Autonomous wind power plant for a country house. How to choose a wind farm for your home. Advantages and disadvantages of wind farms

To use wind energy need these details:

• wind blades - capture the wind flow, transferring momentum to the wind generator;
• wind generator and controller - contribute to the conversion of the pulse into direct current;
• battery - stores energy;
• inverter - helps to convert direct current to alternating current.

A wind generator is a device for converting the kinetic energy of the wind into mechanical and then into electrical energy. According to the amount of electricity generated, such devices are divided into large, with a power of more than 100 kW, and small, with a power of less than 100 kW.

Large ones, with a capacity of up to several megawatts, are used as single elements of wind farms that transmit energy to the main power grids for a large number consumers. Wind power plants are located on the shores of the seas, large reservoirs and in desert areas. A mandatory attribute for their deployment is the infrastructure for transmitting energy in power lines.

Separate small wind turbines, which will be discussed in this article, have found application for the power supply of private houses and autonomous objects for various purposes - telecommunication towers, street lighting, control system elements road traffic. They are installed next to the object and are often supplemented with a diesel generator.

Principle of operation

The wind generator is a complex of several devices:

The principle of operation of the device is that the pressure (pressure) of the wind rotates the wind wheel, which transmits rotation to the generator rotor. The generator rotor excites alternating current in the generator stator windings, which is fed to the controller. The controller converts this current to DC and charges the battery with it.

All consumers receive energy from the battery through an inverter (220 V) or directly (12, 24, 48 V - depending on the number of batteries). The energy of the windmill is not directly transmitted to consumers, which is associated with the instability of the parameters of the current it receives.

Types of wind farms

There are the following criteria for classifying wind farms:

1. Number of blades. Wind turbines with up to 4 blades are called low-bladed and high-speed. With the number of blades from 4 or more, multi-bladed and slow-moving. The division according to this criterion is due to the fact that the smaller the number of blades, the, ceteris paribus, the wind turbine has a greater number of revolutions.
2. Rated power. The criterion is rather arbitrary, but the following gradation is applied: up to 15 kW household (for private houses, portable), 15-100 kW semi-industrial (for small farms, shops, pumping stations), 100 kW - units of MW industrial - designed to generate energy used a large number of consumers.
3. The direction of the axis of rotation. This criterion is the most basic, as it affects the main characteristics of the windmill:
   • With a horizontal axis of rotation. Most often two or three-blade, high-speed. The advantages of such devices include: speed, which means a simpler generator; high utilization of wind energy and, as a result, higher efficiency; simplicity of design. The disadvantages include: high noise level, the need for a high mast for installation.
   • With vertical axis of rotation. There are many varieties of design - Savonius wind turbines, Darrieus rotors, helicoid rotor, multi-blade wind turbines. According to the author of the article, the merits of all such structures are highly doubtful. These devices have a complex design, require a complex generator, and have a low wind energy utilization factor (0.18-0.2 versus 0.42 for horizontal ones). The advantages include low noise level, the ability to install at a low height.

A matter of choice

When choosing a device, you need to answer the following questions:

• Required power in kW. It is required to estimate the total consumption per month and select a power plant according to this criterion;
• Equipment manufacturer. It is necessary that the products be certified for use on the territory of the Russian Federation, then you can be sure that the characteristics of the device comply with national standards for noise and electromagnetic interference. Pay attention to the warranty period and the service life of the device, it must be at least 15 years. Find out about maintenance and warranty repairs of equipment. It will not be superfluous to find out reviews about the manufacturer and the seller from other users.
• Required place for installation of a windmill. Start from your real possibilities. If it is possible to install a high mast with a horizontal type of device, then give it preference. Otherwise, consider a design with a vertical axis of rotation.
• Price. The more expensive is not always better. Here, as elsewhere, you can overpay for a brand or for features that are completely unnecessary to you. Clearly define your requirements for the device, do not order unnecessary components.

If it is possible to install a high mast with a horizontal type of device, then give it preference

Installation

When installing, it should be remembered that in the Russian Federation there is no ban on the installation of wind farms with a power below 75 kW and they are not taxed. But still, it would be useful to familiarize yourself with the regulations for the installation and use of such devices for each specific area.

What you should pay attention to:

• Permissible mast installation height;
• The presence of power lines near the proposed installation site;
• Permissible noise level in decibels;
• The presence of radio interference from a working power plant.

Permissible height is regulated by local regulations, but it is impossible to place the mast near power lines.

For the last two points, it is necessary to take data from the technical characteristics of the power plant. For suppliers and manufacturers certified in the Russian Federation, these characteristics comply with local legislation.

A good step would be to obtain consent for the installation from the neighbors and the organization serving the territory, if any. Consent must be obtained in writing.

When all the formalities are settled, it is necessary to determine the specific location of the mast. It should be noted that the efficiency will be higher if there are no trees, tall houses nearby and the mast is on a hill. The installation site should be chosen so that nearby buildings and trees are not in front of the windmill. It would also be wrong to place the mast on a hill, in front of a cliff.

The mast must be installed in strict accordance with the manufacturer's instructions. If necessary, qualified specialists and special equipment should be involved.

