Overview of wind behavior research in the US Wind Energy Program

Conference · Thu Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 1987

OSTI ID:5199018

Wendell, L L

The relevant behavior presently under investigation inncludes rotor-scale turbulence and wind variability on a scale applicable to wind farms caused by terrain complexity and turbine-generated wakes in the array. Results of rotor-scale turbulence experiments have demonstrated that the spatial variation of the flow across the rotor disk is critical in the type of forcing function experienced by a rotating blade. Rotor-scale turbulence models that approximate the effect of rotational sampling with spectral information from a sigle anemometer or time series data from several levels on a single tower have been developed and tested. A self-optimizing flow model has demonstrated the capability to produce wind speed estimates over a wind farm area in complex terrain generally to within a 5% root mean square error. Wind turbine wake field experiments have shown a strong site-dependence in the factors affecting wake behavior. Work has begun in the area of combining complex terrain flow models and wind turbine array models for micrositing applications. 21 refs., 3 figs.

• Research Organization: Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC06-76RL01830
• OSTI ID: 5199018
• Report Number(s): PNL-SA-15101; CONF-871062-13; ON: DE88005683
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

17 WIND ENERGY
170000* -- Wind Energy
170602 -- Wind Energy Engineering-- Turbine Design & Operation
COMPLEX TERRAIN
DESIGN
EFFICIENCY
ENERGY SOURCES
MACHINERY
POWER
RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
SPECTRA
TURBINES
TURBOMACHINERY
TURBULENCE
WIND POWER
WIND TURBINE ARRAYS
WIND TURBINES