Guidelines for typical calculation of a Wind Turbine

Generator KW rating and then electrical component

sizing
Author : Subrata Banerjee
As usual and as said in solar system sizing calculation, the first step will be to workout the
annual KWH for an installation brownfield or greenfield. Then careful selection of whether
going for solar or for WTG to be made as per constraints described in this write up and the write
up for solar system sizing to decide either solar or WTG or hybrid using both.

Then for WTG follow

Step 1: Calculate KW rating of WTG

Step 2: After knowing KW, size the components as shown in conceptual SLD.

KW Rating Calculation

Wind turbines work by converting the kinetic energy in the wind first into rotational kinetic
energy in the turbine and then that kinetic energy is transformed in to electrical energy through a
generator.

Power production from a wind turbine is a function of wind speed. The relationship between
wind speed and power is defined by a power curve, which is unique to each turbine model and,
in some cases, unique to site-specific settings. In general, most wind turbines begin to produce
power at wind speeds of about 4 m/s (9 mph), achieve rated power at approximately 13 m/s (29
mph), and stop power production at 25 m/s (56 mph). Variability in the wind resource results in
the turbine operating at continually changing power levels. At good wind energy sites, this
variability results in the turbine operating at approximately 35% of its total possible capacity
when averaged over a year. The amount of electricity produced from a wind turbine depends on
three factors:

1) Wind speed: The power available from the wind is a function of the cube of the wind speed.
Therefore, if the wind blows at twice the speed, its energy content will increase eight-fold.
Turbines at a site where the wind speed averages 8 m/s produce around 75-100% more electricity
than those where the average wind speed is 6 m/s.

2) Wind turbine availability: This is the capability to operate when the wind is blowing, i.e. when
the wind turbine is not undergoing maintenance. This is typically 98% or above for modern
machines.

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3) The way wind turbines are arranged: Wind farms are laid out so that one turbine does not take
the wind away from another. However other factors such as environmental considerations,
visibility and grid connection requirements often take precedence over the optimum wind capture
layout.

Usually, WTGs are designed to operate for a period of 20 years. But, no final statement can be
made yet concerning the actual life expectancy of modern WTGs as, until now, no operational
experience of such period is available.

CALCULATION OF WIND POWER

There are many complicated calculations and equations involved in understanding and
constructing wind turbine generators, however a systems engineer need not to worry about most
of these and should instead ensure they remember the following vital informations:

1) The power output of a wind generator is proportional to the area swept by the rotor - i.e.
double the swept area and the power output will also double.

2) The power output of a wind generator is proportional to the cube of the wind speed. Kinetic
Energy = 0.5 x Mass x Velocity2 , where the mass is measured in kg, the velocity in m/s, and the
energy is given in joules. Air has a known density (around 1.23 kg/m3 at sea level), so the mass
of air hitting our wind turbine (which sweeps a known area) each second is given by the
following equation: Mass/sec (kg/s) = Velocity (m/s) x Area (m2 ) x Density (kg/m3 ).

Therefore, the power (i.e. energy per second) in the wind hitting a wind turbine with a certain
swept area is given by simply inserting the mass per second calculation into the standard kinetic
energy equation given above resulting in the following vital equation:

Power = 0.5 x Swept Area x Air Density x Velocity3 , where Power is given in Watts (i.e.
joules/second), the Swept area in square metres, the Air density in kilograms per cubic metre,
and the Velocity in metres per second. The equation for wind power(P) is then given by P= 0.5 x
ρ x A x Cp x V3 x Ng x Nb where, ρ = Air density in kg/m3 , A = Rotor swept area (m2 ). Cp =
Coefficient of performance V = wind velocity (m/s) Ng = generator efficiency Nb = gear box
bearing efficiency.

The world's largest wind turbine generator has a rotor blade diameter of 126 metres and so the
rotors sweep an area of PI x (diameter/2)2 = 12470 m2 ! As this is an offshore wind turbine, we
know it is situated at sea-level and so we know the air density is 1.23 kg/m3. The turbine is rated
at 5MW in 30mph (14m/s) winds, and so putting in the known values will give, Wind Power =
0.5 x 12,470 x 1.23 x (14 x 14 x 14), which gives us a wind power of around 21,000,000 Watts.

