Articles | Volume 10, issue 7
https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-10-1369-2025
© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-10-1369-2025
© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
17 Jul 2025
Research article |
| 17 Jul 2025
| 17 Jul 2025
Wake development in floating wind turbines: new insights and an open dataset from wind tunnel experiments
Alessandro Fontanella
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Politecnico di Milano, via La Masa 1, 20156 Milan, Italy
Alberto Fusetti
Department of Energy, Politecnico di Milano, Via Lambruschini 4, 20156 Milan, Italy
Stefano Cioni
Department of Industrial Engineering, Università degli Studi di Firenze, Via di Santa Marta 3, 50139 Florence, Italy
Francesco Papi
Department of Industrial Engineering, Università degli Studi di Firenze, Via di Santa Marta 3, 50139 Florence, Italy
Sara Muggiasca
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Politecnico di Milano, via La Masa 1, 20156 Milan, Italy
Giacomo Persico
Department of Energy, Politecnico di Milano, Via Lambruschini 4, 20156 Milan, Italy
Vincenzo Dossena
Department of Energy, Politecnico di Milano, Via Lambruschini 4, 20156 Milan, Italy
Alessandro Bianchini
Department of Industrial Engineering, Università degli Studi di Firenze, Via di Santa Marta 3, 50139 Florence, Italy
Marco Belloli
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Politecnico di Milano, via La Masa 1, 20156 Milan, Italy
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The work focuses on the experimental validation of the design of a large-scale wind turbine model, based on the DTU 10 MW reference wind turbine, installed on a scaled multipurpose platform deployed in an outdoor natural laboratory. The aim of the validation is to assess whether the behaviour of the model respects the targets established during the design phase in terms of structure, rotor aerodynamics and control. The outcome of the investigation ensures the validity of the design process.
Paul Veers, Katherine Dykes, Sukanta Basu, Alessandro Bianchini, Andrew Clifton, Peter Green, Hannele Holttinen, Lena Kitzing, Branko Kosovic, Julie K. Lundquist, Johan Meyers, Mark O'Malley, William J. Shaw, and Bethany Straw
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Alessandro Bianchini, Galih Bangga, Ian Baring-Gould, Alessandro Croce, José Ignacio Cruz, Rick Damiani, Gareth Erfort, Carlos Simao Ferreira, David Infield, Christian Navid Nayeri, George Pechlivanoglou, Mark Runacres, Gerard Schepers, Brent Summerville, David Wood, and Alice Orrell
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The paper is part of the Grand Challenges Papers for Wind Energy. It provides a status of small wind turbine technology in terms of technical maturity, diffusion, and cost. Then, five grand challenges that are thought to be key to fostering the development of the technology are proposed. To tackle these challenges, a series of unknowns and gaps are first identified and discussed. Improvement areas are highlighted, within which 10 key enabling actions are finally proposed to the wind community.
Alessandro Fontanella, Alan Facchinetti, Simone Di Carlo, and Marco Belloli
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This paper compares different vortex identification methods to evaluate their suitability to study the tip vortices of a wind turbine. The assessment is done through experimental data from the wake of a wind turbine model. Results show comparability in some aspects as well as significant differences, providing evidence to justify further comparisons. Therefore, this study proves that the selection of the most suitable postprocessing methods of tip vortex data is pivotal to ensure robust results.
Alessandro Fontanella, Ilmas Bayati, Robert Mikkelsen, Marco Belloli, and Alberto Zasso
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Short summary
Short summary
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Short summary
This paper investigates the impact of large movements allowed by floating wind turbine foundations on their aerodynamics and wake behavior. Wind tunnel tests with a model turbine reveal that platform motions affect wake patterns and turbulence levels. Insights from these experiments are crucial for optimizing large-scale floating wind farms. The dataset obtained from the experiment is published and can aid in developing simulation tools for floating wind turbines.
This paper investigates the impact of large movements allowed by floating wind turbine...
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