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Wind turbine: devices, types. Wind generator and its vertical and horizontal structures, their characteristics and main types for converting wind energy Turbine-type wind generator - what is it

Incredible! But it will happen soon. Third generation alternative energy sources will revolutionize the world as a whole. The beginning has already been made. Wind turbines are the electric power future of humanity.

Introduction

Despite the fact that alternative forms of energy, such as wind turbines, for example, still receive undeservedly little attention, they continue to develop rapidly. Perhaps soon the powers that be will understand that reckless mining does more harm than good, and natural views Energy drinks will become a part of our daily lives. This hope is closely related to the fact that some time ago the appearance of a third generation wind generator was announced.

What is a third generation wind generator

It is traditionally believed that the first generation devices that converted wind energy were ordinary ship sails and mill wings. A little over a century ago, with the development of aviation, a second-generation wind generator appeared - a mechanism whose operation was based on the principles of wing aerodynamics.

It was a breakthrough at that time! Although, if we take it as a whole, the second generation windmills are low-power, since due to their design features they cannot operate in strong winds. Therefore, in order to receive more electricity, it was necessary to increase in size, which entailed additional financial costs for development, production, installation and its operation. Naturally, it couldn’t stay like this for long.

In the early 2000s, development specialists announced the appearance of a third generation wind generator - a wind turbine.

The design, operating principle, installation, and most importantly, the power of the new device is fundamentally different from its predecessors.

Device

Simplicity. This is exactly the word that can be used to describe the design of a wind turbine generator. Compared to bladed wind generators, a wind turbine has a much smaller number of working units and many more fixed elements, making it more resistant to various static and dynamic loads.

• Wind turbine design:
• fairing, there is internal and external;
• gondola;
• turbine;
• generator;
• dynamic fastening unit.

From additional systems The wind generator is equipped with inversion, accumulation and control units. There are no systems for adjusting the blades and orientation to the wind, traditional for a bladed wind generator. The latter is replaced by a fairing, which also acts as a nozzle, catches the wind and increases its power. If we take into account that the energy of the wind flow is equal to its speed in the cube V3, then due to the presence of the nozzle this formula looks like this: V3x4 = Ex64. Moreover, due to its cylindrical design, the fairing has the ability to self-adjust to the direction of the wind.

Advantages

Any New Product or the invention must always stand out significantly from its predecessors, and necessarily in better side. All this can be said about the new wind generator with a turbo design. One of the main advantages of a wind turbine is its resistance to strong winds. Its design is designed in such a way that it will operate efficiently and safely beyond the critical limits for conventional bladed wind turbines: from 25 m/sec to 60 m/sec. But this is not the only advantage that a wind turbine has, there are several of them:

1. Lack of infrasound waves. Finally, scientists managed to solve one of the important issues that wind turbines have. It is precisely because of the existence of such side effect The APU (wind power plant) has been criticized by opponents of alternative energy; infrasound has a negative impact on the living environment. But now, thanks to the absence of infrasonic waves, turbine-type wind generators can be installed even within city limits.



2. The absence of blades eliminates several tasks that faced the designers and manufacturers of the wind generator. First, significant expenditures of effort and money are eliminated operational control blade wind turbines. Second, the wind wheel blade is the most complex element wind generator in production. The lion's share of the cost of a conventional wind turbine is the cost of manufacturing the blades. In addition, there are cases when, during strong gusts of wind, the blade broke, scattering fragments over hundreds of meters.
3. Easy to assemble and install. All complex designs or the units are manufactured and assembled by the manufacturing plant; only the last stage of assembly and installation on the mast takes place on site. Plus, the lightness of the structural elements allows you to use the most common lifting equipment when installing the wind generator.
4. Connection diagram. Unlike a bladed APU, the turbine is connected according to a standard scheme. This fact is not affected in any way by those technical specifications, which is put forward by the future owner of the wind turbine.
5. The long service life is due to the materials from which the wind generator and its individual parts are made. Taking into account the preventive maintenance that is required when operating a wind turbine, the service life of the device can be up to 50 years.



Geography of turbine APU operation

The most real and optimal place installation of a turbine wind generator will be on the shore of a lake or sea. Near bodies of water, such a wind generator will work practically all year round, because thanks to its nozzle device, it is very sensitive to light breezes and other slightest manifestations of wind with a speed of 2 m/sec.

With the same success, VST will work within the city, where a conventional wind generator is unable to work for a number of well-known reasons:

1. Unsafety of bladed wind turbines.
2. The infrasound they emit.
3. The minimum wind speed for operation of a bladed wind generator is 4 m/sec.

