Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Experimental research at the Rocky Flats plant included dynamometer, vibration, and
electrical testing of small-scale turbines, and the validation of computer models for the
prediction of power performance and loads. At the USDA, research on both shallow- and
deep-well pumping and the matching of wind turbines and pumps was conducted to
optimize the performance of the total system.
Small Turbine Deployment and Applications
In the 1970s many institutional problems had to be faced by owners of wind turbines
interconnected with utility power lines, and by developers of small wind turbines. These
included safety, power quality, standby and reserve power criteria, buying and selling rates
for electricity, zoning requirements, and even the determination of the authority and ofice
to which the turbine owner should apply. Since most of these problems were at the state
and local levels and outside federal responsibility, another type of testing was undertaken
to solve them. In 1979 the “Field Evaluation Program” (FEP) was initiated, in which fed-
eral funds were provided for the installation of 100 or more commercial, small-scale wind
turbines throughout each of the United States and its territories, and to provide advice and
assistance. In return, utilities and state and local authorities would facilitate the inter-
connection of private turbines and develop local permitting and approval processes.
Many of the early turbines available commercially at the time had not, unfortunately,
been adequately tested, and the dificulty of achieving adequate reliability had been under-
estimated by many of the new entries into the ield. Failure rates were excessively high,
giving a negative image to wind energy in some quarters. On the other hand, there were
signiicant successes. Much was learned about correcting operation and installation
problems that may have been missed in the design phase. Utility companies and state and
local governments became familiar with both the potential beneits and issues associated
with wind power systems. About 40 of the planned 100 turbines were installed before the
FEP was discontinued in 1983.
The New England Wind Project, a program similar to the FEP, was implemented in
1980 to evaluate some of the DOE-sponsored small-scale turbines under ield conditions.
Fourteen sites were selected, and a number of prototypes were installed. These included
an 8-kW UTRC HAWT on Moon Island in Boston harbor.
There is no doubt that efforts under the Field Evaluation Program and the New England
Wind Project helped mature the small-scale wind turbine industry and added impetus to the
development of new designs. Many institutional issues were resolved in key states, aiding
the introduction of reliable commercial machines in large numbers in the mid-1980s.
Innovative and Unconventional Wind Turbine Concepts
Before describing
unconventional
wind turbines, a deinition of a
conventional
turbine
is in order. For the purpose of this discussion, a conventional coniguration is that which
was established as practical by the DC wind power plants of the 1930s and by the Smith-
Putnam project. Thus, a conventional wind turbine system is a HAWT with a low-solidity
rotor powered by aerodynamic lift driving an electrical generator, with all rotating
components mounted on a tower. There have been, throughout history, a myriad of
attempts to use other techniques for harnessing wind power. In principle any movable
device subject to wind forces can be made to rotate (on some axis), oscillate, or translate.
It can then be coupled to some sort of converter and be made to produce mechanical and/or
electrical power. Whether an innovative device can generate energy at a lower cost than
a conventional wind turbine is quite a different question, however.
Search WWH ::
Custom Search