Wind Turbine Power Regulation Method

All wind turbines employ some method of limiting power output at high wind speeds to avoid damage to mechanical or electrical subsystems. Most wind turbines employ either stall control or pitch control to regulate power output.

A stall-controlled turbine typically has blades that are fixed in place, and are designed to experience aerodynamic stall at very high wind speeds. Aerodynamic stall dramatically reduces the torque produced by the blades, and therefore the power produced by the turbine.

On a pitch-controlled turbine, a controller adjusts the angle (pitch) of the blades to best match the wind speed. At very high wind speeds the controller increasingly feathers the blades out of the wind to limit the power output.

Pitch-controlled turbines tend to be slightly more efficient than stall-controlled turbines, although at a cost of increased mechanical complexity. Most modern multi-megawatt turbines employ pitch control.

You can set the power regulation method in the Edit Wind Turbine window. This setting affects Windographer's calculation of the power output of the turbine.