Tech | January 23, 2010 | 10 comments

Wind Turbines Leave Clouds and Energy Inefficiency in Their Wake

source: http://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2010-01/wind-turbines-leave-clouds-and-energy-ineff...

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pjacobs51
Clouds stream in the wake of wind turbines arrayed at the Horns Rev offshore wind farm in this stunning photo. But David MacKay, a physicist at the University of Cambridge in the UK, sees the image as illustrating the common problem of back-row wind turbines losing power relative to the front row.

Downstream wind turbines may lose 20 percent or even 30 percent of their power compared to their fellows in front, according to a study on wake effects at Horns Rev that MacKay highlights on his blog. The paper also emphasizes that different wind directions make it practically impossible to gauge an overall "steady state" for large wind farms, unless researchers can sample wind speeds and directions at multiple points throughout the array.

This shows that wind energy may represent a highly visible form of alternative energy, but certainly not one without its quirks and controversies. Still, better technology can squeeze more juice out of each gust, and cooperative energy-sharing efforts can help offset the fickle nature of wind power,

Readers seeking more info on the energy revolution might also look at MacKay's book, Sustainable Energy -- Without the Hot Air. The work has received rave reviews from the likes of Science magazine and The Economist, and it's available for free digital reading here at the link.



http://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2010-01/wind-turbines-leave-clouds-and-...
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10 comments // Wind Turbines Leave Clouds and Energy Inefficiency in Their Wake

  • stonefree87
    • 0
      stonefree87  

    • So if I am reading this correctly, there's really nothing 'wrong' with this technology; it's just not producing as much energy as they would have liked.

      I think the obvious solution to this problem would be to just stagger the layout of the turbines? Why the hell put them all in a straight line? Varying altitudes wouldn't help; the wind is only so fast at certain altitudes. I'm sure they have these things set at the appropriate height.

    • 2 years ago
  • pukemnukem
    • 0
      pukemnukem  

    • What isn't mentioned either is the terrible effect that wind farms can have on migratory bird patterns as well. Like any new technologies (including green technology such as the catalytic converter) there are always costs whether they are seen right away or not. I am often confounded by how quickly people are willing to grasp onto the next new think without careful consideration.

    • 2 years ago
  • Weepowopo
    • 0
      Weepowopo  
    • pukemnukem:

      I would like to hear how this would happen seeing how little wind the turbines actually come in contact with and also with how low the turbines are I doubt they reach anywhere close the altitude in which birds would migrate.

    • 2 years ago
  • pukemnukem
    • 0
      pukemnukem  
    • pukemnukem:

      Its birds landing and they get struck. Also, most of the areas that are being turned into wind farms are typically open farm land which many birds use as resting areas during their migrations. The shear size of areas needed to make wind farming profitable means turning a massive about of landing space unusable by many forms of wildlife. Is a wind farm worse than say a massive industrial complex? Of course it is. But it still has effects on wildlife and they need to be carefully examined prior to widespread acceptance.

      You have to remember that for efficiency, the wind turbines must loss as little energy as possible. This means that wind turbines must be as quiet as possible. This in turn makes it difficult for birds to locate to prevent strikes.

    • 2 years ago
  • Weepowopo
    • 0
      Weepowopo  
    • pukemnukem:

      Seeing that the blades are huge and don't move fast enough not be visible, I highly doubt birds are flying in to them at least not at a measurable amount. And you omit the fact that these turbines have and incredible amount of space between them. Unless these birds are the size and as fast as a helicopter I don't think they have any trouble navigating between them.

    • 2 years ago
  • pukemnukem
    • 0
      pukemnukem  
    • pukemnukem:

      Again, its not just bird strikes, its the fact that it turns a massive amount of former open space into space unusable by many migratory species. It can cause breeding populations to fragment and various other stresses. I am utter confounded that no one else have heard about this issue.

    • 2 years ago
  • Weepowopo
    • 0
      Weepowopo  

    • It seems easy to fix. Just have every other turbine a bit shorter. This way the in front turbines wake is not directly in front of the next turbine. This should maybe not completely cancel out but at least minimize lost energy.

    • 2 years ago
  • creativesoul76
    • 0
      creativesoul76  

    • They should build the turbines of these wind farms at various heights. The turbine at the front would be the lowest, the next turbine back would be built higher as to avoid any of the wind drag of the first turbine. Repeat this process across the entire wind farm.

    • 2 years ago
  • controlusplease
  • maisry
    • 0
      maisry  

    • Wouldn't ya know there's a downside to this technology. Designers of wind farms will have surely come up with a fix - I hope.

    • 2 years ago
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