FLOATING WIND GENERATORS

Presentation on theme: "FLOATING WIND GENERATORS"— Presentation transcript:

1 FLOATING WIND GENERATORS
(MARS)

2 COMPARISON WITH CONVENTIONAL WIND TURBINES
LIMITATIONS OF CONVENTIONAL WIND TURBINES: Range of speed - 5m/s to 15 m/s. Noisy in operation Unreliable – Depends on wind flow Birds hit – Dangerous for birds ADVANTAGES OF FLOATING WIND GENERATORS OVER CONVENTIONAL WIND TURBINES. Higher Range of speed - 5m/s to 15 m/s. No noise Reliable winds Bird friendly Low cost

3 WINDS AT HIGH ALTITUDES:
TWO MAJOR JET STREAMS IN BOTH EARTH HEMISPHERES The Sub-Tropical Jet Polar Front Jet These jet stream winds offer an energy benefit between one and two orders of magnitude greater than equalrotor- area, ground mounted wind turbines operating in the lowest regions of the Earth’s boundary layer. These winds are available in northern India, China, Japan, Africa, the Mediterranean, and elsewhere.

4 TYPES OF FLYING WIND MACHINES:
• Kite ship propulsion • Kite flying generator • Flying electric generators (rotor craft) • Ladder mill generators • Air rotor system

5 KITE SHIP PROPULSION: Age old method to drive ships.
Using wind power has been reintroduced on a merchant ship in Germany. In 2007, the 132 meters long ship underwent a test through a journey across the Atlantic Ocean and back toEurope.

6 KITE FLYING GENERATOR:
The energy source for the project is the high altitude wind of the troposphere. Use of arrays of large tethered kites whose movements are controlled electronically Power kites circle in the air, at an altitude of 800 – 1000m 1,000 MW (1GW) can be exceeded, without significant structural risks, with a diameter of approximately 1,600m. Ideal application on off-shore platforms.

7 FLYING ELECTRIC GENERATORS:
The flying electric generator acts like a helicopter, a kite, and a generator. It has two or four turbines with rotor blades that make it rise and descend like a helicopter. The FEG would produce over twice as much electricity per year at typical locations due to the much higher high altitude wind speeds and their constancy.

8 LADDER MILL Consists of airfoils on one side of the cable loop oriented to produce maximum lift while the wings on the other side of the loop will generate a much smaller lift The result is a large difference in force between the two ends at the ground. Cable loop is guided around a wheel on the ground the force difference will drive the wheel

9 MAGENN AIR ROTOR SYSTEM (MARS)
INTRODUCTION It is a “Wind Power Anywhere” solution Innovative lighter-than-air tethered rotating device Generated electricity transmitted through the tether to a transformer at a ground station FEATURES OF THE MAGENN AIR ROTOR SYSTEM It offers high torque, low starting speeds, and superior overall efficiency output much closer to its rated capacity than the capacity factor typical with conventional designs Low transmission loss as Wind farms can be placed closer to demand centers operable between 2 meter/sec and in excess of 28 meters/sec Altitudes from 400-ft to 1,000-ft above ground level are possible Quick installation and needs no crane or tower for lifting pupose mobile and can be easily moved to different locations to correspond to changing wind patterns. less expensive power

10 MECHANISM OF MARS Magenn Power Air Rotor system is a closed three-dimensional structure (cylinder). MARS is filled with helium gas,. WHY HELIUM? Inert and non-flammable provides extra lift and will keep MARS at altitude in very low winds or calm air. Low leak rate of 0.5% per month or 6% per year, Hydrogen can be an alternate to helium but is not considered at this stage as it is a flammable gas. The use of hydrogen will be the subject of future MARS testing. MAGNUS EFFECT The aerodynamic effect that produces additional lift is called the Magnus Effect. It creates lift when a spherical or cylindrical object is spun while moving in a fluid. Additional lift is also created when the rotor is spinning in a wind.

