Life Cycle Analysis of Wind Turbine

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Life Cycle Analysis of Wind Turbine
Chaouki Ghenai
Ocean and Mechanical Engineering Department, Florida Atlantic University
USA
1. Introduction
The development of cleaner and efficient energy technologies and the use of new and
renewable energy sources will play an important role in the sustainable development of a
future energy strategy. The promotion of renewable sources of energy and the development
of cleaner and more efficient energy systems are a high priority, for security and
diversification of energy supply, environmental protection, and social and economic
cohesion (International Energy Agency, 2006).
Sustainable energy is to provide the energy that meets the needs of the present without
compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. Sustainable energy has
two components: renewable energy and energy efficiency. Renewable energy uses
renewable sources such biomass, wind, sun, waves, tides and geothermal heat. Renewable
energy systems include wind power, solar power, wave power, geothermal power, tidal
power and biomass based power. Renewable energy sources, such as wind, ocean waves,
solar flux and biomass, offer emissions-free production of electricity and heat. For example,
geothermal energy is heat from within the earth. The heat can be recovered as steam or hot
water and use it to heat buildings or generate electricity. The solar energy can be converted
into other forms of energy such as heat and electricity and wind energy is mainly used to
generate electricity. Biomass is organic material made from plants and animals. Burning
biomass is not the only way to release its energy. Biomass can be converted to other useable
forms of energy, such as methane gas or transportation fuels, such as ethanol and biodiesel
(clean alternative fuels). In addition to renewable energy, sustainable energy systems also
include technologies that improve energy efficiency of systems using traditional non
renewable sources. Improving the efficiency of energy systems or developing cleaner and
efficient energy systems will slow down the energy demand growth, make deep cut in fossil
fuel use and reduce the pollutant emissions. For examples, advanced fossil-fuel technologies
could significantly reduce the amount of CO2 emitted by increasing the efficiency with
which fuels are converted to electricity. Options for coal include integrated gasification
combined cycle (IGCC) technology, ultra-supercritical steam cycles and pressurized
fluidized bed combustion. For the transportation sector, dramatic reductions in CO2
emissions from transport can be achieved by using available and emerging energy-saving
vehicle technologies and switching to alternative fuels such as biofuels (biodiesel, ethanol).
For industrial applications, making greater use of waste heat, generating electricity on-site,
and putting in place more efficient processes and equipment could minimize external
energy demands from industry. Advanced process control and greater reliance on biomass
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and biotechnologies for producing fuels, chemicals and plastics could further reduce energy
use and CO2 emissions. Energy use in residential and commercial buildings can be
substantially reduced with integrated building design. Insulation, new lighting technology
and efficient equipment are some of the measures that can be used to cut both energy losses
and heating and cooling needs. Solar technology, on-site generation of heat and power, and
computerized energy management systems within and among buildings could offer further
reductions in energy use and CO2 emissions for residential and commercial buildings.
This Chapter will focus on wind energy. Electric generation using wind turbines is growing
very fast. Wind energy is a clean and efficient energy system but during all stages (primary
materials production, manufacturing of wind turbine parts, transportation, maintenance,
and disposal) of wind turbine life cycle energy was consumed and carbon dioxide CO2 can
be emitted to the atmosphere. What is the dominant phase of the wind turbine life that is
consuming more energy and producing more emissions? What can be done during the
design process to reduce the energy consumption and carbon foot print for the wind turbine
life cycle? The first part of this chapter will include a brief history about the wind energy,
the fundamental concepts of wind turbine and wind turbine parts. The second part will
include a life cycle analysis of wind turbine to determine the dominant phase (material,
manufacturing, use, transportation, and disposal) of wind turbine life that is consuming
more energy and producing more CO2 emissions.
2. Wind energy
The use of wind as an energy source begins in antiquity. Mankind was using the wind
energy for sailing ships and grinding grain or pumping water. Windmills appear in Europe
back in 12
th
century. Between the end of nineteenth and beginning of twentieth century, first
electricity generation was carried out by windmills with 12 KW. Horizontal-axis windmills
were an integral part of the rural economy, but it fell into disuse with the advent of cheap
fossil-fuelled engines and then the wide spread of rural electrification. However, in
twentieth century there was an interest in using wind energy once electricity grids became
available. In 1941, Smith-Putnam wind turbine with power of 1.25 MW was constructed in
USA. This remarkable machine had a rotor 53 m in diameter, full-span pitch control and
flapping blades to reduce the loads. Although a blade spar failed catastrophically in 1945, it
remains the largest wind turbine constructed for some 40 years (Acker and Hand, 1999).
