Challenges and Perspectives of Wind Energy Technology
Department of Energy Technology, Aalborg University, 9220 Aalborg, Denmark
Wind 2023, 3(4), 545-547; https://doi.org/10.3390/wind3040030
Submission received: 6 November 2023
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Accepted: 13 November 2023
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Published: 14 November 2023
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Challenges and Perspectives of Wind Energy Technology)
1. Introduction
Wind power, as a vital renewable power source, has undergone rapid developments in recent years. Globally, 77.6 GW of new wind power capacity was connected to power grids in 2022, with the total installed wind capacity reaching 906 GW [1]. In Europe, 17% of electricity consumption was covered by wind power in 2022, while in Denmark, 55% of electricity consumption was supplied by wind turbines [2]. The levelized cost of energy (LCOE) of wind power is reducing and wind power is becoming a competitive energy technology.
In order to transform the energy system, completely replace the present fossil-fuel-based energy technology, and develop future sustainable and decarbonized energy systems, research is being conducted in order to further improve wind energy technology, to increase its utilization and economic performance, and to enhance the reliability of wind energy systems. This Special Issue, entitled “Challenges and Perspectives of Wind Energy Technology”, presents some current technical challenges and promising solutions.
2. An Overview of Published Articles
After a rigorous review process, eleven manuscripts were accepted for publication in this Special Issue, including two reviews and one project report. The Special Issue covers a wide range of topics.
Offshore wind power offers the advantages of stable wind energy resources and a higher capacity factor than that of land wind turbines, in addition to not occupying land resources. Offshore wind power further avoids possible objections due to the visual and noise problems often faced by on-land wind turbines; therefore, it is anticipated that offshore wind power will be extensively deployed. However, offshore wind power requires a high level of investment in structure and power transmission, and has a high cost of operation and maintenance. Consequently, research on offshore wind power is required in order to improve its performance. This Special Issue includes three contributions (contributions 1, 2 and 3) related to offshore wind power technology, including one addressing new power electronic configurations for wind energy conversion systems (contribution 1), one addressing a DC collection system for offshore wind power plants and its impact on wind energy capture (contribution 2), and one proposing fault location technology for a HVDC transmission system for offshore wind power plants using an artificial intelligence approach (contribution 3).
Wind turbines have been widely installed in various natural conditions around the world; however, when under different conditions, some special considerations may need to be taken for their optimum utilization. This Special Issue presents some contributions that discuss wind conversion systems within various contexts. Contribution 4 analyzes the various factors that affect the applicability of wind power technology in Colombian Territory, while Contribution 5 presents a review with a specific design and thematic criteria, focusing on multidimensional sustainability challenges and onshore wind power generation in Northeast Brazil. Contribution 6, as a project report, describes a case study of grid-connected small wind turbines in urban areas.
Furthermore, it has been found that some wind turbines experience special weather conditions that present significant challenges to the technology; as such, the relevant measures must be taken to ensure the reliability of the wind turbines. Contribution 7 analyzes the effects of icing on the aerodynamics and performance of a vertical-axis wind turbine using the CFD approach, while Contribution 8 presents research on wind power forecasting in a semi-arid region, utilizing machine learning methods to enhance the accuracy.
The exploration of new technology continues. With the potential of competing permanent magnet (PM) machines currently being widely employed in the wind industry, Contribution 9 reviews the application of non-conventional wind generators based on non-PM (wound-field) stator-mounted flux modulation machines. Meanwhile, Contribution 10 presents a framework of virtual testing workflows for wind turbines in order to support the virtual validation processes of the wind power system with increased complexity.
Contribution 11 investigates the supply of energy and water on islands, with regard to wind power. Two schemes of energy storage are considered; one is pumped hydro storage (PHS) and the other is a combined PHS and electrolyzer–hydrogen storage fuel cell system.
3. Conclusions
This compilation of publications is devoted to a diverse range of research activities in wind energy technology, addressing challenges and reflecting on new perspectives.
Wind power, as a vital energy source in future energy systems, is still evolving. As such, many challenges remain to be addressed, from large-scale applications in power grids and super grids to green hydrogen and synthetic hydrocarbon fuel systems, and from small urban wind turbines to microgrids on islands and in extreme conditions. New concepts and methodologies are emerging, from materials and components to wind power plants, from design tools to control systems, as well as artificial intelligence-based approaches. Dynamic and continuous changes in technologies are anticipated; thus, the current studies presented in this Special Issue should not only be seen as the results of investigations carried out by the respective researchers, but also as starting points, inviting researchers to conduct further studies in the future.
