Wind Energy: Renewable Energy and the Environment

Wind Energy: Renewable Energy and the Environment
By Vaughn Nelson
Hardcover, 304 pages, 2009. CRC Press, publisher.

Written by a wind industry veteran, this is the introductory textbook we have been waiting for. In short, digestible chapters, this book marches through the fundamentals of wind, including well-diagrammed lessons on the wind resource, turbine technology, electricity, and the real-world application of wind power. The book does not shy from the math underlying the science, but it is accessible to beginners and includes practice problems at the end of each chapter. Each chapter also closes with extensive citations and helpful websites for further reading.

Wind Energy: Renewable Energy and the Environment is aimed at earnest beginners who want to educate themselves, and students at the undergraduate level.

Table of Contents:

Chapter 1: Introduction
History Wind Farms Small Systems

Chapter 2: Energy
Definition of Energy and Power Fundamentals Concerning Energy Energy Dilemma in Light of the Laws of Thermodynamics conservation and efficiency Exponential Growth Use of Fossil Fuels Nuclear Mathematics of Exponential Growth Lifetime of a Finite Resource

Chapter 3: Wind Characteristics
Global Circulation Extractable Limits of Wind Power Power in the Wind Wind Shear Wind Direction Wind Power Potential Turbulence Wind Speed Histograms Duration Curve Variations in Wind Power Potential Wind Speed Distributions

Chapter 4: Wind Resource
Wind Resources by Region Instrumentations Data Loggers Wind Measurement for Small Wind Turbines

Chapter 5: Wind Turbines
Drag Device Lift Device Orientation of the Rotor Axis Description of the System Aerodynamics Control Energy Production Calculated Annual Energy Innovative Wind Systems Applications Storage

Chapter 6: Design of Wind Turbines
Aerodynamics Mathematical Terms Measured Power and Power Coefficient Construction Evolution Small Wind Turbines

Chapter 7: Electrical
Fundamentals Generators Power Quality Electronics Resistance Dump Load

Chapter 8: Performance
Measures of Performance Windstats Wake Effects Water Pumping Wind-Diesel and Hybrid Blade Performance

Chapter 9: Siting
Small Wind Turbines Wind Farms Digital Maps Geographic Information Systems Wind Resource Screening Numerical Models Micrositing Ocean Winds

Chapter 10: Applications and Wind Industry
Utility Scale Small Wind Turbines Distributed Systems Wind-Diesel Village Power

Chapter 11: Institutional
Avoided Costs Utility Concerns Regulations on Installation and Operation Environment Politics Incentives Externalities Transmission

Chapter 12: Economics
Economic Analysis Life Cycle Costs Present Worth and Levelized Costs Externalities Wind Project Development Hybrid Systems