Articles | Volume 9, issue 10
https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-9-1967-2024
© Author(s) 2024. 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-9-1967-2024
© Author(s) 2024. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
17 Oct 2024
Research article |
| 17 Oct 2024
| 17 Oct 2024
Force-partitioning analysis of vortex-induced vibrations of wind turbine tower sections
Faculty of Aerospace Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Delft, the Netherlands
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy
Delphine De Tavernier
Faculty of Aerospace Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Delft, the Netherlands
Dominic von Terzi
Faculty of Aerospace Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Delft, the Netherlands
Marco Belloli
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy
Axelle Viré
Faculty of Aerospace Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Delft, the Netherlands
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Federico Taruffi and Axelle Viré
Wind Energ. Sci., 11, 839–860, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-11-839-2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-11-839-2026, 2026
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Floating wind turbines are subject to complex aerodynamics that are not yet fully understood. Lab-scale experiments are crucial for capturing these phenomena and validating numerical tools, but due to the different physics, this is difficult with traditional approaches. This paper presents a new, hybrid wind tunnel experimental setup capable of reproducing the coupled aerodynamic and motion response of floating wind turbines.
Stefano Cioni, Francesco Papi, Pier Francesco Melani, Alessandro Fontanella, Agnese Firpo, Andrea Giuseppe Sanvito, Giacomo Persico, Vincenzo Dossena, Sara Muggiasca, Marco Belloli, and Alessandro Bianchini
Wind Energ. Sci., 11, 795–824, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-11-795-2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-11-795-2026, 2026
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A multi-fidelity approach is leveraged to investigate the capabilities of engineering models to capture the wake dynamics of a wind turbine model under imposed motion. In contrast to previous studies, many more different operating conditions have been investigated, including surge, pitch, yaw, and wind–wave misalignment cases; moreover, numerical methods are here consistently applied to the same test cases, which are part of the first experimental round of the NETTUNO project.
Simone Chellini, Delphine De Tavernier, and Dominic von Terzi
Wind Energ. Sci., 11, 753–769, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-11-753-2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-11-753-2026, 2026
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The growing interest in high-velocity physics justifies research into new experimental aerodynamics. Our work provides the knowledge foundations for the next generation of large wind turbine rotors, investigating the FFA-W3-211 airfoil. We highlight airfoil-dependent static and dynamic results from a large-scale wind tunnel experiment. The results delve into the force enhancement due to dynamic oscillations, broken down by Reynolds number and reduced frequency.
Daniel van den Berg, Daan van der Hoek, Delphine De Tavernier, Jonas Gutknecht, and Jan-Willem van Wingerden
Wind Energ. Sci., 11, 679–692, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-11-679-2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-11-679-2026, 2026
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This paper demonstrates that floating wind turbines can utilise their natural yaw motion at sea to their advantage. By synchronising the yaw motion of the floating platform with a special control method called the helix, a turbine can mix the air in the wake more effectively, speeding up wind recovery and boosting the energy available to neighbouring turbines. This discovery opens up new possibilities for designing more efficient floating wind farms.
Maria Cristina Vitulano, Delphine De Tavernier, Giuliano De Stefano, and Dominic von Terzi
Wind Energ. Sci., 11, 643–660, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-11-643-2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-11-643-2026, 2026
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Wind turbines are increasing in size, pushing blade tips to operate at high speeds. This study employs numerical simulations to investigate the unsteady aerodynamic response of a wind turbine airfoil to angle-of-attack changes across the transonic flow threshold. By varying reduced frequency and inflow Mach number, the analysis reveals the impact of compressibility on aerodynamic performance, including a hysteresis effect, which highlights its importance in the design of next-generation rotors.
Evert Ivo Wiegant, Delphine de Tavernier, and Axelle Viré
Wind Energ. Sci. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-2025-276, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-2025-276, 2025
Preprint under review for WES
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As flow passes over a wing (or a wind turbine blade), a "bound vortex" forms around it. In this work, we describe this vortex as it appears in a type of computer simulation. We use this description to address two problems in literature; to find the correct velocity near the wing (as it is sampled) and to indicate when a simulation appropriately represents the relevant physical phenomena (related to convergence). This work provides understanding of such simulations and means to make them cheaper.
Abhyuday Aditya, Maria Cristina Vitulano, Delphine De Tavernier, Ferdinand Schrijer, Bas van Oudheusden, and Dominic von Terzi
Wind Energ. Sci., 10, 2925–2946, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-10-2925-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-10-2925-2025, 2025
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This study is the first to experimentally test how wind turbine blades behave at near-supersonic speeds, a condition expected in the largest turbines. In the experiments, we observed unstable and potentially detrimental shock waves that become stronger at higher speeds and angles. Basic prediction tools in wind turbine design miss these details, highlighting the need for better tools and experiments to understand the extreme conditions faced by modern wind turbines.
