Wind Power Technologies Flashcards

What is the primary environmental concern unique to offshore wind development compared to onshore?

Answer: Impact on marine ecosystems, shipping lanes, and fisheries

Offshore wind projects must carefully assess impacts on marine habitats, fish populations, shipping navigation, and commercial fishing operations not present in onshore siting.

Which federal agency has primary jurisdiction over offshore wind leasing in U.S. federal waters?

Answer: Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM)

BOEM manages the leasing of the Outer Continental Shelf for offshore wind development, issuing leases, approving construction and operations plans, and overseeing environmental reviews.

What is 'vortex-induced vibration' (VIV) a concern for in wind energy structures?

Answer: Oscillations in slender structures like towers caused by periodic shedding of wind vortices

VIV occurs when wind vortices shed alternately from a cylindrical structure at a frequency matching the structure's natural frequency, causing potentially destructive oscillations.

In a doubly-fed induction generator (DFIG) wind turbine, what does the 'doubly-fed' refer to?

Answer: Electrical power fed to both the stator and rotor windings

In a DFIG, electrical power is exchanged through both the stator (directly to grid) and the rotor (through a back-to-back power converter), enabling variable-speed operation.

What is the primary purpose of a wind farm's collector system?

Answer: Aggregate power from individual turbines and step up voltage for transmission

The collector system consists of underground or submarine cables and a substation that aggregate each turbine's output and step up voltage for efficient transmission to the grid.

What is 'sound power level' (Lw) used to characterize in wind turbine noise assessments?

Answer: The total acoustic power emitted by a turbine, independent of distance

Sound power level is an intrinsic property of the turbine describing total emitted acoustic energy, allowing comparison between turbines regardless of measurement distance.

Which wind speed metric is most useful for predicting annual energy production at a potential wind site?

Answer: Mean wind speed at hub height

Mean wind speed at hub height is the most directly relevant metric for AEP estimates because it reflects the actual wind resource where the rotor will operate, weighted by wind speed distribution.