Estimation of wind turbines optimal number and produced power in a wind farm using an artificial neural network model

Abstract

One of the most significant issues in the design of a new wind farm is the estimation of optimal number of wind turbines that has to be installed in it. The goal of every wind farm designer is the production of the maximum possible power, minimizing the installation cost. The cost can be significantly reduced using the minimum required number of wind turbines for specific power production, occupying at the same time the least possible acreage of land. In this work an artificial neural network (ANN) model is developed which has the ability to estimate the optimal number of wind turbines and the total produced power in a wind farm. The ANN model’s results are compared with those of earlier studies that have followed other approaches, proving that the ANN model is well working and has an acceptable accuracy. The proposed model can be useful in the studies of wind farm designers as a supportive tool for the estimation of the optimal number of wind turbines in a wind farm.