The Science of Wind Power

Concern for the environment and for the impacts of environmental pollution has brought about the need to shift from the reliance on hydrocarbons to energy sources that are nearly pollution neutral and renewable. The Science of Wind Power is designed to provide a fundamental understanding for wind technicians and students alike, essentially examining how to harness the wind to produce energy for transmission and use, while keeping environmental impacts in mind. Wind power is one of the fastest-growing energy sources, as it offers many advantages such as being sustainable and a renewable energy source that has a much smaller impact on the global environment compared to fossil fuels. It is important to point out, however, that like wind itself, wind power has a good and bad side, advantages, and disadvantages (challenges), and these different aspects are discussed in detail herein.

Features:

Examines the mechanical, electrical, hydraulic, and electronic aspects of wind turbines
Provides the fundamentals of wind turbine aerodynamics, modeling, and testing
Includes design standards for wind turbines and electrical distribution systems
Delineates the differences between offshore and land-based wind power
Discusses special-purpose applications, such as energy distribution and storage

A must-have volume that includes the latest data, diagrams, and useful illustrations, The Science of Wind Energy offers a complete examination of one of the most promising sources of renewable energy and serves as a great introduction to the cross-disciplinary field for students and practicing engineers. The concepts and guidelines presented will equip readers with the scientific rationale required to make decisions that could directly affect the environment around them.

Author Biography

Frank R. Spellman is a retired assistant professor of Environmental Health at Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Va. and author of over 155 books. Spellman has been cited in more than 400 publications; serves as a professional expert witness; incident/accident investigator for the U.S. Department of Justice and a private law firm; and consults on Homeland Security vulnerability assessments (VAs) for critical infrastructure including water/wastewater facilities nationwide. Dr. Spellman lectures on sewage treatment, water treatment and homeland security and health and safety topics throughout the country and teaches water/wastewater operator short courses at Virginia Tech (Blacksburg, VA). He holds a BA in public Administration; BS in Business Management; MBA; Master of Science, MS, in Environmental Engineering and PhD Environmental Engineering.