Petersburg scientists have invented a safe wind generator in the form of an aircraft turbine. How does a wind turbine work? Vertical axis wind turbines

Wind energy is free, renewable, safe energy. A device that converts air energy into electrical energy

or thermal is called a wind generator. Most modern wind turbines have relatively low efficiency (up to 30%) and high production costs.

Wind Turbine Project

The main tasks of all scientists involved in the problems of wind energy are to reduce the cost of producing windmills, increase their efficiency and power.

Classification

Wind turbines are divided according to the location of the axis of rotation into structures with:

• vertical axis (perpendicular to the ground);
• horizontal axis (parallel to the ground).

According to the materials from which the blades are made, windmills are classified into:

• hard-bladed;
• sailing.

According to the number of blades is divided into:

• generators with 2 blades;
• generators with 3 blades;
• multi-bladed generators, with the number of blades from 50.

Turbine-type wind generators belong to the category of a new generation, I install them on the roof in the form of fans and they do not disturb the neighbors with noise

According to the type of helical pitch, generators are distinguished with:

• constant step;
• variable step.

By design type:

• bladed;
• turbine.

By appointment:

• household;
• commercial;
• industrial.

Industrial windmills are built mainly with a horizontal axis of rotation and rigid blades.

Liam F1 Urban wind turbine delivers 80% efficiency

Sailing windmills and generators with vertical axes of rotation are often installed to supply power to private houses and small buildings.

A wind turbine is a wind generator whose turbine has a cylindrical shape with blades installed inside it. In fact, this is a windmill with a horizontal axis of rotation, the edges of the blades of which are protected by a cylinder. It features a simple, reliable design, high efficiency compared to bladed windmills.

Fundamental difference

The wind turbine is a cylindrical circuit. Rotating blades are located inside the circuit. The design consists of:

• turbines;
• external or internal fairing;
• fairing of the turbine generator assembly;
• gondolas;
• generator;
• inverter;
• storage module;
• control unit;
• dynamic mount.

Windmills of this type are characterized by the absence of unprotected blades of rotation, as well as a system designed to regulate them and orient themselves to the direction of the wind. This increases the reliability and safety of the structure. The cylindrical shape of the fairing is self-unfolding, catching the wind, and the fairing, working as a nozzle, increases the power of the installation.

Depending on the required power and purpose, the design can have many modifications. For example, in the manufacture of a turbine, various materials. The geometric dimensions, the method of placement (on a support, truss, etc.) may vary. Additional equipment with solar panels modules is possible.

Prototype turbine-type wind turbine for business

Wind turbine units are produced for domestic and industrial purposes.

The principle of operation of the installation

For the normal operation of a turbine-type wind turbine, a wind blowing at a speed of 2 m/s to 60 m/s is required. The principle of operation of the installation is as follows. The unit independently catches the direction of the wind, turns in the right direction. The air flow hits the blades, rotates them. Air masses impart kinetic energy to the blades, where it is converted into mechanical energy that rotates the rotor.

Russian-designed wind turbine is being tested

The rotation of the rotor produces a three-phase current supplied to the generator. From there, the current goes to the controller, where it is rectified, then it flows through the batteries, charges them, then goes to the inverter. The inverter releases a single-phase alternating current, its oscillation frequency is 50 Hertz for networks with a voltage of 220 V, or a three-phase current with a voltage of 380 V, required industrial enterprises, as well as to power the load.

Advantages of a wind turbine

The wind turbine design has significant benefits over windmills of other designs.

