This paper presents a three-way verification and validation between an engineering-fidelity model, a high-fidelity model, and measured data for the wind farm structural response and wake dynamics during an evolving stable boundary layer of a small wind farm, generally with good agreement.

We present induction zone measurements conducted with two synchronised lidars at a two-turbine wind farm. The induction zone flow was characterised for free, fully waked and partially waked flows. Due to the short turbine spacing, the lidars captured the interaction of the atmospheric boundary layer, induction zone and wake, evidenced by induction asymmetry and induction zone–wake interactions. The measurements will aid the process of further improving existing inflow and wake models.

Wind farm yield assessment often relies on analytical wake models. Calibrating these models can be challenging due to the stochastic nature of wind. We developed a calibration framework that performs a multi-phase optimization on the tuning parameters using time series SCADA data. This yields a parameter distribution that more accurately reflects reality than a single value. Results revealed notable variation in resultant parameter values, influenced by nearby wind farms and coastal effects.

Large direct-drive wind turbines, with a multi-megawatt power rating, face design challenges. Moving towards a more system-oriented design approach could potentially reduce mass and costs. Exploiting the full design space, though, may invoke interaction mechanisms, which have been neglected in the past. Based on coupled simulations, this work derives a better understanding of the electro-mechanical interaction mechanisms and identifies potential for design relevance.

We develop a new simple model to predict power losses incurred by a wind turbine when it yaws out of the wind. The model reveals the effects of a number of rotor design parameters and how the turbine is governed when it yaws. The model exhibits an excellent agreement with large eddy simulations and wind tunnel measurements. We showcase the capabilities of the model by deriving the power-optimal yaw strategy for a single turbine and for a cluster of wake-interacting turbines.

This work proposes a new wind farm controller based on wind predictions and conducts a synthetic sensitivity analysis of wake steering and the variations of the wind direction. For wind turbines that can rotate from −15 to 15° every 10 min, if the wind direction changes by more than 7.34° every 10 min, it is important to consider future wind data in a steady-state yaw control optimization.

As climate change increasingly impacts our daily lives, a transition towards cleaner energy is needed. With all the growth in floating offshore wind and the planned floating wind farms (FWFs) in the next few years, we urgently need new techniques and methodologies to accommodate the differences between the fixed bottom and FWFs. This paper presents a novel methodology to decrease aerodynamic losses inside an FWF by passively relocating the downwind floating wind turbines out of the wakes.