Large-eddy simulation of the effects of horizontal and vertical adjustments in a wind farm

Abstract

In order to study the fine structural characteristics of the wind field and wind power generation in wind farms, large-eddy simulations (LES) with different layouts are carried out under a given wind direction. In the simulation, a single wind turbine can produce a wake effect, reducing the wind within 2 km by 50%, and the influence between wind turbines gradually decreases as the distance between the wind turbines increases. To minimize the impact of the wake effect between the turbines, the simulation considering horizontal and vertical staggering of the wind farm is conducted. Under the prevailing wind, the optimal power output for the entire wind farm is obtained when a horizontal staggering degree θ of 16.7 is used and no vertical staggering is adapted. Unexpectedly, vertical interleaving hardly increases power generation in terms of the whole wind farm. This research result has certain implications for the optimal layout of wind farms in practical applications, especially in sites with a well-defined prevailing wind direction.