1. High sensitivity to wind. The minimum wind speed to set the blades in motion is from 2 m/s; windmills of a different type need a wind speed of 4 m / s.
2. The generator is capable of operating at hurricane wind speeds (up to 60 m/s). Most other windmills operate up to 25-30 m/s.
3. The efficiency of a wind turbine generator is almost twice the efficiency of a windmill with unprotected blades. Due to the nozzle design of the fairing, the turbine windmill is much more powerful than units of other designs.
4. The turbine plant is safe for birds and bats. Wind turbines with open blades often cause the death of flying animals that are not able to determine the boundaries of the danger zone. Turbine design wind turbine the bats and birds identify as a single obstacle and successfully go around it.
5. Windmills of most designs produce a lot of noise, at certain wind speeds they generate infrasound, so they cannot be placed near residential buildings, farms, forestry. Turbine installations do not produce infrasound, which is detrimental to people and animals. They can be installed next to a residential building. Turbine windmills do not provoke artificial migration of animals.
6. Less, in comparison with bladed, production cost. The manufacture of free blades is a complex, expensive process. Their absence significantly reduces the cost and simplifies the production of the installation.
7. Ease and speed of installation. Turbogenerator components are manufactured at the factory; the assembly of the main blocks is also carried out there. The installation includes only the layout, the connection of blocks, its fastening to the support. Installation takes place using standard lifts.
8. Ease of maintenance. Service maintenance of turbine windmills is much simpler and cheaper than bladed ones. With proper operation of the installation, periodic competent service, the service life reaches 50 years.
9. A turbine-type wind power plant, unlike classic windmills, does not interfere with pilots and air traffic controllers, is not detected by air defense radars, and does not pose a threat to national security.

Application area

The wind turbine generator reaches its maximum efficiency near natural water bodies due to the almost year-round air movement and high sensitivity to wind. And also it is installed in cities, towns. The design of the installation allows you to use the generator for autonomous or combined lighting of private houses and cottages.

A wind generator is useful in settlements located far from cities, regional centers, where power outages often occur. Wind turbine installation can be used near airfields, military ranges. By remaining invisible to radar, it does not pose a danger to pilots and national security systems.

Wind turbines have been used as a source of electricity for decades. For the first time similar designs man began to exploit when he harnessed the power of nature and began to build mills. Today, wind turbines of the third generation are used to generate electricity. Moreover, the structures themselves have recently acquired more and more unusual forms.

A modern wind turbine consists of the following elements:

1. Anemometer. It is responsible for measuring the wind speed and transmits the relevant information to the wind turbine controller.
2. Blades. The wind, falling on these elements, causes them to rotate. As a result, a turbine is driven, which generates electricity.
3. Brake. It is supplemented by mechanical, hydraulic and other drives. The braking system in a wind turbine is necessary to stop the rotor in case of critical situations.
4. Controller. Responsible for managing the entire installation. It automatically starts the wind turbines and stops them running.
5. induction generator. The device generates electricity. It is complemented by a high speed shaft.
6. Gondola. It is located at the top of the wind turbine. The gondola body hides most of the installation's structural elements, including the brake and controller.

Depending on the type of construction, the wind turbine can be supplemented with other elements. In particular, modern installations are equipped with a fairing that captures the wind and enhances the power of the latter.

Advantages of turbines

The wind turbine of the modern type has the following advantages in comparison with its predecessors:

1. Capable of operating in high wind speeds. Turbines of a modern type operate when wind flows exceed critical indicators (25–60 m/s).
2. Does not create infrasonic waves. Wind turbines of previous generations had this disadvantage.
3. Easy installation. The basis of the design is created during production. Separate elements are installed on site and the gondola is mounted on the mast.
4. Application of innovative materials. They not only increase the service life of the installation, but also provide ease of installation.

Wind turbines are mainly mounted along the sea and ocean coast or directly on the water. This approach makes it possible to achieve almost year-round operation of the turbine.

Modern developments

Among the disadvantages that blade installations have are the following:

• they violate the natural thermal balance;
• relatively low efficiency, not exceeding 30%;
• occupy a large area;
• pose a danger to birds.

These shortcomings are forcing developers around the world to look for new technological solutions that make it possible to obtain wind energy. Recent achievements include:

1. Soaring turbine.

Structurally, it resembles a balloon filled with helium. Inside, a turbine with three blades is installed on a horizontal axis. Such a system is currently in operation in Alaska. The soaring turbine is located at a height inaccessible to modern wind turbines. Such a system is able to function almost autonomously (personnel participation is reduced to a minimum).

