Wind Power Plants
.
Wind turbines can be installed in single units, in clusters of two to ten turbines, and in large arrays, called wind power plants or wind farms. Wind power plants can contain large numbers of wind turbines. California's Tehachapi Pass contains several wind power plants, each with more than 1,000 wind turbines.
Wind turbines aggregated into wind power plants are thought to generate electricity more economically than single turbines or those in clusters. It can be more cost-effective to operate and maintain large arrays of wind turbines; however, concentrating wind turbines can reduce individual turbine production when turbines upwind disrupt the airflow of turbines downwind.
The arrangement of wind turbines in a wind power plant is often determined by local geography. Wind power plants on flat terrain are often assembled in long parallel rows.
In hilly or mountainous terrain running perpendicular to prevailing winds, designers often line the ridgetops with long rows of wind turbines.
Like conventional power plants, wind farms are an assembly of multiple independent generators—in this case, wind turbines. Although each wind turbine in a wind power plant operates independently, the turbines are typically connected to a central monitoring system. Whether power is produced from two turbines or from two thousand turbines, the power is aggregated and delivered to an electric utility network.
Wind turbines can be installed in single units, in clusters of two to ten turbines, and in large arrays, called wind power plants or wind farms. Wind power plants can contain large numbers of wind turbines. California's Tehachapi Pass contains several wind power plants, each with more than 1,000 wind turbines.
Wind turbines aggregated into wind power plants are thought to generate electricity more economically than single turbines or those in clusters. It can be more cost-effective to operate and maintain large arrays of wind turbines; however, concentrating wind turbines can reduce individual turbine production when turbines upwind disrupt the airflow of turbines downwind.
The arrangement of wind turbines in a wind power plant is often determined by local geography. Wind power plants on flat terrain are often assembled in long parallel rows.
In hilly or mountainous terrain running perpendicular to prevailing winds, designers often line the ridgetops with long rows of wind turbines.
Like conventional power plants, wind farms are an assembly of multiple independent generators—in this case, wind turbines. Although each wind turbine in a wind power plant operates independently, the turbines are typically connected to a central monitoring system. Whether power is produced from two turbines or from two thousand turbines, the power is aggregated and delivered to an electric utility network.
Comments