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Home wind farm: good or whim?

 

Home wind farm: good or whim?With the use of wind energy, mankind has been familiar from time immemorial. Once an unknown inventor adjusted the sail to an unpretentious floating vessel, and with its help, centuries later, the entire Earth was examined by inquisitive navigators. Windmills, even in our time in many countries, regularly serve man.

But today, the use of wind implies, above all, the generation of electricity. Let's try to figure out how simple, cheap and convenient it is. For those who want to immediately hear the outcome, the conclusion: wind power will never be cheaper than energy received from other sources: thermal, nuclear or hydroelectric power plants.

Therefore, it makes sense to engage in wind power plants for the home only to those who have itchy hands to adapt a ready-made generator they got "on occasion", or to enthusiasts of clean energy who fanatically want to save the planet from environmental disaster. Other reasons to use wind energy when powered by external electric networks simply can not imagine.

Home wind farmFirst, some information about the possibilities of using wind energy. When the wind acts on the turbine blades, the energy extraction efficiency (Efficiency) cannot exceed 59%. This value was obtained in their works by a number of scientists (Lanchester, Betz, Zhukovsky) as early as 1920. Since then it has been known as the “Betz limit”.

Does it make sense to consider efficiency wind generatorif it is powered by a gratuitous 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 your wallet will lose weight after its purchase.

The maximum power that can be "taken away" from the wind is equal to the area on which it acts (the area of ​​the propeller’s reach), multiplied by the wind speed in the cube and the efficiency mentioned above, equal to 0.6. Having expressed all the values ​​in the SI system, we get that 1m2 of the turbine at a wind speed of 2 m / s takes power as much as ... 4.8 watts. With a wind speed of 8 m / s (the nominal speed of most wind generators), selection per unit area will increase to 307 watts.


Wind farmsNow, information for consideration: the real efficiency for home installations should be taken no more than 0.3. Working hours wind farms at the optimum wind speed, it ranges from 10 to 15% per year in the climatic conditions of the CIS countries.

Therefore, the power of a wind power station 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 as on financial capabilities, on the principle: "The more, the better." With a dream to establish a powerful and, at the same time, compact installation, you must immediately part. One contradicts in principle.


The design of a wind power plant, in general, consists of a generator, a rectifier, a battery and an inverter for converting voltage to the usual value of 220V. The control and management of all units and elements of a power plant is performed by a microprocessor controller or simpler logic circuits.

Studying technical characteristics of wind farms, preference must be given to those in which the speed of the beginning of the movement of the rotor, the initial charging speed of the batteries and the speed at which they enter the operating mode, are minimal. The wider the range of operating wind speeds, the more likely it is to get energy. In this case, the cost plays a secondary role: why take the unit cheaper if it will work in your region for several days a year?

Now it's time to ask the price of the products of companies offering ready-made sets of equipment.We will not talk about home-made wind farms here at all. Even the best examples of industrial production have an efficiency of no more than 30%, and home-made constructions from auxiliary materials can only produce noise.


The whole variety of designs of wind generators can be reduced to two large groups: with a horizontal arrangement of the rotor of the generator and generators with a rotor of a vertical type.

Horizontal vane type generators have higher efficiency, less material consumption. But they require the use of masts of greater height, have a complex mechanical part and are inconvenient to maintain. Stations of the vertical type are less economical, they have greater material consumption, but operate in a larger range of wind speeds and are more compact.

Home wind farm

Consider one sample of the most interesting representatives of the wind power plants of each group. Of greatest interest from power plants with a horizontal rotor is gearless contour generator "Windtronics".

In it, aerodynamic drag is reduced due to the special design of the turbine, in which strong permanent magnets are fixed at 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 / s. Today, this value is a record for generators.

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

Windtronics Wind Generator
Windtronics Wind Generator

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

A promising representative of power plants with a vertical type generator can be considered Urban Green Energy turbines Eddy. The generators are very compact, almost silent and can be mounted 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 mounted in an hour, and it serves up to 20 years. The generator withstands wind loads of up to 193 km / h and generates, 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 / s. Information on the cost of the generator is not yet available.