2. Vertical turbines.

Their blades repeat the arrangement of the fins of fish. Due to this design, the turbines are able to generate a sufficient amount of electricity while being at a close distance from each other. The length of vertical installations is 9 m. For effective work system requires the installation of at least two closely spaced turbines. According to preliminary studies, the new type of plant produces 10 times more electricity in comparison with bladed counterparts, occupying an equal area.

3. Carbonaceous "stems".

Implemented in the UAE new project for generating clean electricity. It involves the installation of 1203 carbon "stems" on a 20-meter base. The height of this structure is 55 m. Each individual element of the system is located at a distance of 10 m from each other.

The thickness of an individual stem at the base is 30 m. Inside them are layers consisting of alternating electrodes and a piezoelectric material. Under pressure, the latter generates electricity. Energy arises at the moment when the stems sway in the wind. This system generates the same amount of electricity as other wind turbines occupying the same area.

Something similar was created by Tunisian scientists. Their system differs from the carbon stems used in the UAE in that it has a silent generator on top, resembling a satellite dish.

In Holland, it was proposed to install a small structure on each house, capable of generating electricity under the influence of wind power. This wind generator has a turbine that repeats the shape of a snail shell. She, capturing the flow of the wind, turns around and changes the direction of its movement. The performance of such a wind generator reaches 80% of the theoretical performance that such installations can potentially demonstrate.

In recent years, there have been developments designed for installation on sailing ships. In general, the number of systems that can replace bladed wind turbines is constantly increasing. Perhaps in the future they will be able to solve all the problems facing wind energy.

Invented a closed-type urban wind generator that will be safe for both people and animals.

As you know, modern "propeller" windmills are unsafe, both for people and for birds and bats, besides such. In order not to repeat the mistakes of world manufacturers, Russian scientists have developed a closed-type windmill that resembles the shape of an aircraft turbine.


The design consists of 32 blades instead of 2 or 3 blades, which significantly increases the efficiency of the windmill and reduces its cost. In addition, the casing in which the blades are enclosed ensures safety for others in case of destruction of the blade. And the high speed of rotation, allows to avoid infrasonic fluctuations, harmful to health.


Such a wind turbine has a record low cost of generating electricity. It can be installed in a residential area, incl. on the roofs of urban buildings. It fulfills almost all the necessary requirements: convenience, cheap installation cost and low electricity.

As the developers assure, their wind generator is suitable for any climatic conditions and starts working at wind gusts from 1.8 m/s and operates smoothly up to 25 m/s.

“This is the only generator model that can be installed where a person lives or works. It is unique in its safety characteristics and, at the same time, productive,” says Vladimir Kanin, one of the developers of a new type of wind turbine.

Installers of cellular equipment, sets for mobile drilling rigs and geological parties, as well as administrations of the northern energy-deficient regions of Russia, became interested in the unique design of the Petersburgers.

Similar projects exist in the USA, Japan, China and Germany. But as Optiflame Solutions assures, apparently, they are the only ones who purposefully build “urban” windmills that are safe for the residential environment. In December 2010, they became one of the first participants in the Skolkovo Innovation Center. This year, the Optiflame Solutions team entered the top ten finalists of the country's largest startup competition GenerationS on the CleanTech track (clean technologies).

According to Kanin, there are now about 300 different wind turbine projects in the world, but in reality there are no more than 10 prototypes that you can touch. Everything else is just sketches.

Against this backdrop, their indoor wind turbine looks very promising. And we can only wish good luck to the Russian developers.

After eighteen months of preparation, the $1.3 million project, called the Altaeros Buoyant Airborne Turbine (BAT), will operate 1,000 feet (304.8 m) above the ground.

The project, funded in part by the Alaska Energy Authority's Emerging Energy Technology Fund, will be the first long-term demonstration of this type of air turbine. It is currently located south of Fairbanks in central Alaska.

