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The influence of swirl on axisymmetric wakes is a critical area of study, with significant implications for both practical applications, such as wind turbine wakes, and fundamental fluid dynamics research, where even small changes in the mean flow can lead to substantial alterations in turbulence characteristics. Despite its importance, this topic has received limited attention in the literature. This study examines the influence of swirl on the downstream development of a controlled, rotationally symmetric wake. The wake was generated using a rotating porous disk mounted in a wind tunnel, and the flow field was measured using stereoscopic PIV across various swirl strengths. The results suggest that swirl begins to influence the wake at swirl numbers around 0.07, with its effects saturating at swirl numbers exceeding 0.2.

Modern wind turbines already represent a tightly optimized confluence of materials science and aerodynamic engineering. Veers et al. review the challenges and opportunities for further expanding this technology, with an emphasis on the need for interdisciplinary collaboration. They highlight the need to better understand atmospheric physics in the regions where taller turbines will operate as well as the materials constraints associated with the scale-up. The mutual interaction of turbine sites with one another and with the evolving features of the overall electricity grid will furthermore necessitate a systems approach to future development. Science , this issue p. eaau2027 Harvested by advanced technical systems honed over decades of research and development, wind energy has become a mainstream energy resource. However, continued innovation is needed to realize the potential of wind to serve the global demand for clean energy. Here, we outline three interdependent, cross-disciplinary grand challenges underpinning this research endeavor. The first is the need for a deeper understanding of the physics of atmospheric flow in the critical zone of plant operation. The second involves science and engineering of the largest dynamic, rotating machines in the world. The third encompasses optimization and control of fleets of wind plants working synergistically within the electricity grid. Addressing these challenges could enable wind power to provide as much as half of our global electricity needs and perhaps beyond.

Wind tunnel testing of wind turbines is critical for better understanding the blade aerodynamics and wakes as well as for producing data necessary to validate computational models. In this work, a 2 m diameter wind turbine that was designed to produce a wake with characteristics similar to that of an industrial scale turbine was tested in a large wind tunnel environment. Unsteady inflow, unsteady blade load distribution, and instantaneous wake measurements were obtained to characterize wake development and near-wake behavior. The results showed that the measurement of both blade loading and wake properties facilitate understanding of the wake's behavior, and the blade load distribution can be used to explain the near-wake structure. Tests covering a wider range of conditions would be valuable for validating simulations of wind turbine flows.

Two different inverse design approaches are proposed for developing wind turbine blades for sub-scale wake testing. In the first approach, dimensionless circulation is matched for full scale and sub-scale wind turbine blades for equal shed vorticity in the wake. In the second approach, the normalized normal and tangential force distributions are matched for large scale and small scale wind turbine blades, as these forces determine the wake dynamics and stability. The two approaches are applied for the same target full scale turbine blade, and the shape of the blades are compared. The results show that the two approaches have been successfully implemented, and the designed blades are able to produce the target circulation and target normal and tangential force distributions.

Stall flutter is an aeroelastic phenomenon resulting in unwanted oscillatory loads on the blade, such as wind turbine blade, helicopter rotor blade, and other flexible wing blades. Although the stall flutter and related aeroelastic control have been studied theoretically and experimentally, microtab control of asymmetric limit cycle oscillations (LCOs) in stall flutter cases has not been generally investigated. This paper presents an aeroservoelastic model to study the microtab control of the blade section undergoing moderate stall flutter and deep stall flutter separately. The effects of different dynamic stall conditions and the consequent asymmetric LCOs for both stall cases are simulated and analyzed. Then, for the design of the stall flutter controller, the potential sensor signal for the stall flutter, the microtab control capability of the stall flutter, and the control algorithm for the stall flutter are studied. The improvement and the superiority of the proposed adaptive stall flutter controller are shown by comparison with a simple stall flutter controller.

Wake behavior significantly affects the performance and lifetime of wind turbines on which it impacts. This study considers wake profile fits applied to velocity data gathered in a swirling turbulent wake. Wake rotation or swirl has been found to impact wake growth and evolution, and thus both wake deficit and swirl profiles are fit. Specifically, Gaussian and double Gaussian functions are applied to the wake deficit profiles, and Lamb-Oseen and Taylor distributions are used for the tangential velocity profiles. Fits that accurately represent the wake profiles promise to improve wake representations that can be used, for example, in stability theory analyses and wake modeling. The double Gaussian and Taylor vortex distributions were found to best represent the distributions, but Taylor vortex distribution failed to capture the true distribution at some radial locations. An example use of these fits to quantify the impact of swirl on wake evolution is provided.