Why is the power of the wind (21MW) so much larger than the rated power of the turbine
generator (5MW)? Because of the Betz Limit, and inefficiencies in the system. The Betz law
means that wind turbines can never be better than 59.3% efficient. The law can be simply

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explained by considering that if all of the energy coming from wind movement into the turbine
were converted into useful energy then the wind speed afterwards would be zero. But, if the wind
stopped moving at the exit of the turbine, then no more fresh wind could get in - it would be
blocked.

In order to keep the wind moving through the turbine, to keep getting energy, there has to be
some wind movement on the outside with energy left in it. There must be a 'sweet spot'
somewhere and that’s why, the Betz limit at 59.3%. V.

Wind energy is a kind of solar energy. Wind energy describes the process by which wind is used to
produce electricity. The wind turbines convert the kinetic energy present in the wind to mechanical
power.
Wind energy is a renewable source of energy that determines the total power in the wind. The wind
turbines which convert kinetic energy to mechanical power, wherein the mechanical power is
converted into electricity through a generator which acts as a useful source.
To summarise, the wind energy formula is given by,

Where,
P = power,
ρ = air density,

A = swept area of blades given by

where r is the radius of the blades.
V = velocity of the wind.
Example 1
Determine the power in kw in the wind if the wind speed is 20 m/s and blade length is 50 m.
Solution:
Given:
Wind speed v = 20 m/s,
Blade length l = 50 m,
Air density ρ = 1.23 kg/m.

The area is given by,

A = π × 2500
= 7850 m
The wind power formula is given as,

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P = 38622 W
Example 2
A wind turbine travels with the speed is 10 m/s and has a blade length of 20 m. Determine wind
power.
Solution:
Given:
Wind speed v =10 m/s,
Blade length l = 20 m,
air density ρ = 1.23 kg/m3,

area ,
= π × 400

= 1256
The wind power formula is given as,

= 0.5 × 1.23 × 1256 × 1000

P = 772440 W.
Capacity Factor

The Capacity factor is not power capacity of a wind turbine

Power capacity of a wind turbine describes how much electrical power a wind turbine can
generate with optimal wind resources. For example, our LS Double Helix 1.5 vertical axis wind
turbine produces 1.5 kW electrical power at the nominal wind speed of 15 m/s. This means our
wind turbine has a power capacity of 1.5 kW. In other words, the turbine is designed to have the
power output of 1.5 kW.

Similarly, if an onshore horizontal axis wind turbine produces 2 MW (megawatt) at its nominal
wind speed, it has a power capacity of 2 MW.

Power generation is measured over time

The amount of power generated from any source or consumed by any user is usually measured
over time. More specifically, over the time unit of “hour.” For example, when a LuvSide wind
turbine with the power capacity of 1.5 kW operates fully for one hour, it produces 1.5 kWh
(kilowatt-hour) of electrical energy. If it operates fully for two hours, it produces 1.5 kW x 2 hr =
3.0 kWh of electrical energy.

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Depending on its design, every wind turbine has a different ability to capture the energy in
incoming wind and convert it into rotational torque that drives the generator. While this ability is
mostly reflected in the wind turbine’s efficiency and power capacity, external factors also affect
the amount of power produced by the turbine over time. This is when capacity factor comes into
play.

Wind is not always strong, consistent, or present

How much electrical power a turbine can generate is largely dependent on the wind speed and
consistency of incoming wind. At slower wind speeds, the power production decreases
dramatically. When the wind speed drops by half, power production decreases eight times.

