Wind Turbine Power Generation & The Science of Emergence

I’d like to continue piggy-backing on my previous posts about localized data and control with an entry-level post about wind forecasting as it relates to energy production and energy markets. 

Wind prediction is part of our local, nightly newscast and the principles guiding it are scientific standards: low pressure persuaded by distant bodies of water make wind.  This is nothing new.  What is new, however, is the hyper near-term prediction of wind velocity, angle, density, etc. for the use in wind farm design and operation.  Day-out forecasts have long been available for these purposes, but several firms now offer data-analytics software (i.e. LIDAR) and turbine blade hardware that can make real-time predictions of incoming wind several thousand feet away.  Micro adjustments are then made to blade pitch and the like so as to better capture the energy within the wind.  This ability is not necessarily new as many newer turbine blades incorporate design that exploits complex hydrodynamic principles, but adapting them to further increase production is still ongoing. This is very similar to the use of automated flight stabilizing flaps used on commercial aircraft.   The below video is a quick, anecdotal example.

What’s more, I believe the concept of Emergence used in Science could also compliment the refined efficiency of large farms.  Emergence is the concept of self-organization without leadership.  Fire-flies, ants, fish, and the like use it to build complex societies and coordinate movement without the aid of central command.  It’s the same reason why some neighborhoods within a city sprout and gentrify quickly.  One unique shop or venue opens up and passerby’s stop.  Soon enough, people come to view the venue, start new venues, move, multiply, grow, etc. until a new neighborhood has formed with new character all without official direction.  I’m leading to the point that wind farms can benefit from this concept too. 

A farm built in such a way so as to capture wind data from the front-facing turbines could then communicate valuable data backwards to the “school” of turbines stacked behind it just as fish do effectively letting them "see" and adjust to wind in real-time.  Farms could make quick, forward-looking micro adjustments to harvest the best catch.  Assuring every installation of wind generation has more up-time is critical to making it a viable node within the larger generation/transmission system.  Independent System Operators will be able to consider using this power more regularly and at better prices with these increased efficiencies instead of it currently being relegated to generation for nighttime load.

A Final Dash of Salt…

This post isn’t a rant into the awesomeness of wind power.  Instead it’s an extension of my recent theme on data-driven, networked energy production and consumption.  I look at any opportunity to turn passive technologies (i.e. wind) into active and controllable ones.