A 3D analytical model for predicting horizontal‐axis wind turbines wake based on a 2D analytical wake model

Abstract

AbstractThe development of easy‐to‐implement 3D analytical models of the wake is highly desirable, due to the critical role played by the prediction of the wake velocity profile in the estimation of power generation and the layout optimization of wind turbines in wind farms. Herein, a 3D analytical model of the wake (based on a 2D analytical model) has been proposed, which is easy to implement thanks to using the Gaussian function for the description of the velocity profile and assuming an isotropic value for the wake decay coefficient. Validation of the model was carried out using six cases of wind tunnel, field measurement, and simulation data in horizontal and vertical planes, where the model was compared with three 3D analytical models of the literature. The predictions of the model for the normalized wind velocity typically exhibited mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) values of MAPE ≤3 at downwind distances of x ≥ dt (dt is the rotor diameter), which are the economically‐ and power harvesting‐optimized inter‐turbine spacing in wind farms. In addition to its theoretical significance, the model bears utility potentials in applications concerning solving practical problems in wind farms.