Background
If current methods proved able to generate unsteady inflow conditions representative of the atmospheric boundary layer, there is a clear lack when the upcoming wind is perturbed by one or several wind turbines. Taking into account the flow modification by the presence of the wake is however crucial when studying wind turbine performance operating in farms and is the object of the WIND2SIM project.
Scientific advances and innovation
Project objective
The project WIND2SIM aims at developing a new methodology to generate inflow conditions for aerodynamics and aeroelastic codes for floating offshore wind turbines operating in the wake of an upstream wind turbine. Accounting for the correct characteristics of the upcoming wind is crucial for the accuracy of aeroelastic simulations (such as FAST, NREL, USA).
Strategy of the project
To tackle this challenge, the goal of the project WIND2SIM is to interface an aeroelastic code with wind tunnel measurements performed in a cross-section of the wake of a wind turbine scale model (1/500) immersed in an offshore atmospheric boundary layer. Besides measurements, such interfacing strategy will require modeling the temporal dynamics of the flow. Extrapolating – upscaling the generated data onto the simulation grid will also be performed to properly feed the aeroelastic code with the inflow data.
CORE expertise in the project
WIND2SIM will be based on the properly scaled offshore boundary layer developed in the DAUC/LHEEA wind tunnel at Centrale Nantes within the FLOATEOLE project. In addition, the experimental setup developed during FLOATEOLE to reproduce and test floating offshore wind turbines at the scale of 1/500 will be used to generate the (fixed or moving) wind turbine wake flow representative of a realistic configuration encountered in wind farms and create the WIND2SIM experimental database. The link between the developed strategy (and the subsequent inflow data) and the project SOFTWIND to study the behavior of the float of a floating wind turbine is a natural and straight forward application of WIND2SIM.
Expected technical and economic impact
The steps will be data driven, therefore avoiding the need for any specific wake or boundary layer model.
By varying the degree of representativity on the generated inflow conditions, the aeroelastic simulations will allow for the identification of the physical processes responsible for excessive load and fatigue of the wind turbine operating in the wake of another.
Key project milestones
- September 2020 - Beginning of the project
- March 2022 - End of the project