International oil crisis in 1973 lead to re-utilization of renewable energy resources in the
large scale and wind power was among others. The sudden increase in price of oil
stimulated a number of substantial government-funded programs of research, development
and demonstration. In 1987, a wind turbine with a rotor diameter of 97.5 m with a power of
2.5MW was constructed in USA. However, it has to be noted that the problems of operating
very large wind turbines, in difficult wind climates were underestimated. With considerable
state support, many private companies were constructing much smaller wind turbines for
commercial sales. In particular, California in the mid-1980’s resulted in the installation of
very large number of quite small (less than 100 KW) wind turbines. Being smaller they were
generally easy to operate and also repair or modify. The use of wind energy was stimulated
in 1973 by the increase of price of fossil-fuel and of course, the main driver of wind turbines
was to generate electrical power with very low CO
2 emissions to help limit the climate
change. In 1997 the Commission of the European Union was calling for 12 percent of the
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Life Cycle Analysis of Wind Turbine
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gross energy demand of the European Union to be contributed from renewable by 2010. In
the last 25 years the global wind energy had been increasing drastically and at the end of
2009 total world wind capacity reached 159,213 MW. Wind power showed a growth rate of
31.7 %, the highest rate since 2001. The trend continued that wind capacity doubles every
three years. The wind sector employed 550,000 persons worldwide.
In the year 2012, the wind industry is expected for the first time to offer 1 million jobs. The
USA maintained its number one position in terms of total installed capacity and China
became number two in total capacity, only slightly ahead of Germany, both of them with
around 26,000 Megawatt of wind capacity installed. Asia accounted for the largest share of
new installations (40.4 %), followed by North America (28.4 %) and Europe fell back to the
third place (27.3 %). Latin America showed encouraging growth and more than doubled its
installations, mainly due to Brazil and Mexico. A total wind capacity of 203,000 Megawatt
will be exceeded within the year 2010. Based on accelerated development and further
improved policies, world wide energy association WWEA increases its predictions and sees
a global capacity of 1,900,000 Megawatt as possible by the year 2020 (World Wide Energy
Association report, 2009). The world’s primary energy needs are projected to grow by 56%
between 2005 and 2030, by an average annual rate of 1.8% per year (European Wind Energy
Agency, 2006)
2.1 Fundamental concept of wind turbine
A wind turbine is a rotary device that extracts the energy from the wind. The mechanical
energy from the wind turbine is converted to electricity (wind turbine generator). The wind
turbine can rotate through a horizontal (horizontal axis wind turbine – HAWT) or vertical
(VAWT) axis. Most of the modern wind turbines fall in these two basic groups: HAWT and
VAWT. For the HAWT, the position of the turbine can be either upwind or downwind. For
the horizontal upwind turbine, the wind hits the turbine blade before it hits the tower. For
the horizontal downwind turbine, the wind hits the tower first. The basic advantages of the
vertical axis wind turbine are (1) the generator and gear box can be placed on the ground
and (2) no need of a tower. The disadvantages of the VAWT are: (1) the wind speeds are
very low close to ground level, so although you may save a tower, the wind speeds will be
very low on the lower part of the rotor, and (2) the overall efficiency of the vertical axis wind
turbine is not impressive (Burton et al., 2001). The main parts of a wind turbine parts (see
Figure 1) are:
 Blades: or airfoil designed to capture the energy from the strong and fast wind. The
blades are lightweight, durable and corrosion-resistant material. The best materials are
composites of fiberglass and reinforced plastic.
 Rotor: designed to capture the maximum surface area of wind. The rotor rotates around
the generator through the low speed shaft and gear box.
 Gear Box: A gear box magnifies or amplifies the energy output of the rotor. The gear
box is situated directly between the rotor and the generator.
 Generator: The generator is used to produce electricity from the rotation of the rotor.
Generators come in various sizes, relative to the desired power output.