An interesting fact that proves the advantage of VTU

One of the cornerstones on which the position of opponents of alternative energy is based is that wind power plants interfere with the operation of location equipment. During operation, the wind generator interferes with the passage of radio waves. Considering the size of individual wind power plants, which can range from several tens to hundreds of square kilometers, it is clear why the governments of many countries have begun to block alternative energy projects at the state level - this is a direct threat to national security.


For this reason, a French company that produces components for wind generators took on a difficult task in terms of execution - to make the wind power plants themselves invisible to radar, and not the space around the wind generator. For this purpose, the experience gained in the manufacture of Stealth aircraft will be used. New components are planned to be released onto the market in 2015.

But where is the fact that proves the advantage of VST over bladed wind turbines? But the fact is that wind turbines do not interfere with the operation of location equipment even without expensive Stealth technology.

Prospects for the development of alternative wind energy

The first attempts to start using a wind generator on an industrial scale were made back in the middle of the last century, but were unsuccessful. This was due to the fact that oil resources were relatively cheap, and the construction of wind power stations was unprofitably expensive. But literally 25 years later the situation has changed radically.

Alternative energy sources began to develop intensively in the 70s of the last century, after the pace of mechanical engineering in the world increased sharply and countries faced an oil shortage, which led to the oil crisis of 1973. Then, for the first time, the non-traditional energy sector in some countries received state support and the wind generator began to be used on an industrial scale. In the 80s, the global wind energy industry began to reach self-sufficiency, and today countries such as Denmark, Germany and Australia are almost 30% self-sufficient from alternative energy sources, including wind power plants.


Unfortunately, and perhaps fortunately, last year's trend in the oil market with unstable oil prices makes us seriously think that the times when cheap oil was good are in the past. Today, for many countries, the cheaper the oil, the more profitable it is to develop non-traditional energy; this primarily applies to the CIS countries. Therefore, there are prerequisites for wind energy to develop. Let's see how it will be.

This method of obtaining energy does not have negative influence on the environment, and no man-made accident can occur in the process. The kinetic properties of the wind are available in any corner globe, so the equipment can be installed everywhere. By 2005, the total wind energy capacity amounted to 59 thousand megawatts. And for the whole year it grew by 24%. A wind generator, scientifically speaking, converts kinetic energy into mechanical energy.


On clear language, with the help of this unit, the energy of the air flow is processed into electricity, which can be used in populated and industrial areas remote from the central power grid. It has a fairly simple operating mechanism: the wind turns the rotor, which generates current and, in turn, is transmitted through the controller to the batteries. The inverter converts the voltage at the battery terminals into a usable voltage.

Design and technical characteristics of a wind power plant

Technical studies have proven that atmospheric cyclones are much more powerful than ground-based ones, so it is necessary to install the generating device higher. To obtain the energy of high-altitude winds, a certain technology is needed.

It can be obtained using a combination of turbines and kites. Power plants located on the surface of the earth or the sea shelf receive surface flow. Studying technological process production of two types of stations, experts came to a colossal difference in efficiency. Ground turbines will be able to produce more than 400 TW, and high-altitude turbines - 1800 TW.

In general, wind generators are divided into domestic and industrial. The latter are installed at large corporate facilities, since they have greater power, sometimes they are even combined into a network, which as a result constitutes an entire power plant. A feature of such methods of generating electricity is the complete absence of both raw materials for processing and waste. All that is needed for the active functioning of the power plant is powerful gusts of wind.
Wind map by region and average annual speed.

The power can reach 7.5 megawatts.

Rotary ones should be installed in places where the wind speed is more than 4 m/s. Distance from the mast to the nearest buildings or tall trees, must be at least 15 meters, and the distance from the bottom edge of the wind wheel to the nearest branches of trees and buildings must be at least 2 meters. It should be noted that everyone calculates the design and height of the mast individually, depending on local natural conditions, presence of obstacles and air flow speed.

Installation of both horizontal and vertical wind generators is carried out on the foundation. The mast is attached to anchor bolts. Before installing the mast, the foundation is kept for a month, this is necessary for the concrete to settle and gain strength. They are required to be equipped with a lightning protection system, so they can reliably provide your home with electricity, even in rainy weather.

The latest technologies from NASA developers are aimed at generating kite devices. This will increase the efficiency to 90%. Since there will be a generator on the ground, and a device in the air that will detect atmospheric gusts. The flight system of the aerial device is currently being tested, the maximum range is 610 meters, and the wingspan is approximately 3 meters. The rotational phase of the ball will consume less resources, and the turbine blades will move faster. The designers suggest that such engineering can be implemented in space, for example on Mars.

