A Wind Tunnel Experimental Study on the Wake Characteristics of a Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine

  • GUO Xingduo ,
  • LI Yinran ,
  • LI Rennian ,
  • MA Yulong ,
  • WEI Kui
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  • 1. College of Energy and Power Engineering, Lanzhou University of Technology, Lanzhou 730050, China 
    2. Key Laboratory of Fluid Machinery and Systems, Lanzhou 730050, China
    3. Gansu Provincial Technology Centre for Wind Turbines, Lanzhou 730050, China

网络出版日期: 2025-01-09

基金资助

This work was supported by Incubation Program of Excellent Doctoral Dissertation-Lanzhou University of Technology, Gansu Science and Technology Program (22JR5RA231), Industrial Support Program for Colleges and Universities of Gansu Province (2022CYZC-27), National Natural Science Foundation of China (52466015). We also would like to thank all those who have reviewed and contributed to this paper for their valuable assistance.

版权

Science Press, Institute of Engineering Thermophysics, CAS and Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2024

A Wind Tunnel Experimental Study on the Wake Characteristics of a Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine

  • GUO Xingduo ,
  • LI Yinran ,
  • LI Rennian ,
  • MA Yulong ,
  • WEI Kui
Expand
  • 1. College of Energy and Power Engineering, Lanzhou University of Technology, Lanzhou 730050, China 
    2. Key Laboratory of Fluid Machinery and Systems, Lanzhou 730050, China
    3. Gansu Provincial Technology Centre for Wind Turbines, Lanzhou 730050, China

Online published: 2025-01-09

Supported by

This work was supported by Incubation Program of Excellent Doctoral Dissertation-Lanzhou University of Technology, Gansu Science and Technology Program (22JR5RA231), Industrial Support Program for Colleges and Universities of Gansu Province (2022CYZC-27), National Natural Science Foundation of China (52466015). We also would like to thank all those who have reviewed and contributed to this paper for their valuable assistance.

Copyright

Science Press, Institute of Engineering Thermophysics, CAS and Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2024

摘要

风力机尾流特性受大气边界层来流和机组运行条件(如叶尖速比和偏航角)等因素的影响。本研究通过在风洞中布置不同尺寸的尖劈、挡板及不同数量的粗糙元构建出两种速度梯度和湍流强度的大气边界层风场。在此基础上,对直径为0.8 m、轮毂高度为0.6 m的小型风力机开展风洞实验,研究不同叶尖速比、偏航角和大气边界层来流对风力机尾流特性的影响。实验结果表明,风力机近尾流区的流向速度亏损随叶尖速比的增大而增大,而远尾流区对叶尖速比的敏感性较低。风力机偏航运行时,尾流中心的偏移量随偏航角增加先线性增加,随后趋于稳定,最大偏移量约为风轮直径的一半。此外,偏航角增加还会导致机组尾流宽度收窄,尾流区湍流强度和影响范围减小。大气边界层条件下,来流中的高湍流强度会加速风力机尾流的恢复,且随着尾流区轴向位置的增加,径向方向的雷诺应力分布逐渐趋于一致。此外,大气边界层来流增强了风力机尾流的蜿蜒效应,且尾流中心波动在高湍流强度环境中更为显著。该研究可为风电场的优化运行提供指导。

本文引用格式

GUO Xingduo , LI Yinran , LI Rennian , MA Yulong , WEI Kui . A Wind Tunnel Experimental Study on the Wake Characteristics of a Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine[J]. 热科学学报, 2025 , 34(1) : 145 -158 . DOI: 10.1007/s11630-024-2074-1

Abstract

The characteristics of wind turbine wakes are influenced by multiple factors, including the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) wind and wind turbine operating conditions (e.g., tip speed ratio and yaw angle). In this study, two types of ABL winds with different velocity gradients and turbulence intensities are generated in a wind tunnel through configurations of spires, baffles, and various numbers of roughness elements. A wind turbine with a rotor diameter of 0.8 m and a hub height of 0.6 m is tested under varying tip speed ratios, yaw angles, and ABL wind conditions. The results indicate that the streamwise velocity deficit in the near-wake region becomes more pronounced with an increase in the tip speed ratio, while the far-wake velocity deficit remains largely unaffected by changes in the tip speed ratio. As the yaw angle increases, the wake deflection becomes more prominent and the wake narrows; the offset of the wake center at various downstream positions grows linearly, reaching a maximum value of approximately half the rotor diameter. Furthermore, the turbulence level and influence range in the wake region are reduced when the turbine is yawed. Under ABL wind conditions, high turbulence intensity in the incoming flow accelerates wake recovery, and the Reynolds stress at different lateral positions tends to become consistent with increasing longitudinal distance. Additionally, turbulence has a significant impact on the meandering characteristics of the wind turbine wake, with greater fluctuations in the wake center observed under higher turbulence intensities. Overall, this study provides insights that could inform the optimal operation of wind farms.

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