Deepali Singh, Erik Haugen, Kasper Laugesen, Richard P. Dwight, and Axelle Viré
Wind Energ. Sci., 10, 2865–2888, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-10-2865-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-10-2865-2025, 2025
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We developed a fast, probabilistic surrogate model to predict fatigue loads on floating wind turbines based on site conditions. Unlike traditional methods, our approach directly uses site data, avoiding complex binning or distribution fitting. A mixture density network is used to capture uncertainties and enables quick lifetime fatigue estimates.
Ricardo Amaral, Felix Houtin-Mongrolle, Dominic von Terzi, Kasper Laugesen, Paul Deglaire, and Axelle Viré
Wind Energ. Sci. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-2025-264, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-2025-264, 2025
Preprint under review for WES
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This work uses simulations to investigate floating wind turbines which have the potential to supply the world's electricity demand many times by 2040. In particular, the effect of the rotor motion was investigated on the wake by forcing the turbine to move under a variety of motions. The results highlight differences in the effect of these motions. While some led to a wake behavior that was close to that of a fixed-bottom turbine, other motions produced a remarkably different wake structure.
Adhyanth Giri Ajay, David Bensason, and Delphine De Tavernier
Wind Energ. Sci., 10, 1829–1847, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-10-1829-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-10-1829-2025, 2025
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We studied the airflow around a new type of wind turbine called the X-Rotor, which could help to reduce the cost of offshore wind energy. Comparing a computer simulation model and wind tunnel experiments, we found that the model correlates well under normal conditions but becomes less accurate when the blades pitch. Our results show that future designs of this turbine category must consider complex 3D flow effects to better predict and improve wind turbine performance.
Leonardo Pagamonci, Francesco Papi, Gabriel Cojocaru, Marco Belloli, and Alessandro Bianchini
Wind Energ. Sci., 10, 1707–1736, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-10-1707-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-10-1707-2025, 2025
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The study presents a critical analysis using wind tunnel experiments and large-eddy simulations aimed at quantifying to what extent turbulence affects the wake structures of a floating turbine undergoing large motions. Analyses show that, whenever realistic turbulence comes into play, only small gains in terms of wake recovery are noticed in comparison to bottom-fixed turbines, suggesting the absence of hypothesized superposition effects between inflow and platform motion.
Alessandro Fontanella, Alberto Fusetti, Stefano Cioni, Francesco Papi, Sara Muggiasca, Giacomo Persico, Vincenzo Dossena, Alessandro Bianchini, and Marco Belloli
Wind Energ. Sci., 10, 1369–1387, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-10-1369-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-10-1369-2025, 2025
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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.
Guido Lazzerini, Jacob Deleuran Grunnet, Tobias Gybel Hovgaard, Fabio Caponetti, Vasu Datta Madireddi, Delphine De Tavernier, and Sebastiaan Paul Mulders
Wind Energ. Sci., 10, 1303–1327, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-10-1303-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-10-1303-2025, 2025
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Large wind turbines face design challenges due to increased flexibility of blades. Conventional control strategies fail under large deformations, impacting performance. We present a feedforward–feedback control scheme, addressing flexibility and overcoming the limitations of conventional strategies. By testing it on a large-scale reference turbine with realistic wind conditions, we demonstrated improvements to power by up to 5 % while constraining blade deflections.
Alessandro Fontanella, Stefano Cioni, Francesco Papi, Sara Muggiasca, Alessandro Bianchini, and Marco Belloli
Wind Energ. Sci. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-2025-106, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-2025-106, 2025
Revised manuscript under review for WES
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This study explores how the movement of floating wind turbines affects nearby turbines. Using wind tunnel experiments, we found that certain motions of an upstream turbine can improve the energy produced by a downstream one and change the forces it experiences. These effects depend on how the turbines are spaced and aligned. Our results show that the motion of floating turbines plays a key role in how future offshore wind farms should be designed and operated.
Rishikesh Joshi, Dominic von Terzi, and Roland Schmehl
Wind Energ. Sci., 10, 695–718, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-10-695-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-10-695-2025, 2025
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This paper presents a methodology for assessing the system design and scaling trends in airborne wind energy (AWE). A multi-disciplinary design, analysis, and optimisation (MDAO) framework was developed, integrating power, energy production, and cost models for the fixed-wing ground-generation (GG) AWE concept. Using the levelized cost of electricity (LCoE) as the design objective, we found that the optimal size of systems lies between the rated power of 100 and 1000 kW.
