Publications Details

Wind turbine wake definition and identification using velocity deficit and turbulence profile

Panossian, Nadia P.; Herges, Thomas H.; Maniaci, David C.

A method of wake determination is proposed where a wind turbine rotor wake is defined as the downstream wind velocity deficit region surrounded by increased turbulence creating a local maxima ring of turbulence. This definition creates a non-arbitrary wake boundary and provides criteria for more consistent wake identification and tracking than other methods. The definitive boundary allows for the separation of atmospheric regions and wake regions, facilitating the characterization of wake flow as it differs from atmospheric flow even at high wind turbine yaw offsets and in unstable atmospheric conditions. This definition can also be used to evaluate the effect of wakes on downstream turbines or wake control technologies such as wake steering. The proposed wake tracking method was shown to be robust for measurements at different inflow conditions and matched well with simulated, known wake positions.