The goal of this long problem is to validate the turbine performance estimates in specific (XYZ) wind regimes, and estimate its cost. Below is a list of tasks you will need to accomplish, but you are not limited to these if you want to do more:
• Estimate a reasonable wind resource (either a Weibull distribution or a Rayleigh with a suitable average wind speed value). Provide a reference that backs up your estimate.
• Find the power curve of a 100-kW class wind turbine that is available on the market. Provide a reference for your power curve.
• Estimate the energy output of the turbine (using the power curve you found above) in your assumed wind regime. Is the energy output of one turbine sufficient in magnitude over the course of the year to supply a village of 200 people? If not, how many turbines of this size would be needed? To meet the power demand, how many turbines do you think you would need?
• Validate/verify the energy calculations in Table.
• Draw a schematic of the village-based system. Demonstrate an overall understanding of the system and its components/applications. Take a high-level view for this illustration.
Note there are many possible schematics one could come up with, based upon a number of assumptions you will need to make. So, accompanying your schematic should be your list of assumptions. E.g. Wind turbine(s) of size X kW, tower of height X m water source at depth of X m, water storage at a height of X m above the village and piping distance of X m, etc., etc.
• Pick one of the overall system components below.
o Wind Turbine – Electrical output in the 100-kW class (it does not need to be exactly 100 kW, anything from roughly 30 kW to 300-kW would be fine)
o Wind Turbine Tower
o Wind Turbine Foundation
o Balance of station components (those items required for the installation and use of the wind turbine: Wiring, Transformers, electrical switches, etc.)
o Wind Mill – Mechanical power output (as alluded to in the paper); any size range of turbine is useful here. On a wind mill, the turbine and tower typically are one unit.
o Pumps required for the hydro storage.
o Tanks required for the hydro storage, or some other form of storage.
For the component you have selected, explain how it fits into the system and why it is essential. Provide technical information about the component, its cost, and reference material (typically a website) where more info can be obtained including how to purchaseWind Turbine for Rural Application in XYZ – A village-scale wind turbine (100-kW class) has been scoped out for use in a rural, XYZ village, as part of a project to evaluate the potential for coupled economic, social, and energy development in rural, unelectrified areas. Below are the needs of the economist in charge of this project, as pertaining to this class:
“The XYZ project was an ideation process in designing a system to accomplish numerous economic development stages. In order to move the project to the next stage, we need to estimate, probably very roughly, the costs of the system as designed: the initial wind turbine, the small hydroelectric station complete with pumps and storage, the ground water pumping and purification station, the water distribution system for home use and irrigation, the electricity distribution system, appliances as described, the grain mill and the compressed air vehicle. That’s a lot, but a dent will be a start.”