Best areas for wind turbine technology
Naturally, the highest wind potential is observed on the sea coasts, on hills and mountains. Nevertheless, there are many other areas with potential wind, sufficient for use in wind energy. As an energy source, wind is less predictable in contrast to, for example, the Sun, but at certain times of the presence of wind is observed throughout the day. The wind resources affects the Earth’s terrain and obstructions, located at an altitude of 100 meters. Therefore, the wind is largely dependent on local conditions than the energy of the sun. In hilly terrain, for example, two sites may have similar solar potential, but it is quite possible that their wind potential will be different, primarily because of differences in the topography and direction of wind flow.
What quantity of wind energy can be high in the sky? Researchers analyzed data for the 28-year period and found that best areas for wind turbine technology are at high-altitude winds which do not only contain enough energy to meet global energy demand by 100 times, but they also found that the best place to “catch the wind” – over the population centers of East Asia and the eastern United States. Ken Kaldeyra from the Department of Global Ecology, Carnegie Institution and Cristina Archer of the University of California created the first maps of wind power to higher altitudes and identify potential energy density of the wind (kW/m2), which takes into account wind speed and air density.
Their study showed that the density of wind energy is the highest near population centers, especially over Japan and eastern China, the eastern seaboard of the United States, South Australia and north-eastern Africa. In these areas at high altitude the average density of wind energy is 10kVt/m2 – for comparison, wind at ground level, at best, a kW/m2. Ideally, researchers say, should be at the height of jet streams, more than 9,000 meters, where the winds blow much stronger and they are more constant than the near-surface winds. Jet stream winds up to 10 times faster than surface winds, making them more permanent and reliable for the generation of renewable energy, despite their seasonal migrations.
For the accumulation of such wind energy at best areas for wind turbine technology, are offered a number of technologies, including kites, which under the current design can produce up to 40 MW of energy. In addition, the researchers studied high-altitude wind sources of the five largest cities – New York, Tokyo, Seoul. Sao Paulo and Mexico City. City, located north (New York, Tokyo and Seoul) to have better high-altitude wind energy sources than those located in tropical latitudes. In New York, the highest energy density – 16 kW/m2. But in fact, the wind in the upper atmosphere does not blow constantly, and even in the best sites, it is not blowing, and 5% of the time. But even the quiet high-altitude winds could provide enormous power, if we can develop the technology of wind turbines, which can safely store this energy.
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