Wind Tunnel Tests of Wake Characteristics for a Scaled Wind Turbine Model Based on Dynamic Similarity

Wei Yang, Meng Yu, Bowen Yan (), Guoqing Huang, Qingshan Yang, Senqin Zhang, Tianhao Hong, Xu Zhou and Xiaowei Deng
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Wei Yang: Chongqing Key Laboratory of Wind Engineering and Wind Energy Utilization, School of Civil Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400045, China
Meng Yu: Chongqing Key Laboratory of Wind Engineering and Wind Energy Utilization, School of Civil Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400045, China
Bowen Yan: Chongqing Key Laboratory of Wind Engineering and Wind Energy Utilization, School of Civil Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400045, China
Guoqing Huang: Chongqing Key Laboratory of Wind Engineering and Wind Energy Utilization, School of Civil Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400045, China
Qingshan Yang: Chongqing Key Laboratory of Wind Engineering and Wind Energy Utilization, School of Civil Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400045, China
Senqin Zhang: Chongqing Key Laboratory of Wind Engineering and Wind Energy Utilization, School of Civil Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400045, China
Tianhao Hong: Chongqing Key Laboratory of Wind Engineering and Wind Energy Utilization, School of Civil Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400045, China
Xu Zhou: Chongqing Key Laboratory of Wind Engineering and Wind Energy Utilization, School of Civil Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400045, China
Xiaowei Deng: Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong

Energies, 2022, vol. 15, issue 17, 1-17

Abstract: This wind tunnel study was conducted to investigate the similarity laws involved in the reasonable simulation of the wake characteristics of a full-scale wind turbine. A 5 MW scaled wind turbine model was designed using an optimization method based on the blade element momentum (BEM) theory. Subsequently, wind tunnel tests were carried out on the geometrically similar model and the thrust-optimized model, with different yaw angles and under various upstream flow conditions. The results indicated that the wake development of the wind turbine model was closely related to the thrust forces of the wind turbine, and both kinematic and dynamic similarity laws should be observed to achieve wake characteristics that are reasonably similar to those of a full-scale wind turbine. This study investigated the aerodynamic similarity principles of small-scale wind turbine models to develop a more effective method for simulating full-scale turbine wake characteristics in wind tunnel tests. The outcomes of this study revealed the limitations of the anomalously low thrust coefficients in geometrically similar wind turbine models and present reasonable model design methodologies for small-scale wind turbine models in wind tunnel tests.

Keywords: wake characteristics; blade optimization; dynamic similarity; wind tunnel tests; scaled wind turbine (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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