Matching wind turbine generators with wind regime in Egypt

This paper presents a novel method of matching wind turbine generators to a site using turbine performance index (TPI) in conjunction with minimum deviation ratio (DR) between rated speed of wind turbine generator (WTG) and optimal speed and resulting in minimum cost of energy (COE). The methodology allows yielding higher energy production at higher capacity factor and minimum cost of energy. The wind speeds are parameterized using cubic mean cube-root and statistically modeled using Weibull probability density function. Normalized power (P(N)) and capacity factor (CF) are expressed entirely in normalized rated speed. The plots of P(N), CF and TPI versus normalized rated wind speed are drawn for known values of Weibull parameters of a site. The proposed methodology for identifying optimum wind turbine generator parameters for two sites with installed WTG and two candidate locations for installation of Wit in Egypt are examined. The cost of energy (COE) and capital cost of Wit under different tower heights at the sites are also determined. The proposed methodology, if used at the planning and development stages of wind power stations, will serve as useful tool to make a judicious choice of a wind turbine generator that yields higher energy at higher capacity factor. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.