force of the wind because of the added effect of the inertia in the blades because they are spinning.

Older models of wind turbines were not equipped to handle this stress and would fail routinely when caught by wind shear. The wind turbine rotor has also been improved on these larger wind power generators. Modern rotors are more substantial than older models and do a better job of minimizing blade vibrations and also offer a more secure mounting.

Wind turbine noise can become serious annoyance

Another problem many of the older versions of these large commercial wind power generators suffered from was noise. When they were rotating, they would generate a bit of noise as they cut through the air. This wind turbine noise was not too noticeable on a single wind turbine, but the cumulative effect of an entire wind farm could be substantial. Some of this wind turbine noise was caused by the materials used for the blades having a resonant frequency within the range of a passing wind. This would cause the blades to vibrate and produce the sound. With the improvements in materials used for these blades as well as the rotor assembly that they are mounted to, this problem has been minimized almost to the point of being undetectable to the average observer. These newer wind power generators also utilize a specially designed tower to help them eliminate vibration and this tower will also help to minimize any rotational vibrations and minimize the noise.

The last innovation has to do with the conversion of the power produced by these large wind turbines and its delivery to the local power grid. Older systems relied on much less efficient conversion equipment and as a result there was a lot of power lost in the process. These newer wind turbines use more advanced conversion equipment that does a better job of being able to turn less than peak power into a good amount of current that can be sent along the local power grid. Because most wind turbines are not consistent in their output power and are very dependent on the wind, these newer conversion techniques really help to boost their efficiency.