The collaborators of Nizhyn laboratories of scanning devices (Ukraine) develop the new methods and equipment for Electrical Power Production based on the use of Renewable Energy of Wind, Water and Sun. The Wind Turbines are ideal for this mission, but when working in variable unstable air motion the wind power plants need the use of the precisions speed rotation stabilization systems and the stabilization of electric current that is supplied to the users or is sent into an electrical network. Adaptation of supplied electric current is not simple and strongly affects power efficiency of such systems, adding additional charges.

So a team of NLSD proposes the use of wind turbines in the systems of hydroaccumulaton.

As think the researchers of Nizhyn Labs of Scanning Devices the rational use of wind systems is their parallel work with operating hydrotechnical systems: water channels, hydropower stations and hydroaccumulation power-stations. In this case such wind systems can be used both for direct generation of electric current with the use of energy of wind and to carry out a mechanical work in the hydrotechnical systems, especially, in the hydroaccumulation systems by pumping of water from a lower level on a top level, in other words, returning «worked» water into a storage pool for a repeated use for production of energy with the help of regular hydro-HPS turbines. Such method allows raising the effectiveness of hydro-turbines and of all hydropower system.

The chart of a combined wind power plant (WPP) for water transporting and electric power production is shown on fig. 6. Wind power plant work in common with hydrotechnical system that provide of water transporting from the large reservoirs of fresh water to the droughty regions or to the cities. WPP is set in the point of height overfalls of water-supply channel. A construction of such WPP includes an electric power generation channel and mechanical water pump.

When working in the mode of electric energy generation the kinetic energy of air motion is transformed into a kinetic energy of wind turbine rotor and electrical generator rotor, which is hardly connected with turbine rotor. An electrodynamics system converts kinetic energy of rotors into electric energy which is transformed by means of adapters in an electric current. Parameters and characteristics of an electric current correspond to the standards of an electrical network.

When working in the mode of water transporting the kinetic energy of air motion is transformed into a kinetic energy of wind turbine rotor and rotor of (electro) mechanical pump that is hardly connected with him and can be made in accordance with one of the known charts. The pump system provides water lifting from a lower level onto an upper one and thus allows the subsequent water transporting under action of terrestrial gravity. The requirements of motion stability of a wind turbine working in the mode of water pumping are not such critical as in the mode of electric power production. Power efficiency of combined WPP is considerably higher in comparison with WPP that works exceptionally in the mode of electric power production.

A chart of a combined wind power plant (CWPP) for hydroaccumulation and electric energy production is shown on fig. 7. Such power plant is set on a lower level of water storage pool in a safety distance from an operating hydropower station (HPS or HAPS) dike. A combined wind power plant construction includes an electric power generation channel of and a mechanical pump for water lifting.

When working in the mode of electric energy generation the kinetic energy of air motion is transformed into a kinetic energy of wind turbine rotor and electrical generator rotor, which is hardly connected with him. The electrodynamics system converts kinetic energy of rotors into an electric current. Parameters and characteristics of an electric current correspond to the standards of electrical network.

When working in the mode of water transporting the kinetic energy of air motion is transformed into a kinetic energy of wind turbine rotor and (electro) mechanical pump rotor that is hardly connected with wind turbine rotor and can be made in accordance with one of the known charts. The pump system lifts the worked water from a lower level into an upper storage pool and thus allows accumulating potential energy of water. The accumulated potential energy of water in future is transformed into kinetic energy of falling stream, and then into kinetic energy of present hydro-turbine and then by means of electrical generator in an electric current.  

A wind 1 MW power plant is able to lift about 10 m³ of water every second from a lower level into upper storage pool, which is located on 10 meters height. Only one such system is able to accumulate in a storage pool every day more than 860000 m³ of water. A wind 10 MW power plant is able to lift about 100 m³ of water every second in an upper storage pool, thus a hydroaccumulation system is able to accumulate in a storage pool almost a 2х10-3 km³ of water every day and give a possibility of  20 MW hydro-turbine work during 12 hours.

Thus the new wind macropower systems allow using completely the hydropower potential of natural water flows and raising considerably the effectiveness of existent hydropower installation.

One of effective directions of application of wind macropower equipment – systems of desalination of salt water. The chart of a water desalination system with the use of wind power setting is shown on fig. 8. A system includes the following parts: reservoirs for accumulation, preparation and desalination of water; a combined wind power turbine that works in the modes of electric energy generation and water pumping; pump system of water streams transporting and an electro-osmotic system of desalination and water preparing. WPP provides electrical power to the electro-osmotic system and moves the mechanical pumps, which transport water into reservoirs and accordingly regulate its level and pressure.  

The use of WPP for water transporting, hydroaccumulation and desalination of water allows extending the use of alternative energy sources, arising power efficiency of equipment and lowering the ecological loading on the densely populated districts.

By Vasil Sidorov on March 20, 2009   in queltanews.com