Snakes are power generators

As we can see, the future prospects are quite optimistic; we just have to wait until all this comes to life. Not only the space agency offers innovative methods, but many companies already have plans to place such structures in the desired geographical areas of the Earth. Some of them have made amazing progress and their brainchildren are already being exploited.

Just look at the twin towers in Bahrain, where two giant buildings are like one power plant. The height reaches 240 meters. Over the course of a year, such a project generates 1,130 MW. There are a lot of examples that can be given, the point is that every year the number of interested companies to participate in the development of the industry is growing.

Energy distribution diagram: 1 - wind generator; 2 - charge controller; 3 - battery; 4 - inverter; 5 - distribution system; 6 - network; 7 - consumer.

Alternative wind energy in the CIS

Naturally, the wind energy industry of the CIS countries lags behind advanced countries. This is due to many reasons, primarily economic. Government departments are developing programs and introducing “green tariffs” to promote the development of the industry.

There is enormous potential for this, but there are many obstacles to implementation. For example, Belarus has recently begun to develop in this direction, but main problem republics, is the lack of their own production, they have to order equipment from partner countries. Speaking about Russia, this production is in a “frozen” state, since the basic sources are: water, coal and nuclear power. As a result, 64th place in the electricity production ranking. Favorable for Kazakhstan geographical location should help, but the technical base is very outdated and requires major modernization.

Wind energy development in northern Europe

Norway is located on the Scandinavian Peninsula, most of The territory is washed by the sea, where strong northern winds blow. The possibilities for generating electricity are endless. In 2014, a park with a design capacity of 200 megawatts was put into operation. Such a complex will provide 40 thousand residential buildings. We should not forget that Norway and Denmark cooperate closely in the energy market. Denmark is a world leader in offshore energy.

Most power plants are located offshore; more than 35% of electricity is generated by such complexes. Without nuclear power plants, Denmark easily supplies itself and Europe with electricity. The competent use of alternative sources has made it possible to achieve such progress.

Wind turbine equipment

Vertical, as a rule, consists of the following parts:

• turbine
• tail
• upstream rotor
• guyed mast
• generator
• batteries
• inverter
• battery charge controller

Wind turbine blades

Separately, I would like to touch upon the topic of blades; the efficiency of the installation directly depends on their number and the material from which they are made. Based on their number, they can be one, two or three and multi-bladed. The latter are characterized by a number of blades of more than five; they have high inertia and efficiency, due to which they can be used to operate water pumps. To date, a fairly efficient one has already been developed, capable of catching air flows without blades. It works on the principle of a sailboat; it catches gusts of air, which causes the pistons, which are located in the upper part, to move, immediately behind the plate.

Based on the materials from which the blades in the installations are made, a distinction is made between rigid and sail structures. Sailing ones are a cheaper option made of fiberglass or metal, but during active work they very often break.

Additional elements of a wind turbine

Some of the modern models have a module for connecting a DC source for operating solar panels. Sometimes the design of a vertical windmill is supplemented with unusual elements, for example, magnets. Ferrite magnets are very popular. These elements can speed up the rotor speed, and accordingly increase the generator power and efficiency.

This is how performance improvements are achieved using a hand-made assembly, for example, from an old car generator. It is necessary to note the principle of a wind power plant made of ferrite magnets - it allows you to do without a gearbox, and this minimizes noise and increases reliability several times._

Vertical axis Darrieus rotor. Rotor Features

In new designs of vertical wind turbines, the Darrieus Rotor is used; it has a wind flow processing coefficient twice as high as all previously known installations similar type. It is advisable to install vertical axial with Daria rotor for equipment pumping stations, where a powerful moment is needed on the axis of rotation when extracting water from wells and boreholes in steppe conditions.

Savonius rotor - new vertical generators

Russian scientists have invented a new generation vertical generator that operates on a Voronin-Savonius rotor. It consists of two half-cylinders on a vertical axis of rotation. In any direction and squalls, the “windmill” based on the Savonius rotor will fully rotate around its axis and generate energy.

Its main disadvantage is the low use of wind force, since the semi-cylinder blades operate only in a quarter of a revolution, and it slows down the rest of its rotation circle with its movement. The long-term operation of the facility will also depend on which rotor you choose. For example, helical windmills can rotate evenly due to the twisting of the blades. This moment reduces the load on the bearing and increases service life.

