یه مقاله انگلیسی

R.O. Fagbenle a, J. Katende b, O.O. Ajayi c,*, J.O. Okeniyi c

a Mechanical Engineering Department, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, Nigeria

b Electrical and Information Engineering Department, Covenant University, Ota, Nigeria

c Mechanical Engineering Department, Covenant University, P. M. B. 1023, Ota, Nigeria

Nigeria. 21 years (1987e2007) monthly mean wind data at 10 m height were assessed from the Nigeria

Meteorological department and subjected to 2-parameter Weibull and other statistical analyzes. The

result showed that average monthly mean wind speed variation for Potiskum ranged from 3.90 to

5.85 m/s, while for Maiduguri, it ranged from 4.35 to 6.33 m/s. Seasonally, data variation between the dry

and wet seasons revealed that, the mean wind speed variation for Potiskum ranged from 4.46 (for dry) to

5.16 m/s (for wet), while for Maiduguri it ranged from 5.10 (dry) to 5.59 m/s (wet). The wind power

density variation based on the Weibull analysis ranged from 102.54 to 300.15 W/m2 for Potiskum and it

ranged from 114.77 to 360.04 W/m2 for Maiduguri respectively. Moreover, Maiduguri was found to be the

better of the sites in terms of monthly and seasonal variation of mean wind speed, but they both can be

suitable for stand alone and medium scale wind power generation.

2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The challenge of providing adequate and sufficient amount of

energy for the populace is a global issue. The depth of concern may

vary from developed to underdeveloped nations but the exercise of

providing required energy is a major challenge throughout the

world. Therefore, there is a need for concerted efforts to be

deployed to seeking ways of adequately meeting the growing

energy demand of the global population. The finite nature of the

conventional sources of energy has made the sources unsustainable.

Moreover, lack of energy in an economy or its inadequacy had

been reported to be a source of social and economic poverty [1].

Nigeria is a country whose energy demand exceeds supply from

the national utility. Current electricity production within the

country is reported to be less than 4000 MW due to fluctuations in

the availability and maintenance of production sources. This has

culminated into high losses in electricity distribution leading to

a shortfall in supply. However, considering the fact that some of the

rural areas are not connected to the national grid, suggests a need

to develop adequate and sustainable energy system which will be

suitable, sustainable, and able to be deployed as stand alone power

source [2,3]. One way through this is to develop the available

renewable energy resources of which wind energy technology is

a major. To begin harvesting wind resources for power production

involves therefore, the initial effort of resource assessment to

ascertain its potential for power generation. Based on this, the

northern part of Nigeria has been identified as a region possessing

great potential for wind energy utilization for power generation

because of the prevailing wind situation of the place [2]. Therefore,

a careful wind resource assessment of this region will be a major

leap in the move towards developing sustainable energy and power

for the nation. This is the focus of this study. It evaluated and

compared the prevailing wind resource potential of two sites,

Maiduguri and Potiskum, in North-East Nigeria, as captured by

a cup-generator anemometer at 10 m height. The sites, about 142

miles apart, were formerly in old Borno State, but now separated

into two different states in August 1991 as a result of the state

creation exercise of the federal government. Presently, Maiduguri is

the capital city of Borno state while Potiskum is in Yobe state.

Twenty one years (1987e2007) monthly mean wind data for the

two sites were assessed from the Nigeria Meteorological department,

Oshodi, Lagos State, South-West, Nigeria. Continuous 3 h

daily readings over the period considered were used and subjected

to various statistical analyses. The data were recorded continuously

using cup-generator anemometer at a height of 10mand presented

* Corresponding author. Tel.: þ234 8036208899.

E-mail address: seyi_ajayi@yahoo.com.au (O.O. Ajayi).

Contents lists available at ScienceDirect

0960-1481/$ e see front matter
2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

doi:10.1016/j.renene.2010.10.003

Renewable Energy 36 (2011) 1277e1283