Dynamic Stall Model for Tower Shadow Effects on Downwind Turbines and Its Scale Effects

• Main Author: Shigeo Yoshida
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2020-10-01
• Series: Energies
• Subjects: blade element and momentum method; downwind rotor; tower shadow
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/13/19/5237

A dynamic stall model for tower shadow effects is developed for downwind turbines. Although Munduate’s model shows good agreement with a 1.0 m wind tunnel test model, two problems exist: (1) it does not express load increase before the entrance of the tower wake, and (2) it uses the empirical tower wake model to determine the wind speed profile behind the tower. The present research solves these problems by combining Moriarty’s tower wake model and the entrance condition of the tower wake. Moriarty’s model does not require any empirical parameter other than tower drag coefficient and it expresses positive wind speed around the tower also. Positive wind speed change is also allowed as the tower wake entrance condition in addition to the negative change observed in the previous model. It demonstrates better agreement with a wind tunnel test and contributes to the accuracy of the fatigue load, as it expresses a slight increase in load around the entrance of the tower wake. Furthermore, the scale effects are also evaluated; lift deviation becomes smaller as the scale increases, i.e., lower rotor speed.