Investigation on the impact of design wind speed and control strategy on the performance of fixed-pitch variable-speed wind turbines

Wind turbine blade design optimization remains one of the fundamental research areas for modern wind turbine technology. The general design process for fixed-pitch variablespeed wind turbine blades assumes the rated wind speed as the design wind speed. However, for a fixed-pitch wind turbine with fixed rotor diameter and rated power at rated speed, we do not know the optimum design wind speed, which should be used for the calculation of the wind turbine blade parameters based on a particular aerofoil for a specific site with low annual mean wind speed. This paper investigates the impact of design wind speed and control strategy on the performance of fixed-pitch wind turbines through a set of design case studies. The design wind speeds are considered at the more prevalent wind speeds than the rated wind speed. Three different control strategies are addressed, i.e. maximum power point tracking, mixture of variable-speed and fixed-speed, and over-speeding. Annual energy production, blade manufacturing cost, aerodynamic load performance and cost of energy are analyzed and compared using the design case studies. The results reveal a clear picture in determining the optimum design wind speed and control strategy for both maximizing annual energy production and minimizing cost of energy

Design and Finite Element Analysis of Mixed Aerofoil Wind Turbine Blades

Wind turbine technology is one of the rapid growth sectors of renewable energy all over the world. As a core component of a wind turbine, it is a common view that the design and manufacturing of rotor blades represent about 20% of the total investment of the wind turbine [1]. Moreover, the performance of a wind turbine is highly dependent on the design of the rotor [2]. As well as rotor aerodynamic performance, the structure strength, stiffness and fatigue of the blade are also critical to the wind turbine system service life. This paper presents the design and Finite Element Analysis (FEA) of a 10KW fixed-pitch variable-speed wind turbine blade with five different thickness of aerofoil shape along the span of the blade. The main parameters of the wind turbine rotor and the blade aerodynamic geometry shape are determined based on the principles of the blade element momentum (BEM) theory. Based on the FE method, deflections and strain distributions of the blade under extreme wind conditions are numerically predicted. The results indicate that the tip clearance is sufficient to prevent collision with the tower, and the blade material is linear and safe

The ‘Role’ of the Community/Public Service Interpreter

This paper discusses the problematic nature of the concept of role as defined by professional sign language interpreters . The authors argue for a more rational approach that takes into account the expected behaviours of the monolingual participants in the interpreted interaction

Equality Challenge Unit Poster

This poster demonstrates work/research carried out for the Equality Challenge Uni

Outward Journeys Must not be in the Past

Outward journeys must not be in the past was a series of signs and posters, installed in Preston’s transport hubs, which examined the city’s significant relationship with modernist transport information design from the late 1950s to late 1960s. The artworks reflect Cherry Tenneson’s fascination with the prevalence of modernist signage in the city, such as the original Swiss influenced signs in the bus station; the railway station’s still-prevalent British Rail corporate identity signs; and the standardised motorway signage originally developed by Jock Kinneir and Margaret Calvert for the M6 Preston By-pass – the first motorway in the UK. Named after an error message on the National Rail website, the project emphasised the conflicting styles and messages which have developed in the city over time, and explored the role of typography within everyday urban experiences

Freire Residential Training

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Practising Place – Vocal landscapes: bodies, language and place

Practising Place is a programme of public conversations, designed to examine the relationship between art practice and place. Each event is hosted at a different venue in the North of England and explores a specific aspect of place by bringing artists together with people from different backgrounds, who share a common area of interest. Vocal Landscapes examined the role of language within experiences of place. Referencing locations such as the Lake District and the West Yorkshire estate of Whitley Beaumont, Amelia Crouch, in conversation with David Cooper, discussed how forms of language are used to govern, frame and re-inscribe particular places. Drawing on their individual research, the speakers also considered how place writing and visual art can expose the inherent tensions and hidden voices of landscapes, by attending to the intertextuality of place

Residential Freire Training

This report highlights activities and training during Freire residential and how volunteers are engaged, empowered and enable