Comments on: The Wind Farm Debate

By: Irv S

Irv S — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 19:22:59 +0000

A turbine field will be designed for a certain optimum wind direction and speed.
Winds differing from this optimum might well cause some turbines to fall into the 'shadow` of others and a turbine close behind another might, under extremely bad circumstances form a 'bow wave` that would interfere with the leading turbine.
(It's not likely though).
What is being neglected here is maintenance.
A turbine has a limited life. Running it inefficiently
is wasteful.
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By: linlyons

linlyons — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 19:20:59 +0000

i think what answer #2 was trying to get at is that, if the wind farm was really poorly set up, then it is possible that stopping one would be beneficial.
for example.
if a 1 megawatt turbine was placed directly behind a 10 Kw generator, and the airflow from the smaller generator caused the larger one to only produce 800 Kw, then feathering the blades (ie rotating them to the 90 degree position so they didn't turn) would improve the airflow to the larger turbine.

but would this ever happen?
possibly.
suppose they were positioned such that 99% of the time, they both worked well. But 1% of the time the wind direction changed, so that the smaller impacted the airflow to the larger. In that case, they were probably positioned well, and there would be an arguable case for feathering the smaller turbine.

i didn't know they were braked. i did know that the blades could be rotated so the wind wouldn't catch them.
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By: zspace101

zspace101 — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 19:18:59 +0000

your right and he is right. While having more turning will produce more power the are set up so that the turbines in form recive a unbroke flow of air and the ones beind the first row recive more and more tubulent air which makes the ones close to the direction the wind is facing more effecent. So on a low use day its better ot shut down ones in the middle and let the far back ones and the far front ones run (the ones in the back get a solid air flow because the air reaglins over the distace it travels)
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By: magiscoder

magiscoder — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 19:16:59 +0000

I don't agree with your friend either. Does he have a reputable source or a decent explanation backing this up?
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By: boobinhard

boobinhard — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 14:14:41 +0000

Wind Turbines on Wind Farms?
Is there any reason they would turn off wind turbines in a wind field due to efficiency? I know the fans are braked if winds exceed a certain velocity and possibly due to energy needs they may stop some of them. However in a debate with a friend he argued that it would be more efficient and produce more energy to have fewer running versus more. This is counter intuitive can someone shead some light on this topic. I refuse to accept my friend logic.
In response to answer number two…its a wind mill u dont use energy to run it u gain…so y would u ever want them not moving or "shut them down.'' Even if u had 1 rotation per hour u'd be gaining more energy than 0 rotations. Further my friend argued that the first turbine in a row would run slower if the one behind it were running. This I know is false. And my friend has no reliable source or literature to prove his point.