Analysis of a wind turbine power transmission system with intrinsic energy storage capability

Garvey, Seamus D; Pimm, Andrew J; Buck, James A; Woolhead, Simon; Liew, Kai W; Kantharaj, Bharath; Garvey, James E; Brewster, Barrie D

Abstract

A wind turbine transmission system is described wherein mechanical power directly from the slow rotation of the shaft of a large wind turbine rotor is carried over to electrical power through a synchronous generator via the circulation of a high pressure gas running in a closed circuit. In the most straightforward mode of operation, power is injected into the gas circuit via special low-speed nearly-adiabatic compressors with very high isentropic efficiency and is extracted using an expander that is also nearly-adiabatic with relatively high isentropic efficiency. In other operating modes, it is possible to exploit the temperature changes arising naturally from adiabatic compression or expansion of gas so as to put energy into storage or recover energy from storage. This paper explores some of the design rationale behind such a power transmission system and uses exergy analysis to explain and evaluate its operation.

Citation

Garvey, S. D., Pimm, A. J., Buck, J. A., Woolhead, S., Liew, K. W., Kantharaj, B., …Brewster, B. D. (2015). Analysis of a wind turbine power transmission system with intrinsic energy storage capability. Wind Engineering, 39(2), 149-173. https://doi.org/10.1260/0309-524X.39.2.149

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Nov 25, 2014
• Online Publication Date: Apr 1, 2015
• Publication Date: Apr 1, 2015
• Deposit Date: Aug 24, 2018
• Publicly Available Date: Nov 19, 2020
• Journal: Wind Engineering
• Print ISSN: 0309-524X
• Publisher: SAGE Publications
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 39
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 149-173
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1260/0309-524X.39.2.149
• Keywords: Wind turbines, Energy storage, Transmission systems, Thermal exergy storage
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1102423
• Publisher URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1260/0309-524X.39.2.149