Wind generator with different power

The “mill” device must be selected depending on how much power it should have at its output. Power up to 300 W is one of the simplest types of equipment. Such models easily fit in the trunk of a car and can be installed by one worker in a matter of minutes. It very quickly catches the passing air flow and provides charging of mobile devices, lighting and the ability to watch TV.

5 kw is the best option for small country house. With a power of 5-10 kW, it can fully function at low wind speeds, so they have a wider geography for their installation.

Pros and benefits of use

If we consider the advantages, then first of all I would like to note that it provides conditionally free electricity, which in our time is not cheap. To provide small house electricity, you have to pay huge bills. It is important that modern wind turbines are well compatible with alternative sources. For example, they can function in conjunction with diesel generators, creating a single closed cycle.

• Efficiency directly depends on the choice of space where it will be placed
• Low energy losses during transportation, because the consumer can be at a close distance from the source
• Environmentally friendly production
• Easy management, no need to constantly train staff
• Long-term use of components, no frequent replacement required

The optimal speed flow is considered to be 5 – 7 m/s. There are a lot of places to achieve this indicator. Very often, a wind farm is used in the open sea at a distance of 15 km. from the shore. Every year the level of energy production increases by 20%. If we consider further prospects, in this regard, the natural resource is endless, which cannot be said about oil, gas, coal, etc. Also, one should not discount the safety of such an industry. Man-made disasters associated with the atom cause fear of all humanity.

Before my eyes there is a terrible picture of the exploding nuclear reactor at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in 1986. And the accident in Fukushima was described as a deja vu of Chernobyl. The destructive consequences for all living things after such situations force many countries to abandon the splitting of the atom and look for alternative methods kW production.

Once you pay a certain amount, you can use it for several years. free electricity. An undeniable advantage is also that it is possible to buy used ones, and this allows you to save even more.

Pros and cons

Despite all the positive qualities of wind farms, there are also negative aspects. In most cases, the shortcomings are similar to propaganda and are contradictory. Let's consider the most replicated in all TV programs, newspaper articles and Internet resources:

• The first of the disadvantages is that people have not learned to control natural phenomena, so it is impossible to predict how the generator will work on a given day.
• Another disadvantage of windmills is their batteries. They are relatively durable and therefore must be replaced every 15 years
• Financial investments require large expenses. In fact, new technologies tend to decrease
• Dependence on the strength of the horizontal air flow. This minus is more adequate, because you cannot influence the strength of the vortex
• Negative impact on the environment due to noise effect. As recent studies on this issue have shown, there are no solid reasons to say so.
• Destruction of birds that fall into the blades. According to statistical analysis, the probability of a collision is equivalent to a power line
• Signal reception distortion. According to estimates, it is very unlikely, especially since many stations are located near airports
• They distort the landscape (unconfirmed)

This is only a small part of the myths - horror stories that they try to scare people with. This is a reason and nothing more, because in practice, the operation of a wind farm with a capacity of 1 MW allows saving, over 20 years, approximately 29 thousand tons of coal or 92 thousand barrels of oil. Leading countries are developing an alternative source at a record pace, abandoning the nuclear complex. Germany, USA, Canada, China, Spain are actively installing equipment in their areas.

It is also necessary to remember that some types of installations create a lot of noise. The greater the power of the installation, the stronger the noise will come from it. It must be installed at a distance where the noise level from the station does not exceed 40 decibels. Otherwise, you will constantly have a headache. They also interfere with television and radio broadcasts.

Vertical and solar wind generators, design and efficiency, new generation hybrids

The new generation vertical, as mentioned above, may differ in the type of its blades. A striking example is a hyperboloid wind generator, in which the turbine has a hyperboloid shape and is significantly superior to a vane wind turbine with a vertical axis of rotation. For example, its functional zone is 7...8% of the area, and the hyperboloid has a working zone of 65...70%. On the basis of such turbines in the United States, two alternative sources, wind and sun, were connected. WindStream Technologies has launched a rooftop hybrid power system called SolarMill ("Solar Mill") with a capacity of 1.2 kW.

Bolotov wind generator and its independence from weather conditions

IN Lately a lot of attention has begun to be paid to small installations. One of the most successful is the Bolotov windmill. It is a power plant with a vertically placed generator shaft.

A special feature of the equipment is that it does not have to be adapted to different weather conditions. Bolotov’s generator is capable of receiving flow from all sides without the corresponding options and the need to turn the installation in a different direction. The rotary one is capable of forcing the incoming flow, thanks to which it can fully function in winds of any power, including storms.