Wind generator
Wind generator "Eddy"

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

Power Flowers Wind Farm with Eddy Generators
Power Flowers Wind Farm with Eddy Generators

One can talk about various designs and models of power plants for a very long time, but one thing unites them: a very high price. From an analysis of the proposals of firms, one can derive a certain unit cost of 1 kW of equipment power. It is approximately $ 2,000 without installation work. Adding another $ 500 for installation and commissioning, we get the average cost of equipment that will produce 2000-3000 kW / h of electric energy per year.

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

In order to hide this fact, they often use the statement that with the increase in energy prices, environmentally friendly sources will become profitable. At the same time, the consideration is ignored that with the growth of energy prices, the cost of equipment that has significant material consumption will also increase. And the prospects for a reduction of such a “fork” is not expected even in the distant future.

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

See also at bgv.electricianexp.com:

  • Modern wind generators are "preparing" for the reception of wind long before its belt ...
  • 5 unusual designs of wind generators
  • Vaneless turbines - a new type of wind generator
  • Makani Power Flying Wind Farm
  • Wind generators in Russia: how to choose, install and avoid disappointment ...

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    Comments:

    # 1 wrote: | [quote]

     
     

    In the article in the examples, only foreign developments of wind power stations are given, which by default will be very expensive and, accordingly, economically unprofitable. But there are domestic wind farms that have already proven themselves from the very best side. They are several times cheaper than foreign analogues with the same technical characteristics. And in general, the appropriateness of using wind energy in generating electricity is a controversial issue in terms of economy, but it is relevant as an important part of various serious environmental projects. And if we use modern developments of domestic inventors, then the economy of this whole process is not becoming such a critical parameter.

     
    Comments:

    # 2 wrote: Kiryukha | [quote]

     
     

    Having carefully read the article, I come to the conclusion that the article itself by value does not pull more than 30 percent. Before authors advertise ready-made installations, I would like to think again about simple, inexpensive home-made products. For the manufacture of such a simple device, you can use an engine from a car wiper that rotates brass threaded shafts. Further, these shafts can be connected to any "unit" that you want to automate at home. For example, opening the gate. So the power of such a wind turbine will be enough for many small things. And the costs are minimal. The main thing is golden hands, a little desire and a bright head.

     
    Comments:

    # 3 wrote: | [quote]

     
     

    I understand that you are wind energy enthusiasts))))))) But they told you in Russian that the main drawback of wind energy is its low concentration (flux density) and there is nothing to be done about it !!! Therefore, it is necessary to build giant wind farms and “wind dams” with fairly modest indicators. No, of course, wind energy can and should be used, but one should not expect some kind of super-efficiency! Especially if you live in a normal place, where there are no constant strong winds (yes, people don’t settle in such places, it’s very uncomfortable!).

     
    Comments:

    # 4 wrote: | [quote]

     
     

    I have a 65 Watt solar panel. Homemade windmill with a 750 W generator from Mosvich. Two batteries with a capacity of 62 A.h. each. And the uninterruptible power supply from the computer that was given to me on the occasion of its unsuitability (like they stopped taking charge from time to time). For 2 years, I have been using this particular energy. I have a washing machine connected to the Chubais network and, if necessary, again I connect the inverter Resanta 190 A. to Chubais electric welding.
    Everything else is consumption, I have autonomous.A refrigerator, a TV, at the same time sometimes lights up 9 lamps 95 W in the evenings. The TV turns off when we just sleep. Comp forget to always turn off. So do it, go for it and don’t listen to propagandists to buy electricity at inflated inflated prices from speculators.

     
    Comments:

    # 5 wrote: | [quote]

     
     

    article clearly paid, "Chubais.", they say, suckers! you cannot afford to become free from the state. Of course, if every citizen in the countryside wants a chickenpox (for his modest needs) - this is an outflow of money !!! How is Kozma Prutkov: see the root. And the Bible says: the root of all evil is love of money.

