The effect of dynamic near-wake modulation on utility-scale wind turbine wake development

• Published in: Journal of physics. Conference series Vol. 1618; no. 6; pp. 62063 - 62071
• Main Authors: Abraham, Aliza, Martínez-Tossas, Luis A, Hong, Jiarong
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bristol IOP Publishing 01.09.2020
• Subjects: Algorithms; atmospheric conditions; Atmospheric models; Control algorithms; dynamic turbine operation; Flow visualization; Large eddy simulation; large-eddy simulations; Modulation; Physics; Recovery; Turbines; Turbulent flow; wake mixing; Wind direction; WIND ENERGY; Wind power; Wind turbines
• ISSN: 1742-6588; 1742-6596
• DOI: 10.1088/1742-6596/1618/6/062063

High-resolution field-scale experiments using flow visualization with natural snowfall and high-fidelity large eddy simulations are combined to investigate the effect of dynamic turbine operation and atmospheric conditions on wind turbine wake mixing and recovery in the wake of a 2.5 MW wind turbine. Instantaneous near-wake expansion and deflection in response to changes in blade pitch and wind direction, termed dynamic wake modulation, is quantified using both techniques, demonstrating excellent agreement. The simulations are used to extend these results by calculating the energy flux into the wake 7 rotor diameters downstream, showing that dynamic turbine-atmospheric interactions enhance mixing in the far-wake. This finding is exhibited under both uniform and turbulent inflow conditions. Under turbulent flow, a synergistic relationship is also observed between dynamic wake modulation and wake meandering, as wake recovery can be further accelerated when the two phenomena occur together. The results of this study have implications for the development of more realistic far-wake models that include the significant impact of dynamic wake modulation on wake mixing and development. Additionally, the findings from the current study can be used to develop advanced control algorithms to speed up wake breakdown and recovery, further improving wind farm efficiency.