Another advantage of this type is the convenient location of the generator in them, electrical diagram and batteries. They are located on the ground, making equipment maintenance very convenient.

Single blade on mast

An innovative development, it is considered to be single-bladed; its main advantage is the high frequency and speed of revolutions. It is in them instead optimal quantity The blades have a built-in counterweight, which has little effect on the resistance to air movement.

Windmill Onipko

Continuing to discuss unusual propeller options, it is impossible not to mention the Onipko windmill, which is distinguished by cone-shaped blades. The main advantage of these installations is the ability to receive and convert into kW at a flow speed of 0.1 m/s. Bladed ones, in contrast, begin to rotate at a speed of 3 m/s. Onipko is silent and completely safe for the external environment. It has not found mass distribution, but according to research results, it will become excellent option for large production facilities that are looking for alternative sources, as it has high power.

In the form of a snail shell.
The invention of the Archimedes company, which is located in the Netherlands, is considered an innovative breakthrough. She brought to the attention of the public a silent type design that can be installed directly on the roof of a multi-story building. According to research, the unit can work in conjunction with solar panels and reduce the building’s dependence on the external power grid to zero. The new generators are called Liam F1. The equipment looks like a small turbine with a diameter of 1.5 meters and a weight of 100 kilograms.

The shape of the installation resembles a snail's shell. The turbine turns in the direction of capturing the air flow. Agustin Otegu, the inventor of the world famous Nano Skin spiral turbine, sees the future of humanity not in huge solar powered and turbines with large propeller spans. He recommends installing them on the exterior of buildings. The turbines will begin to rotate with the wind and create energy that will be transferred directly to the building's electrical grid.

Sailing is the fastest stream catcher

An alternative to the bladed one is the sailing one. The blade catches tailwind very quickly and instantly adapts to it, as a result it can operate at all speeds from the smallest to storm speeds. This type of equipment does not create noise or radio interference at all; it is easy to operate and transport, and this is an important factor.

Unusual devices, wind power and its projects

There are many more unusual types of structures at the development stage. Among them, of particular interest are:

• Sheerwind reminds its appearance musical instrument
• wind generators from the TAK company, reminiscent of Street lights self-supporting
• wind turbines on bridges in the form of a pedestrian crossing
• wind swings that receive air currents from all directions
• “wind lenses” with a diameter of 112 meters
• floating wind turbines from FLOATGEN corporation
• developed by Tyer Wind - a wind generator that imitates the flapping of a hummingbird's wings with its blades
• in the form of a real house in which you can live from the TAMEER company. An analogue of this development is Anara Tower in Dubai

The world's first wind-free installations will soon be installed. The German company Max Bögl Wind AG will present them to the attention of mankind. They will consist of turbines 178 meters high. They will also serve as water tanks. The operating principle of the system is quite simple: when there is wind, the equipment will operate like a wind generator, and when the weather is not windy, hydraulic turbines will be put into operation. They generate energy from water that must flow from reservoirs down the hill. When it appears again, water will begin to be pumped back into the reservoirs. This will ensure continuous operation of the power plant.
The era of the “mills” with which Don Quixote fought in Cervantes’s story goes back to the distant past. Today industrial facilities They look more like unique works of art than industrial installations.

Airship from Altaeros Energies

Every day everything appears more ideas concerning the development of alternative sources and one of the newest is considered to be the airship generator. Traditional blades are quite noisy, and the coefficient of wind flow utilization reaches 30%. It was these shortcomings that Altaeros Energies decided to correct by developing an airship. This innovative type will operate at altitudes up to 600 meters. Conventional bladed wind turbines do not reach this height limit, but this is where the most powerful winds can provide continuous work generators. The equipment is an inflatable structure that looks like a cross between a mill and an airship. It has a three-blade turbine installed on a horizontal axis.

The special feature of such a floating wind power plant is that it can be controlled remotely, it does not require additional maintenance costs and is very easy to operate. According to the developers, in the future, these installations will not only be sources of electricity, but will also be able to provide Internet access to remote areas of the globe that are far from infrastructure development. According to the data obtained, it can be argued that the mass production of this energy generating plant will be a huge breakthrough in the world of technology. And the airship’s power reserve is enough for “two”.

Wind generator "Flying Dutchman" and other flying installations.
This device is a hybrid of an airship and a mill. During the tests, the airship was raised to a height of 107 meters and remained there for some time. The results showed that these types of installations are capable of generating twice as much power as normal installations, which are installed on high-rise towers.

