CFD Prediction of the Airflow at a Large-Scale Wind Farm above a Steep, Three-Dimensional Escarpment

The Duogu Wind Farm, China Huadian Group Corporation’s first wind project in Yunnan, China, has been approved by the Provincial Development and Reform Commission. The acquired site is in Mengzi, in the south-east of Yunnan Province. The developer has deployed thirty-three 1.5 MW turbines in this wind farm (49.5 MW), and the total cost of construction has been estimated to be CNY449.7 million ($69.61 million). The present study compared the prediction accuracy of two CFD software packages for simulating flow over an escarpment with a steep slope. The two software packages were: 1) Open FOAM (Turbulence model: SST k-ω RANS), which is a free, open source CFD software package developed by Open CFD Ltd at the ESI Group and distributed by the Open FOAM Foundation and 2) RIAM-COMPACT (Turbulence model: Standard Smagorinsky LES), which has been developed by the lead author of the present paper. Generally good agreement was obtained between the results from the simulations with Open FOAM and RIAM-COMPACT.

Numerical Prediction and Field Verification Test of Wind-Power Generation Potential in Nearshore Area Using a Moored Floating Platform

The offshore turbine system was installed on a floating platform moored in Hakata Bay, offshore of Fukuoka, Japan. An identical turbine system was also installed at the adjacent waterfront. The separation of the two turbines was 3.7 km. Wind flow tends to be more stable and the average wind speed is often larger in offshore areas than adjacent land areas at typical wind turbine hub height. This study focused on the wind condition of a nearshore area to clarify the advantages of nearshore wind farming. Prior to field experiment, wind conditions were predicted by using numerical simulation. It is useful for estimating topographical effect in nearshore areas. Next, field verification test was done by directly comparing wind data obtained from the identical wind turbine systems installed at an offshore location and the adjacent waterfront over the same extended period. The corresponding power output of these turbines was also compared. The data set exhibits 23% larger annual average wind speed at the offshore location and smaller turbulent intensity, resulting doubled annual power production.

Near Wake of a Horizontal Circular Cylinder in Stably Stratified Flows

The near wake of a circular cylinder in linearly stratified flows of finite depth was experimentally investigated by means of flow visualization and measurements of vortex shedding frequencies, at Reynolds numbers 3.5 × 103-1.2 × 104 and stratification parameters kd 0-2.0. The non-dimensional parameter kd is defined as kd = Nd/U, where N is the Brunt-Vaisala frequency, d, the diameter of the cylinder, and U, the approaching flow velocity. The study demonstrates that as kd increases from zero, the vortex shedding from a circular cylinder progressively strengthens, while the Strouhal number gradually becomes lower than that for homogeneous flow. This phenomenon can be explained by the effect of the increasingly stable stratification which enhances the two-dimensionality of the near-wake flow of the circular cylinder;the enhanced two-dimensionality of the flow strengthens the roll-up of the separated shear layer. Above a certain value of kd, however, vortex formation and shedding are strongly suppressed and the Strouhal number rises sharply. This observation is attributable to the development of stationary lee waves downstream of the circular cylinder because the lee waves strongly suppress vertical fluid motions.

Effects of Terrain-Induced Turbulence on Wind Turbine Blade Fatigue Loads

Recently, the issue has surfaced that the availability factors for wind farms built on complex terrain are lower than the originally projected values. In other words, problems have occurred such as extreme decreases in generation output, failures of components inside and outside wind turbines including yaw motors and yaw gears, and cracking on wind turbine blades. As one of the causes of such issues, the effects of wind turbulence (terrain-induced turbulence) have been pointed out. In this study, we investigated the effects of terrain-induced turbulence on the structural strength of wind turbines through the measurement of strains in wind turbine blades and the analysis of wind data in order to establish a method for optimal wind turbine deployment that uses numerically simulated wind data and takes the structural strength of wind turbines into consideration. The investigation was conducted on Wind Turbine #10 of the Kushikino Reimei Wind Farm (in operation since Nov. 2012) in cooperation with Kyudenko New Energy Co., Ltd. Subsequently, we conducted numerical wind simulations (diagnoses of terrain-induced turbulence) to study the effects of the properties of airflow on the structural strength of wind turbines. For these simulations, the natural terrain version of the RIAM-COMPACT software package, which is based on large eddy simulation (LES), was used. The numerical simulations successfully reproduced the characteristics of the wind conditions and the structure of the three-dimensional airflow. These results enabled us to determine the threshold value for a turbulence index to be used for optimal wind turbine deployment planning that utilizes quantitative data from simulations with the natural terrain version of the RIAM-COMPACT software package.

