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FLUID MECHANICS - CASE STUDY

    Introduction


Windmills

 

  A state university is currently working on a long term project to explore the benefits of utilizing wind power as a renewable energy source for the state. Wind comes in at a mass flow rate of 150 kg/s, hits the blades of the windmill horizontally at 20 m/s, and goes out at an angle of 60o at 50 m/s (as shown in the figure). The windmill is rotating at a speed of 2.5 rad/s. Determine the power generated by the windmill. The inner radius, r1, and outer radius, r2, are 30 m and 32 m, respectively.
   
  Questions

 

What is the torque and power generated by the windmill?

     

Problem Description
(Idealized Flow Conditions)
  Approach

 
  • Assume it is a steady-state process.
  • The power generated by the shaft is
         
    where T is the torque and ω is the angular speed of the shaft.
     
   
 
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