Hurricane eyewall winds and structural  response of wind turbines

Kapoor, Amber; Ouakka, Slimane; Arwade, Sanjay R.; Lundquist, Julie K.; Lackner, Matthew A.; Myers, Andrew C.; Worsnop, Rochelle P.; Bryan, G. H.

doi:10.5194/wes-5-89-2020

Cited by 14 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…As we define shear and veer based on only two heights, only a monotonic change of wind speed and direction with height is considered. In reality, maxima might occur between the two points as found in Kapoor et al (2020). However, this is the case for only 0.3% (3.3%) of the analyzed wind speed (wind direction) profiles in our study.…”

Section: Analysis Methodsmentioning

confidence: 52%

Tropical cyclone low-level wind speed, shear, and veer: sensitivity to the boundary layer parameterization in WRF

Müller

Larsén

Verelst

2023

Preprint

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Abstract. Mesoscale modeling can be used to analyze key parameters for wind turbine load assessment in a large variety of tropical cyclones. However, the modeled wind structure of tropical cyclones is known to be sensitive to the boundary layer scheme. We analyze modeled wind speed, shear, and wind veer across a wind turbine rotor plane in the eyewall and rainband region. We further assess the sensitivity of wind speed, shear, and veer to the boundary layer parameterization. Three model realizations of typhoon Megi over the open ocean using three frequently used boundary layer schemes in the Weather Research and Forecasting model are analyzed. All three typhoon simulations reasonably reproduce the cyclone track and structure. The boundary layer parametrization causes up to 21 % differences in median hub height wind speed between the simulations. The simulated wind speed variability is further dependent on the boundary layer scheme. The modeled wind shear is smaller or equal to the current IEC standard regardless of the boundary layer scheme for the eyewall and rainband region. While the surface inflow angle is sensitive to the boundary layer simulation, wind veer in the lowest 400 m of the atmospheric boundary layer is less affected by the boundary layer parametrization. Simulated wind veer reaches values up to 1.8 × 10⁻² ° m ⁻¹ (1.1 × 10 ⁻² ° m ⁻¹) in the eyewall region (rainband region) and is relatively small compared to moderate wind speed regimes. On average, simulated wind speed shear and wind veer are highest in the eyewall region. Yet strong spatial organization of wind shear and veer along the rainbands may increase wind turbine loads, due to rapid coherent wind profile changes at the turbine location.

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Section: Analysis Methodsmentioning

confidence: 52%

Tropical cyclone low-level wind speed, shear, and veer: sensitivity to the boundary layer parameterization in WRF

Müller

Larsén

Verelst

2023

Preprint

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“…Nevertheless, all storms evidence large wind veer across the turbine rotor layer (Figure 12). Current design specifications do not account for the increased loads from wind veer (Kapoor et al., 2020). We find wind veer does not change dramatically between storm intensities or radial location.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Wind Fields in Category 1–3 Tropical Cyclones Are Not Fully Represented in Wind Turbine Design Standards

Sanchez Gomez,

Lundquist,

Deskos

et al. 2023

JGR Atmospheres

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Offshore wind energy deployment in the U.S. is expected to increase in the years to come, with proposed wind farm sites located in regions with high risk for tropical cyclones. Yet, the wind turbine design criteria outlined by the International Electrotechnical Commission for extreme events may not account for wind field characteristics unique to tropical cyclones. To evaluate if current design standards capture the extreme conditions of these storms, we perform idealized large‐eddy simulations of five tropical cyclones (two Category 1, two Category 2, and one Category 3 storms) using the Weather Research and Forecasting model. Wind conditions near the eyewall of Category 1, Category 2, and Category 3 storms can exceed current design standards for offshore wind turbines. Winds at 90 m can be faster than outlined in the design criteria for Class I and Class T turbines for 50‐year recurrence periods. Wind speed shear across the turbine rotor layer is also larger than assumed in design specifications. Moreover, vertical variations in wind direction across the turbine rotor layer are large for tropical cyclones of all intensity levels, suggesting design standards should include veer, which can amplify loads in wind turbines. The existence of hurricane wind field characteristics that are not represented in design standards does not imply that damage or failure will certainly occur. Engineering safety factors incorporated in the design of the turbine’s blades and structural components may prevent damage from occurring.

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“…The wind field in tropical cyclones over the open ocean has been invested in several numerical studies with a focus on its implication for wind energy [2,3,4,5]. Large eddy simulations (LES) suggest a substantial change in wind direction with height, wind veer [2,3,4]. Such enhanced wind veer can lead to increased loads acting on wind turbines [3,6].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Large eddy simulations (LES) suggest a substantial change in wind direction with height, wind veer [2,3,4]. Such enhanced wind veer can lead to increased loads acting on wind turbines [3,6]. LES further produced larger wind shear than specified in the international design standards (IEC) in the eyewall [4].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Enhanced shear and veer in the Taiwan Strait during typhoon passage

Müller,

Larsén,

Verelst

2024

J. Phys.: Conf. Ser.

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During typhoon passage extreme wind conditions pose a challenge to the structural integrity of wind turbines. Particularly, wind shear and wind veer can influence wind turbine loads. This study investigates how Taiwan’s central mountain range affects wind shear and wind veer in the Taiwan Strait during three westward-moving typhoon cases. The typhoons are simulated with the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model. We find that wind speed, shear, and veer vary over different regions in the Taiwan Strait. In large areas, the simulated wind shear is larger than modeled over the open ocean. In particular, mountain blockage leads to a spatially confined area of several 1000 km2 downstream of Taiwan, that exhibits over several hours strongly modified shear and veer in all three analyzed cases. Shear exponents up to 0.75 and veer between 0.2 and 0.6° m−1 suggest that turbine loads are impacted by the vertical change in the wind field in this area. The shear exponent and wind veer vary strongly with height in the downstream area of Taiwan’s central mountain range. The location of the area with large wind shear and wind veer differs between the three simulated typhoon cases and primarily depends on the latitude of the typhoon track relative to the central mountain range.

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Hurricane eyewall winds and structural response of wind turbines

Cited by 14 publications

References 27 publications

Tropical cyclone low-level wind speed, shear, and veer: sensitivity to the boundary layer parameterization in WRF

Tropical cyclone low-level wind speed, shear, and veer: sensitivity to the boundary layer parameterization in WRF

Wind Fields in Category 1–3 Tropical Cyclones Are Not Fully Represented in Wind Turbine Design Standards

Enhanced shear and veer in the Taiwan Strait during typhoon passage

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