Optimization of the hub height of a wind turbine

Abstract

This paper presents a new method for optimizing the hub height of a wind turbine. In general, wind turbine energy production increases with the hub height, but so does the cost. Therefore, we must optimize the hub height. Here, we calculated the annual energy production using a wind probability function. This is a function of the hub height and the roughness, which is a surface characteristic. The wind turbine cost was also expressed as a function of the hub height. The objective function for the optimization process was formulated in terms of the annual energy production and wind turbine cost. Differentiation was used to carry out the optimization; the procedure is described in this paper. Finally, the results of a case study were used to illustrate the relationship between the optimum hub height and the roughness.