Copy of `Fact Sheets - Glossary of wind energy`

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Fact Sheets - Glossary of wind energy Category: Sciences > Glossary of wind energy Date & country: 19/11/2010, USA Words: 36

O&M Costs
Operation and maintenance costs.

Wind farm
A group of wind turbines, often owned and maintained by one company. Also known as a wind power plant.

Yaw
The movement of the tower top turbine that allows the turbine to stay into the wind.

Upwind
On the same side as the direction from which the wind is blowing windward.

VAWT
Vertical axis wind turbine.

Turbulence
The changes in wind speed and direction, frequently caused by obstacles.

Swept area
The area swept by the turbine rotor, A = pi R 2 , where R is the radius of the rotor.

Tip speed ratio
The speed at the tip of the rotor blade as it moves through the air divided by the wind velocity. This is typically a design requirement for the turbine.

Start-up wind speed
The wind speed at which a wind turbine rotor will begin to spin. See also cut-in wind speed.

Rotor
The rotating part of a wind turbine, including either the blades and blade assembly or the rotating portion of a generator.

Rotor diameter
The diameter of the circle swept by the rotor.

Rotor speed
The revolutions per minute of the wind turbine rotor.

Rated wind speed
The lowest wind speed at which the rated output power of a wind turbine is produced.

PURPA
Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act (1978), 16 U.S.C. § 2601.18 CFR §292 that refers to small generator utility connection rules.

Rated output capacity
The output power of a wind machine operating at the rated wind speed.

Power curve
A chart showing a wind turbine's power output across a range of wind speeds.

PUC
Public Utility Commission, a state agency which regulates utilities. In some areas known as Public Service Commission (PSC).

Nacelle
The body of a propeller-type wind turbine, containing the gearbox, generator, blade hub, and other parts.

Power Coefficient
The ratio of the power extracted by a wind turbine to the power available in the wind stream.

MW
Megawatt, a measure of power (1,000,000 watts).

Inverter
A device that converts direct current (DC) to alternating current (AC).

kW
Kilowatt, a measure of power for electrical current (1000 watts).

kWh
Kilowatt-hour, a measure of energy equal to the use of one kilowatt in one hour.

Furling
A passive protection for the turbine where typically the rotor folds either up or around the tail vane.

Grid
The utility distribution system. The network that connects electricity generators to electricity users.

HAWT
Horizontal axis wind turbine.

Cut-out wind speed
The wind speed at which a wind turbine ceases to generate electricity.

Density
Mass per unit of volume.

Downwind
On the opposite side from the direction from which the wind is blowing.

Converter
See Inverter.

Cut-in wind speed
The wind speed at which a wind turbine begins to generate electricity.

Blades
The aerodynamic surface that catches the wind.

Brake
Various systems used to stop the rotor from turning.

Anemometer
A device to measure the wind speed.

Average wind speed
The mean wind speed over a specified period of time.

Ampere-hour
A unit for the quantity of electricity obtained by integrating current flow in amperes over the time in hours for its flow; used as a measure of battery capacity.