At 1000 feet, pilot project industrial scale will be more than 275 feet higher than the current record holder for tallest wind turbine placement, the Vestas V164-8.0-MW. Vestas recently installed its first prototype at the Danish National Test Center for Large Wind Turbines in Østerild, which has a wind turbine axle height of 460 feet (140 meters) and blades extending over 720 feet (220 meters).

The power of the Altaeros turbine is 30 kW, it creates enough to power 12 houses. But according to the company, this is just the beginning. She can also carry communications equipment such as cellular radios, weather instruments, or other sensitive equipment. The company assures that the additional equipment does not affect the performance of the turbine.

Altaeros designed its turbine to provide sustainable, low-cost power to a $17 billion market of remote locations and off-grid local microgrids that are now completely dependent on high-priced diesel generators. Target customers also include island-based and remote communities, oil and gas, mining and mining firms, telecommunications firms, rescue organizations, and military bases.

To rise to high altitudes in strong and steady winds unattainable by onshore and offshore turbines, BAT uses a helium-filled, non-flammable inflatable shell. High-strength ropes provide stability to the turbine and are conductors for the generated energy. The lifting technology is tailored to the specific application and is similar to that used in hot air balloons, the industrial relatives of airships that have carried heavy communications equipment for decades. They are capable of withstanding hurricanes and are equipped with technology to ensure smooth landings in most contingencies and emergencies.

In 2013, Altaeros successfully tested a BAT prototype in winds of 72 km/h at an altitude of 150 meters at its test site in Maine. But because the technology is similar to balloons, the turbine can withstand stronger winds. Technologically, the soaring turbine can be put into operation within 24 hours, since it does not require cranes and pouring the foundation. The ground power station controls the winches holding the turbine and converts the electricity before sending it to the local grid.

It seems that a new round of development of wind energy is already very close and soon we will be able to observe the “flocks” of soaring giants that provide us home comfort, communication, production and everything that is impossible without electricity.

site based on materials altaerosenergies.com

While there are many more advanced ways of generating energy today, wind turbines were used almost everywhere in the past. Of course, they are still used today, but the number has decreased significantly. To understand how they work, it is important to know that wind is a form of solar energy.

general description

Wind turbines work using wind currents. But why is the wind capable of generating electricity? This phenomenon occurs due to the fact that the earth's atmosphere is unevenly heated, the structure of the planet's surface is irregular, and also because it rotates. Wind turbines, or wind generators, are capable of converting kinetic mechanical energy, which can later be used for some other tasks.

How exactly do these devices produce electrical energy using conventional wind? In fact, everything is quite simple. The principle of operation of such a turbine is directly opposite to the operation of a fan. Under the influence of the force of the wind, the blades of the wind turbine turn, which, in turn, cause the shaft connected to the generator to rotate, which produces electrical energy.

Turbine types

There are several different types of turbines. Engineers distinguish two main categories currently in use. The first category is horizontal-axial and the second category is vertical-axial. The first type of wind turbine has the most common design, which includes two or three blades. Units with three blades work on the principle of "against the wind". The elements themselves are installed so that they look at the wind.

One of the largest turbines in the world is GE Wind Energy. The power of this device is 3.6 megawatts. It is worth noting here that the larger the turbine, the more efficient it is. In addition, the benefit-to-price ratio also improves with increasing unit size.

General performance of turbines

The first indicator by which the device is selected is power. If we take "service" turbines, then their power can start from 100 kW and reach several MW. It is also important to note that both vertical and horizontal wind turbines can be grouped together. Such groups are most commonly referred to as wind farms. The purpose of such sites is the wholesale supply of electricity to the desired object.

If we talk about small single turbines, whose power is less than 100 kW, then they are most often used to supply electricity to private houses, telecommunications antennas or to supply energy to water transfer pumps. It should be noted that small turbines can also be used in combination with accumulators or solar panels. Such a system is called a hybrid system. They are used in places where there is no other way to connect to the electrical network.