 Nacelle: The nacelle is an enclosure that seals and protects the generator and gear box
from the other elements.
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 Tower: The tower of the wind turbine carries the nacelle and the rotor. The towers for
large wind turbines may be either tubular steel towers, lattice towers, or concrete
towers. The higher the wind tower, the better the wind. Winds closer to the ground are
not only slower, they are also more turbulent. Higher winds are not corrupted by
obstructions on the ground and they are also steadier.
Fig. 1. Wind turbine parts
2.2 Wind turbine design
During the design of wind turbines, the strength, the dynamic behavior, and the fatigue
properties of the materials and the entire assembly need to be taken into consideration. The
wind turbines are built to catch the wind's kinetic energy. Modern wind turbines are not
built with a lot of rotor blades. Turbines with many blades or very wide blades will be
subject to very large forces, when the wind blows at high speed. The energy content of the
wind varies with the third power of the wind speed. The wind turbines are built to
withstand extreme winds. To limit the influence of the extreme winds and to let the turbines
rotates relatively quickly it is generally prefer to build turbines with a few, long, narrow
blades.
 Fatigue Loads (forces): If the wind turbines are located in a very turbulent wind
climate, they are subject to fluctuating winds and hence fluctuating forces. The
components of the wind turbine such as rotor blades with repeated bending may
develop cracks which ultimately may make the component break. When designing a
wind turbine it is important to calculate in advance how the different components will
vibrate, both individually, and jointly. It is also important to calculate the forces
involved in each bending or stretching of a component (structural dynamics).
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 Upwind/Downwind wind turbines designs: The upwind wind turbines have the rotor
facing the wind. The basic advantage of upwind designs is that one avoids the wind
shade behind the tower. By far the vast majority of wind turbines have this design. The
downwind wind turbines have the rotor placed on the lee side of the tower.
 Number of blades: Most modern wind turbines are three-bladed designs with the rotor
position maintained upwind using electrical motors in their yaw mechanism. The vast
majority of the turbines sold in world markets have this design. The two-bladed wind
turbine designs have the advantage of saving the cost of one rotor blade and its weight.
However, they tend to have difficulty in penetrating the market, partly because they
require higher rotational speed to yield the same energy output.
 Mechanical and aerodynamics noise: sound emissions from wind turbines may have
two different origins: Mechanical noise and aerodynamic noise. The mechanical noise
originates from metal components moving or knocking against each other may
originate in the gearbox, in the drive train (the shafts), and in the generator of a wind
turbine. Sound insulation can be useful to minimise some medium- and high-frequency
noise. In general, it is important to reduce the noise problems at the source, in the
structure of the machine itself. The source of the aerodynamic sound emission is when
the wind hits different objects at a certain speed, it will generally start making a sound.
For example, rotor blades make a slight swishing sound at relatively low wind speeds.
Careful design of trailing edges and very careful handling of rotor blades while they are
mounted, have become routine practice in the industry.
2.3 Wind farm
Commercial wind farms are constructed to generate electricity for sale through the electric
power grid. The number of wind turbines on a wind farm can vary greatly, ranging from a
single turbine to thousands. Large wind farms typically consist of multiple large turbines
located in flat, open land. Small wind farms, such as those with one or two turbines, are
often located on a crest or hill. The size of the turbines can vary as well, but generally they
are in the range of 500 Kilowatts to several Megawatts, with 4.5 Megawatts being about the
largest. Physically, they can be quite large as well, with rotor diameters ranging from 30 m
to 120 m and tower heights ranging from 50 m to 100 m. The top ten wind turbine
manufacturers, as measured by global market share in 2007 are listed in Table 1. Due to
advances in manufacturing and design, the larger turbines are becoming more common. In
general, a one Megawatt unit can produce enough electricity to meet the needs of about 100-
200 average homes. A large wind farm with many turbines can produce many times that
amount. However, with all commercial wind farms, the power that is generated first flows
into the local electric transmission grid and does not flow directly to specific homes.
2.4 Wind turbine power
The Wind turbines work by converting the kinetic energy in the wind first into rotational
kinetic energy in the turbine and then electrical energy. The wind power available for
conversion mainly depends on the wind speed and the swept area of the turbine:
(1)
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Table 1. Top ten wind commercial wind turbines manufactures in 2007
Where is the air density (Kg/m3), A is the swept area (m2) and V the wind speed (m/s).