Ricardo Amaral, Felix Houtin-Mongrolle, Dominic von Terzi, Kasper Laugesen, Paul Deglaire, and Axelle Viré
Wind Energ. Sci. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-2025-34, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-2025-34, 2025
Manuscript not accepted for further review
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This work uses simulations to investigate floating offshore wind turbines which have the potential to supply the world's electricity demand many times by 2040. In particular, the effect of the rotor motion on the wake was investigated by forcing the turbine to move under different motions and the results highlight differences between motions. While some motions led to a wake behavior that was close to that of a fixed-bottom turbine, other motions produced a remarkably different wake structure.
Nils Barfknecht and Dominic von Terzi
Wind Energ. Sci., 10, 315–346, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-10-315-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-10-315-2025, 2025
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The paper investigates the influence of the rain drop diameter on the formation of erosion damage and its implications for erosion-safe mode (ESM). By building an erosion damage model that incorporates several drop-size effects, we found that large droplets are significantly more erosive than small droplets. It is shown that the performance of the ESM is significantly increased when drop-size effects are correctly accounted for. A method to derive optimal ESM strategies is given as well.
Maria Cristina Vitulano, Delphine De Tavernier, Giuliano De Stefano, and Dominic von Terzi
Wind Energ. Sci., 10, 103–116, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-10-103-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-10-103-2025, 2025
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Next-generation wind turbines are the largest rotating machines ever built, experiencing local flow Mach where the incompressibility assumption is violated, and even transonic flow can occur. This study assesses the transonic features over the FFA-W3-211 wind turbine tip airfoil for selected industrial test cases, defines the subsonic–supersonic flow threshold and evaluates the Reynolds number effects on transonic flow occurrence. Shock wave occurrence is also depicted.
Claudia Muscari, Paolo Schito, Axelle Viré, Alberto Zasso, and Jan-Willem van Wingerden
Wind Energ. Sci. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-2024-149, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-2024-149, 2025
Publication in WES not foreseen
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This paper presents the findings of a study aimed at describing the flow system downstream of a wind turbine operated with a novel control technology. Results from heavy high-fidelity simulations are used to obtain a low-fidelity model that is quick enough to be used for the optimization of such technologies. Additionally, we were able to retrieve an improved understanding of the physics of such systems under different inflow conditions.
Nils Barfknecht and Dominic von Terzi
Wind Energ. Sci., 9, 2333–2357, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-9-2333-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-9-2333-2024, 2024
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Rain droplets damage wind turbine blades due to the high impact speed at the tip. In this study, it is found that rain droplets and wind turbine blades interact aerodynamically. The rain droplets slow down and deform close to the blade. A model from another field of study was adapted and validated to study this process in detail. This effect reduced the predicted erosion damage by up to 50 %, primarily affecting smaller drops. It is shown how the slowdown effect can influence erosion mitigation.
Mihir Kishore Mehta, Michiel Zaaijer, and Dominic von Terzi
Wind Energ. Sci., 9, 2283–2300, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-9-2283-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-9-2283-2024, 2024
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In a subsidy-free era, there is a need to optimize wind turbines for maximizing farm revenue instead of minimizing cost of energy. A wind-farm-level modeling framework with a simplified market model is used to optimize the turbine size for maximum profitability. The results show that the optimum size is driven mainly by the choice of the economic metric and the market price scenario, with a design optimized for the cost of energy already performing well w.r.t. most profitability-based metrics
Deepali Singh, Richard Dwight, and Axelle Viré
Wind Energ. Sci., 9, 1885–1904, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-9-1885-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-9-1885-2024, 2024
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The selection of a suitable site for the installation of a wind turbine plays an important role in ensuring a safe operating lifetime of the structure. In this study, we show that mixture density networks can accelerate this process by inferring functions from data that can accurately map the environmental conditions to the loads but also propagate the uncertainty from the inflow to the response.
Alessandro Fontanella, Giorgio Colpani, Marco De Pascali, Sara Muggiasca, and Marco Belloli
Wind Energ. Sci., 9, 1393–1417, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-9-1393-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-9-1393-2024, 2024
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Waves can boost a floating wind turbine's power output by moving its rotor against the wind. Studying this, we used four models to explore the impact of waves and platform dynamics on turbines in the Mediterranean. We found that wind turbulence, not waves, primarily affects power fluctuations. In real conditions, floating wind turbines produce less energy compared to fixed-bottom ones, mainly due to platform tilt.
