A Monte Carlo simulation study of wind turbine loads in thunderstorm downbursts

The simulation of thunderstorm downbursts and associated loads on a utility‐scale wind turbine is the focus of this study. Using a deterministic–stochastic hybrid model, downburst‐related wind fields are generated separately from non‐turbulent and turbulent parts. The non‐turbulent part builds on available analytical models developed from field data that include recorded downburst events; the turbulent part is simulated as a stochastic process using standard turbulence power spectral density functions and coherence functions adjusted by information on parameters such as the downburst's translation velocity. Key thunderstorm downburst‐related parameters include the maximum radial velocity, the height and radial distance to the maximum radial velocity, the downburst intensity, the downburst translation velocity and the downburst translation direction. In addition, the streamwise ambient (environmental) velocity and the downburst touchdown location relative to the wind turbine are also important in turbine load computation. A utility‐scale 5‐MW wind turbine model is selected, and loads are generated using stochastic simulation of the aeroelastic response. Information available in the literature on recorded downbursts is used to define the cases studied. A single downburst simulation and associated turbine response simulation is first discussed to illustrate loads computation and highlight downburst‐related parameters of interest. Next, a Monte Carlo simulation study is performed to investigate the influence of touchdown locations and translation direction on turbine extreme loads. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

下击暴流作用下定日镜表面风压数值模拟研究

为了研究下击暴流作用下塔式太阳能定日镜表面的风压分布特征,文章采用计算流体动力学方法对下击暴流作用下,不同径向位置和不同工作俯仰角的定日镜表面风压进行了数值模拟,并将模拟结果与大气边界层近地风作用下定日镜表面的风压特性进行了比较分析。分析结果表明:当定日镜正常工作时,下击暴流作用下,迎风面风压呈现出中间高两边低的分布趋势,风压峰值位于定日镜中部,背风面风压中间低两边高;随着俯仰角逐渐增大,下击暴流作用下,定日镜迎风面压力峰值中心从定日镜下边缘逐渐上移,最大压力值和高压区范围也逐渐增大,背风面负压值逐渐减小且谷值中心逐渐下移;与常规风相比,下击暴流作用下,定日镜表面风压受径向距离影响明显,当镜面垂直于地面时,定日镜迎风面和背风面表面风压随着定日镜与下击暴流风暴中心之间径向距离的增大而减小;在定日镜抗雷暴下击暴流强风的设计过程中,须要考虑下击暴流和常规风的速度场、气压场的不同,及其所导致的定日镜表面风压分布特征的变化。     

建筑体对下游垂直轴风力机气动性能影响研究

为有效利用城市风能,提高风力机运行效率,需对建筑体下游风力机位置分布开展研究。采用计算流体力学方法分析不同建筑体结构下游各位置处风速及风力机气动性能。结果表明：建筑体对自由来流的阻塞、加速与偏转作用可有效提高下游部分位置处风速,提升风力机气动性能;圆形建筑体对下游流场影响较小,各位置处平均风速接近自由来流;相比之下,三角形与四边形建筑体下游风速波动较为剧烈,平均风速较高,风力机转矩较圆形建筑体下游风力机的有较大提升;对于相同外廓建筑体,立式矩形较大的受风面积可扩大其背风低压区范围,有效提高下游流场风速,较卧式矩形建筑体具有更好的聚风效果。     

风力机三维尾流模型的提出与校核

针对大型风力机叶轮范围内风剪切效应突出以及当前工程尾流模型局限于二维空间而忽略垂直方向风速变化的问题,该文综合考虑风速和湍流强度切变效应对尾流的影响,在前期所发展的二维2D_K Jensen尾流模型的基础上,提出一种新型三维尾流模型。之后,新模型被应用于多种工况条件、多种类型的风力机尾流计算中,较为全面地验证其精度及适用性。通过与外场实测和其他高精度数值模拟的结果进行对比,表明新模型对流向、横风向和垂直向的尾流速度均具有良好的预测精度,将来可应用于大型风电场发电量评估和微观选址工作。     

Analysis and parameterisation of wind profiles in the low atmosphere

Knowledge of temporal and spatial variation of the wind is important to obtain accurate calculations of wind power potential. The best estimation method involves direct measurement of wind speed which, however, is not always possible. In such cases, a good parameterisation of wind profile is necessary. A RASS sodar located in Northern Spain has been used in this paper. This device provided a broad database of 10-min averages from August 2002 to January 2004. The vertical range extended from 40 to 500 m in 20 m levels, although the 220 m level was selected as the upper boundary by analysis of wind speed and temperature vertical profiles. Hourly medians were calculated each month in the 10 lower levels, yielding a sharp contrast between day and night. Flat wind speed profiles were clear during day, mainly in summer, due to convection produced by surface heating. However, stable stratification favoured horizontal movement and wind speed values increasing with height were observed during the night. Power and logarithmic laws have been fitted from vertical profiles of hourly wind speed medians. The exponent of the power law showed hourly medians greater than 0.5 during the night and lower than 0.2 during the day. A simple model has been proposed for the parameters of both expressions, consisting of an addition of three harmonic functions with periods of 1 year, 1 day and half a day. Hourly wind speed medians were successfully fitted at the heights of interest, although the fit proved better for the power law. Finally, a slight decrease in fitting at increasing heights was also observed.     

