Articles | Volume 11, issue 5
https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-11-1631-2026
© Author(s) 2026. 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-11-1631-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Dependence of wind-farm-induced gravity waves and wind farm performance on non-dimensional atmospheric parameters and simulation configuration
Delft University of Technology, Delft, the Netherlands
Matthew J. Churchfield
National Laboratory of the Rockies, Golden, Colorado, USA
Simon J. Watson
Delft University of Technology, Delft, the Netherlands
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To guide realistic atmospheric gravity wave simulations, we study flow over a two-dimensional hill and through a wind farm canopy, examining optimal domain size and damping layer setup. Wave properties based on non-dimensional numbers determine the optimal domain and damping parameters. Accurate solutions require the domain length to exceed the effective horizontal wavelength, height, and damping thickness to equal the vertical wavelength and non-dimensional damping strength between 1 and 10.
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We introduce a novel way to model the impact of atmospheric gravity waves (AGWs) on wind farms using high-fidelity simulations while significantly reducing computational costs. The proposed approach is validated across different atmospheric stability conditions, and implications of neglecting AGWs when predicting wind farm power are assessed. This work advances our understanding of the interaction of wind farms with the free atmosphere, ultimately facilitating cost-effective research.
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Wind Energ. Sci., 10, 2563–2576, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-10-2563-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-10-2563-2025, 2025
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Wind Energ. Sci., 10, 2161–2188, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-10-2161-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-10-2161-2025, 2025
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To guide realistic atmospheric gravity wave simulations, we study flow over a two-dimensional hill and through a wind farm canopy, examining optimal domain size and damping layer setup. Wave properties based on non-dimensional numbers determine the optimal domain and damping parameters. Accurate solutions require the domain length to exceed the effective horizontal wavelength, height, and damping thickness to equal the vertical wavelength and non-dimensional damping strength between 1 and 10.
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Dries Allaerts was born on 19 May 1989 and passed away at his home in Wezemaal, Belgium, on 10 October 2024 after battling cancer. Dries started his wind energy career in 2012 and had a profound impact afterward on the community, in terms of both his scientific realizations and his many friendships and collaborations in the field. His scientific acumen, open spirit of collaboration, positive attitude towards life, and playful and often cheeky sense of humor will be deeply missed by many.
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Christopher J. Bay, Paul Fleming, Bart Doekemeijer, Jennifer King, Matt Churchfield, and Rafael Mudafort
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Amir R. Nejad, Jonathan Keller, Yi Guo, Shawn Sheng, Henk Polinder, Simon Watson, Jianning Dong, Zian Qin, Amir Ebrahimi, Ralf Schelenz, Francisco Gutiérrez Guzmán, Daniel Cornel, Reza Golafshan, Georg Jacobs, Bart Blockmans, Jelle Bosmans, Bert Pluymers, James Carroll, Sofia Koukoura, Edward Hart, Alasdair McDonald, Anand Natarajan, Jone Torsvik, Farid K. Moghadam, Pieter-Jan Daems, Timothy Verstraeten, Cédric Peeters, and Jan Helsen
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This paper presents the state-of-the-art technologies and development trends of wind turbine drivetrains – the energy conversion systems transferring the kinetic energy of the wind to electrical energy – in different stages of their life cycle: design, manufacturing, installation, operation, lifetime extension, decommissioning and recycling. The main aim of this article is to review the drivetrain technology development as well as to identify future challenges and research gaps.
Cited articles
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Short summary
This large-eddy simulation study identifies a realistic set-up for modeling wind-farm–atmosphere interactions, validates a method that minimizes non-physical gravity waves, and examines how real gravity waves and wind farm performance depend on non-dimensional parameters defining atmospheric stability and farm geometry. The results show how realistic and accurate modeling are critical to performance prediction.
This large-eddy simulation study identifies a realistic set-up for modeling wind-farm–atmosphere...
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