Abstract

This study experimentally investigated the influence of wake effect and production of mechanical power in wind tunnel of wind turbine arrays. Wind turbine arrays consist of 2 rows with 3 columns for spacing wind turbines in rows apart in the windward direction 1.77 rotor diameters and apart in the crosswind direction 8.85 rotor diameters. The wake characteristics such as profiles of time averaged velocity, turbulence intensity, centerline velocity deficit and wake radius for far wake regions in position 1, 2, and 3 were measured and analysed. The vertical and lateral profiles of velocity and turbulence intensity were studied. Concerning the results from measured data, empirical relations for the centerline velocity deficit, turbulence intensity and wake radius were proposed. Based on the experimental results, the power loss is due to the wake flow of upwind turbine approximately 20% when the downwind distance 8.85 rotor diameters. This is different with numerical result study that 11% at downwind distance is 8.85 rotor diameters. This difference results from the influence of ambient turbulence on the production of mechanical power of the wind turbine.

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