Efficient Wind Energy Conversion: Evolution to Modern Design

Abstract

The vast dimensions of the renewable energy field have drawn diverse approaches, resources, and results for a long time. The continual changing behaviors and cycles of renewable energy have encouraged novel developments over the years with most commonly used approaches being three blade designs mounted on a rotor and are commonly used to harvest onshore and offshore wind energy. The renewable energy field is extremely dynamic and perplexing, thus creating a heavy interest in discovering the most economical, efficient, and reliable method to harvest renewable wind energy. Producing energy through the wind is well proven and widely used method with current activities focused on improving efficiency, performance, and reliability. A major challenge of wind energy is that it is available only when and where winds prevail. The electricity produced must be used instantly or stored for use in times when none to limited winds exist. The developments of blades have been based on the aircraft propeller design but extended over a larger area to capture much energy from the wind. This paper provides some basic guidelines on the optimum design staring from the historical design, recent developments, and opportunities. Some challenges on trends are discussed with novel ideas of some future wind energy harvesting designs for enhanced applications at greater efficiency.