11 WIND FACING AREA Compared to conventional wint turbines, other things being equal, MARS rotors are 50% as efficient as the best propeller rotors, in terms of their wind "intercepted area". Magenn rotors must have an intercepted area twice as large to produce equivalent output. Magenn cylinders are basically strong, closed structures and therefore can be built in large sizes at low cost -- substantially reduced capital cost in comparison to the propeller units. WIND FACING AREA INTERCEPTED AREAS

12 TURBINE & BALLOON Designed to fly at altitudes of 1,000 feet
Size: 325 feet long by 125 feet wide will produce up to 1 MW of power. Can operate in wind speeds ranging between 5 and 65 mph. MATERIAL Woven Fabric that contains Tedlar, Mylar and Vectran – this material is like a fabric form of plywood and is stronger than steel. Dacron or Vectran (Woven Fabric) Mylar (Interior Coating) Tedlar (Exterior Coating) A life span of more than 20 years. Resistant to UV damage, scuffing and abrasion. Successfully contain the helium, ensuring the gas does not escape. (Magenn estimates that it would take 18 years for the gas to escape fully.)

13 TURBINE & BALLOON PRELIMINARY DESIGN
Three rudder disks attached to it – one in the center and two on either end. These act like the rudder on an airplane tail fin, stabilizing the turbulent effects of drag Helps the balloon keep steady in difficult conditions. A small amount of negative forces, such as wobble, drag and yaw, will be exerted on the balloon, but these will be counter-balanced by the Magnus effect

14 WIND TUNNEL TEST General Motors Wind Tunnel used for test.
A 4,500-horse-power motor drives the 43-foot Generates wind speeds as high as 120 miles per hour, the speed of a Category 3 hurricane. Model of 1/20th the size of actual prototype. Made of fibreglass and hangs upside down from the rig with the same amount of tension that a helium-filled prototype would exert on its tether. FIRST RUN Model began to spin violently from end to end, proving that it is too unstable to survive wind conditions this harsh. CHANGE IN DESIGN Rudders modified to help keep the length of the turbine at an angle, thus allowing the turbine to orientate itself into the wind flow. SECOND RUN The rudders didn't seem to make that much of a difference and the wind continued to force the turbine to oscillate.

15 WIND TUNNEL TEST CHANGE IN DESIGN
The two outside rudders were removed, leaving only one in the center around the turbine. THIRD RUN This improvement made the turbine relatively stable, even with an increase in the wind speed. When the air flow rate is increased, the wind is redirected unevenly off the ends, pushing the airship from side-to-side. One disk gives the airship stability, but only at lower wind speeds. CHANGE IN DESIGN New chevron-shaped blades guided the wind along tapered edges to a central, stabilized disk. FORTH RUN – SUCCESSFUL Flow directed to the midpoint, stabilizes the airship just like a kite. Broad End of Blades in the mid harnesses maximum Energy.

16 TETHER: LOADS The tether looks like a capital Y — the main trunk, runs from the ground to the joint; the other two branches connect to the generators on the balloon and the winch on the ground. The tether must perform two essential tasks – it must be strong enough to hold the balloon, and it must conduct electricity. LOADS ACTING ON TETHER Sheer pull of the wind, Drag & lift. Twisting motion (torque) as it changes direction in the wind. Large amounts of shock loading as the balloon is whipped around by strong winds Crushing forces applied to it when the balloon is wound down These forces could apply up to 18,000 pounds of pressure to the tether at any one time.

17 TETHER: MATERIAL The cable is composed of a twisted Vectran core composed of 330 individual strands of Vectran. Vectran is one of the toughest plastics on the planet. Can withstand extremely high heats, and is very resistant to chemicals and moisture. Low creep, to minimize its stretch over time. In fact, Vectran has little stretch at all, regardless of how much pressure is applied to it. good yarn-on-yard abrasion resistance The end of every filament is painstakingly soldered to the connectors at each end of the cable so that the weight of the forces is equally distributed among them.

18 TETHER TEST: STRENGTH & CONDUCTIVITY
Two different types of tethers tested - One tether was made out of steel and other was made out of Vectran (copper wound on it, since vectran is not a conductor). Tethers tested by lifting a string of cars. The cars were hung from 15-foot sections of steel, then Vectran tethers. The car headlights were lit by an electrical current passing through the tether. The steel tether was tested first. Each of the cars was lifted, one by one. After the third car was lifted, the orange skin of the tether began to come apart and the tether snaped, dropping three cars to the ground. The copper-wrapped Vectran tether proved more efficient and lifted six cars into the air with their headlights on. The team had found the material with which to make their tether.

