Editor’s Note: This story was originally published in 2023. It has been updated and declared part of our fall coverage;
Wind turbine in Indiana is becoming more common. The state already boasts the fourth largest farm in the US and produces more than 3,500 megawatts of wind energy.
According to the American Clean Energy Association, the uplifting windmills that reach the sky produced 10% of the total electricity used by the state in 2023. This is enough to feed more than 1 million homes.
With more projects in the work, wind energy is likely to continue to grow throughout the state. As the presence of noticeable energy generator increases, some curiosity arises.
So we chose Teresa’s question for this SCRUB HUB edition, who asked: Why is the wind turbines not turning at the moment?
It is possible that wind turbine blades reach 200 miles per hour, which may seem strange when some rotate very quickly and others nearby the knives do not move.
In some states, in the federal and industrial reports, we dive into academic energy technology experts to determine why some wind turbines and others remain motionless.
Short Answer: Turbine does not work for maintenance
Wind turbines, like all machines, need both planned and unplanned maintenance. In some cases, this explains why some work, but not others.
The main components of the wind turbine are the visible tower and the rotor blade, as well as the gearbox and the generator at the top of the tower.
Planned maintenance helps prevent wear and unexpected maintenance when the turbine is experiencing any numerous failure.
Regular preventive maintenance may include periodic inspection of equipment, changes in oils and filters, calibration and adjustment of various parts, as well as replacement of brake pads and seals. General housekeeping and blade cleaning may also temporarily prevent the turbine from spinning.
In larger wind turbines, several tracks turbines may be inoperative and non -rotating because they are all determined, said John Roudebush, Chairman of the Ivy Tech College program Energy Technology.
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Long Answer: Reduction, congestion and wind speed
Energy transmission in Indiana is carried out through the mid -air conditioning independent system operator, commonly known as Miso. The group handles electricity by balancing demand compared to what is generated, which means that there are cases of excess electricity.
“(Sometimes) we do not need power because demand is decreasing or other power plants sell power to customers,” wrote Roudebush email. In the letter. “The power plants compete on the network. The carbon factory, the natural gas factory or the wind farm will offer to sell power in a certain part of the day, and Miso will choose the cheapest day offer. Usually the wind is the cheapest but not always.”
John Hall, an associate professor at the University of Engineering and Applied Sciences at the University of Buffalo, focuses on his research into technical aspects of wind energy. Although some wind turbines will work normally, it said others could be stopped to meet the production of network demand.
“You basically have a utility company that distributes energy and purchase and real -time sales,” Hall said. “Based on how much they need, wind farms would turn off turbines accordingly.”
The industry calls the wind turbine that does not turn “built”, – said Hall, and this is done using a brake system where the rotor is time place. As the energy demand increases, the brakes are released and the turbine starts to supply the electricity again almost immediately.
Another obvious answer as to why turbines may not turn is that the wind speed is not high enough.
Turbines can usually generate power when wind speed is less than 5 miles per hour. If the speed falls below that, it is simply not enough to rotate the sometimes massive blade.
On the other hand, too fast winds can damage turbines, so wind turbine operators will build a rotor until the wind calms down. Turbines are usually closed when the wind speed struck about 55 miles per hour.
“The system is not for that, so they closed it,” Hall said. “It’s okay because it is rarely the wind at such a speed and it wouldn’t be worth creating it for several cases.”
In order to improve the efficiency of the wind turbines, Hall said there is currently a huge field of research.
“There are research on new battery technology and super capacitors and various ways to solve this problem,” Hall said.
Another solution to store excess electricity is hydrogen production, said Hall. Wind turbine managers could create hydrogen and store it later when the demand for the network increases.
Although fossil fuel factories may respond more to a constantly moving supply and demand for electricity, Hall said the future depends on renewable energy sources.
“If people care about the climate and want a better future for the future and the future, renewable energy, such as wind and hydroelectric power and flood power, are actually not only energy sources, but also vital to our existence,” Hall said.
Karl Schneider is an Indystar environmental reporter. You can access it by email. Email karl.schoider@indstar.com. Follow it on Twitter @karlstartswithk
The IndyStar Environmental Reporting Project is possible generously based on non -profit Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust.
This article initially appeared in Indianapolis Star: Why do some wind farms rotate when others are standing nearby?