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The power coefficient [9] C P (= P/P wind) is the dimensionless ratio of the extractable power P to the kinetic power P wind available in the undistributed stream. [ citation needed ] It has a maximum value C P max = 16/27 = 0.593 (or 59.3%; however, coefficients of performance are usually expressed as a decimal, not a percentage).
The coefficient of power is the most important variable in wind-turbine aerodynamics. The Buckingham π theorem can be applied to show that the non-dimensional variable for power is given by the equation below.
The power coefficient, , expresses what fraction of the power in the wind is being extracted by the wind turbine. It is generally assumed to be a function of both tip-speed ratio and pitch angle. Below is a plot of the variation of the power coefficient with variations in the tip-speed ratio when the pitch is held constant:
The reason to vary the rotor speed is to capture the maximum aerodynamic power in the wind, as the wind speed varies. The aerodynamic efficiency, or coefficient of power, for a fixed blade pitch angle is obtained by operating the wind turbine at the optimal tip-speed ratio as shown in the following graph.
An example of a wind turbine, this 3 bladed turbine is the classic design of modern wind turbines Wind turbine components : 1-Foundation, 2-Connection to the electric grid, 3-Tower, 4-Access ladder, 5-Wind orientation control (Yaw control), 6-Nacelle, 7-Generator, 8-Anemometer, 9-Electric or Mechanical Brake, 10-Gearbox, 11-Rotor blade, 12-Blade pitch control, 13-Rotor hub
Whereas the streamtube area is reduced by a propeller, it is expanded by a wind turbine. For either application, a highly simplified but useful approximation is the Rankine–Froude "momentum" or "actuator disk" model (1865, [1] 1889 [2]). This article explains the application of the "Betz limit" to the efficiency of a ground-based wind turbine.
When rotor power or torque coefficient is assumed constant, the weighing function is: = and the corresponding weighted solidity ratio is known as the power or torque-weighted solidity ratio. This solidity ratio is analogous to the activity factor used in propeller design and is also used in wind turbine analysis.
Wind power measures how much energy is available in the wind, and it can be represented by the following equation = (/) where r is air density, A is rotor area, and V is wind velocity. [1] This means that the amount of energy available in the wind is directly proportional to the wind speed cubed. [2]