19 GENERATORS The Generators are placed on the two ends of the baloon.
Depending on size, either DC or AC generators will be used, with rectification as necessary. Voltage generated on the MARS is custom specified: DC, 380V 3 phase 50 Hz, 480 V 3 Phase 60 Hz 600 V 3 phase 60 Hz. THE OFF-GRID CONFIGURATION INCLUDES: Charge controller, storage batteries, and a DC-AC inverter to supply AC output at mains voltages. This equipment will be on the ground. ON GRID CONFIGURATION INCLUDES: Variable-frequency (doubly fed) AC generators, so that the generator can Remain synchronous with the grid and get the most out of the energy in the wind without motoring off the grid or causing excess reactive loading.

20 CONTROL SYSTEMS: Over speed controls incorporated in MARS.
On the larger MARS units, excessive speed is controlled by moderating tether height. Pressure, Rotation speed , wind speed and generator functions are constantly monitored and controlled. Extreme Winds - device should be reeled in and winched down to the ground Emergency Controls: A deflate system is an emergency system that would only be used if for some reason the rotor broke free or other extreme emergency. instant deflate device incorporated - if the MARS unit breaks loose from the tether or base, a rip cord type device cuts a hole in the envelope and the MARS unit safely floats back to the ground.

21 PROTOTYPE PRACTICAL TEST
MARS Alpha prototype of 29.5 feet by 57 feet was tested at an altitude of 300 feet in 2006 Turbulence at a lower altitude began to sway the balloon, but that slowly dissipated as the balloon continued to float higher. After reaching the desired altitude it began to rotate for a moment, before slowing down due to low winds. Few more tests were done switching up some of the aspects of the original experiment to increase the balloon's efficiency. the turbine floated at the proper altitude and rotated flawlessly, generating 200 watts of electricity. The experiment was finally a success. The prototype generated 2kW of electrical power. Further testing had been carried out to bring the power output to 10 to 12 kW.

22 APPLICATIONS MAGENN technology will be applied off-grid and mini-grid; combined with diesel power for developing nations, island nations, farms, remote areas, cell towers, exploration equipment, oil and gas wells, mining sites, offshore drilling stations, and backup power & water pumps. MARS rotors could also be used for on-grid applications for farms, factories, and remote communities. It would be ideal for the country like India which having vast verities in geographical landmarks to implement such power stations as it could be installed where it could be. It can the best solution for the power-crises faced by whole world. OIL RIGS REMOTE ISLANDS MINING

23 MODELS Originally planned to produce smaller versions(10 kW, 25 kW) of the MARS for residential use Magenn concentrates on creating even larger versions of the MARS capable of generating up to 2000kW of electricity. Magenn Power planned to ship out first official product of a 100 kW version in the later part of 2009 to test customers. Full production was scheduled to begin in 2010/11.

24 100kw MARS ROTOR : FEATURES AND PERFORMANCE SPECIFICATIONS
MARS 100kW Features and Performance Specifications Magenn Power Product Model 100kW Rated Power 101,000 Watts Size (Diameter x Length) 45 ft x 100 ft (plus blade height of 22 ft each) Shipping Weight Under 13,000 lbs Volume of Helium 200,000 cubic feet Tether Height 750 ft standard - up to 1,500 ft optional tether length Start-up Wind Speed 2.5 m/sec mph Cut-in Wind Speed 3.0 m/sec mph Rated Wind Speed 12.0 m/sec mph Cut-out Wind Speed 24.0 m/sec mph Maximum Wind Speed 30.0 m/sec mph Temperature Range -40¼C /-40¼F to +45¼C/+113¼F Generators 100 kW Total Output Form 380 V 3 Phase 50 Hz, 480 & 600 V 3 Phase 60 Hz or Regulated DC Warranty One Year Life Cycle 10 to 15 Years Price (USD) (Estimated) $500,000 USD Availability (taking orders now (2006))

25 100kw MARS ROTOR : ESTIMATED PERFORMANCE

26 CONCLUSIONS Easy installation, Portability and mobility make the MARS a good fit with rural areas, especially mountainous rural areas. It is can be very much suitable in countries like India, Mexico, Pakistan Lesser cost of power compared to conventional power Very much suitable for places which are hit by natural calamities, where the conventional Powergeneration systems like Thermal Power Plants, Nuclear Power Plants, Wind turbines, Solar Power Plants etc which all may fail. For example places like Haiti, Japan. It needs considerably wide area of about 50 to 100 acres. Cannot be installed in main cities. More work must be done to determine how larger versions of the MARS will perform at higher altitudes. It cannot be an alternate to the conventional wind turbines but can contribute to the wind energy generation.