Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Why giant turbines are pushing the limits of possibility
Offshore wind power is the development of wind farms sited in water where higher wind power is available to turn the wind turbines. The UK, China, and Germany are the top three countries that generate offshore wind power energy. One advantage of offshore wind power over inland is the wind speed, which is much higher due to the absence of obstacles and smoother surfaces. Therefore, offshore is more suitable for larger wind turbines. The larger the blades are, the more power is generated. These days, a single turn of wind turbines could generate as much as 10 megawatts, enough to provide electricity to thousands of homes in the UK. Now, the race to put up larger wind turbines is heating up. Indeed, it is theoretically more efficient to install and maintain one giant wind turbine instead of two smaller ones. However, that is depending on how far the wind turbines are from the shore and users. Still, larger wind turbines, which could generate 15 megawatts in a single turn, are being engineered. Imagine an offshore powerplant where each turbine has a rotor diameter of 235 meters, longer than the height of a 60-story building. The size seems to matter for wind power turbines.
Enjoy reading the article and learning about giant wind turbines.
No comments:
Post a Comment