Abstract
For an accurate prediction of the complex flow conditions in wind farms, model scale wake flow measurements represent important references in well-defined boundary conditions. State-of-the art flow measurement techniques are often time-expensive and require elaborate post-processing to assess the data quality. In this wind tunnel study we demonstrate the advantages of the real-time-response system Probe Capture (ProCap) for measurements of a complex three-dimensional wind turbine wake flow. The complex wake flow behind a yawed model wind turbine is measured with both a Laser-Doppler Anemometer (LDA) and the ProCap system. Both the streamwise and vertical flow component show an accurate agreement with the LDA reference experiment for various measured downstream distances and turbine yaw angles. Areas of strong rotation in the wake flow are accurately resolved by the ProCap measurement system confirming its applicability for wind turbine wake measurement. The system appears to greatly facilitate and speed up larger wake surveys by a factor of 30 and thus has the potential to enhance the understanding of the complex flow topology in wind turbine wakes.
Highlights
The complex wake flow behind a yawed wind turbine has become a widely discussed topic in wind farm optimization research
State-of-the art flow measurement techniques are often time-expensive and require elaborate post-processing to assess the data quality. In this wind tunnel study we demonstrate the advantages of the real-time-response system Probe Capture (ProCap) for measurements of a complex three-dimensional wind turbine wake flow
From a physical point of view, the two techniques are very different as Laser-Doppler Anemometer (LDA) measures the flow velocity from the frequency shift of a backscattered laser beam, while the ProCap system is a pressure-based flow measurement technique
Summary
The complex wake flow behind a yawed wind turbine has become a widely discussed topic in wind farm optimization research. A couple of wind tunnel experiments on the wake flow behind a yawed turbine have recently been conducted showing a clearly deflected [2] and curled wake shape [3, 4]. Large-eddy-simulations (LES) by Vollmer et al [5] showed a strong dependency of the yawed wake’s shape and deflection on the atmospheric stability. This dependency was further investigated by Bartl et al [6], who performed a wind tunnel experiment on the wake of a yawed wind turbine exposed to different turbulent inflow conditions. The same experimental setup was used in a study by Schottler et al [7], who showed a ring of increased intermittency around the mean velocity
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