Price

Wind farms for the home are available on the market with a capacity from 0.4 kW to 75 kW of various manufacturers. The range of prices for devices of the same power is quite large.

Consider a table:

What's the matter? But the fact is that manufacturers often indicate the price only for part of the required set of equipment. Consider, for example, a 2 kW windmill sold by Energostok. The site says the price is 57,600 rubles, but let's go to detailed description goods.

And there is the price of a complete set of equipment: wind generator, controller, inverter, battery, mast. And the price of a complete set will be 176,800 rubles. Hence the conclusion - be sure to specify the price for the entire set!

The average prices for generators of Russian and Chinese production are as follows: 1 kW 100-120 tr, 3 kW - 200 tr, 5 kW - 300 tr, 10 kW from half a million, and powerful devices of 20 or more kW will cost more than a million rubles. If you buy equipment from a Western manufacturer or the USA, then prices will be 20-30% higher.

DIY wind farms

If you are going to make a wind generator, then you should pay attention to the resources of the Network, which involve 2 approaches: the first is to assemble all the elements with your own hands, and the second involves the purchase of ready-made components.

When assembling, the greatest difficulty is the manufacture of the wind turbine. It is not easy to manufacture blades for a horizontal axis of rotation design with the required aerodynamic characteristics. There are two options here: either pay for the manufacture of a workshop with the necessary tools and experience, or look towards a design with a vertical axis of rotation, for which the blades can be made from an ordinary barrel.

The generator can be purchased used, use a washing machine or industrial engine. Exists big choice ready-made generators and components for their assembly based on neodymium magnets.

The manufacture of the mast is a very important stage, because the safety of operation of the entire structure depends on it. You need to treat it carefully, entrusting the calculations of structural strength to a specialist.

Controllers, inverters and batteries are best purchased ready-made.

Diagram of a wind farm device for self-production

Install or not

When deciding whether to install a wind farm, you need to obtain the following initial data:

The algorithm for assessing the payback of a windmill is as follows:

• According to the wind map and technical specifications device to determine the generated power for the summer and winter periods or monthly. For example, for the 2 kW device discussed above, the generated power at a speed of 5 m / s will be 400 W;
• Based on the data obtained, determine annual generated capacity;
• Cost per kilowatt hour determine the price of generated electricity;
• Share the cost of the wind turbine kit on the resulting figure and you get a payback in years.

To make adjustments to the calculation, consider:

• Batteries will have to change at least once every three years;
• Service life of modern wind generator 20 years;
• The device needs to be serviced. The cost and terms of service must be clarified with the equipment seller;
• The cost of a kilowatt-hour is growing every year, over the previous 10 years, it has more than tripled. Tariff growth is planned for 2017 by at least 4%, so we can proceed from this increase in electricity prices.

If the payback figures obtained are not satisfactory, but you want to have an alternative source of energy or there is no possibility of connecting to a centralized power supply, then you should consider options for increasing the efficiency of the windmill and reducing the cost of its installation and maintenance.

The following options are possible:

• Installation of several devices of smaller power instead of one large one. This will reduce the price of the main equipment, reduce installation and maintenance costs, and increase productivity due to the fact that small wind turbines are more efficient at low wind speeds;
• Installation of a special network power management system combined with the central power supply system. Such devices are commercially available today.

• for the power supply of even a large private house, a power of 10 kW is enough;
• Assess the capacity of the power plant to generate electricity in your area;
• choose the right place to install the wind generator;
• control the completeness of the purchased equipment;
• use ways to increase the payback rate of equipment;
• if it's expensive to buy - do it yourself, it's not so difficult.

Russia is considered an energy-abundant country. This is true, but there are exceptions. There are regions where power lines have not yet been laid. Most often, these are uninhabited regions, northern territories and other hard-to-reach areas. Providing electric current in these areas is a very pressing problem, for which all possible options should be considered. One of them is the use of wind turbines.

How is a wind generator arranged?

wind generator is a processing device. The air flow spins the rotor, which drives the generator. The produced current is accumulated in batteries connected to an inverter that converts the received charge into a nominal value for household appliances and appliances. All equipment used is almost the same for any type of windmill and differs only in voltage.

As part of wind power complexes, different designs of rotating parts are used - rotors, which have their own advantages and disadvantages, different efficiency and capabilities. Today, there are a large number of developments that can interact with winds of different strengths and speeds.

Main types and design features

The main types of wind turbines are:

• horizontal,
• vertical.

Horizontal devices are propeller-shaped and are more efficient than vertical ones. This is due to the fact that only useful force is received, which is entirely used for processing into rotational motion. At the same time, a feature of horizontal structures is the need for fine tuning to the wind.

The deviation of the impeller causes a stop and, accordingly, the cessation of the generation of electric current. Another feature is the exactingness to height above ground level. The higher, the more efficient their work, since with the climb the wind strength increases and interference decreases.

Vertical devices devoid of the disadvantages of horizontal ones, but have lower efficiency due to the presence of a negative effect of the flow on the reverse sides of the blades. At the same time, they do not need wind guidance and do not require a high base, which makes them more convenient for maintenance and repair.