Practical Applications of the Large-Eddy Simulation Technique for Wind Environment Assessment around New National Stadium, Japan (Tokyo Olympic Stadium)

In this study, we developed a new computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model called Airflow Analyst that deepens the affinity between CFD and geographic information system (GIS). First, a precise simulation of the surface-mounted cube was conducted. Validation testing based on the obtained data confirmed the predictive accuracy of Airflow Analyst. Second, New National Stadium Japan (Tokyo Olympic Stadium) was accurately reproduced in a computer, capturing the latest detailed urban area data for the base. For the target of the constructed 3D models, simulations with a large number of grid points/cells (CFD) were conducted. These simulations reproduced the complex turbulent flow fields both inside and outside the stadium. The experiment successfully reproduced the CFD simulation using a large number of grid points/cells, where the conditions of the wind flow ventilation from the sky were similar to those of the intended stadium design.

A New Proposal for Vertical Extrapolation of Offshore Wind Speed and an Assessment of Offshore Wind Energy Potential for the Hibikinada Area, Kitakyushu, Japan

The author’s research group has been conducting research on applications of various meteorological Grid Point Value (GPV) data offered by the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) to the field of wind power generation. In particular, the group’s research has been focusing on the following areas: 1) the use of GPV data from the JMA Meso-Scale Model (MSM-S;horizontal resolution: 5 km) and the JMA Local Forecast Model (LFM-S;horizontal resolution: 2 km), and 2) examinations of the prediction accuracy of local wind assessment with the use of these data. In both the MSM-S and the LFM-S, grid points are fixed at 10 m above the sea (ground) surface. The purpose of the present study is to establish a method in which the values of the MSM-S and LFM-S wind speed data from the 10 m height are used as the reference wind speed and are, using a power law, vertically extrapolated to 80 to 90 m heights, typical hub-heights of offshore wind turbines. For this purpose, the present study examined time-averaged vertical profiles of wind speed over the ocean based on the MSM-S data and in-situ data in the Hibikinada area, Kitakyushu City, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. As a result, it was revealed that a strong wind shear existed close to the sea surface, between the 10 and 30 m heights. In order to address the above-mentioned wind shear, a two-step vertical extrapolation method was proposed in the present study. In this method, two values of N, specifically for low and high altitudes (below and above approximately 30 m, respectively), were calculated and used. The data were created for the five years between 2012 and 2016. Similarly to previous analyses, the analysis of the created data set indicated that the potential of offshore wind power generation in the Hibikinada area, Kitakyushu City is quite high.

High-Resolution Micro-Siting Technique for Large Scale Wind Farm Outside of Japan Using LES Turbulence Model

The spatial distribution of wind speed varies greatly over steep complex terrain, thus the selection of an optimal site in such terrain for wind turbine construction requires great care. We have developed a numerical model for simulating unsteady flows called RIAM-COMPACT (Research Institute for Applied Mechanics, Kyushu University, COM putational Prediction of Airflow over Complex Terrain), which is based on the LES (Large-Eddy Simulation) technique. The computational domain of RIAM-COMPACT can be varied from several meters to several kilometers, and the model is able to predict airflow over complex terrain with high accuracy. The present paper discusses the application of RIAM-COMPACT to the micro-siting of wind turbines at sites outside Japan. The results from two case studies will be presented.

Spatial and Annual Variation of Offshore Wind Resource in China

According to the Chinese 'Twelfth Five-Year Plan', two large scale wind farms are planned to be built in the shore of Shandong province and Guangdong province to meet the increasing electricity demand with economic development. Before the construction of wind farm, it is necessary to evaluate the wind potential and its temporal variation along the coast of Shandong province, Guangdong province and Zhejiang province that have been studied in this paper. The data used were obtained from Goddard Earth Observing System (GEOS) Data Assimilation System. The results showed that there is rich wind supply in Zhejiang province with small annual variation. Further away from shore, the wind energy will increase fastest in Guangdong area. The yield of wind energy in Shandong province is not as rich as in the other two provinces as predicted in the study. Furthermore, the layout of wind turbines in wind farm was also investigated to absorb wind energy at the highest efficiency by wind farm. Our results provide a reference for the future construction of wind farms.