     
    Comments:

    # 6 wrote: telminov | [quote]

     
     

    About the efficiency of windmills. It is this question, or rather ignorance of this issue that gives rise to a bunch of fables and really hinders the use of wind energy wherever possible. The efficiency of windmills is trying to count in the same way as in cars. In cars, this is the result - the efficiency of converting gasoline into movement. And the more movement when burning a unit volume of gasoline, the better. And the efficiency is higher. This is understandable: gasoline is expensive and constantly rising in price. And it’s not a hunt for anyone to burn it in vain. With the wind - another system: the wind is absolutely free! All how much it blows! And no matter how much you convert it into heat or electricity - it is all yours! In the form of net profit. You can only calculate the cost of construction and materials and find out when it will pay off. And they consider it purely mathematically - as the coefficient of conversion of wind into electricity. The cheapest generators are from decommissioned equipment. High speed. So, the speed of rotation of the windmill should be maximum in all calculations. And the fastest windmills are propeller type. And noisy, and break with their other flaws. But most firms do only them. Because they consider the wind gasoline, on which their installations work. In fact, this is a delusion. Just a disaster! According to their calculations, low-speed windmills are not profitable to do, because you need to make a multiplier to accelerate the rotation of the windmill shaft and achieve the high revolutions needed by the generator to generate current. That's what the buzzing and breaking propellers do. I bought one familiar from such a windmill with one blade already! Everything for rotation speed. He buzzed terribly! But not for long. After three days of work, his high-speed blade flew off, and behind it the tail! The machine was not designed for Siberian gusty winds. And it was over the forest! But while it worked - there was a lot of current! If we proceed from the fact that the wind is free, and even if not all goes into the current, then it is more profitable to make a slow-moving windmill. And it will not make noise, and work for a long time, and supply current in a more smooth way. And you can make any output speed. Also put a multi-speed transmission from racing bikes. Semi-automatic: with a large wind, you can change gear ratios and adjust the rotation speed and current supply. All fresh ideas require fresh thoughts. And a non-standard approach.

     
    Comments:

    # 7 wrote: | [quote]

     
     

    Tell me, who knows how to automate the increase and decrease of the load after the inverter of the wind generator. While doing this manually.

     
    Comments:

    # 8 wrote: | [quote]

     
     

    I propose a new method of power generation, in detail on the website ECOGENERATION.RF

     
    Comments:

    # 9 wrote: | [quote]

     
     

    Oleg, put the battery after the generator, and then the inverter

     
    Comments:

    # 10 wrote: | [quote]

     
     

    Obtaining wind energy using a sail scheme (blades of a wind turbine,

    there are various types of sail forms) and chasing after the wind, it reminds a joke - a civilized European asks a native, how do you eat? But the wind will blow and the fruits will fall to us. And if it does not blow? Well then crop failure!

    There is one idea in solving the use of the dynamics of the air as a result of the rotation of the Earth, the difference in temperature and atmospheric pressure in height, i.e.factors determining the horizontal and vertical movement of air flow - renewable energy. I created an airflow control workflow regardless of the strength and wind rose. The ADES-PIPE aerodynamic power plant, an autonomous, environmentally friendly and safe installation for generating electricity anywhere in the world, at any time of the year or day. Does not need any fuel.

     
    Comments:

    # 11 wrote: Vitaly Zhukov | [quote]

     
     

    Why didn’t our windmills take root? The fact is that in Russia and the countries of the former Soviet Union, winds of industrial power and blowing constantly - not in principle! There are windy places where it blows hard. But the gusty wind. In addition, all of our wind - embossed, or rather - is tied to the surface of the earth and from this has various twists. It blows not in a straight line, but from different angles, often changes course and is extremely impulsive.

    So my friend put a small windmill with one blade, factory-made, so three days later this blade was torn off, and the tail to boot! It hummed like an old vacuum cleaner both from the wind and from braking against the air. It was constantly spinning, but it always worked for less than a minute, then it braked sharply and turned. He worked in a constant mode of unwinding - braking and turning the wind system. Broken. And he worked in design mode in seconds. The generator could only slightly warm up a small heater. And even with a strong wind, he did 10-30% of the work that was designed. At the same time buzzed - one hundred percent! And he hummed most during acceleration and braking. With a dense wind stream, it is almost inaudible - it works cleanly and without noise. But I had to stand at him and watch for about an hour. Basically, he was engaged only in acceleration and braking and buzzed.