Albert Betz (German physicist) concluded in 1919 that no wind turbine can convert more
than 16/27 (59.3%) of the kinetic energy of the wind into mechanical energy turning a rotor
(Betz Limit or Betz). The theoretical maximum power efficiency of any design of wind
turbine is 0.59 (Hau, 2000 and Hartwanger and Horvat, 2008). No more than 59% of the
energy carried by the wind can be extracted by a wind turbine. The wind turbines cannot
operate at this maximum limit. The power coefficient C
p needs to be factored in equation (1)
and the extractable power from the wind is given by:
(2)
The Cp value is unique to each turbine type and is a function of wind speed that the turbine
is operating in. In real world, the value of C
p is well below the Betz limit (0.59) with values
of 0.35 - 0.45 for the best designed wind turbines. If we take into account the other factors in
a complete wind turbine system (gearbox, bearings, generator), only 10-30% of the power of
the wind is actually converted into usable electricity. The power coefficient C
p, defined as
that the power extracted by rotor to power available in the wind is given by:
(3)
3. Life cycle analysis and selections strategies for guiding design
The material life cycle is shown in Figure 2. Ore and feedstock, drawn from the earth’s
resources, are processed to give materials. These materials are manufactured into products
that are used, and, at the end of their lives, discarded, a fraction perhaps entering a recycling
loop, the rest committed to incineration or land-fill. Energy and materials are consumed at
each point in this cycle (phases), with an associated penalty of CO2 , SOx, NOx and other
emissions, heat, and gaseous, liquid and solid waste. These are assessed by the technique of
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life-cycle analysis (Ashby, 2005, Ashby et al., 207, Granta Design, 20090). The steps for life
cycale analysis are:
1. Define the goal and scope of the assessment: Why do the assessment? What is the
subject and which bit (s) of its life are assessed?
2. Compile an inventory of relevant inputs and outputs: What resources are consumed?
(bill of materials) What are the emissions generated?
3. Evaluate the potential impacts associated with those inputs and outputs
4. Interpretation of the results of the inventory analysis and impact assessment phases in
relation of the objectives of the study: What the result means? What is to be done about
them?
The life cycle analysis studies examine energy and material flows in raw material
acquisition; processing and manufacturing; distribution and storage (transport,
refrigeration…); use; maintenance and repair; and recycling options (Gabi, 2008, Graedel,
1998, and Fiksel, 2009).
The eco audit or life cycle analyis and selection strategies for guiding the design are:
The first step is to develop a tool that is approximate but retains sufficient discrimination to
differentiate between alternative choices. A spectrum of levels of analysis exist, ranging
from a simple eco-screening against a list of banned or undesirable materials and processes
to a full LCA, with overheads of time and cost.
The second step is to select a single measure of eco-stress. On one point there is some
international agreement: the Kyoto Protocol committed the developed nations that signed it
to progressively reduce carbon emissions, meaning CO2 (Kyoto Protocol, 1997). At the
national level the focus is more on reducing energy consumption, but since this and CO2
production are closely related, they are nearly equivalent. Thus there is certain logic in
basing design decisions on energy consumption or CO2 generation; they carry more
conviction than the use of a more obscure indicator. We shall follow this route, using
energy as our measure. The third step is to separate the contributions of the phases of life
because subsequent action depends on which is the dominant one. If it is that a material
production, then choosing a material with low “embodied energy” is the way forward. But
if it is the use phase, then choosing a material to make use less energy-intensive is the right
approach, even if it has a higher embodied energy.
For selection to minimize eco-impact we must first ask: which phase of the life cycle of the
product under consideration makes the largest impact on the environment? The answer
guides material selection. To carry out an eco-audit we need the bill of material, shaping or
manufacturing process, transportation used of the parts of the final product, the duty cycle
during the use of the product, and also the eco data for the energy and CO2 footprints of
materials and manufacturing process.
The Life-Cycle Analysis has now become a vital sustainable development tool. It enables the
major aspects of a product’s environmental impact to be targeted, prioritization of any
improvements to be made to processes, and a comparison of two products with the same
function on the basis of their environmental profiles.