Take the LuvSide turbine for example. The LS Double Helix 1.5 turbine operates optimally at 15
m/s wind speed. When the wind speed is only 10 m/s, the turbine can only generate 1 kWh of
energy in 1 hour. When the wind speed is 15 m/s but only blows for 0.5 hour, the same turbine
generates only 0.75 kWh for that hour.
The math is clear. Wind does not always blow at the same speed for 24 hours a day, 365 days a
year. Sometimes, the wind resources at a location changes seasonally. Sometimes, unexpected
weather activities within the day decides how much wind is available. Because of this, a wind
turbine might not always be operating at its nominal standard. There might be times where the
wind turbine does not rotate at all due to the lack of wind.

Capacity factor of wind turbine describes the realistic power output

Capacity factor of wind turbines describes the gap between nominal and realistic power
production of a wind turbine at a certain location over a period of time. It is the ratio of the wind
turbine’s actual power output to its nominal or maximum power output.

Let’s take an easier explanation. In some museums, you can find a bicycle connected to a light
bulb. When people ride the bicycle, they generate electrical power that lights the light bulb.
Now, the light bulb has a 100% maximum lightness, but not every person is able to ride the
bicycle fast enough to reach that.

Let’s assume it takes an Olympic cyclist to achieve 100% lightness with the bicycle. But now,
we only get my grandpa. My grandpa is so slow, that he can only ride the bicycle to 30% of light
bulb lightness. In this case, the capacity factor of the bicycle is 30%. Thanks to grandpa.

In this metaphor, the bicycle is the wind turbine. The light bulb represents power generated. The
Olympic cyclist is the optimal wind speed, which we want for our turbine. However, my grandpa
is the wind speed we actually get.

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Capacity factor is influenced by many reasons and calculated over a period of time

Generally speaking, capacity factor is measured over a one-year period. Therefore, many
different causes that happen throughout the year would affect the capacity factor of the wind
turbine. These include wind speed, maintenance downtime, repair downtime, and others.

To calculate the capacity factor of a wind turbine, we take the actual power output of the turbine
over the year and divide it with the optimal power output of the same time period.

Take a wind turbine as an example again. Nominally, the wind turbine generates annually 13,140
kWh of electricity, assuming wind blows non-stop at 15 m/s for the whole year. However, in
reality, the turbine only generated 2,628 kWh in that year because there wasn’t enough wind. In
this case, the capacity factor of the wind turbine of that year is 2,628 kWh/ 13,140 kWh = 20%.

How to improve the capacity factor of a wind turbine

According to research, a wind turbine produces at or above its average rate around 40% of the
time, meaning it produces little to no power 60% of the time due to various reasons. The average
capacity factor of a wind turbine over one year usually falls between 20% to 30%, but there are
still ways to improve the performance.

First of all, thorough planning before you install a wind turbine can help you maximize the
capacity factor. It is very important to make sure that your chosen wind turbine site receives the
optimal wind resources. This doesn’t only mean stable wind flow, but also ensuring there is little
to no obstacle that could block incoming wind. The more wind resources the turbine receives, the
more power it can potentially generate.

Secondly, capacity factors are not only decided by wind resources. The design of the wind
turbine affects the turbine’s ability to pick up energy from incoming wind. Generally speaking,
low wind speeds and turbulent wind are two main challenges for turbine operation.

Capacity factor is not power capacity of a wind turbine

Power capacity of a wind turbine describes how much electrical power a wind turbine can
generate with optimal wind resources. For example, our LS Double Helix 1.5 vertical axis wind
turbine produces 1.5 kW electrical power at the nominal wind speed of 15 m/s. This means our
wind turbine has a power capacity of 1.5 kW. In other words, the turbine is designed to have the
power output of 1.5 kW.

Similarly, if an onshore horizontal axis wind turbine produces 2 MW (megawatt) at its nominal
wind speed, it has a power capacity of 2 MW.

Power generation is measured over time

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The amount of power generated from any source or consumed by any user is usually measured
over time. More specifically, over the time unit of “hour.” For example, when a LuvSide wind
turbine with the power capacity of 1.5 kW operates fully for one hour, it produces 1.5 kWh
(kilowatt-hour) of electrical energy. If it operates fully for two hours, it produces 1.5 kW x 2 hr =
3.0 kWh of electrical energy.