Researchers within the International Energy Agency (IEA) Task 31: Wakebench have created a framework for the evaluation of wind farm flow models operating at the microscale level. The framework consists of a model evaluation protocol integrated with a web-based portal for model benchmarking (www.windbench.net). This paper provides an overview of the building-block validation approach applied to wind farm wake models, including best practices for the benchmarking and data processing procedures for validation datasets from wind farm SCADA and meteorological databases. A hierarchy of test cases has been proposed for wake model evaluation, from similarity theory of the axisymmetric wake and idealized infinite wind farm, to single-wake wind tunnel (UMN-EPFL) and field experiments (Sexbierum), to wind farm arrays in offshore (Horns Rev, Lillgrund) and complex terrain conditions (San Gregorio). A summary of results from the axisymmetric wake, Sexbierum, Horns Rev and Lillgrund benchmarks are used to discuss the state-of-the-art of wake model validation and highlight the most relevant issues for future development.

The IEA Task 31 Wakebench is setting up a framework for the evaluation of wind farm flow models operating at microscale level. The framework consists on a model evaluation protocol integrated on a web-based portal for model benchmarking (www.windbench.net). This paper provides an overview of the building-block validation approach applied to flow-over-terrain models, including best practices for the benchmarking and data processing procedures for the analysis and qualification of validation datasets from wind resource assessment campaigns. A hierarchy of test cases has been proposed for flow-over-terrain model evaluation, from Monin- Obukhov similarity theory for verification of surface-layer properties, to the Leipzig profile for the near-neutral atmospheric boundary layer, to flow over isolated hills (Askervein and Bolund) to flow over mountaneous complex terrain (Alaiz). A summary of results from the first benchmarks are used to illustrate the model evaluation protocol applied to flow-over-terrain modeling in neutral conditions.

Wind energy is foundational for achieving 100 % renewable electricity production, and significant innovation is required as the grid expands and accommodates hybrid plant systems, energy-intensive products such as fuels, and a transitioning transportation sector. The sizable investments required for wind power plant development and integration make the financial and operational risks of change very high in all applications but especially offshore. Dependence on a high level of modeling and simulation accuracy to mitigate risk and ensure operational performance is essential. Therefore, the modeling chain from the large-scale inflow down to the material microstructure, and all the steps in between, needs to predict how the wind turbine system will respond and perform to allow innovative solutions to enter commercial application. Critical unknowns in the design, manufacturing, and operability of future turbine and plant systems are articulated, and recommendations for research action are laid out.This article focuses on the many unknowns that affect the ability to push the frontiers in the design of turbine and plant systems. Modern turbine rotors operate through the entire atmospheric boundary layer, outside the bounds of historic design assumptions, which requires reassessing design processes and approaches. Traditional aerodynamics and aeroelastic modeling approaches are pressing against the limits of applicability for the size and flexibility of future architectures and flow physics fundamentals. Offshore wind turbines have additional motion and hydrodynamic load drivers that are formidable modeling challenges. Uncertainty in turbine wakes complicates structural loading and energy production estimates, both around a single plant and for downstream plants, which requires innovation in plant operations and flow control to achieve full energy capture and load alleviation potential. Opportunities in co-design can bring controls upstream into design optimization if captured in design-level models of the physical phenomena. It is a research challenge to integrate improved materials into the manufacture of ever-larger components while maintaining quality and reducing cost. High-performance computing used in high-fidelity, physics-resolving simulations offer opportunities to improve design tools through artificial intelligence and machine learning, but even the high-fidelity tools are yet to be fully validated. Finally, key actions needed to continue the progress of wind energy technology toward even lower cost and greater functionality are recommended.

In this work, we present Large Eddy Simulation (LES) results of atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) flow over complex terrain with neutral stratification using the OpenFOAM-based simulator for on offshore wind farm applications (SOWFA). The complete work flow to investigate the LES for the ABL over real complex terrain is described including meteorological-tower data analysis, mesh generation and case set-up. New boundary conditions for the lateral and top boundaries are developed and validated to allow inflow and outflow as required in complex terrain simulations. The turbulent inflow data for the terrain simulation is generated using a precursor simulation of a flat and neutral ABL. Conditionally averaged met-tower data is used to specify the conditions for the flat precursor simulation and is also used for comparison with the simulation results of the terrain LES. A qualitative analysis of the simulation results reveals boundary layer separation and recirculation downstream of a prominent ridge that runs across the simulation domain. Comparisons of mean wind speed, standard deviation and direction between the computed results and the conditionally averaged tower data show a reasonable agreement.