Wind turbines generate electricity by utilizing the movement of the wind to rotate rotor blades, similar to how airplane wings or helicopter blades work.
As wind flows over the blades, it creates a difference in air pressure, resulting in lift and drag forces that cause the rotor to spin.
The rotation is then transferred to a generator, either directly or through a shaft and gearbox, to produce electricity.
This process allows for a smaller generator as the rotor spins at a faster rate.
Wind turbines are an increasingly popular source of renewable energy, but there are instances where these structures are being taken down.
Reasons for this can vary, such as the end of a turbine’s lifespan, the need for maintenance, and economic, technical, and societal factors.
Listed Below Are Some Reasons Why Wind Turbines Are Being Taken Down
No Wind
The turbine cannot be turned on since there is no wind. This may be due to the unusually calm weather.
The region might be experiencing seasonal breaks in wind activity in the area as a result of a seasonal change.
Nearby buildings or obstacles could block the wind if the wind is coming from that direction.
Wind turbines are designed to produce a certain amount of power output under optimal conditions.
Still, there is no guarantee that they will always be able to operate at full capacity due to environmental conditions outside of optimal operating conditions.
There is a difference between the optimal performance of a wind turbine and the realistic performance, which is influenced by external influences reflected in the turbine’s capacity factor.
If a wind turbine is not operating frequently due to a lack of wind, it may indicate that the location where it was installed is not suitable for optimal performance.
Wind Speed Is Too Low
Wind turbines can only begin to turn when they have enough power to do so when the wind blows strongly enough.
The wind speed indicates the point at which the wind surpasses the mechanical resistance of the turbine and begins generating bits of electricity once it reaches that level of wind speed.
Turbine speeds vary according to size, angle, shape, mechanical transmission, maintenance quality, generator, and the blades’ size and shape.
Wind turbines generate energy based on the amount of wind speed.
Since wind speed greatly determines how much electricity is generated, the amount of electricity generated by a wind turbine at low wind speeds will be a fraction of its power capacity or might even be very insignificant.
However, it is still producing electricity even though it is so old. Therefore, it is beneficial for wind turbine to have a low starting wind speed to optimize efficiency.
The wind turbine can be reduced to the point where it does not take advantage of the incoming wind and remains stationary for longer.
In some of the larger turbines with very high angular momentum of the rotor, the situation is a different ballgame altogether.
As the wind speed can be so high for these turbines when they are started up, allowing them to start up naturally can be wasted.
This is due to a potential waste of wind energy.
Consequently, they sometimes use an electric engine as a kickstarter to start the blades spinning.
They use low-speed wind energy to power the generator instead of relying on high-speed solid winds to initiate the operation of the generator.
Wind Is Too Strong
Wind turbines require a certain amount of wind to operate, but excessive wind can also impede their performance.
An air wind turbine can only be operated safely up to a certain wind speed, called the cut-off wind speed.
Wind stronger than that speed is too much for the mechanism to handle and poses a risk to both the machine and its operators.
There are built-in sensors and breaks on most wind turbines to prevent such a risk of overloading.
Wind turbines are equipped with these tools that evaluate the endurance of the wind turbine against the current wind speed and determine when it is time to shut down the operation.
In some cases, the blades of the wind turbine are orientated at an angle, making it impossible for them to capture the wind from the incoming direction.
A generator can also detach itself from the rotation of the blades.
To avoid overloading, the generator switches off and shuts down while the blades rotate with a strong wind to avoid damaging the motor.
Turbine Maintenance
The wind turbines must be shut down during maintenance or repairs, as it is almost impossible to perform maintenance on a wind turbine while operating.
This means that they must be turned off during scheduled maintenance and repairs.
By performing regular maintenance on a wind turbine, you can ensure that the wear and tear of the machine are taken care of to avoid sudden failures or emergency malfunctions.
Wind turbines must be maintained several times yearly.
It depends on how old the wind turbine is and what weather conditions it usually operates under.
Each maintenance process can also last from a few hours to several days, depending on how long it takes.
It is reflected in the wind turbine’s availability, which refers to when the wind turbine is ready to be operated and when it is ready for use.
In an environment where a wind turbine is available 90% of the time throughout the year, this indicates that 10% of the time, despite the presence of wind, the turbine is unable to operate.
Final Thoughts
Wind turbines are being taken down for a variety of other reasons.
One common reason is that the turbine has reached the end of its operational lifespan and needs to be replaced.
Additionally, some turbines may be taken down due to a lack of wind or because the turbine is no longer cost-effective to operate.
Some turbines also may be taken down due to issues with their location, such as if they are causing problems for nearby residents or wildlife.
Finally, some turbines may be taken down as part of a larger project to upgrade or expand a wind farm.