Unlike horizontal designs, which have almost a single type of rotor, vertical devices have a wide range of options. Accessibility and great opportunities aroused interest from designers who developed many types of windmills with various design features. Widely known:

• rotor Daria;
• design ;
• orthogonal rotor;
• Gorlov rotor;
• helicoid rotor;
• device, etc.

The list of all types of construction is large and is constantly updated with new developments.

Attention! Most designs exist only in the form of projects and prototypes, since the industry creates wind turbines in small quantities and they are not yet widely used.

Schemes of operation of wind turbines

There are two main wind turbine operation schemes:

• autonomous. The device produces electricity and feeds consumers. Distribution e has, work is carried out only with equipment connected directly.
• work in parallel with the mains mode. This connection option is widespread in the West - the windmill not only feeds its own consumers, but also gives part of the energy to the network, for which the owner receives a fee.

In Russia, only the first option is currently possible, since there is no equipment that allows combining grid and generated electricity as part of the backbone complexes. At the same time, for a windmill it does not matter according to what scheme it is connected to the system.

We are considering wind farms for the home

If we consider the use of a wind turbine as a power source for a private house or estate, then two main problems are immediately revealed that prevent the spread of wind energy among the population:

• high me;
• absence or extreme unevenness of winds in the regions.

Such circumstances force the majority to opt for diesel or gasoline power plants, which are more sustainable and generally cheaper, although they require fuel and have a negative impact on the environment of the region.

Choosing a wind turbine: approximate prices

If we consider industrial designs of wind turbines, it can be noted that their prices have several categories:

• low-power wind turbines, the cheapest, at a price of 40-100 thousand rubles;
• medium-sized complexes with prices of about 100-200 thousand rubles;
• powerful systems priced from 200 thousand rubles and more.

The most accessible are Chinese samples, which are noticeably cheaper than products from Russian or Western manufacturers.

When choosing a ready-made device, it is necessary to take into account the required power, the possibility of repair, as well as overhead costs - transportation, installation, configuration. In addition, you will need additional equipment - a battery, an inverter, switching equipment, etc. It is necessary to make sure that all this is included in the complex, otherwise its cost will increase by the price of what it lacks.

Is the price of a wind turbine justified for a private house?

The question is how much wind turbine cost justified, is in the plane of the possibilities of the owner of the house. If income allows, then any price will be justified. If we compare the cost with the cost of network electricity, then, of course, the difference will be very large. The service life of an industrial wind generator, declared by the manufacturer, is about 20 years. Given the harsh climatic conditions, it can be argued that the equipment will not be able to much exceed the declared limit.

Therefore, diesel or gasoline generators are common, which are more understandable to the average user and can be repaired by any craftsman. The fuel they need is purchased as needed, which is also convenient for users.

If there are no other options, then there is no point in discussing the prices for windmills, you just have to select the option that is optimal in terms of price and parameters.

Is a wind turbine really profitable?

There is a trick to this question. The benefit of a wind generator is that it makes it possible to use electricity and does not have a harmful effect on the environment. If the choice is between the absence of electricity and its presence, then the answer is obvious. If the comparison is made between the cheapest network electricity and a generated windmill, then the leadership will definitely be with network resources.

At the same time, it is necessary to take into account the possibility of self-creation of a windmill. In this case, the cost of energy depends on the costs of manufacturing, which sometimes turn out to be quite miserable. End result in this case depends on the experience, skills and production base that the master has.

Owners of wind turbines are known to fully provide their homes with wind energy, which they have enough for all their needs. But the most common option is when windmills generate only additional energy, which allows saving on lighting or water supply to the site.

The legality of installing a windmill

There are no regulations in Russia that directly regulate the procedure for installing wind turbines on their site. Therefore, no permissions are required. At the same time, officials from the administration always have the opportunity to find fault with various circumstances - for example, complaints from neighbors, noise levels or magnetic effects on the site can become the basis for a requirement to remove a windmill or bring its design in line with regulations.

If the wind turbine is installed on the site, then most likely there will be no problems. Another thing is if the device is installed on the balcony apartment building, but such situations are rare and there is no need to consider them. It has been established that the wind turbine is an electrical appliance, so its use is allowed in the same way as the use of an electric fireplace or iron.

What is better: to make a wind generator for your home with your own hands or to buy?

It promises a very big savings. Even taking into account the purchased appliances or parts, home-made windmills are ten times cheaper than those bought in a store. In addition to direct savings, home-made designs can significantly reduce maintenance and repair costs, since any master will disassemble and assemble his product blindfolded.

The only problem is the inaccessibility of the manufacture of the device for people who do not have a specialized education, skills, or at least elementary knowledge in electrical engineering. In such cases, the way out will be either the purchase of a ready-made device, or the use of alternative sources of electricity that are not so environmentally friendly, but accessible to them.

The use of wind generators requires development and promotion. The possibilities and prospects of this way of generating energy are quite real, but they need certain measures on the part of manufacturers and the administration. settlements. Separate private generators will not solve the problem of energy supply to the region, but for a particular owner of the estate, this option may well be a way out.