Benefits of vertical turbines

Currently, the vertical type of devices is much more often used. This is justified by the fact that the vertical type has a number of advantages over the horizontal ones.

On towers of a vertical type, the load will act more evenly, which makes it possible, as a simpler creation of a larger structure in terms of its dimensions. In addition, to install the rotor on this type of turbine, there is no need for additional equipment. An important advantage that increases work efficiency is that the blades of vertical turbines can be made twisted - in the form of a spiral. This is very important, since in this case the wind energy will act on them both at the input and at the output, which, of course, increases the efficiency of the installation.

One of the most important advantages of vertical turbines is that when they are installed, there is no point in adjusting the axis to the wind flow. This type of device will work with a stream of wind blowing from either side.

Bolotov wind turbine

This setting stands out from the rest of the devices. For normal operation of the turbine, there is no need to adapt it to different kind weather conditions. The wind power element of this design is able to perceive the wind from any side, without any tuning operations. In addition, this type of station does not require the tower to turn when the wind direction changes. Another advantage of vertical wind turbines (VAWT - wind power plant with a vertical generator shaft) is that they have a special design that allows you to work with wind flows of any power. Operation even during storms is possible. It is possible to choose the number of installation modules. The output power of the turbine will depend on their number. That is, by changing the number of modules, you can change the power of the unit, which is very convenient. Another advantage is that the wind force element is assembled in such a way that it can be converted from high efficiency kinetic energy into mechanical.

Dimensions of the Biryukov and Blinov wind turbine

This device has a two-story rotor with a diameter of 0.75 m. The height of this element is 2 m. Under the action of fresh wind, such a rotor was able to completely spin the rotor of an asynchronous shaft with a power of up to 1.2 kW. The turbine could withstand the force of the wind without breakage up to 30 m/s.

It is worth talking about why the wind turbine is considered the achievement of two scientists. The thing is that in the 60s. in the USSR, the scientist Biryukov patented a carousel with KIEV 46%. However, a little later, engineer Blinov was able to use the same design, but with an indicator of 58% KIEV.

Turbines of a hyperboloid type

The hyperboloid-type wind turbines were based on the ideas of such an engineer as Shukhov Vladimir Grigoryevich.

The features of this type of turbine include the fact that it has a larger working area of ​​the wind flow. If we compare this indicator with other categories of devices, then the hyperboloid type shows results 7-8% better, if we count from the swept area. This indicator is valid for those types in which the working area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe wind flow is vaned. If we compare this type, for example, with Darrieus and Savonius turbines, then the difference will be 40-45%.

The special properties of this category of units should also include the fact that they are able to work with ascending air flows. It is very productive if you install the generator near a lake, swamp, hillside, etc.

The advantages of such turbines include the fact that the line of contact of the active layer of air, which washes the hyperboloid, will be 1.6 times longer than that of a similar cylinder rotating as a rotary wind generator. Naturally, hence the conclusion that the efficiency will be greater by the same amount.

disadvantages

Despite the many advantages and features of these turbines, they also have a number of some disadvantages.

The negative factors include the fact that when the generator blades rotate against wind currents, this type of generator will incur significant losses, which, in turn, will lead to a decrease in work efficiency by about half. The decrease in this indicator is very noticeable if we compare vertical turbines with horizontal ones, which do not have such losses.

Another disadvantage is that vertical wind generator must be very long. If you place it close to the ground, where the wind speed is much lower than at high altitude, then there may be problems with starting the rotor, which needs a push to start working. By itself, it does not start at all. You can, of course, install special towers to raise the blades higher, however Bottom part the rotor will still be too low.

Other disadvantages include the fact that in winter icicles will form on the blades of wind turbines. It is also worth noting the large amount of noise that turbines emit during operation. Some of the installations are even capable of producing harmful infrasound during their operation. It causes vibration, which can cause glass, windows, dishes to rattle.

Fun fact: RimWorld's wind turbines were used as a power source.