LAUSR

The output wind power curve versus wind speed is the most important characterization parameter of wind turbines. It allows quantifying and analyzing the design performances of wind turbines, monitoring its database, and controlling the operation modes and manufacturing products. Wind power curve can be used to select the proper rotor size to estimate the potential of wind energy at candidate wind sites and to assess the control device of the operating conditions. Developing model strategies for wind farms has the basic objectives such as the optimization of wind power produced and the minimization of dynamic loads to provide the best quality of output wind power at reasonable cost. Optimal design of wind turbines requires maximum-closing to the cubical output wind power curve despite technical and economic considerations. This study aims to determine the design wind speed of a wind turbine based on modeling-optimization of the output wind power curve under certain working conditions. The procedure is applied to a unit wind turbine in Gamesa wind farm (G52/850, 10.2 MW, http://www.thewindpower.net) connected to an electrical grid located in south-west Algeria and extrapolated for other windy sites in Algeria. From simulation results, the design wind speed to inlet wind speed ratio V d / V in = [ 3 / ( 3 − a ) ] 1 / a increased from 0.35 to 7.68 once a increased from 0.001 to 2.9999. Consequently, the output wind power predicted an increase of about 17.7% and an annual specific wind energy factor of about 2.55%–4% than nominal value given by the manufacturer, reducing the unit average cost of the electricity, generated by wind farms, by about 18.75%.