Wind Turbines in Series; A Parametric Analysis. Issue 1 (February 2013)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Hancock, Philip E.
• Is Part Of: Wind engineering. Volume 37:Issue 1(2013)
• Page Start: 37
• Page End: 58
• Publication Date: 2013-02
• Subjects: Aerodynamics -- Wind turbines -- Wakes; Wind-pressure -- Periodicals; Winds -- Periodicals; Wind power -- Periodicals; Engineering meteorology -- Periodicals; Pression du vent; Vents; Énergie éolienne; Météorologie appliquée; Engineering meteorology; Wind power; Wind-pressure; Winds; Periodicals; 621.4505
• DOI: 10.1260/0309-524X.37.1.37
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0309-524X

Abstract

An analysis is made of wind turbines in a row by means of an extension to actuator disk theory and a representation of the turbulent diffusion in the wake by a velocity deficit scale and a single free parameter. Beyond this, no wake model is used. It is shown that when the thrust coefficient is 'high' a maximisation of overall power output leads to a large drop in power after the first turbine, followed by a fairly constant level and a rise at the end of the row; this behaviour is a natural consequence of optimisation, and on this basis a 'deep array effect' is to be expected. A variation of turbine size and the effect of impaired turbine performance are examined. The approach can also be used to calculate the turbine upstream velocity (with respect to a reference) from a distribution of measured power output and to make inferences about wake development. The approach could be useful in the assessment of wake models as well as turbine operation.