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The authoritative reference on wind energy, now fully revised and updated to include offshore wind power

A decade on from its first release, the Wind Energy Handbook, Second Edition, reflects the advances in technology underpinning the continued expansion of the global wind power sector. Harnessing their collective industrial and academic expertise, the authors provide a comprehensive introduction to wind turbine design and wind farm planning for onshore and offshore wind-powered electricity generation.

The major change since the first edition is the addition of a new chapter on offshore wind turbines and offshore wind farm development. Opening with a survey of the present state of offshore wind farm development, the chapter goes on to consider resource assessment and array losses. Then wave loading on support structures is examined in depth, including wind and wave load combinations and descriptions of applicable wave theories. After sections covering optimum machine size and offshore turbine reliability, the different types of support structure deployed to date are described in turn, with emphasis on monopiles, including fatigue analysis in the frequency domain. Final sections examine the assessment of environmental impacts and the design of the power collection and transmission cable network.

New coverage features:

* turbulence models updated to reflect the latest design standards, including an introduction to the Mann turbulence model

* extended treatment of horizontal axis wind turbines aerodynamics, now including a survey of wind turbine aerofoils, dynamic stall and computational fluid dynamics

* developments in turbine design codes

* techniques for extrapolating extreme loads from simulation results

* an introduction to the NREL cost model

* comparison of options for variable speed operation

* in-depth treatment of individual blade pitch control

* grid code requirements and the principles governing the connection of large wind farms to transmission networks

* four pages of full-colour pictures that illustrate blade manufacture, turbine construction and offshore support structure installation

Firmly established as an essential reference, Wind Energy Handbook, Second Edition will prove a real asset to engineers, turbine designers and wind energy consultants both in industry and research. Advanced engineering students and new entrants to the wind energy sector will also find it an invaluable resource.

Tony Burton, Wind Energy Consultant, Powys, UK

Nick Jenkins, Cardiff University, UK

David Sharpe, Wind Energy Consultant, Essex, UK

Ervin Bossanyi, GL Garrad Hassan, Bristol, UK

The authoritative reference on wind energy, now fully revised and updated to include offshore wind power

A decade on from its first release, the Wind Energy Handbook, Second Edition, reflects the advances in technology underpinning the continued expansion of the global wind power sector. Harnessing their collective industrial and academic expertise, the authors provide a comprehensive introduction to wind turbine design and wind farm planning for onshore and offshore wind-powered electricity generation.

The major change since the first edition is the addition of a new chapter on offshore wind turbines and offshore wind farm development. Opening with a survey of the present state of offshore wind farm development, the chapter goes on to consider resource assessment and array losses. Then wave loading on support structures is examined in depth, including wind and wave load combinations and descriptions of applicable wave theories. After sections covering optimum machine size and offshore turbine reliability, the different types of support structure deployed to date are described in turn, with emphasis on monopiles, including fatigue analysis in the frequency domain. Final sections examine the assessment of environmental impacts and the design of the power collection and transmission cable network.

New coverage features:

• turbulence models updated to reflect the latest design standards, including an introduction to the Mann turbulence model
• extended treatment of horizontal axis wind turbines aerodynamics, now including a survey of wind turbine aerofoils, dynamic stall and computational fluid dynamics
• developments in turbine design codes
• techniques for extrapolating extreme loads from simulation results
• an introduction to the NREL cost model
• comparison of options for variable speed operation
• in-depth treatment of individual blade pitch control
• grid code requirements and the principles governing the connection of large wind farms to transmission networks
• four pages of full-colour pictures that illustrate blade manufacture, turbine construction and offshore support structure installation

Firmly established as an essential reference, Wind Energy Handbook, Second Edition will prove a real asset to engineers, turbine designers and wind energy consultants both in industry and research. Advanced engineering students and new entrants to the wind energy sector will also find it an invaluable resource.

About the Authors xvii

Preface to Second Edition xix

Acknowledgements for First Edition xxi

Acknowledgements for Second Edition xxiii

List of Symbols xxv

Figures C1 and C2 Co-ordinate Systems xxxv

1 Introduction 1

1.1 Historical development 1

1.2 Modern wind turbines 4

1.3 Scope of the book 6

References 7

Further reading 8

2 The wind resource 9

2.1 The nature of the wind 9

2.2 Geographical variation in the wind resource 10

2.3 Long-term wind speed variations 11

2.4 Annual and seasonal variations 12

2.5 Synoptic and diurnal variations 14

2.6 Turbulence 14

2.7 Gust wind speeds 28

2.8 Extreme wind speeds 29

2.9 Wind speed prediction and forecasting 32

2.10 Turbulence in wakes and wind farms 33

2.11 Turbulence in complex terrain 36

References 36

3 Aerodynamics of horizontal axis wind turbines 39

3.1 Introduction 39

3.2 The actuator disc concept 40

3.3 Rotor disc theory 44

3.4 Vortex cylinder model of the actuator disc 49

3.5 Rotor blade theory (blade-element/momentum theory) 57

3.6 Breakdown of the momentum theory 64

3.7 Blade geometry 66

3.8 The effects of a discrete number of blades 75

3.9 Stall delay 92

3.10 Calculated results for an actual turbine 95

3.11 The performance curves 97

3.12 Constant rotational speed operation 101

3.13 Pitch regulation 105

3.14 Comparison of measured with theoretical performance 107

3.15 Variable speed operation 108

3.16 Estimation of energy capture 109…