Federico Taruffi, Felipe Novais, and Axelle Viré
Wind Energ. Sci., 9, 343–358, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-9-343-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-9-343-2024, 2024
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Floating wind turbines are subject to complex aerodynamics that are not yet fully understood. Lab-scale experiments are crucial for capturing these phenomena and validate numerical tools. This paper presents a new wind tunnel experimental setup able to study the response of a wind turbine rotor when subjected to prescribed motions in 6 degrees of freedom. The observed unsteady effects underscore the importance of pursuing research on the impact of floater motions on wind turbine performance.
Mihir Mehta, Michiel Zaaijer, and Dominic von Terzi
Wind Energ. Sci., 9, 141–163, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-9-141-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-9-141-2024, 2024
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Turbines are becoming larger. However, it is important to understand the key drivers of turbine design and explore the possibility of a global optimum, beyond which further upscaling might not reduce the cost of energy. This study explores, for a typical farm, the entire turbine design space with respect to rated power and rotor diameter. The results show a global optimum that is subject to various modeling uncertainties, farm design conditions, and policies with respect to wind farm tendering.
Maarten J. van den Broek, Delphine De Tavernier, Paul Hulsman, Daan van der Hoek, Benjamin Sanderse, and Jan-Willem van Wingerden
Wind Energ. Sci., 8, 1909–1925, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-8-1909-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-8-1909-2023, 2023
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As wind turbines produce power, they leave behind wakes of slow-moving air. We analyse three different models to predict the effects of these wakes on downstream wind turbines. The models are validated with experimental data from wind tunnel studies for steady and time-varying conditions. We demonstrate that the models are suitable for optimally controlling wind turbines to improve power production in large wind farms.
Stefano Cioni, Francesco Papi, Leonardo Pagamonci, Alessandro Bianchini, Néstor Ramos-García, Georg Pirrung, Rémi Corniglion, Anaïs Lovera, Josean Galván, Ronan Boisard, Alessandro Fontanella, Paolo Schito, Alberto Zasso, Marco Belloli, Andrea Sanvito, Giacomo Persico, Lijun Zhang, Ye Li, Yarong Zhou, Simone Mancini, Koen Boorsma, Ricardo Amaral, Axelle Viré, Christian W. Schulz, Stefan Netzband, Rodrigo Soto-Valle, David Marten, Raquel Martín-San-Román, Pau Trubat, Climent Molins, Roger Bergua, Emmanuel Branlard, Jason Jonkman, and Amy Robertson
Wind Energ. Sci., 8, 1659–1691, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-8-1659-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-8-1659-2023, 2023
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Simulations of different fidelities made by the participants of the OC6 project Phase III are compared to wind tunnel wake measurements on a floating wind turbine. Results in the near wake confirm that simulations and experiments tend to diverge from the expected linearized quasi-steady behavior when the reduced frequency exceeds 0.5. In the far wake, the impact of platform motion is overestimated by simulations and even seems to be oriented to the generation of a wake less prone to dissipation.
Alessandro Fontanella, Elio Daka, Felipe Novais, and Marco Belloli
Wind Energ. Sci., 8, 1351–1368, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-8-1351-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-8-1351-2023, 2023
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This study aims to enhance wind turbine modeling by incorporating industry-standard control functionalities. A control design framework was developed and applied to a 1 : 100 scale model of a large floating wind turbine. Wind tunnel tests confirmed the scaled turbine accurately reproduced the steady-state rotor speed, blade pitch, and thrust torque characteristics of the full-size turbine. However, challenges arose in simulating the turbine's aerodynamic response during above-rated operation.
Daniel van den Berg, Delphine de Tavernier, and Jan-Willem van Wingerden
Wind Energ. Sci., 8, 849–864, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-8-849-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-8-849-2023, 2023
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Wind turbines placed in farms interact with their wake, lowering the power production of the wind farm. This can be mitigated using so-called wake mixing techniques. This work investigates the coupling between the pulse wake mixing technique and the motion of floating wind turbines using the pulse. Frequency response experiments and time domain simulations show that extra movement is undesired and that the
optimalexcitation frequency is heavily platform dependent.
