In this work a wind tunnel with an open jet configuration is investigated for use in offshore wind turbine testing. This study characterizes the open-jet wind-tunnel using measurements of the velocity field detailing mean velocities and turbulence intensities with and without a scaled wind turbine. Measurements have been taken downstream to evaluate the expected area of turbine operation and the shear zone. The effects on the flow due to the wake and turbine blockage have also been identified. Additionally, the combination of honeycomb and screens necessary to produce a homogeneous flow at the desired velocity with low turbulence intensity has been identified. This work provides a useful data set that will be used as a benchmark to evaluate the benefits of recirculating wind tunnels. The data set has resulted in identifying conditions that would prevent producing the desired flows. The data set has also resulted in recommendations concerning the shape of the wind tunnel sections at the University of Maine’s wind-wave (W2) facility to minimize its interactions with the turbine wake expansion, turbine blockage, and the turbine associated wake shear zone.

Environmental conditions created by winds blowing oblique to the direction of the waves are necessary to conduct some survivability tests of offshore wind turbines. However, some facilities lack the capability to generate quality waves at a wide range of angles. Thus, having a wind generation system that can be rotated makes generating winds that blow oblique to the waves possible during survivability tests. Rotating the wind generation system may disrupt the flow generated by the fans because of the effect of adjacent walls. Closed or semiclosed wind tunnels may eliminate the issue of wall effects, but these types of wind tunnels could be difficult to position within a wave basin. In this work, a prototype wind generation system that can be adapted for offshore wind turbine testing is investigated. The wind generation system presented in this work has a return that minimizes the effect that the walls could potentially have on the fans. This study characterizes the configuration of a wind generation system using measurements of the velocity field, detailing mean velocities, flow directionality, and turbulence intensities. Measurements were taken downstream to evaluate the expected area of turbine operation and the shear zone. The dataset has aided in the identification of conditions that could potentially prevent the production of the desired flows. Therefore, this work provides a useful dataset that could be used in the design of wind generation systems and in the evaluation of the benefits of recirculating wind generation systems for offshore wind turbine research.