Researchers Takafumi Nishino and Amanda S. M. Smyth from the University of Cambridge have delved into the complex world of wind farm aerodynamics to better understand power loss mechanisms in large wind farms. Their work, published in the Journal of Fluid Mechanics, aims to provide practical insights for the wind energy industry to optimize wind farm design and performance.
Wind farms, particularly large ones, face significant power losses due to various factors. These losses are complex and multiscale, making them challenging to study and mitigate. Previous research has used the two-scale momentum theory to gain insights, but these studies have often been limited to idealized scenarios. Nishino and Smyth have extended this framework to more realistic conditions, accounting for non-ideal turbine designs and layouts.
The researchers introduced simple analytical sub-models to quantify different types of power losses in real wind farms. These include ‘internal’ power losses, which occur due to turbine-wake interference, and ‘external’ power losses, resulting from farm-atmosphere interactions. By considering factors like turbine design, layout, operating conditions, and atmospheric conditions, their model provides a holistic view of power losses in wind farms.
One of the key outcomes of this research is a simple iterative method for calculating the optimal farm induction factor. This factor is crucial as it determines the overall power output of a wind farm for a given set of conditions, including the atmospheric boundary layer height. The researchers suggest that their theory could play a pivotal role in wind farm design optimization, much like the blade-element momentum theory does in wind turbine design optimization.
In practical terms, this research could help wind farm developers design more efficient layouts, reduce power losses, and ultimately increase the overall energy output of their farms. By understanding and mitigating power loss mechanisms, the wind energy industry can work towards making wind power a more viable and efficient source of renewable energy.
Source: Nishino, T., & Smyth, A. S. M. (2021). Power loss mechanisms and optimal induction factors for realistic large wind farms. Journal of Fluid Mechanics, 911, A30.
This article is based on research available at arXiv.