Innovations in Wind Turbine to make Reforms in the Fields of Power Generation
Scourging all the natural resources from the planet Earth, we are facing an energy crisis. The need for effective ways to generate energy using renewable resources has increased. Wind energy is one of the many resources that offer a clean source of energy. In order to garner this natural and renewable energy source, many innovative technologies have been introduced. There has been a significant rise in the awareness of our damaged ecosystem which has led to an increase in the enterprises trying to venture in the wind turbine market. After exhaustive research, Allied Market Research has estimated that the market of global wind turbine market would garner $ 134,600 million by 2023 and is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 7.2% from 2017 to 2023. This market has great potential and will increase at a steady pace as new technologies and innovative products are introduced in this market.
The number of wind turbines has increased exponentially over a period of time. Furthermore, there have been significant advancements in different areas including its controls, rotors, gearboxes, and electronics. The goal behind these advancements is to transform wind power a better choice for power generation. Earlier the key focus was made to increase the number of windmills in order to generate more electricity from it. However, now more focus is given to optimize and increase the capacity of power generation of each power plant. This helps in reducing the cost and resources required for setting up a new energy plant while optimizing the existing power plant would garner more energy. The energy generation capacity has been significantly increased from 25 percent to 50 percent by improving different factors affecting the conversion of wind energy to electricity. One of the noticeable changes that have resulted in an increase in capacity is the size of the rotors. By increasing the size of the rotors used of the wind turbines from 70 meters to 100 meters, the capacity of wind turbines has increased exponentially.
Designing the rotors up to 100 meters is challenging for the manufactures but it offers greater returns by improving the revenue generated by increasing the capacity factor. Torque, which turns the rotors to generate electricity and thrust, which pushes against the turbines are the two factors that affect the turbine rotors. Aerodynamically designing torque to rotate flawlessly is easy while dealing with the thrust can be challenging while designing a rotor. It requires engineering expertise in order to create a reliable turbine as many forces act on in creating tremendous pressure on it. By comparing the anti-locking system of a motor vehicle, the turbines can be designed similarly by detailing its responses to wind gusts by allowing a bigger rotor on a turbine.
Another factor to be taken under consideration is the reliability of the wind turbine. Increasing the capacity of the wind turbines is essential but keeping them operational and available for the long run is also important. The life of old wind turbines would be around 10 years. This resulted in using resources for every decade in order to build a new wind turbine from scratch. In order to curb the excess of investment for setting up new power plants and wind turbines, it is more economic to optimize the reliability and longevity of the wind turbines. In order to increase the reliability, improving the individual components of the wind turbines including the electronics and gearboxes becomes a necessity.
Different tools and technologies have been introduced in order to increase the performance of wind turbines. One of those technologies includes 3D modeling technology. This technology enables the manufacturer to use simulations through computer and give detailed information about the key areas that affect the performance of the wind turbines. The modifications can be simulated over the computers to check the output and efficiency and later can be implemented on the field. The simulation process can significantly help in increasing the capacity of the wind turbines. The software can be used to design the blades of the turbines and rotors, can direct them the perfect place and angle at which they are to be installed so that they could cover across a wide range and work even with a lesser flow velocity of the wind. A virtual lab can be set up by any enterprise in order to design the blade twist, geometry, blade twist, angles of wind attack, and wind velocities. By virtually simulating the moment of the turbines, the designers can see the coefficient of lift and drag across the blade on both top and bottom surface.
Wind power is abundant and a renewable form of energy. The energy generated from it is clean and does not harm the ecosystem. In order to reduce the damages done to the ecosystem since ages, it is important to make further technological advances with the wind turbines.
