Recent progress on the study of asymmetric vortex flow over slender bodies

The investigations of forebody vortex flow and its flow control have great importance in both academic field and engineering application areas. A large number of papers and many review papers have been published. However in this research field of forebody asymmetric vortices, three problems such as tip perturbation effect, Reynolds number effect and flow instability are less studied and thus not understood completely. So many researches are still working on the issues in recent years. The present paper attempts to provide a review of recent research progress on first two problems. The first problem is mainly concerned with how the vortex flow evolves after tip perturbation; how to solve the problem of repeatability and reproducibility of wind tunnel testing data; how to develop a conception of active flow control technique with tip perturbation based on the study of vortex flow response to tip perturbation. For the second problem one is mainly concerned that how the asymmetric vortices are developed with the increase of Reynolds number; how to classify the vortex flow patterns in different Reynolds number regimes; how to develop an appropriate boundary layer transition technique to simulate flows at high Reynolds number in the convention wind tunnels. Finally, some important ques- tions that deserve answers are proposed in the concluding remarks.

Experimental investigation on the wake interference among wind turbines sited in atmospheric boundary layer winds

We examined experimentally the effects of incoming surface wind on the turbine wake and the wake interference among upstream and downstream wind turbines sited in atmospheric boundary layer（ABL） winds. The experiment was conducted in a large-scale ABL wind tunnel with scaled wind turbine models mounted in different incoming surface winds simulating the ABL winds over typical offshore/onshore wind farms. Power outputs and dynamic loadings acting on the turbine models and the wake flow characteristics behind the turbine models were quantified. The results revealed that the incoming surface winds significantly affect the turbine wake characteristics and wake interference between the upstream and downstream turbines. The velocity deficits in the turbine wakes recover faster in the incoming surface winds with relatively high turbulence levels. Variations of the power outputs and dynamic wind loadings acting on the downstream turbines sited in the wakes of upstream turbines are correlated well with the turbine wakes characteristics. At the same downstream locations, the downstream turbines have higher power outputs and experience greater static and fatigue loadings in the inflow with relatively high turbulence level, suggesting a smaller effect of wake interference for the turbines sited in onshore wind farms.