Depending on its design, every wind turbine has a different ability to capture the energy in
incoming wind and convert it into rotational torque that drives the generator. While this ability is
mostly reflected in the wind turbine’s efficiency and power capacity, external factors also affect
the amount of power produced by the turbine over time. This is when capacity factor comes into
play.
Wind is not always strong, consistent, or present

How much electrical power a turbine can generate is largely dependent on the wind speed and
consistency of incoming wind. At slower wind speeds, the power production decreases
dramatically. When the wind speed drops by half, power production decreases eight times.

Take the LuvSide turbine for example. The LS Double Helix 1.5 turbine operates optimally at 15
m/s wind speed. When the wind speed is only 10 m/s, the turbine can only generate 1 kWh of
energy in 1 hour. When the wind speed is 15 m/s but only blows for 0.5 hour, the same turbine
generates only 0.75 kWh for that hour.

The math is clear. Wind does not always blow at the same speed for 24 hours a day, 365 days a
year. Sometimes, the wind resources at a location changes seasonally. Sometimes, unexpected
weather activities within the day decides how much wind is available. Because of this, a wind
turbine might not always be operating at its nominal standard. There might be times where the
wind turbine does not rotate at all due to the lack of wind.

Capacity factor of wind turbine describes the realistic power output

Capacity factor of wind turbines describes the gap between nominal and realistic power
production of a wind turbine at a certain location over a period of time. It is the ratio of the wind
turbine’s actual power output to its nominal or maximum power output.

Let’s take an easier explanation. In some museums, you can find a bicycle connected to a light
bulb. When people ride the bicycle, they generate electrical power that lights the light bulb.
Now, the light bulb has a 100% maximum lightness, but not every person is able to ride the
bicycle fast enough to reach that.

Let’s assume it takes an Olympic cyclist to achieve 100% lightness with the bicycle. But now,
we only get my grandpa. My grandpa is so slow, that he can only ride the bicycle to 30% of light
bulb lightness. In this case, the capacity factor of the bicycle is 30%. Thanks to grandpa.

In this metaphor, the bicycle is the wind turbine. The light bulb represents power generated. The

7
Olympic cyclist is the optimal wind speed, which we want for our turbine. However, my grandpa
is the wind speed we actually get.

Capacity factor is influenced by many reasons and calculated over a period of time

Generally speaking, capacity factor is measured over a one-year period. Therefore, many
different causes that happen throughout the year would affect the capacity factor of the wind
turbine. These include wind speed, maintenance downtime, repair downtime, and others.

To calculate the capacity factor of a wind turbine, we take the actual power output of the turbine
over the year and divide it with the optimal power output of the same time period.

Take a wind turbine as an example again. Nominally, the wind turbine generates annually 13,140
kWh of electricity, assuming wind blows non-stop at 15 m/s for the whole year. However, in
reality, the turbine only generated 2,628 kWh in that year because there wasn’t enough wind. In
this case, the capacity factor of the wind turbine of that year is 2,628 kWh/ 13,140 kWh = 20%.

How to improve the capacity factor of a wind turbine

According to research, a wind turbine produces at or above its average rate around 40% of the
time, meaning it produces little to no power 60% of the time due to various reasons. The average
capacity factor of a wind turbine over one year usually falls between 20% to 30%, but there are
still ways to improve the performance.

First of all, thorough planning before you install a wind turbine can help you maximize the
capacity factor. It is very important to make sure that your chosen wind turbine site receives the
optimal wind resources. This doesn’t only mean stable wind flow, but also ensuring there is little
to no obstacle that could block incoming wind. The more wind resources the turbine receives, the
more power it can potentially generate.

Secondly, capacity factors are not only decided by wind resources. The design of the wind
turbine affects the turbine’s ability to pick up energy from incoming wind. Generally speaking,
low wind speeds and turbulent wind are two main challenges for turbine operation.