    In general, paddle windmills are in principle not applicable to overhead lay winds. And there were no others. Because before there were no windmills. What can be done in Russia and its environs? - Windmills and watermills. Water - it’s understandable to make a dam on a stream. Windmills - can be made from the rear axle of a cargo or passenger car and multiple blades by combining them in a circle. A slow-moving system and the wind have to wait, but it works for a long time and grinds the flour. - For the generation of electricity, long-lasting and slow-moving windmills with a vertical axis of rotation are best. Experts are dissatisfied with their low efficiency and high material consumption, but for the private trader this is not important, and the wind is free and any work already generates income.

    The most suitable solution is wind sails. They are different, but they work with low winds, medium and high. Sailing winds do not suffer from heavy winds. They can work at different angles to the wind, which the blades cannot. You can provide a brake system. The size and power of the windmills - any. And you can have several in different places to charge the batteries, or one big one. To generate mains voltage and to supply it to the network, you need a battery system, an inverter and a controller. In addition, the system must be certified in energy sales, which is unrealistic. Therefore, it is better to generate energy for yourself. Triangular sails with a deflection of the canvas on the largest side. It is precisely to produce and operate them that is profitable, since they have the most suitable characteristics for utilizing our winds. And the residents themselves often make such windmills. Buying the whole system is expensive, you can only take the original generator with an inverter, and do the rest yourself. It will be cheaper. Now many would drive home-made cars, but they would not be allowed on the road. And here - please! What did, then set. And let the current generate.

     
    Comments:

    # 12 wrote: Alex | [quote]

     
     

    There is one problem unknown to the author: a kilowatt hour is a kilowatt multiplied by an hour, that is, kW * h or kWh, not kilowatt per hour, i.e. divided by an hour or kW / h, as he writes. That is, kilowatt hours is work, or power multiplied by time. A = P * h.And power divided by time is some kind of nonsense, a quantity unknown before this author to science. It turns out that we have a new Maxwell. As they say, a nuance, but this nuance betrays that the author is an ignoramus in physics, then how can one believe his article?

     
    Comments:

    # 13 wrote: Alex | [quote]

     
     

    Regarding autonomy, my attitude to wind turbines as to the wireless Internet is the main problem, not even low productivity, but rather instability. One thing is 100 Mbit / s is stable, and another thing 100 Mbit / s is unstable, jumping from 0 to 100. Electricity from the power plant is stable, and even more powerful than from the twigs.

     
    Comments:

    # 14 wrote: Konstantin | [quote]

     
     

    Such nonsense was written .. To connect a house 150m from the line, I need to put three single-post columns, one anchor (two racks) and attach a “leg” to the supply column, for a total of six supports, each 4900 rubles each, buy 160m SIP 4x16 at 80 rubles per meter and another electrical installation valves for 4.5 thousand plus a meter with a SIM card for 6.5 thousand and a power shield (cost 5.5 thousand) (in prices at the end of 2015) + work (with a drill) the same amount plus a project and etc. total to connect the house to me They counted at least 165 thousand children. After that I will pay 400-500 rubles every month. A single kilowatt wind generator, with a mast, inverter and a couple of akkas at 200Ah / 12V will cost about 125 thousand, and you can add to it a gas station for thousands of 15 per 1 kW (for some work, just in case). Everyone can look at the table of power consumption of electrical appliances and calculate how much energy he needs, and I pay for a month for 140kW -160kW (old machine without drying, dishwasher, old refrigerator, computer, 2 TVs, lighting 2 rooms, iron, plus other small equipment), that is, I consume about 5 kW per day, that is, on average, a wind generator should work 8-16 hours a day - this is real. And it’s really possible to do energy reduction.

     
    Comments:

    # 15 wrote: Vidmantas | [quote]

     
     

    An article from Rosenergo provocateurs is one-sided and untruthful, there is nothing better than giving up on the farm energy networks (these robbers).