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Fig. 2. Material Life cycle analysis
4. Results: Life cycle analysis of 2.0 MW wind turbine
Life cycle analysis (LCA) of 2.0 MW wind turbine is presented in this chapter. The LCA
addresses the energy use and carbon foot print for the five phases (materials,
manufacturing, transportation, use and disposal) through the product life cycle (Martinnez
et al., 2009 and Nalukowe et al., 2006). Power generation from wind turbine is a renewable
and sustainable energy but in a life cycle perspective wind turbines consumes energy
resources and causes emissions during the production of raw materials, manufacturing
process, its use, transportation and disposal. In order to determine the impacts of power
generation using wind turbine, all components needed for the production of electricity
should be include in the analysis including the tower, nacelle, rotor, foundation and
transmission.
The bill of materials for a 2 MW land-based turbine (Elsam Engineering, 2004, Nordex, 2004,
and Visat, 2005) is listed in Table 2. Some energy is consumed during the turbine’s life
(expected to be 25 years), mostly in primary materials production, manufacturing processes,
and transport associated with maintenance. The energy for the transportation of small and
large parts of the wind turbine and the nergy used for maintenace was calculated from
information on inspection and service visits in the Vestas report (Elsam Engineering, 2004,
Nordex, 2004, and Visat, 2005) and estimates of distances travelled (entered under “Static”
use mode as 200 hp used for 2 hours 3 days per year). The manufacturing process for the
wind turbine parst are summarized in Table 3.
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Table 2. Bill of Materials for the 2 MW Wind Turbines
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Component
Manufacturing Process
Tower structure
Forging, rolling
Tower, Cathodic Protection
Casting
Nacelle, gears
Forging, rolling
Nacelle, generator core
Forging, rolling
Nacelle, generator conductors
Forging, rolling
Nacelle, transformer core
Forging, rolling
Nacelle, transformer conductors – Copper
Forging, rolling
Nacelle, transformer conductors – Aluminum
Forging, rolling
Nacelle, cover
Composite forming
Nacelle, main shaft
Casting
Nacelle, other forged components
Forging, rolling
Nacelle, other cast components
Casting
Rotor, blades
Composite forming
Rotor, iron components
Casting
Rotor, spinner
Composite forming
Rotor, spinner
Casting
Foundations, pile & platform
Construction
Foundations, steel
Forging, rolling
Transmission, conductors – Copper
Forging, rolling
Transmission, conductors – Aluminum
Forging, rolling
Transmission, insulation
Polymer extrusion
Table 3. Manufacturing Processes
The net energy demands of each phase of life are summarized in Figure 3. The life cycle
analysis was performed first without recycled wind turbine materials sent to landfill). The
second analysis was performed with recycled wind turbine materials (the wind turbine
materials that can be recycled were sent to recycling at the end life of the wind turbine). Figure
3 and Table 4 show clearly that the dominant phase that is consuming more energy and
produccing more CO2 emisions is the material phase. More energy is consumed and high
amount of CO2 is released in the atmosphere during the primary material production of the
wind turbine parts. The second dominant phase is the manufacuring process when the parts of
turbine are sent to landfill at the end life of the turbine. The results also show the benefits of
recycling the materials at the end life of the wind turbine. If all the materials are sent to landfill
at the end of life of the wind turbine, 2.18 E+011 J of energy (1.1 % of the total energy) is
needed to process these materials and 13095.71 Kg of CO2 (0.9% increase of the total CO2) are
released to the atmosphere at the end of life of the turbine. If the material of the wind turbine
are recycled, a total energy of 6.85E+012 J representing 54.8% of the total energy is recovered at
the end life of the material. A net reduction of C02 emissions by 495917.28 Kg (55.4% of the
total CO2 emission) is obtained by recycling the wind turbine material (see Table 4).
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Life Cycle Analysis of Wind Turbine
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Fig. 3. Life Cycle Analysis of Wind Turbine - With and Without Wind Turbine Material
Recycling
Table 4. Energy and CO2 Footprint Summary – Wind Turbine
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Table 5. Construction Energy, Wind Turbine Energy Output and Energy Pay Back Time
The turbine is rated at 2 MW but it produces this power only with the right wind conditions.
