Wind-Turbine and Wind-Farm Flows: A Review

Area of Science:

• Fluid mechanics
• Renewable energy systems
• Atmospheric science

Background:

• Wind energy is vital for climate change mitigation and energy sustainability.
• Accurate wind farm performance prediction is essential for optimizing design, operation, and grid integration.
• Complex interactions between wind farms and the turbulent atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) pose significant challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review recent research on the interactions between the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) and wind turbines/farms.
• To enhance the understanding and predictive capabilities of these complex fluid mechanical interactions.
• To address challenges posed by high Reynolds numbers, flow unsteadiness, thermal effects, and terrain heterogeneity.

Main Methods:

• Summary of experimental research efforts.
• Overview of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) approaches.
• Synthesis of theoretical advancements in ABL-wind turbine interaction modeling.

Main Results:

• ABL turbulence significantly impacts wind turbine wake flows and power losses.
• Interactions lead to considerable turbine power losses and fatigue loads.
• These interactions also influence ABL structure and turbulent fluxes.

Conclusions:

• Improved understanding of ABL-wind turbine interactions is key to optimizing wind farm performance.
• Predictive models are advancing through integrated experimental, computational, and theoretical research.
• Addressing these complex interactions is critical for the future of wind energy.