A large coal-fired power station producers 2000 MW of electrical energy. A wind turbine with 33 m blades can produces 300 kW. (a) How many turbines would be needed to replace the power station? (b) Why, in actual practice, this number of turbines could not replace the coal-fired power station?

Question

Philoid · Accepted Answer

(a) Electrical energy produced by coal-fired plant,

= 2000MW

= 2000x106W

Electrical energy produced by wind turbine

= 300kW

= 300x103W

No. of wind turbine required,

= 2000x106/300x103 = 6666.6

Hence, 6667 wind turbines would be needed to replace the power station.

(b) In actual practice, this no. of wind turbines could not replace the coal-fired power plant because the efficiency of wind turbines keeps changing due to changes in wind speed but the efficiency of steam turbines used in coal-fired power stations remains the same.

A large coal-fired power station producers 2000 MW of electrical energy. A wind turbine with 33 m blades can produces 300 kW.(a) How many turbines would be needed to replace the power station?(b) Why, in actual practice, this number of turbines could not replace the coal-fired power station?

A large coal-fired power station producers 2000 MW of electrical energy. A wind turbine with 33 m blades can produces 300 kW.
(a) How many turbines would be needed to replace the power station?

(b) Why, in actual practice, this number of turbines could not replace the coal-fired power station?