Roger Bergua, Amy Robertson, Jason Jonkman, Emmanuel Branlard, Alessandro Fontanella, Marco Belloli, Paolo Schito, Alberto Zasso, Giacomo Persico, Andrea Sanvito, Ervin Amet, Cédric Brun, Guillén Campaña-Alonso, Raquel Martín-San-Román, Ruolin Cai, Jifeng Cai, Quan Qian, Wen Maoshi, Alec Beardsell, Georg Pirrung, Néstor Ramos-García, Wei Shi, Jie Fu, Rémi Corniglion, Anaïs Lovera, Josean Galván, Tor Anders Nygaard, Carlos Renan dos Santos, Philippe Gilbert, Pierre-Antoine Joulin, Frédéric Blondel, Eelco Frickel, Peng Chen, Zhiqiang Hu, Ronan Boisard, Kutay Yilmazlar, Alessandro Croce, Violette Harnois, Lijun Zhang, Ye Li, Ander Aristondo, Iñigo Mendikoa Alonso, Simone Mancini, Koen Boorsma, Feike Savenije, David Marten, Rodrigo Soto-Valle, Christian W. Schulz, Stefan Netzband, Alessandro Bianchini, Francesco Papi, Stefano Cioni, Pau Trubat, Daniel Alarcon, Climent Molins, Marion Cormier, Konstantin Brüker, Thorsten Lutz, Qing Xiao, Zhongsheng Deng, Florence Haudin, and Akhilesh Goveas
Wind Energ. Sci., 8, 465–485, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-8-465-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-8-465-2023, 2023
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This work examines if the motion experienced by an offshore floating wind turbine can significantly affect the rotor performance. It was observed that the system motion results in variations in the load, but these variations are not critical, and the current simulation tools capture the physics properly. Interestingly, variations in the rotor speed or the blade pitch angle can have a larger impact than the system motion itself.
Federico Taruffi, Simone Di Carlo, Sara Muggiasca, and Marco Belloli
Wind Energ. Sci., 8, 71–84, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-8-71-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-8-71-2023, 2023
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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.
Alessandro Fontanella, Alan Facchinetti, Simone Di Carlo, and Marco Belloli
Wind Energ. Sci., 7, 1711–1729, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-7-1711-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-7-1711-2022, 2022
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The aerodynamics of floating wind turbines is complicated by large motions permitted by the foundation. The interaction between turbine, wind, and wake is not yet fully understood. The wind tunnel experiments of this paper shed light on the aerodynamic force and wake response of the floating IEA 15 MW turbine subjected to platform motion as would occur during normal operation. This will help future research on turbine and wind farm control.
Axelle Viré, Bruce LeBlanc, Julia Steiner, and Nando Timmer
Wind Energ. Sci., 7, 573–584, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-7-573-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-7-573-2022, 2022
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There is continuous effort to try and improve the aerodynamic performance of wind turbine blades. This work shows that adding a leading-edge slat to wind turbine blades can significantly enhance the aerodynamic performance of wind turbines, even more than with vortex generators (which are commonly used on commercial turbines). The findings are obtained through wind tunnel tests on different airfoil–slat combinations.
Carlos Ferreira, Wei Yu, Arianna Sala, and Axelle Viré
Wind Energ. Sci., 7, 469–485, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-7-469-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-7-469-2022, 2022
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Floating offshore wind turbines may experience large surge motions that, when faster than the local wind speed, cause rotor–wake interaction.
We derive a model which is able to predict the wind speed at the wind turbine, even for large and fast motions and load variations in the wind turbine.
The proposed dynamic inflow model includes an adaptation for highly loaded flow, and it is accurate and simple enough to be easily implemented in most blade element momentum design models.
Alessandro Fontanella, Ilmas Bayati, Robert Mikkelsen, Marco Belloli, and Alberto Zasso
Wind Energ. Sci., 6, 1169–1190, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-6-1169-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-6-1169-2021, 2021
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The scale model wind tunnel experiment presented in this paper investigated the aerodynamic response of a floating turbine subjected to imposed surge motion. The problem is studied under different aspects, from airfoil aerodynamics to wake, in a coherent manner. Results show quasi-static behavior for reduced frequencies lower than 0.5 and possible unsteadiness for higher surge motion frequencies. Data are made available to the public for future verification and calibration of numerical models.
Alessandro Fontanella, Mees Al, Jan-Willem van Wingerden, and Marco Belloli
Wind Energ. Sci., 6, 885–901, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-6-885-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-6-885-2021, 2021
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Floating wind is a key technology to harvest the abundant wind energy resource of deep waters. This research introduces a new way of controlling the wind turbine to better deal with the action of waves. The turbine is made aware of the incoming waves, and the information is exploited to enhance power production.
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Short summary
When standing still without a nacelle or blades, the vibrations on a wind turbine tower are of concern to its structural health. This study finds that the air which flows around the tower recirculates behind the tower, forming so-called wakes. These wakes initiate the vibration, and the movement itself causes the vibration to increase or decrease depending on the wind speed. The current study uses a methodology called force partitioning to analyse this in depth.
When standing still without a nacelle or blades, the vibrations on a wind turbine tower are of...
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