A Study of Blockage Effects at the Wind Turbine and Wind Farm Scales

The paper provides novel insights into the physics behind the wind turbine and wind farm blockages as well as their effects on the energy yield based on the momentum and energy balance. The current work presents blockage effects at two scales: the local scale and the wind farm scale. We clarify the...

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Main Authors: Mihaela Popescu, Tore Flåtten
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2021-09-01
Series:Energies
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/14/19/6124
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author Mihaela Popescu
Tore Flåtten
author_facet Mihaela Popescu
Tore Flåtten
author_sort Mihaela Popescu
collection DOAJ
description The paper provides novel insights into the physics behind the wind turbine and wind farm blockages as well as their effects on the energy yield based on the momentum and energy balance. The current work presents blockage effects at two scales: the local scale and the wind farm scale. We clarify the combined effect of local blockages when more than one turbine is present. The work demonstrates why two turbines, which are positioned one behind the other, induce a mutual decrease in energy yield. When the turbines are placed in a row, there is an increase of energy from the end to the middle of the row because of the restriction of the expansion flow. As in the case of two turbines placed behind each other, back rows induce a power decrease for the rows in front of them and the effect increases from the edge to the center. The work also elucidates for the first time how the power output of an isolated row has a maximum in the center, whereas, in a wind farm, wind turbines on the edge of the first row could have maximum power. The findings are supported by CFD.
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spelling doaj.art-22d6558871094ac295abf84afdbbf0372023-11-22T15:59:37ZengMDPI AGEnergies1996-10732021-09-011419612410.3390/en14196124A Study of Blockage Effects at the Wind Turbine and Wind Farm ScalesMihaela Popescu0Tore Flåtten1Analitics & Digital, Department of Resource Assessment, Methods and Tool Team, RWE Renewables UK, Swindon SN5 6PB, UKDepartment of Energy and Petroleum Engineering, University of Stavanger (UiS), 4036 Stavanger, NorwayThe paper provides novel insights into the physics behind the wind turbine and wind farm blockages as well as their effects on the energy yield based on the momentum and energy balance. The current work presents blockage effects at two scales: the local scale and the wind farm scale. We clarify the combined effect of local blockages when more than one turbine is present. The work demonstrates why two turbines, which are positioned one behind the other, induce a mutual decrease in energy yield. When the turbines are placed in a row, there is an increase of energy from the end to the middle of the row because of the restriction of the expansion flow. As in the case of two turbines placed behind each other, back rows induce a power decrease for the rows in front of them and the effect increases from the edge to the center. The work also elucidates for the first time how the power output of an isolated row has a maximum in the center, whereas, in a wind farm, wind turbines on the edge of the first row could have maximum power. The findings are supported by CFD.https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/14/19/6124blockage effectwind farmsblockage interactioninductionCFD
spellingShingle Mihaela Popescu
Tore Flåtten
A Study of Blockage Effects at the Wind Turbine and Wind Farm Scales
Energies
blockage effect
wind farms
blockage interaction
induction
CFD
title A Study of Blockage Effects at the Wind Turbine and Wind Farm Scales
title_full A Study of Blockage Effects at the Wind Turbine and Wind Farm Scales
title_fullStr A Study of Blockage Effects at the Wind Turbine and Wind Farm Scales
title_full_unstemmed A Study of Blockage Effects at the Wind Turbine and Wind Farm Scales
title_short A Study of Blockage Effects at the Wind Turbine and Wind Farm Scales
title_sort study of blockage effects at the wind turbine and wind farm scales
topic blockage effect
wind farms
blockage interaction
induction
CFD
url https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/14/19/6124
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