IS A BIGGER WIND TURBINE BETTER?
Wind Recovery Explained….
Have you ever stuck your hand out of a moving car window and felt the force of the wind against your palm? Now imagine if you placed your palm against the exterior side mirror so the mirror shielded your hand from the wind. Now slowly move your hand straight back away from the mirror. How far back would you have to move until you feel the full force of the wind again? This distance from the hand to the mirror illustrates the basic concept of WIND RECOVERY.
How Does Wind Recovery Impact Wind Farms Using Present Technology?
The simple answer is; the larger the Wind Turbine, the more space is required to achieve 100% wind recovery. Regardless of how small or large the current Wind Turbine technology is, the relationship between the size of the Wind Turbine’s diameter (rotor) and the distance required for wind recovery remain unchanged (5 to 10 times the blades diameter).
So Is Bigger Better Or Just Bigger?
Wind Recovery plays a vital role in answering this question.
Most Wind Turbines are rated in the amount of Mega Watts produced at 30 mph wind speeds. This is the maximum wattage output. Beyond 30 mph the Wind Turbine becomes flat rated, and the additional increases in wind speed are lost. To protect the Wind Turbine from excess stress (structure, blades and torque), each Turbine has a maximum wind speed rating, at which point it shuts down and produces zero power. The cutout speed is often as low as 50 mph and the cut-back-in speed can be around 40 mph. If high winds are forecasted for the area, the Wind Turbine may be shut down for the entire high-wind period.
Even though Wind Turbines have increased in size and Mega Watt rating over time, there has been little-or-no improvement in land or wind utilization. Regardless of Wind Turbine size, land utilization is primarily limited by the impact of wind recovery spacing windmill to windmill.
What If No Space Is Required For The Wind To Recover?
Imagine the Watts per acre, total power and efficiencies if no space is required for Wind Recovery. After years of research and development, this novel concept is arriving and its name is 3D WIND POWER. 3D Wind Power has the potential to increase production per acre from today’s 20 Kilo Watts per acre to an astounding 1 Mega Watt (1,000 Kilo Watts) per acre.
So, is bigger better or just bigger?