Wavestalk Project

It is interesting to know that to convert the power of waves and ocean currents into electricity, an alternative option has been proposed to the Windstalk project - Wavestalk. The device is a bladeless, sailing type. In its shape, it resembles a large satellite dish, which, under the influence of the wind, tilts back and forth, thereby creating vibrations in the hydraulic system.

In this design, the wind is harnessed to the sail, which allows the conversion of large volumes of kinetic energy.

Project Windstalk

A mast without blades has long been considered as the most successful option for alternative sources of electricity. In Abudhabi, in the city of Mansard, they decided to build a Windstalk power plant. It is a collection of rubber-reinforced stems with a width of 30 cm and up to 5 cm at the top point. Each such stem, according to the design, contains layers of electrodes and ceramic disks that are capable of generating electric current. The wind shaking these stems will compress the discs, as a result of which an electric current will be generated. No noise or danger to environment, such wind turbines are not created. The area occupied by the stems in the Windstalk project covers 2.6 hectares, and its power is much greater than the identical number of blade-type ones that can be located on the same territory. To create similar design The developers were inspired by reeds on a bolt that sway evenly in the wind.

Windmill in the form of a tree

Observation of nature, as is clear from the above example, greatly inspires modern engineers. Another confirmation of this is this structure resembling the shape of a tree. This unusual concept was presented by representatives of the NewWind company. The development is called Arbre à Vent; its height is three meters, and the device is equipped with 72 vertical mini-turbines that can operate even in wind speeds of 7 km/h or 2 m/s. The windmill in the form of a tree works very quietly, in addition it looks quite realistic, without spoiling the surrounding exterior of a city or suburban area with its appearance.

The biggest wind catcher

The largest in the world is considered to be the brainchild of Enercon. The power plant capacity is 7.58 MW. The height of the supporting tower can vary depending on consumer requirements; in the standard version, the height is 135 m, and the blade span is 126 m. The total mass of this structure is about 6000 tons.

Armored batteries are manufactured using a unique technology, are considered a new generation of batteries and have improved properties. Big service life from 800 to 2 thousand charge-discharge cycles. Batteries are dependent on ambient temperature. A decrease of 1ºС leads to a decrease in the capacity of the device by 1%. This battery parameter in cold weather of -25 ºС will be half less than its values ​​at +25 ºС.

Which device to choose and what to consider when choosing

As can be seen from the above models, new electrical installations are constantly being invented in the world that can operate on natural resources. You can successfully use each of them in your suburban area. Having become well acquainted with the operating principle of wind turbines, you can even try to make your own home station, which will become an excellent analogue of a central power line and, perhaps, even make a breakthrough in the world of electronics.
A classic power plant circuit using a controller, batteries and an inverter in the circuit.

Equipment selection rule

• The amount of power in kW to provide your home with energy. Power must be taken with reserve. Calculate the number of batteries for storage in case of calm weather.
• Average annual air flow speed. Climatic features of the place of residence. Installation is not justified in areas where there are severe frosts, and there is also constant rain and snow.
• Blades, or rather their number. Fewer blades means more efficiency. Noise intensity during installation operation. View reviews of wind generator manufacturers, reviews of them, as well as technical specifications.

Endless "eureka"

Remember the Greek inventor and mathematician Archimedes, who exclaimed “eureka! (I found it!)” when he discovered the fundamental law of hydrostatics? From ancient times to the present, humanity has been in an eternal search for new discoveries. The field of conquest of wind energy has not been left out. The new generation wind generator haunts both scientists and practicing engineers. The eternal search gives its beneficial results and from time to time in some point on the globe the silence of invention is broken by a joyful exclamation - “Eureka”!

This time the hero of the day was an old American, 89 years old, World War II veteran Raymond Green from California, who had been puzzling over the problem of improvement for many years. existing species wind turbines. Finally, he managed to create a wind generator that is almost silent and safe for man's flying friends. The brainchild he invented, weighing 20 kg, in one fell swoop solves a bunch of problems that faced the wind generator of the old modification.

What are the fundamental differences between the invented installation? The most important thing is that it does not have rotating blades on the outside. Everything in it is hidden in a casing, which protects the birds from death. The second significant difference is that the new design makes it possible to use blades with a small span, which helps reduce noise.

Unfortunately, this is where the acquaintance with the new unit ends. We cannot know as much as the inventor himself knows about his brainchild until the product goes into mass production. The author of the project is convinced that in two years this will happen and geologists in distant research camps, doctors in military hospitals in third world countries, affected people from natural disaster zones, and residents of remote remote villages will use the electricity of his invention.

