Wind Turbines on Wind Farms?

Question

Is there any reason they would turn off wind turbines in a wind field due to efficiency? I know the fans are braked if winds exceed a certain velocity and possibly due to energy needs they may stop some of them. However in a debate with a friend he argued that it would be more efficient and produce more energy to have fewer running versus more. This is counter intuitive can someone shead some light on this topic. I refuse to accept my friend logic.

In response to answer number two...its a wind mill u dont use energy to run it u gain...so y would u ever want them not moving or "shut them down.'' Even if u had 1 rotation per hour u'd be gaining more energy than 0 rotations. Further my friend argued that the first turbine in a row would run slower if the one behind it were running. This I know is false. And my friend has no reliable source or literature to prove his point.

Answer 1

A turbine field will be designed for a certain optimum wind direction and speed.
Winds differing from this optimum might well cause some turbines to fall into the 'shadow` of others and a turbine close behind another might, under extremely bad circumstances form a 'bow wave` that would interfere with the leading turbine.
(It's not likely though).
What is being neglected here is maintenance.
A turbine has a limited life. Running it inefficiently
is wasteful.

Answer 2

It can be any number. I suppose it has to be greater than one or it would not be a wind FARM. They need planning permission from local councils to erect wind turbines so they are limited to installing the number for which permission was granted. Did you know that wind turbines cause vortices that interfere with turbines down-wind of them so they can't pack them too tightly. Did you also know that a power station somewhere has to be on standby, wasting energy, ready to kick-in at short notice when the wind drops or when it varies in speed. Did you also know that propaganda groups like British Wind Energy Association (a trade body not an independent source of information) talk about the installed capacity of a wind farm, NOT what it will actually produce. They are, on average, about 20% efficient. That is like saying a double-decker bus has 50 passengers on board when it really only has 10. Did you know that wind farms are only built because we subsidise them so much. They are not about 'green energy', they are about shareholder profit at our expense. There are more effective ways to achieve energy security while reducing pollution. Question everything, my friend ... even what I said. Really ... check it out.

Answer 3

your right and he is right. While having more turning will produce more power the are set up so that the turbines in form recive a unbroke flow of air and the ones beind the first row recive more and more tubulent air which makes the ones close to the direction the wind is facing more effecent. So on a low use day its better ot shut down ones in the middle and let the far back ones and the far front ones run (the ones in the back get a solid air flow because the air reaglins over the distace it travels)

Answer 4

I don't agree with your friend either. Does he have a reputable source or a decent explanation backing this up?