Model predictive control of a wind turbine using short‐term wind field predictions

As wind turbines become larger and hence more flexible, the design of advanced controllers to mitigate fatigue damage and optimise power capture is becoming increasingly important. The majority of the existing literature focuses on feedback controllers that use measurements from the turbine itself and possibly an estimate or measurement of the current local wind profile. This work investigates a predictive controller that can use short‐term predictions about the approaching wind field to improve performance by compensating for measurement and actuation delays. Simulations are carried out using the FAST aeroelastic design code modelling the NREL 5 MW reference turbine, and controllers are designed for both above rated and below rated wind conditions using model predictive control. Tests are conducted in various wind conditions and with different future wind information available. It is shown that in above rated wind conditions, significant fatigue load reductions are possible compared with a controller that knows only the current wind profile. However, this is very much dependent on the speed of the pitch actuator response and the wind conditions. In below rated wind conditions, the goals of power capture and fatigue load control were considered separately. It was found that power capture could only be improved using wind predictions if the wind speed changed rapidly during the simulation and that fatigue loads were not consistently reduced when wind predictions were available, indicating that wind predictions are of limited benefit in below rated wind conditions. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A torque matched aerodynamic performance analysis method for the horizontal axis wind turbines

An analysis method is developed to test the operational performance of a horizontal axis wind turbines. The rotor is constrained to the torque–speed characteristic of the coupled generator. Therefore, the operational conditions are realized by matching the torque generated by the turbine over a selected range of incoming wind velocity to that needed to rotate the generator. The backbone of the analysis method is a combination of Schmitz' and blade element momentum (BEM) theories. The torque matching is achieved by gradient‐based optimization method, which finds correct wind speed at a given rotational speed of the rotor. The combination of Schmitz and BEM serves to exclude the BEM iterations for the calculation of interference factors. Instead, the relative angle is found iteratively along the span. The profile and tip losses, which are empirical, are included in the analysis. Hence, the torque at a given wind speed and rotational speed can be calculated by integrating semi‐analytical equations along the blade span. The torque calculation method is computationally cheap and therefore allows many iterations needed during torque matching. The developed analysis method is verified experimentally by testing the output power and rotational speed of an existing wind turbine model in the wind tunnel. The generator's torque rotational speed characteristic is found by a separate experimental set‐up. Comparison of experiments with the results of the analysis method shows a good agreement. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effects of an escarpment on flow parameters of relevance to wind turbines

Assessing potential costs and benefits of siting wind turbines on escarpments is challenging, particularly when the upstream fetch is offshore leading to more persistent wind speeds in power producing classes, but an increased importance of stable stratification under which terrain impacts on the flow may be magnified. In part because of a lack of observational data, critical knowledge gaps remain and there is currently little consensus regarding optimal models for flow characterization and turbine design calculations. We present a unique dataset comprising measurements of flow parameters conducted over a 10–14 m escarpment at turbine relevant heights (from 9 to 200 m) and use them to evaluate model simulations. The results indicate good agreement in terms of the wind speed decrease before the terrain feature and the increase at (and downwind of) the escarpment of ~3–5% at turbine hub‐heights. However, the horizontal extent of the region, in which the impact of the escarpment on the mean flow is evident, is larger in the models than the measurements. A region of high turbulence was indicated close to the escarpment that extended through the nominal rotor plane, but the horizontal extent of this region was narrow (<10 times the escarpment height, H) in both models and observations. Moving onshore the profile of turbulence was more strongly influenced by higher roughness of a small forest. While flow angles close to the escarpment were very complex, by a distance of 10 H, flow angles were <3° and thus well within limits indicated by design standards. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