Numerical Prediction of Strong Wind Induced by Topographic Effect

This paper describes the numerical study of nonstratified airflow over a real complex terrain. Attention is focused on the mechanism of a local strong wind induced by a topographic effect. In order to clarify the mechanism of the occurrence of strong winds accompanied by the effects of terrain, the use of a numerical simulation is very effective, in which conditions can be set without the influence of ground roughness and temperature distribution. As a result, airflow converged to a small basin of mountain terrain in the upper stream, and local strong wind was generated leeward along the slope of the mountain terrain. Furthermore, the influence of the reproduction accuracy of geographical features, that is, horizontal grid resolution, was examined. Consequently, to reproduce the above-mentioned local strong wind, it was shown that horizontal grid resolution from 50 m to about 100 m was necessary.

Computational Investigation of the Causes of Wind Turbine Blade Damage at Japan’s Wind Farm in Complex Terrain

During the passage of Typhoon 0918 (Melor) over southern Honshu in Japan on 7 and 8 October 2009, strong winds with extremely high turbulence fluctuations were observed over Shirataki Mountain and the surrounding mountains in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. These strong winds caused damage to wind turbine blades at the Shiratakiyama Wind Farm owned by Kinden Corporation. In order to investigate the causes of the blade damage, the airflow characteristics from the time of the incidences are first simulated in detail with the combined use of the WRF-ARW mesoscale meteorological model and the RIAM-COMPACT LES turbulence model (CFD model). Subsequently, in order to evaluate the wind pressure acting on the wind turbine blades, an airflow analysis is separately performed for the vicinity of the blades with the RANS turbulence model. Finally, the stress on the blades is investigated using the FEM with the RANS analysis results as the boundary conditions.

Large-Eddy Simulation and Wind Tunnel Experiment of Airflow over Bolund Hill

In the present study, wind conditions were numerically predicted for the site of the Bolund hill using the RIAM-COMPACT natural terrain version software, which is based on an LES turbulence model (CFD). In addition, airflow measurements were made using a split-fiber probe in the boundary layer wind tunnel. The characteristics of the airflow at and in the vicinity of the site of the Bolund Experiment were clarified. The study also examined the prediction accuracy of the LES turbulence simulations (CFD). The values of the streamwise (x) wind velocity predicted by the CFD model were generally in good agreement with those from the wind tunnel experiment at all points and heights examined, demonstrating the validity of CFD based on LES turbulence modeling.

Design Wind Speed Evaluation Technique in Wind Turbine Installation Point by Using the Meteorological and CFD Models

It is highly important in Japan to choose a good site for wind turbines, because the spatial distribution of wind speed is quite complicated over steep complex terrain. We have been developing the unsteady numerical model called the RIAM-COMPACT (Research Institute for Applied Mechanics, Kyushu University, Computational Prediction of Airflow over Complex Terrain). The RIAM-COMPACT is based on the LES (Large-Eddy Simulation). The object domain of the RIAM-COMPACT is from several m to several km, and can predict the airflow and gas diffusion over complex terrain with high precision. In the present paper, the design wind speed evaluation technique in wind turbine installation point by using the mesoscale meteorological model and RIAM-COMPACT CFD model was proposed. The design wind speed to be used for designing WTGs can be calculated by multiplying the ratio of the mean wind speed at the hub-height to the mean upper-air wind speed at the inflow boundary, i.e., the fractional increase of the mean hub-height wind speed, by the reduction ratio, R. The fractional increase of the mean hub-height wind speed was evaluated using the CFD simulation results. This method was proposed as Approach 1 in the present paper. A value of 61.9 m/s was obtained for the final design wind speed, Uh, in Approach 1. In the evaluation procedure of the design wind speed in Approach 2, neither the above-mentioned reduction rate, R, nor an upper-air wind speed of 1.7 Vo, where Vo is the reference wind speed, was used. Instead, the value of the maximum wind speed which was obtained from the typhoon simulation for each of the investigated wind directions was adopted. When the design wind speed was evaluated using the 50-year recurrence value, the design wind speed was 48.3 m/s. When a somewhat conservative safety factor was applied, that is, when the 100 year recurrence value was used instead, the design wind speed was 52.9 m/s.

