Abstract. In this paper a new version of the FLOw Redirection and Induction Dynamics (FLORIDyn) model is presented. The new model uses the three-dimensional parametric Gaussian FLORIS model and can provide dynamic wind farm simulations at low computational cost under heterogeneous and changing wind conditions. Both FLORIS and FLORIDyn are parametric models which can be used to simulate wind farms, evaluate controller performance and can serve as a control-oriented model. One central element in which they differ is in their representation of flow dynamics: FLORIS neglects these and provides a computationally very cheap approximation of the mean wind farm flow. FLORIDyn defines a framework which utilizes this low computational cost of FLORIS to simulate basic wake dynamics: this is achieved by creating so called Observation Points (OPs) at each time step at the rotor plane which inherit the turbine state. In this work, we develop the initial FLORIDyn framework further considering multiple aspects. The underlying FLORIS wake model is replaced by a Gaussian wake model. The distribution and characteristics of the OPs are adapted to account for the new parametric model, but also to take complex flow conditions into account. To achieve this, a mathematical approach is developed to combine the parametric model and the changing, heterogeneous world conditions and link them with each OP. We also present a computational lightweight wind field model to allow for a simulation environment in which heterogeneous flow conditions are possible. FLORIDyn is compared to SOWFA simulations in three- and nine-turbine cases under static and changing environmental conditions.The results show a good agreement with the timing of the impact of upstream state changes on downstream turbines. They also show a good agreement in terms of how wakes are displaced by wind direction changes and when the resulting velocity deficit is experienced by downstream turbines. A good fit of the mean generated power is ensured by the underlying FLORIS model. In the three turbine case, FLORIDyn simulates 4 s simulation time in 24.49 ms computational time. The resulting new FLORIDyn model proves to be a computationally attractive and capable tool for model based dynamic wind farm control.
With the growth of wind energy worldwide, an increased interest in wind farm control has become visible, with Active Power Control (APC) and Active Wake Control (AWC) being two primary examples. Both these methods rely on the down-regulation (i.e., operation using sub-optimal power settings) of wind turbines in order to provide such services. Apart from these services, down-regulation also affects the loads acting on a wind turbine. Hence, it is important to analyze the effects on the lifetime of wind turbine components, e.g., the tower, blades and rotor shaft. Earlier research on APC for wind farms has resulted in several down-regulation methods which were shown to reduce fatigue loads for some wind turbine components. One of these methods is called the percentage reserve method, which makes it possible for the wind turbine to generate a desired percentage of the available power at every wind speed. In this paper, different down-regulation strategies using the percentage reserve method are assessed on their capability of reducing fatigue loads. The performance of the different control strategies is compared using aeroelastic simulations and by comparing the Damage Equivalent Loads (DELs) of several components for the whole range of operational wind speeds. The fatigue lifetime is analyzed by combining the DELs with a wind speed distribution for the turbine specific wind class. The results show that all down-regulation strategies are capable of achieving significant lifetime fatigue load reductions for some wind turbine components. Whichever strategy provides the best performance, depends on the user's wishes as well as the environmental conditions and the wind turbine in question.
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