Publications related to Wind-turbine aerodynamics

Non-contact sensing for anomaly detection in wind turbine blades: A focus-SVDD with complex-valued auto-encoder approach

The occurrence of manufacturing defects in wind turbine blade (WTB) production can result in significant increases in operation and maintenance costs of WTBs, reduce capacity factors of wind farms, and occasionally lead to severe and disastrous consequence ...

2024

Wind turbine wake superposition under pressure gradient

Fernando Porté Agel, Arslan Salim Dar

We investigate the effect of pressure gradient on the cumulative wake of multiple turbines in wind tunnel experiments spanning across a range of adverse pressure gradient (APG), zero pressure gradient (ZPG), and favorable pressure gradient (FPG). Compared ...

2024

Enhancing Wind Farm Performance through Axial Induction and Tilt Control: Insights from Wind Tunnel Experiments

Fernando Porté Agel, Guillem Armengol Barcos

Static axial induction control and tilt control are two strategies that have the potential to increase power production in wind farms, mitigating wake effects and increasing the available power for downstream turbines. In this study, wind tunnel experiment ...

MDPI2024

An improved analytical framework for flow prediction inside and downstream of wind farms

Fernando Porté Agel, Marwa Souaiby

This study evaluates available analytical wake models for flow prediction inside and downstream of wind farms of different sizes and layouts using large-eddy simulation (LES), and introduces an enhanced analytical framework. All the tested analytical wake ...

Pergamon-Elsevier Science Ltd2024

Towards an improved understanding of wind turbine wakes in complex terrain

Arslan Salim Dar

In this thesis, we explored the effect of certain terrain-induced flow phenomena on the development of wind turbines sited in complex terrain. A combined experimental and analytical approach is used to study wind turbine wakes in different types of complex ...

EPFL2024

Mode I fracture of thick adhesively bonded GFRP composite joints for wind turbine rotor blades

Véronique Michaud, Anastasios Vassilopoulos, Jialiang Fan

This article investigates the effects of voids, joint geometry, and test conditions on the quasi-static Mode I fracture performance of thick adhesive Double Cantilever Beam (DCB) joints such as those prevailing in wind industry and shipbuilding. The specim ...

2024

Power performance of a model floating wind turbine subjected to cyclic pitch motion: A wind tunnel study

Fernando Porté Agel, Guiyue Duan, Daniele Gattari

Wind tunnel experiments were performed with a miniature floating wind turbine model to study the effects of cyclic pitch motion on its power performance. The cyclic pitch motion was prescribed by two key parameters: pitch frequency and amplitude. The power ...

IOPscience2024

Optimal blade pitch control for enhanced vertical-axis wind turbine performance

Karen Ann J Mulleners, Sébastien Le Fouest

Vertical-axis wind turbines are great candidates to enable wind power extraction in urban and off-shore applications. Currently, concerns around turbine efficiency and structural integrity limit their industrial deployment. Flow control can mitigate these ...

Nature Research2024

Holistic scan optimization of nacelle-mounted lidars for inflow and wake characterization at the RAAW and AWAKEN field campaigns

Fernando Porté Agel, Peter Andreas Brugger

In this article, we provide a methodological framework for designing the scanning strategies of nacelle-mounted scanning lidars for wind energy field experiments, and apply it at two major experimental field campaigns. For the Rotor Aerodynamics, Aeroelast ...

IOP PUBLISHING LTD2023

Wind Turbine Wakes in Active Yaw Control: Numerical and Theoretical Studies

Mou Lin

In this thesis, we explore the best practice of simulating the wakes of the turbines under active yaw control (AYC) using large-eddy simulation (LES). In the first study, we validate the blade-element actuator disk model (ADM-BE) for a yawed wind turbine. ...

EPFL2023

Fatigue behavior and life prediction of wind turbine blade composite materials

Anastasios Vassilopoulos

Fatigue life prediction of wind turbine rotor blades is a very challenging task, as their failure is led by different failure types that act synergistically. Inherent defects like wrinkles, fiber misalignments, and voids that can be introduced during fabri ...

Woodhead Publishing (Elsevier)2023

Dynamic stall characterisation and control for vertical-axis wind turbines

Sébastien Le Fouest

According to the International Energy Agency, the global net-zero emissions objective requires the installed wind power capacity to increase 11-fold between 2020 and 2050. The scientific community has recently voiced concerns about the logistic feasibility ...

EPFL2023

An experimental and analytical study of wind turbine wakes under pressure gradient

Fernando Porté Agel, Arslan Salim Dar, Abraham Starbuck Gertler

This work is dedicated to the systematic investigation of wind turbine wakes under the effect of pressure gradients. Wind tunnel experiments are carried out with a wind turbine positioned on straight ramps of increasing angle such that it experiences an ap ...

2023

Cross-code verification of non-neutral ABL and single wind turbine wake modelling in LES

Fernando Porté Agel, Marwa Souaiby

Large Eddy Simulations (LES) of atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) flow with the actuator disc (AD) for turbine modelling is a widely used method of simulating wind farm flows. Hence, it is important to understand the requirements for achieving a good compar ...

IOP PUBLISHING LTD2023

Characterization of wind turbine flow through nacelle-mounted lidars: a review

Fernando Porté Agel, Peter Andreas Brugger

This article provides a comprehensive review of the most recent advances in the planning, execution, and analysis of inflow and wake measurements from nacelle-mounted wind Doppler lidars. Lidars installed on top of wind turbines provide a holistic view of ...

2023

Wind farm power density optimization according to the area size using a novel self-adaptive genetic algorithm

Fernando Porté Agel, Nicolas Otto Kirchner Bossi

This work studies the power density (PD) optimization in wind farms, and its sensitivity to the available area size. A novel genetic algorithm (PDGA) is introduced, which optimizes PD and the turbine layout, by self-adapting to the PD and to the solutions ...

Pergamon-Elsevier Science Ltd2023

Time scales of dynamic stall development on a vertical-axis wind turbine blade

Karen Ann J Mulleners, Sébastien Le Fouest, Daniel Marie Fernex

Vertical-axis wind turbines are excellent candidates to diversify wind energy technology, but their aerodynamic complexity limits industrial deployment. To improve the efficiency and lifespan of vertical-axis wind turbines, we desire data-driven models and ...

2023

Wind Defiant Morphing Drones

Dario Floreano, Charalampos Vourtsis, Victor Casas Rochel, Nathan Samuel Müller, William John Stewart

Intense winds are a challenge for vertical take-off and landing drones with wings. In particular, in the hovering regime, wings are sensitive to wind currents that can be detrimental to their operational and energetic performances. Tail-sitters are particu ...

2023

Power Production and Blade Fatigue of a Wind Turbine Array Subjected to Active Yaw Control

Fernando Porté Agel, Mou Lin

This study investigated the power production and blade fatigue of a three-turbine array subjected to active yaw control (AYC) in full-wake and partial-wake configurations. A framework of a two-way coupled large eddy simulation (LES) and an aeroelastic blad ...

MDPI2023

A physics-based model for wind turbine wake expansion in the atmospheric boundary layer

Fernando Porté Agel, Dara Vahidi

Analytical wind turbine wake models are widely used to predict the wake velocity deficit. In these models, the wake growth rate is a key parameter specified mainly with empirical formulations. In this study, a new physics-based model is proposed and valida ...

Cambridge University Press2022