Possible impossibilities

Have you ever thought about the question why wind energy is used only by daredevils and zealous craftsmen? That is, not everyone in need is at risk of engaging in this type of electricity generation. Yes, because wind power itself in its previous modifications is large in size, difficult to install, and not entirely convenient to operate (try climbing to the height of the mast and repairing the generator). And the rotating blades make a lot of noise and are dangerous for birds. And there’s no getting around it, the high price.

These problems remain a thing of the past with the advent of a new generation of wind generators. There are several types of them and we talked about one of them in the first section of this article. The second representative of a number of new products is a gearless wind generator, in which energy is generated by the “tips” of the blades. There is no traditional shaft from the propeller to the generator, and the electricity is taken from the propeller rim.

Its rotor in the form of a ferromagnetic rim is mounted on the wings of a wind wheel. It is simple in design, easy to manufacture and install. But placing permanent magnets at the ends of the impeller makes it much heavier, which reduces the overall efficiency of the installation. But the unit is easy to use, because simple design does not require undue attention. Such wind generators can operate anywhere under any climatic conditions.

What seemed impossible yesterday is becoming an everyday reality today.

Wind generator submits to intellectuals

From a long distance, it does not look at all like a wind generator, but most likely like a water tower of an unusual shape for such a structure. If you get closer, you will see the slow rotation of the blades. The vertical shaft rotates completely silently.

Such a gigantic turbine is going to be mass-produced by one American company in Arizona under the leadership of engineer Mazur. According to his calculations, it alone should supply so much electricity that it would be enough for a metropolis of 750 thousand homes. In 2007, the engineer set himself a goal - to repeatedly increase the efficiency of a wind generator on the vertical axis and has been approaching his goal all these years.

The inventor worked in two directions: first, to make the blades capture the air flow as much as possible, and second, to reduce the friction of the wind blade support to zero. A huge vertical rotor must perform the first task, and a rotating magnetic levitation turbine must perform the second.

The second task needs to be discussed in more detail. Frictionless rotation is achieved through magnetic levitation, which we discussed in the article about the principles of operation of wind generators in the section entitled “Creators of New Possibilities.” When rotating, the entire vertical rotor block rises on its axis and does not touch the lower support bearing at all. It is installed only for start, to accelerate the turbine. As soon as it picks up speed, it becomes, as it were, weightless and comes off the bearing. As a result, friction is reduced to zero, except for the friction of the turbine itself with the air. The efficiency immediately jumps up.

The giant turbine is very sensitive and reacts to the slightest breeze. This ability to rise during rotation due to magnetic levitation has long occupied the planet's scientists and inventive minds. This is a phenomenon in which any thing or object, having weight, comes off the surface and floats in space without any application of repulsive force. The flight of birds is no longer levitation.

Vertical wind generators with the levitating ability of the rotor have now captured the thoughts of engineers and inventors. And now the first results are already evident. In Mazur's project, a “floating” rotor on a magnetic levitation is visible, and instead of a generator, a linear synchronous motor is installed. A magnetic levitation wind generator with many blades captures the air flow as much as possible and, according to scientists, such a turbine will generate electricity at a fabulously meager price - less than a cent per kilowatt-hour.

Onipka rotor - wind generator for low and medium wind speeds:

A modern kinetic wind generator allows you to take advantage of the power of air currents, converting it into electricity. For this purpose, there are factory-made and home-made models of devices that are used both in industry and in private households.

We will talk about how windmills of this type are designed, introduce the features of the device and constructive options. The article we have proposed shows the weak and strengths wind power plant. We will find independent craftsmen useful diagrams and assembly recommendations.

The operation of a wind generator is based on the transformation of the kinetic energy of the wind into the mechanical energy of the rotor, which is then converted into electricity.

The principle of operation is quite simple: the rotation of the blades fixed to the axis of the device leads to circular movements of the rotor generator, thereby generating electricity.

Wind energy is one of the most promising sectors of renewable energy. Modern designs make it possible to cost-effectively harness the power of air currents, using it to generate electricity

Receiving unstable alternating current“drains” into the controller, where it is converted into a constant voltage that can charge the batteries. From there, the power is supplied to the inverter, where it is transformed into an alternating voltage with an indicator of 220/380 V, which is supplied to consumers.

The power of a wind generator directly depends on the power of the air flow (N), calculated according to the formula N=pSV 3 /2, where V is the wind speed, S is the working area, p is the air density.

Wind generator device

Various versions of wind generators differ significantly from each other.