基于CFD和风洞实验对丘陵地形风资源分布的研究

随着新能源行业的深入发展,风电行业发展更为迅速,对于一个风电项目而言,研究其风资源分布特性尤为重要。中国内陆地形较为复杂,大部分为山地丘陵。受地形的影响,风资源分布特性较为复杂,评估较为困难。先建立余弦型的丘陵地形物理模型,分别采用CFD数值模拟、风洞实验2种方法对丘陵地形周围流场进行模拟仿真与实验测试,通过对丘陵迎风坡、背风坡特定参考点水平风速、垂直风速变化特征的分析,归纳总结了丘陵地形周围风资源分布特征,为丘陵地形下风能开发利用提供一定的参考。     

垂直轴风力机三维效应的数值模拟研究

文章针对二维和三维垂直轴风力机的数值模拟的差异,提出了风力机的三维效应是造成模拟差异的主要原因。运用计算流体力学方法对某直线翼垂直轴风力机模型进行了二维和三维的数值模研究。通过比对实验得到的风力机功率系数,发现三维模拟结果与实验值吻合。观察尖速比为1.5时二维和三维垂直轴风力机的速度型分布曲线、流向速度云图和涡量云图,研究了阻塞效应、叶梢涡、支撑结构和塔架对数值模拟结果的影响。研究发现:在二维的数值模拟中,风力机没有受阻塞效应影响,功率系数被严重高估;三维的数值模拟能够模拟出全部的流畅细节,受叶梢涡和支撑结构的影响,风力机的功率系数明显降低。     

Incorporation of a new wind turbine generating system model into distribution systems load flow analysis

This paper describes a new model for wind turbine generating systems (WTGSs) that is widely used as distributed generation sources. The model is developed by using the bi‐quadratic equation, which is generally used for the calculation of the line voltages in distribution systems' load flow analysis, and facilitates computation of real and reactive power outputs of the WTGSs for a specified wind speed and terminal voltage. The developed model is validated with an experimental setup composed by an induction generator coupled with an induction motor as a prime mover. In addition to that, measured values are also compared with the calculated values, obtained by using the turbine models found in the literature. The incorporation of the developed model into some well‐known distribution systems' load flow algorithms is detailed. The effect of WTGSs on the power losses, voltage profile of radial distribution systems are evaluated for the sample test systems. Additionally, the performance of the load flow algorithms with the new model are examined and found to be robust and reliable. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

沿海滩涂风力机近尾流风速分布特性研究

为获得风力机近尾流风速在垂直方向和水平方向的变化规律,提出一种测量风力机近尾流区风速的实测方法。针对某沿海滩涂风电场,采用2台搭载风速仪的无人机对近尾流区进行测量。结果表明：垂直方向,尾流和来流风速比值在1.0D~2.5D处（D为风轮直径）随着高度的增加呈先减小后增大的趋势,在轮毂中轴线处存在最小值0.53~0.68;风速比值沿轮毂中轴线呈非对称分布。0.5D处风速比值分别在上下风轮处存在2个极小值0.56和0.50。水平方向,风速比值在1.0D~3.0D处沿径向距离从左向右呈先减小后增大的趋势,在轮毂中轴线处存在最小值（0.54~0.78）;风速比值沿轮毂中轴线呈对称分布,随着风轮下游距离的增加呈扩张趋势。最后给出用于A类风场风力机下游尾流风速剖面的预测公式。     

Simulation and wake analysis of a single vertical axis wind turbine

Because of several design advantages and operational characteristics, particularly in offshore farms, vertical axis wind turbines (VAWTs) are being reconsidered as a complementary technology to horizontal axial turbines. However, considerable gaps remain in our understanding of VAWT performance since cross‐flow rotor configurations have been significantly less studied than axial turbines. This study examines the wakes of VAWTs and how their evolution is influenced by turbine design parameters. An actuator line model is implemented in an atmospheric boundary layer large eddy simulation code, with offline coupling to a high‐resolution blade‐scale unsteady Reynolds‐averaged Navier–Stokes model. The large eddy simulation captures the turbine‐to‐farm scale dynamics, while the unsteady Reynolds‐averaged Navier–Stokes captures the blade‐to‐turbine scale flow. The simulation results are found to be in good agreement with three existing experimental datasets. Subsequently, a parametric study of the flow over an isolated VAWT, carried out by varying solidities, height‐to‐diameter aspect ratios and tip speed ratios, is conducted. The analyses of the wake area and velocity and power deficits yield an improved understanding of the downstream evolution of VAWT wakes, which in turn enables a more informed selection of turbine designs for wind farms. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

前曲扭角增加式叶尖气动特性研究

以某150 kW水平轴的风电机组叶片为研究对象,提出一种朝来流风方向圆弧式前曲、扭角增加的降载叶尖外形;建立以扭角增量A、弯曲角度B为变量的16组叶尖几何模型,为探究该降载设计叶片最佳适用风况,建立考虑扭角增量、弯曲角度及风速的三因素四水平正交试验表,借助ICEM完成多组仿真模型的网格划分,利用Fluent单一旋转坐标...     

