Windpower demonstration project - final report (FHWA-84-6) 2412

Abstract

A windpower demonstration program was carried out to assess the potential of windpower energy for highway uses in Oklahoma. A secondary purpose of the program was to provide information for the public on the use of windpower for more general applications. Wind speed measuring equipment was installed at the Erick Information Center along I-40 in Western Oklahoma and at the Oklahoma DOT Maintenance Yard at Hydro, west of Oklahoma City, A windpower generator with a nomina1 rating of 25 kw was installed on a 60-ft tower at the Erick site. From a reliability standpoint, the windpower generator performed satisfactorily. Its availability for the one-year test period was 94%. Its annual energy output, however, was less than expected, primarily due to the lower than expected wind speed at the Erick site. The measured windspeed was approximately 25% ;ower than predicted on the basis of long-term recorded data from the Department of Commerce. Further testing and analysis will be required to determine whether the low average windspeeds represent an anomaly ora long-term trend that differs significantly from earlier Department of Commerce data.