The steady depletion of natural resources has led to the fact that humanity has recently been busy searching for alternative energy sources. Today, a fairly large number of types of alternative energy are known, one of which is the use of wind power.

Wind energy has been used by people since ancient times, for example, in the operation of windmills. The very first wind generator (wind turbine), which was used to produce electricity, was built in Denmark in 1890. Such devices began to be used in cases where it was necessary to provide electricity to a hard-to-reach area.

Wind generator operating principle:

• The wind rotates a wheel with blades, which transmits torque to the generator shaft through a gearbox.
• The inverter performs the task of converting the received constant electric current into variable.
• The battery is designed to supply voltage to the network in the absence of wind.

The power of a wind turbine is directly dependent on the diameter of the wind wheel, the height of the mast and the wind force. Currently, wind generators are produced with blade diameters from 0.75 to 60 m or more. The smallest of all modern wind turbines is the G-60. The diameter of the rotor, which has five blades, is only 0.75 m; at a wind speed of 3-10 m/s, it can generate power of 60 W; its weight is 9 kg. This installation is successfully used for lighting, charging batteries and operating communications equipment.

All wind generators can be classified according to several principles:

• Axes of rotation.
• Number of blades.
• The material from which the blades are made.
• Screw pitch.

Classification by axis of rotation:

• Horizontal.
• Vertical.

The most popular are horizontal wind generators, the rotation axis of which is parallel to the ground. This type is called a "windmill", the blades of which rotate against the wind. The design of horizontal wind generators provides for automatic rotation of the head part (in search of wind), as well as rotation of the blades to use low-power wind.

Vertical wind turbines are much less efficient. The blades of such a turbine rotate parallel to the surface of the earth in any direction and strength of the wind. Since, in any wind direction, half of the wind wheel blades always rotate against it, the windmill loses half of its power, which significantly reduces the energy efficiency of the installation. However, this type of wind turbine is easier to install and maintain, since its gearbox and generator are located on the ground. Disadvantages vertical generator are: expensive installation, significant operating costs, and also the fact that installing such a wind turbine requires a lot of space.

Horizontal wind generators are more suitable for producing electricity on an industrial scale; they are used when creating a system wind power plants. Vertical ones are often used for the needs of small private farms.

Classification by number of blades:

• Two-blade.
• Three-blade.
• Multi-bladed (50 or more blades).

Based on the number of blades, all installations are divided into two- and three- and multi-blade (50 or more blades). To generate the required amount of electricity, it is not the fact of rotation that is required, but the output to required amount rpm

Each blade (additional) increases the total resistance of the wind wheel, which makes reaching the operating speed of the generator more difficult. Thus, multi-blade installations do indeed begin to rotate at lower wind speeds, but they are used in cases where the fact of rotation itself matters, as, for example, when pumping water. To generate electricity, wind generators with big amount blades are practically not used. In addition, it is not recommended to install a gearbox on them, because this complicates the design and also makes it less reliable.

Classification according to blade materials:

• Wind generators with rigid blades.
• Sailing wind generators.

It should be noted that sail blades are much simpler to manufacture and therefore less expensive than rigid metal or fiberglass. However, such savings may result in unexpected costs. If the diameter of the wind wheel is 3 m, then at a generator speed of 400-600 rpm, the tip of the blade reaches a speed of 500 km/h. Taking into account the fact that the air contains sand and dust, this fact is a serious test even for hard blades, which, under stable operation conditions, require annual replacement of the anti-corrosion film applied to the ends of the blades. If you do not update the anti-corrosion film, the hard blade will gradually begin to lose its performance characteristics.

Sail-type blades require replacement not once a year, but immediately after the first serious wind occurs. Therefore, autonomous power supply, which requires significant reliability of system components, does not consider the use of sail-type blades.

Classification by propeller pitch:

• Fixed propeller pitch.
• Variable propeller pitch.

Of course, variable propeller pitch increases the range of effective operating speeds of the wind generator. However, the introduction of this mechanism leads to a complication of the blade design, an increase in the weight of the wind wheel, and also reduces the overall reliability of the wind turbine. The consequence of this is the need to strengthen the structure, which leads to a significant increase in the cost of the system not only during acquisition, but also during operation.

Modern wind generators are high-tech products whose power ranges from 100 to 6 MW. Wind turbines of innovative designs make it possible to cost-effectively use the energy of the weakest wind – from 2 m/s. With the help of wind generators, today it is possible to successfully solve problems of power supply to island or local facilities of any capacity.