6/24/2019 The effect of non-neutral winds on wind power aerodynamics | University of Surrey

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The effect of non-

neutral winds on
wind power
aerodynamics
In this project you will perform experimental work in a thermally-stratified
wind tunnel to address the effect of different atmospheric conditions on
wind power aerodynamics.

Start date Funding source

Ongoing The University of Surrey

Duration SUPERVISED BY
3 years
Dr Marco Placidi
Application deadline
Lecturer in Experimental Flui
Ongoing

Funding information
University fees are fully covered Dr Philip Hancock
with a stipend of £14057 per Reader in Fluid Mechanics
year, tax free, in line with
research councils.

ABOUT ELIGIBILITY APPLY CONTACT

About
Renewable sources provided 29.3% of the electricity generated in the UK in 2017, with
offshore wind turbines producing 21% of that, and registering an increased capacity of
27% during the same year [1]. These trends are predicted to grow in line with 2030
and 2050 targets [2]. As our society becomes ever-more dependent on wind power, it
is increasingly important to gain a deeper understanding and more accurate
predictability of our wind power availability, the aero-elastic loads on the wind turbine
blades, and the associated issues of turbine control.

According to the UK government, offshore wind is intended to deliver 30GW of by

2030 [3]. This target is only achievable if you consider an expected drastic increase in
size and capacity of both single wind turbines and wind farms. It is ever-more
important to the industry to develop reliable and fast prediction tools to estimate the
potential of wind energy extraction and the static and dynamic loads on the turbine
blades and rotor torque. This is because as wind turbines grow in size and capacity
[3], they tend to occupy a larger portion of the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL), and

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therefore, the larger turbine blades are subject to increasingly significant non-uniform
and unsteady incoming flow conditions. Similarly, stable boundary layers (e.g. night
time) are typically much shallower than their neutral counterparts; therefore, the length
scales characterising the wind turbine and the ABL become comparable. With
increasing size, it also becomes more important how the flow is correlated across the
streamtube ahead of a turbine – assuming that the turbulence is coherent (i.e. highly
correlated), this could result in drastically overburdening the structure of the turbine,
with a substantial loss in aerodynamic efficiency.

You will focus on the characterisation of wind turbine wakes in different atmospheric
conditions, and in particular, at their interaction through a series of wind tunnel tests. It
is envisaged that three-dimensional laser doppler anemometry will be used in
conjunction with other measurement techniques, whilst also measuring the power
output of the wind turbines

REFERENCES
1] Digest of United Kingdom Energy Statistics - DUKES (2018). Department for
Business, Energy Industrial Strategy.

[2] Offshore Wind Section Deal (2019). Department for Business, Energy Industrial
Strategy.

[3] NECP (2019). The UK’s draft integrated National Energy and Climate Plan,
Department for Business, Energy Industrial Strategy.

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