Simulation Study of The Wind Turbine Operation with Low Roughness Topography

Abstract

Based on the wake model and turbulence theory, Fluent software was used to simulate the fluid flow caused by the wind turbine. Taking a typical low roughness topography as an example, through the analysis of the downstream flow to explore the influence of the wind turbine on the velocity and turbulent kinetic energy within the atmospheric boundary layer. The simulation results show that the wind-turbine wakes enhance the vertical mixing, resulting in changes to the flow. Compared with the original velocity distribution, the wind speed reduced rapid when passing the wind turbine and then increasing gradually, but still can’t meet the initial speed at 17 rotor diameters. It is also shown that the distribution of the turbulent kinetic energy after the wind turbines is quite heterogeneous, especially at top-tip level just behind the wind turbines. The turbulent kinetic energy near the turbine increases quickly, and then it decreases with the extension of the downstream.