Simulation comparison of wake mitigation control strategies for a two-turbine case

TLDR

Wind turbines in a plant affect each other through their wakes, and wind‑plant control seeks to improve performance by coordinating turbines to account for these interactions. This study uses high‑fidelity two‑turbine simulations to evaluate wake‑mitigation strategies that adjust yaw, tilt, or turbine positioning. Simulation results compare each strategy to a baseline by measuring changes in overall power capture and turbine loading. All tested methods increased power output, and individual pitch control can reduce or eliminate load increases.

Abstract

Wind turbines arranged in a wind plant impact each other through their wakes. Wind plant control is an active research field that attempts to improve wind plant performance by coordinating control of individual turbines to take into account these turbine–wake interactions. In this paper, high-fidelity simulations of a two-turbine fully waked scenario are used to investigate several wake mitigation strategies, including modification of yaw and tilt angles of an upstream turbine to induce wake skew, as well as repositioning of the downstream turbine. The simulation results are compared through change relative to a baseline operation in terms of overall power capture and loading on the upstream and downstream turbine. Results demonstrated improved power production for all methods. Analysis of control options, including individual pitch control, shows potential to minimize the increase of, or even reduce, turbine loads.Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.