Therefore, modern turbines that can generate power at lower wind speeds increase their capacity
factors. Wind turbines that function under turbulent wind also have competitive advantages.
Selecting the right type of wind turbine that operates best to your local wind condition is
essential to ensure optimal power output.

re, modern turbines that can generate power at lower wind speeds increase their capacity factors.
Wind turbines that function under turbulent wind also have competitive advantages. Selecting
the right type of wind turbine that operates best to your local wind condition is essential to
ensure optimal power output.

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Wind turbine systems

Wind turbine systems provide a source of renewable energy. They are most suited to windy rural
locations.

Under optimal conditions, the efficiency of a wind generator in converting energy to electricity is
about 45%,

Studies have found that average wind speeds in a particular location need to exceed at least 6–8
metres per second (m/s) for a small wind turbine to be economically viable.

When considering costs and economic viability, be aware that additional costs – consent costs,
freight, the concrete foundations, wiring etc can be the equivalent of 30–80 percent of the cost of
the turbine itself.

A turbine sized at 2kW could cost around $20–30,000 including installation. Maintenance costs
should also be considered – wind turbines typically have higher maintenance requirements than,
for example, PV systems. Some calculations have found that in many cases a solar electricity
system is likely to be more cost-effective than a wind turbine.

They are more suitable in remote locations as they can produce noise.

Turbines may not perform well in urban areas because obstructions such as buildings tend to
make the wind turbulent and erratic.

Wind generator system configuration

Typical wind turbine for electricity generation

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Wind turbine components
A wind turbine includes:

⚫ turbine blades – propellers with two, three or five blades mounted on the horizontal shaft
(this gives higher output than when they are mounted on the vertical shaft) and made of a
lightweight material such as carbon fibre, fibreglass or wood, that is strong enough to
resist wind forces.
⚫ a tail section – generally a fin that rotates the body of the wind generator to turn the
turbine into the direction of the wind, with the fin directly downwind
⚫ an alternator(Induction Generator) – AC electricity is generated by rotor windings
connected to the shaft from the turbine
⚫ a rectifier – converts AC to DC for electricity that is being sent to a battery storage
system (the rectifier may be located in the alternator or in a separate control box away
from the tower)
⚫ electricity cables – transfer the electricity from the generator to the electricity supply or
battery storage system
⚫ slip rings &carbon brush – stop the cables to rotor from twisting as they will otherwise
twist within the tower as the turbine body rotates
⚫ electric element – power is always produced when the turbine spins, so if the power is
excess to storage capacity, it must be redirected to a dummy load (generally an electric
element that gets very hot) or sold to an electricity retailer
⚫ tower – the structure (usually steel, concrete or wood) that holds the turbine high in the
air, and allows the turbine assembly on top to rotate into the wind
⚫ gin pole and winch – allow the turbine to be lowered for maintenance
⚫ concrete foundation – a 2–3 kW turbine on a 10–15 m tower will typically require a 3–5
m3 reinforced concrete foundation.

Wind generator system capacity

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Wind generators are commonly rated at 1–3kW. This will typically provide one-third to one-half
of the power needs of a consumer, depending on the local wind conditions and the consumer’s
power consumption. In an exposed location, this size of generator can supply all power needs
and provide a surplus. Bigger wind generators are available for farms and rural communities.
The turbines’ actual energy output is typically about 25% to 30% of its rated theoretical
maximum output. The output of a wind generator will normally be rated at a specified wind
speed, and the rated wind speed may vary between systems and manufacturers.

The electricity generation capacity of wind generator systems is directly proportional to the
amount of usable wind, which is itself a function of wind speed and cleanliness.

Cut-out controls
Cut-out control options are available that:

⚫ apply a brake to stop the turbine completely and feather the blades (reduce their angle to
the wind) to turn it to face away from the wind
⚫ tilt back or lie down the turbine (this is known as ‘tilt-up governing’)
⚫ steer the turbine out of the wind through aerodynamics and gravity (this is known as
‘autofurl’)
⚫ govern the rotational speed with an air brake to produce constant power
⚫ feather the blades (reduce their angle to the wind) to reduce turbine speed.