Large-Eddy Simulation of Airflow over a Steep, Three-Dimensional Isolated Hill with Multi-GPUs Computing

The present research attempted a Large-Eddy Simulation (LES) of airflow over a steep, three-dimensional isolated hill by using the latest multi-cores multi-CPUs systems. As a result, it was found that 1) turbulence simulations using approximately 50 million grid points are feasible and 2) the use of this system resulted in the achievement of a high computation speed, which exceeded the speed of parallel computation attained by a single CPU on one of the latest supercomputers. Furthermore, LES was conducted by using the multi-GPUs systems. The results of these simulations revealed the following findings: 1) the multi-GPUs environment which used the NVDIA? Tesla M2090 or the M2075 could simulate turbulence in a model with as many as approximately 50 million grid points. 2) The computation speed achieved by the multi-GPUs environments exceeded that by parallel computation which used four to six CPUs of one of the latest supercomputers.

Comparison of RANS and LES in the Prediction of Airflow Field over Steep Complex Terrain

The present study compared the prediction accuracy of the three CFD software packages for simulating airflow around a three-dimensional, isolated hill with a steep slope: 1) WindSim (turbulence model: RNG k-ε RANS), 2) Meteodyn WT (turbulence model: k-L RANS), which are the leading commercially available CFD software packages in the wind power industry and 3) RIAM-COMPACT (turbulence model: standard Smagorinsky LES), which has been developed by the lead author of the present paper. Distinct differences in the airflow patterns were identified in the vicinity of the isolated hill (especially downstream of the hill) between the RANS results and the LES results. No reverse flow region (vortex region) characterized by negative wind velocities was identified downstream of the isolated hill in the result from the simulation with WindSim (RNG k-ε RANS) and Meteodyn WT (k-L RANS). In the case of the simulation with RIAM-COMPACT natural terrain version (standard Smagorinsky LES), a reverse flow region (vortex region) characterized by negative wind velocities clearly forms. Next, an example of wind risk (terrain-induced turbulence) diagnostics was presented for a large-scale wind farm in China. The vertical profiles of the streamwise (x) wind velocity do not follow the so-called power law wind profile;a large velocity deficit can be seen between the hub center and the lower end of the swept area in the case of the LES calculation (RIAM-COMPACT).

Three-Dimensional Numerical Simulation of Stably Stratified Flows over a Two-Dimensional Hill

Stably stratified flows over a two-dimensional hill are investigated in a channel of finite depth using a three-dimensional direct numerical simulation (DNS). The present study follows onto our previous two-dimensional DNS studies of stably stratified flows over a hill in a channel of finite depth and provides a more realistic simulation of atmospheric flows than our previous studies. A hill with a constant cross-section in the spanwise (y) direction is placed in a 3-D computational domain. As in the previous 2-D simulations, to avoid the effect of the ground boundary layer that develops upstream of the hill, no-slip conditions are imposed only on the hill surface and the surface downstream of the hill;slip conditions are imposed on the surface upstream of the hill. The simulated 3-D flows are discussed by comparing them to the simulated 2-D flows with a focus on the effect of the stable stratification on the non-periodic separation and reattachment of the flow behind the hill. In neutral (K = 0, where K is a non-dimensional stability parameter) and weakly stable (K = 0.8) conditions, 3-D flows over a hill differ clearly from 2-D flows over a hill mainly because of the three-dimensionality of the flow, that is the development of a spanwise flow component in the 3-D flows. In highly stable conditions (K = 1, 1.3), long-wavelength lee waves develop downstream of the hill in both 2-D and 3-D flows, and the behaviors of the 2-D and 3-D flows are similar in the vicinity of the hill. In other words, the spanwise component of the 3-D flows is strongly suppressed in highly stable conditions, and the flow in the vicinity of the hill becomes approximately two-dimensional in the x and z directions.

High-Resolution LES of Terrain-Induced Turbulence around Wind Turbine Generators by Using Turbulent Inflow Boundary Conditions

We have developed an LES (Large-Eddy Simulation) code called RIAM-COMPACT (Research Institute for Applied Mechanics, Kyushu University, Computational Prediction of Airflow over Complex Terrain). The analysis do-main of this numerical model extends from several meters to several kilometers. The model is able to predict airflow over complex terrain with high accuracy and is also now able to estimate the annual power output of wind turbine generators with the use of field observation data. In the present study, a numerical simulation of turbulent airflow over an existing wind farm was performed using RIAM-COMPACT and high-resolution elevation data. Based on the simulation results, suitable and unsuitable locations for the operation of WTGs (Wind Turbine Generators) were identified. The latter location was subject to the influence of turbulence induced by small topographical variations just upwind of the WTG location.