List of Contributions
- Bettoni, S.d.S.; Ramos, H.d.O.; Matos, F.F.; Mendes, V.F. Cascaded H-Bridge Multilevel Converter Applied to a Wind Energy Conversion System with Open-End Winding. Wind 2023, 3, 232–252. https://doi.org/10.3390/wind3020014.
- Lakshmanan, P. Power Curtailment Analysis of DC Series–Parallel Offshore Wind Farms. Wind 2022, 2, 466–478. https://doi.org/10.3390/wind2030025.
- Ashrafi Niaki, S.H.; Sahebkar Farkhani, J.; Chen, Z.; Bak-Jensen, B.; Hu, S. An Intelligent Method for Fault Location Estimation in HVDC Cable Systems Connected to Offshore Wind Farms. Wind 2023, 3, 361–374. https://doi.org/10.3390/wind3030021.
- Rodriguez-Caviedes, A.; Gil-García, I.C. Multifactorial Analysis to Determine the Applicability of Wind Power Technologies in Favorable Areas of the Colombian Territory. Wind 2022, 2, 357–393. https://doi.org/10.3390/wind2020020.
- da Silva, V.P.; Galvão, M.L.d.M. Onshore Wind Power Generation and Sustainability Challenges in Northeast Brazil: A Quick Scoping Review. Wind 2022, 2, 192–209. https://doi.org/10.3390/wind2020011.
- Bassi, W.; Rodrigues, A.L.; Sauer, I.L. Implantation, Operation Data and Performance Assessment of An Urban Area Grid-Connected Small Wind Turbine. Wind 2022, 2, 711–732. https://doi.org/10.3390/wind2040037.
- Gerrie, S.; Islam, S.Z.; Gerrie, C.; Droubi, G.; Asim, T. The Impact of Ice Formation on Vertical Axis Wind Turbine Performance and Aerodynamics. Wind 2023, 3, 16–34. https://doi.org/10.3390/wind3010003.
- Araujo, M.L.S.; Kitagawa, Y.K.L.; Weyll, A.L.C.; Lima, F.J.L.d.; Santos, T.S.d.; Jacondino, W.D.; Silva, A.R.; Filho, M.d.C.; Bezerra, W.R.P.; Melo Filho, J.B.d.; et al. Wind Power Forecasting in a Semi-Arid Region Based on Machine Learning Error Correction. Wind 2023, 3, 496–512. https://doi.org/10.3390/wind3040028.
- Udosen, D.; Kalengo, K.; Akuru, U.B.; Popoola, O.; Munda, J.L. Non-Conventional, Non-Permanent Magnet Wind Generator Candidates. Wind 2022, 2, 429–450. https://doi.org/10.3390/wind2030023.
- Zhang, Y.; Roeder, J.; Jacobs, G.; Berroth, J.; Hoepfner, G. Virtual Testing Workflows Based on the Function-Oriented System Architecture in SysML: A Case Study in Wind Turbine Systems. Wind 2022, 2, 599–616. https://doi.org/10.3390/wind2030032.
- Bertsiou, M.M.; Baltas, E. Power to Hydrogen and Power to Water Using Wind Energy. Wind 2022, 2, 305–324. https://doi.org/10.3390/wind2020017.
Conflicts of Interest
The author declares no conflict of interest.
References
- CWEC Global Wind Report. Available online: https://gwec.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/GWEC-2023_interactive.pdf (accessed on 6 November 2023).
- Wind Energy in Europe, “2022 Statistics and the outlook for 2023–2027”. Wind Europe. Available online: https://windeurope.org/ (accessed on 6 November 2023).
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MDPI and ACS Style
Chen, Z. Challenges and Perspectives of Wind Energy Technology. Wind 2023, 3, 545-547. https://doi.org/10.3390/wind3040030
AMA Style
Chen Z. Challenges and Perspectives of Wind Energy Technology. Wind. 2023; 3(4):545-547. https://doi.org/10.3390/wind3040030
Chicago/Turabian StyleChen, Zhe. 2023. "Challenges and Perspectives of Wind Energy Technology" Wind 3, no. 4: 545-547. https://doi.org/10.3390/wind3040030
APA StyleChen, Z. (2023). Challenges and Perspectives of Wind Energy Technology. Wind, 3(4), 545-547. https://doi.org/10.3390/wind3040030