Factors affecting generation capacity

A system’s generation capacity depends on its effectiveness at converting wind pressure into
turbine rotary inertia – data should be available from the system supplier. This increases with:

⚫ larger turbine diameter – there is more turbine blade area for the wind to impact on and
also greater risk of intrusive noise
⚫ appropriate blade profile for the local wind speed – this varies depending on average
wind speed and also on whether the wind is constant or comes in short periods of high
velocity
⚫ lower friction losses in the turbine shaft assembly.

Generation capacity will decrease if the turbine is located:

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 ⚫ lower to the ground – wind speed increases with height above the ground, with a
minimum of 10 metres recommended
⚫ within the turbulent airspace downwind of an obstacle (for example, trees, hills,
buildings, structures) – downwind turbulence will extend to twice the obstacle height for
a distance around 20 times the obstacle height
⚫ a distance from an upwind obstacle of more than 10 times an obstacles height.

Siting of a wind turbine

Wind turbines work best when a turbulence-free airflow is available to power the turbine blades.

Wind generator system installation

A wind generator system:

⚫ will require a building consent and a resource consent

⚫ should be installed within 100 m of the electricity supply or storage system, to reduce line
losses
⚫ must withstand the wind and seismic loads
⚫ usually has a concrete footing for the tower (and each guy wire)
⚫ must have vibrations in the tower (from turbine rotating forces) dampened if it is
connected to a building
⚫ must have protection from large animals at ground level – they like scratching themselves
on the tower and guy wires
⚫ should have lightning arresters to protect electronic components from lightning strikes
⚫ needs sufficient area to lower and raise the tower for maintenance and repairs.

Meeting electricity demand

Electrical power from the wind generator system may be available at all times of the day and
night, but the output levels will vary according to wind speed. Excess output, generated as AC, is
converted to DC by a rectifier for storage in batteries. This will allow for peak demand that is
greater than the generator capacity.

Wind generator pollution

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Wind generators can produce noise and vibration and have a significant visual impact. Noise can
be from the turbine blades, gearbox and slipring brush gear, as well as from wind moving past
the tower and guy wires. Noise and the visual impact may be an issue with neighbours, and
vibration may be a problem particularly if a turbine is located on a roof.

These factors should influence decisions about the wind generator location, size and height.

Component Sizing

INDUCTION GENERATOR ( IG) :

1. Widely used in Wind Farms where they are first operated as IM and when speed goes just above
synchronous speed, they act as IG.

2. Q is drawn from Grid( Self Excited) or Capacitor ( Stand alone system)

3. In self excited mode, if grid fails to supply Q, generation also haults, they generate as long as grid
is feeding in Q.

4. There are two types of IG

a) Squirrel Cage Induction generator ( SCIG)
b) Doubly fed Induction generator( DFIG)
For a) , Speed variation band is narrow limiting wide variation of wind speed utilisation. Further, the
reactive power compensation is required to hold line voltage and thus preventing overload.

For b) , the variable speed ability to accept wide range of wind speed due to variable external
crowbar resistance enabling to accept wide range of wind speed.
After 2 or 3 winding transformer, it is normal switchyard for grid connection. Scheme is enclosed.

From EPC Point of View, I can say the Wind Power Package includes the elements shown in enclosed
sketch and then connected to standard EPC of Switchyard or GIS as applicable for Onshore .
For Offshore Wind power, the package is connected to platform through subsea cabling and again
from platform to Onshore grid as per scheme already shared before.

Refer the conceptual sld and layout enclosed in Part B. The ratings of components like converter
, charger, battery etc as shown in sld can be calculated in same manner as shared in Solar system
sizing shared earlier once the KW rating of WTG is calculated/finalized. For Isc, IG will replace
solar PV array and value? I leave it to reader to calculate for selected KW.
Regarding crowbar resistance calculation, please search internet as I will not waste your time
here.
Attachments :

1. Conceptual SLD
2. Conceptual Layout

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- : The End :-

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