Wind farm array wake losses

Conference · Wed Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1997

OSTI ID:570074

Baker, R W ^[1]; McCarthy, E F ^[2]

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1. Impact Weather, Washougal, WA (United States)
2. Wind Economics & Technology, Inc., Martinez, CA (United States)

A wind turbine wake study was conducted in the summer of 1987 at an Altamont Pass wind electric generating facility. The wind speed deficits, turbulence, and power deficits from an array consisting of several rows of wind turbines is discussed. A total of nine different test configurations were evaluated for a downwind spacing ranging from 7 rotor diameters (RD) to 34 RD and a cross wind spacing of 1.3 RD and 2.7 RD. Wake power deficits of 15% were measured at 16 RD and power losses of a few percent were even measurable at 27 RD for the closer cross wind spacing. For several rows of turbines separated by 7-9 RD the wake zones overlapped and formed compound wakes with higher velocity deficits. The wind speed and direction turbulence in the wake was much higher than the ambient turbulence. The results from this study are compared to the findings from other similar field measurements.

• Research Organization: American Wind Energy Association, Washington, DC (United States)
• OSTI ID: 570074
• Report Number(s): CONF-970608--PROC.; ON: DE98001975
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

17 WIND ENERGY
LOSSES
PARAMETRIC ANALYSIS
SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION
TURBULENCE
WIND TURBINE ARRAYS