Challenges & Rewards for Engineers in Wind

Abstract

This article discusses the rewards and challenges for engineers in the wind energy sector. There are many advantages that wind brings to the energy mix. Wind turbines do not produce combustion byproducts and can generate electricity for comparatively low costs, in many cases comparable to some of the lowest-cost traditional methods such as natural gas fired combined cycle power plants. However, designing and maintaining a wind turbine is a challenging task, requiring close interaction between engineers of many different disciplines. The fundamental challenge in designing a wind turbine is for it to operate reliably and safely for twenty years or more, produce as much power as possible, and with the lowest possible initial and lifecycle costs. Meeting various requirements requires the participation of aerodynamicists, structural analysts, materials engineers, process engineers, and controls engineers, each of whose design decisions affect those of other members of the rotor, turbine, and wind power plant design teams.