Turbulence and the Isolated Wind Turbine

Abstract

The turbulence in the atmospheric inflow to a wind turbine as well as the turbulence produced by the wind turbine are considered. A good understanding and ability to model this turbulence is critical for designing turbines with higher efficiencies and greater reliability. The atmospheric boundary layer is first discussed broadly followed by a presentation of past and present measurement and modeling efforts. The effects of the atmospheric boundary layer turbulence on wind turbine aerodynamics and aeroelastics are then discussed, and the importance of wake turbulence is considered. Attempts to use control to mitigate the effects of turbulence on the wind turbine are presented, and the extreme challenges of modeling all the relevant scales of turbulence required to accurately model wind turbines is discussed. As each of these items is presented, future needs for bettering our understanding of turbulence relevant to a wind turbine are identified. The presentation of these subjects makes it clear that there is still much to be learned about the turbulence associated with wind turbines that could impact future designs.