基于Park-Gauss模型考虑大气稳定性对布局优化的影响

基于Park模型尾流区线性膨胀假设和径向风速呈高斯分布假设,提出一种新的修正型的工程尾流模型Park-Gauss模型,采用小生境遗传算法,并考虑大气稳定性对风电场布局优化的影响。结果表明:对常风速单风向风电场微观选址布局优化结果是风力机组主要布置在垂直风向的第1排和最后1排;大气边界层稳定性对风电场微观选址布局优化影响显著,在大气边界层不稳定状态下,风电场安装机组总数最多、发电总量及风电场利用效率最高,中性状态和稳定状态依次次之。     

一种基于WRF模式的可能最大暴雨估算新方法

数值天气模式能通过大气物理方程概化气象因子与暴雨关系,基于此模式的暴雨因子放大法已成为估算可能最大暴雨(PMP)的重要途径。考虑到风速在地形作用下能够影响水汽垂直运动,进而与水汽辐合共同影响降雨,增加风速作为放大因子,提出了基于WRF模式的水汽风速放大法估算PMP,即通过大量敏感性试验,研究水汽、风速放大的垂直层数、水平范围、倍比,诊断水汽、风速因子与PMP的正相关性,同时通过因子组合放大确定能产生最大降雨的最恶劣暴雨情景。将其应用于湖北咸宁核电厂暴雨预测中,与基于线性假定的传统水汽风速放大法相比,该法从因子放大后暴雨特征的同向增强效应角度确定最不利暴雨,更为科学合理。     

ENDOW (efficient development of offshore wind farms): modelling wake and boundary layer interactions

While experience gained through the offshore wind energy projects currently operating is valuable, a major uncertainty in estimating power production lies in the prediction of the dynamic links between the atmosphere and wind turbines in offshore regimes. The objective of the ENDOW project was to evaluate, enhance and interface wake and boundary layer models for utilization offshore. The project resulted in a significant advance in the state of the art in both wake and marine boundary layer models, leading to improved prediction of wind speed and turbulence profiles within large offshore wind farms. Use of new databases from existing offshore wind farms and detailed wake profiles collected using sodar provided a unique opportunity to undertake the first comprehensive evaluation of wake models in the offshore environment. The results of wake model performance in different wind speed, stability and roughness conditions relative to observations provided criteria for their improvement. Mesoscale model simulations were used to evaluate the impact of thermal flows, roughness and topography on offshore wind speeds. The model hierarchy developed under ENDOW forms the basis of design tools for use by wind energy developers and turbine manufacturers to optimize power output from offshore wind farms through minimized wake effects and optimal grid connections. The design tools are being built onto existing regional‐scale models and wind farm design software which was developed with EU funding and is in use currently by wind energy developers. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Development and validation of a computational model for design analysis of a novel marine turbine

The vast tidal and wave energy resources represent a potential to use marine energy systems to supply part of the global energy demand. However, there are many advances required to develop economic and reliable marine energy systems, which some of these advances can be achieved by using the existing knowledge and experience from offshore and wind energy industry. This research presents a novel marine energy system that integrates the concept of a vertical and horizontal axis wind turbines by combining a Darrieus and Wells type rotor. However, many other different concepts have been proposed, but models that account for hydrodynamic, structure and control are needed to determine their technical and economical feasibility. With the use of the double‐multiple streamtube theory, a hydrodynamic model is developed to predict the performance and the loads on the turbine blades coupled with a finite element model to compute strains and stresses. To validate the model, we used strain data from field measurement of the demo prototype. The validated model was used to compute extreme stresses and calculate the fatigue life. The model gives reliable estimates of stresses and fatigue life. With this result, the design analysis of the turbine blades can be optimized for any site condition and expected life time. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Techno-economic assessment of the application of small-scale wind turbines

In the present work, a tool is proposed for the evaluation of micro-wind turbine performances in the Australian cities. The power curves provided by the manufacturers were combined with the two-parameter Weibull function representative of the local wind conditions. Calculations demonstrate that when taking into account the only wind speed magnitude, the horizontal axis micro-wind turbines have greater capacity factors than the vertical axis micro-wind turbines for similar wind conditions. Turbine capacities were then mapped over a wide range of wind conditions assuming the wind distribution characterised by Weibull parameters. By considering the market price of electricity, the income of a power source can be evaluated. The critical wind-condition boundary needed to provide a beneficial active micro-wind turbine was determined for one horizontal axis micro-wind turbine using a hypothetical income map.