Wind Energy

Reference data and engineering information about wind energy for dynamics applications.

Overview

Engineering reference data for Wind Energy in dynamics.

Key Formulas

Kinetic Energy

$E_k = \frac{1}{2}mv^2$

Energy of motion.

Work

$W = Fd\cos\theta$

Force × displacement × cos(angle).

Variables

Symbol	Description	Unit
$F$	Force	N
$m$	Mass	kg
$a$	Acceleration	m/s²
$v$	Velocity	m/s
$E_k$	Kinetic energy	J

Example: Energy Output Calculation

The annual energy output $E$ (in $\text{kWh/m}^2$ ) from a wind turbine can be calculated from the wind power density $P$ (in $\text{W/m}^2$ ), the turbine's efficiency $\eta$ (%), and the annual operational hours $t$ (in $\text{h/year}$ ):

E = P \cdot \frac{\eta}{100} \cdot t

For a sheltered location with average wind speed 5 m/s ( $P \approx 140\ \text{W/m}^2$ ), a turbine efficiency of 25%, and 8000 operational hours per year:

E = (140\ \text{W/m}^2) \cdot \left(\frac{25}{100}\right) \cdot (8000\ \text{h/year}) = 280{,}000\ \text{Wh/m}^2\text{/year} = 280\ \text{kWh/m}^2\text{/year}

Key Concepts

Wind Power Density ( $P$ ): The power available in the wind per unit swept area, typically measured at a reference height of 50 m. It is proportional to the cube of the wind speed ( $P \propto v^3$ ).
Turbine Efficiency ( $\eta$ ): The fraction of the available wind power that a turbine can convert into electrical power. Typical values are between 20% and 30%.

Interactive Charts

References

Original Source