Session: 09-01-01 Wind Turbine Aerodynamics and Control

Submission Number: 156339

Impact of Wind Farm Flow Control on Turbine Component Lifespan for Floating Offshore Wind Turbines 

Wind turbines extract energy from the wind, resulting in a velocity deficit downstream of the turbine, known as a wake. The impact of wakes on downstream power production has been extensively studied in recent years, and, while research has been conducted on the load effect of downstream wakes, the exact extent of damage caused by these loads due to partial wake overlap remains not fully quantified. This study investigates the effect of asymmetric loading across the rotor plane area due to partial waking of downstream turbines. Variables such as the degree of wake overlap, turbine spacing, turbulence intensity, and wind speed are analyzed.

In addition, the effect of wind farm flow control (WFFC) strategies, such as axial induction control and wake steering, is explored. Axial induction control involves down-rating upstream turbines by pitching the blades beyond their optimal power production settings, while wake steering involves intentionally misaligning an upstream turbine with the incoming wind, to deflect the wake laterally. Both WFFC approaches have distinct applications and will be examined in combination with the case study and atmospheric conditions described above. This work aims to provide a better understanding of wake-induced loading and the influence of WFFC on these loads.

The study will be carried out using a two-turbine setup. The Mann turbulence model will be used as input to FAST.Farm, incorporating the Dynamic Wake Meandering model. OpenFAST models of 15MW floating and bottom-fixed offshore wind turbine will be used to obtain the load time series for various turbine components under different downstream inflow conditions. The damage equivalent loads (DELs) for key turbine parts, such as main bearings, blade roots, and pitch bearings will be analyzed under these conditions. This study aims to advance the development of WFFC methods by evaluating not only the impact on power production but also the load effects, thereby enabling damage-aware control of turbines within wind farms. Ultimately, this framework can be implemented in an open-loop fashion using a look-up table approach

Presenting Author: Rebeca Marini Vrije Universiteit Brussel

Presenting Author Biography: Jakob Gebel has studied Ship and Offshore technology as a masters degree in engineering from University of Duisburg-Essen and is currently absolving a PhD at NTNU in Norway