In a best case scenario the turbine runs at an average capacity factor of 40% giving an annual
energy output of 7.0 x 10
6
kWhr /year. The total energy generated by the turbine over a 25
year life is 175 x 10
6
kWhr (see Table 5). The total energy generated by the turbine over 25
year life time is about 32.32 times the energy required to build and service it (5.41 10
6
kWhr)
if the turbine materials are sent to landfill at the end of life of the turbine. If the materials are
recycled, the total energy generated by the turbine over 25 year life time is about 50.43 times
the energy required to build and service it (3.47 10
6
kWhr). With a wind turbine capacity
factor of 40 %, the energy payback time is about 9.27 months if the wind turbine materials
are sent to landfill at the end life of the turbine and is only 5.94 months if the materials are
recycled. The results show clearly the benefits of recycling parts of the wind turbine at the
end life of the turbine.
5. Conclusions
The development of cleaner and efficient energy technologies and the use of new and
renewable energy sources will play an important role in the sustainable development of a
future energy strategy. Power generation from wind turbine is a renewable and sustainable
energy but in a life cycle perspective wind turbines consumes energy resources and causes
emissions during the production of raw materials, manufacturing process, transportation of
small and large parts of the wind turbines, maintenance, and disposal of the parts at the end
life of the turbines. To determine the impacts of power generation using wind turbine, all
components needed for the production of electricity should be include in the analysis
including the tower, nacelle, rotor, foundation and transmission.
In eco aware wind turbine design, the materials are energy intensive with high embodies
energy and carbon foot print, the material choice impacts the energy and CO2 for the
manufacturing process, the material impacts the weight of the product and its thermal and
electric characteristics and the energy it consumes during the use; and the material choice
also impacts the potential for recycling or energy recovery at the end of life. The eco aware
wind turbine design has two-part strategy: (1) Eco Audit: quick and approximate
assessment of the distribution of energy demand and carbon emission over a product’s life;
and (2) material selection to minimize the energy and carbon over the full life, balancing the
influence of the choice over each phase of the life (selection strategies and eco informed
material selection).
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The results of life cycle analysis of the 2.0 MW wind turbine show the problem with the
energy consumed and carbon foot print was for the material phase. More energy and more
emissions are produced during the primary material production of the wind turbine parts.
The manufacturing process is the second dominant phase. The energy consumption and
carbon foot print are negligible for the transportation and the use phases. The results also
show clearly the benefits of recycling the wind turbine parts at the end of life. The life cycle
analysis of the 2.0 MW wind turbine show that 54.8% of the total energy is recovered and a
net reduction of C02 emissions by 55.4% is obtained by recycling the wind turbine materials
at the end of life of the wind turbine.
6. References
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Nordex N90 Technical Description, Nordex Energy (2004)
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Vestas (2005) “Life cycle assessment of offshore and onshore sited wind turbines” Vestas
Wind Systems A/S, Alsvij 21, 8900 Randus, Denmark (www.vestas.com)
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Sustainable Development - Energy, Engineering and Technologies
- Manufacturing and Environment
Edited by Prof. Chaouki Ghenai
ISBN 978-953-51-0165-9
Hard cover, 264 pages
Publisher InTech
Published online 29, February, 2012
Published in print edition February, 2012
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The technological advancement of our civilization has created a consumer society expanding faster than the
planet's resources allow, with our resource and energy needs rising exponentially in the past century. Securing
the future of the human race will require an improved understanding of the environment as well as of
technological solutions, mindsets and behaviors in line with modes of development that the ecosphere of our
planet can support. Some experts see the only solution in a global deflation of the currently unsustainable
exploitation of resources. However, sustainable development offers an approach that would be practical to
fuse with the managerial strategies and assessment tools for policy and decision makers at the regional
planning level. Environmentalists, architects, engineers, policy makers and economists will have to work
together in order to ensure that planning and development can meet our society's present needs without
compromising the security of future generations.
How to reference
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Chaouki Ghenai (2012). Life Cycle Analysis of Wind Turbine, Sustainable Development - Energy, Engineering
and Technologies - Manufacturing and Environment, Prof. Chaouki Ghenai (Ed.), ISBN: 978-953-51-0165-9,
InTech, Available from: http://www.intechopen.com/books/sustainable-development-energy-engineering-and-
technologies-manufacturing-and-environment/life-cycle-analysis-of-wind-turbine-