Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
6.5 Wind energy storage
Today developing advanced, cost-effective storage technologies of electric energy
still remains a challenge, which may limit the widespread application of wind
energy. The research and development (R&D) of new energy storage systems
are highly desired to meet cyclical energy demands and stabilize power output,
especially for large-scale wind farms.
The technologies for wind energy storage have been developed over several
decades to convert wind energy into various forms of energy, including:
Electrochemical energy in batteries and super capacitors
Magnetic energy in superconducting magnetic energy storage (SMES)
Kinetic energy in rotating fl ywheels
Potential energy in pumped water at higher altitudes
Mechanical energy in compressed air in vast geologic vaults
Hydrogen energy by decomposing water
Among these techniques, the most popular method is to use batteries. However,
there are some drawbacks to regular batteries, such as cost, short lifetime, corro-
sion, and disposal concerns [74]. Research and development of innovative batter-
ies are underway. It has reported that lithium-ion battery technology is projected
to provide stationary electrical energy solutions to enable the effective use in
renewable energy sources. It is expected that safe and reliable lithium-ion batter-
ies will soon be connected to solar cells and wind turbines [75]. Sodium-sulfur
battery is another promising candidate for energy storage [76]. This type of bat-
teries is preferably used to store renewable energy such as wind, sunlight, and
geothermal heat [77]. The detailed review of electrical energy storage can be
found in [ 78 ].
6.6 Wind turbine lifetime
Modern wind turbines are designed for the lifetime of 20-30 years. A critical
challenge facing turbine manufacturers and wind power plants is how to achieve
the lifetime goals while at the same time minimize the costs of maintenance and
repair. However, improving the operational reliability and extending the lifetime
of wind turbines are very diffi cult tasks for a number of reasons:
Wind turbines have to be exposed to various hostile conditions such as
extreme temperatures, wind speed fl uctuations, humidity, dust, solar radia-
tion, lightning, salinity and frequent onslaughts of rain, hail, snow, ice, and
sandstorms.
A modern wind turbine consists of a large number of components and systems;
each of them has its own lifetime. According to the Cannikin law, failure must
fi rst occur in the component or system with the shortest lifetime.
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