Modeling and Investigation of the Effect of a Wind Turbine on the Atmospheric Boundary Layer

Abstract

Wind power engineering is one of the environmentally safe areas of energy and certainly makes a significant contribution to the fight against CO2 emissions. The study of the air masses movement in the zone of wind turbines and their influence on the boundary layer of the atmosphere is a fundamental basis for the efficient use of wind energy. The paper considers the theory of the movement of air masses in the rotation zone of a wind turbine, and presents an analytical review of applied methods for modeling the atmospheric boundary layer and its interaction with a wind turbine. The results of modeling the boundary layer in the wind turbine zone using the STAR CCM+ software product are presented. The wind speed and intensity of turbulence in the near and far wake of the wind turbine at nominal load parameters are investigated. There is a significant decrease in the average wind speed in the near wake of the wind generator by 3 m/s and an increase in turbulent intensity by 18.3%. When considering the long-distance track behind the wind turbine, there is a decrease in the average speed by 0.6 m/s, while the percentage taken from the average value of the turbulent intensity is 7.2% higher than in the section in front of the wind generator. The influence of a wind turbine on the change in the temperature stratification of the boundary layer is considered. The experiments revealed a temperature change (up to 0.5 K), which is insignificant, but at night the stratification reaches large values due to an increase in the temperature difference in the surface boundary layer. In the long term, the research will contribute to the sustainable and efficient development of regional wind energy.

Localized Eco-Climatic Impacts of Onshore Wind Farms: A Review

“…The data from meteorological observation towers and stations in Inner Mongolia and Hebei showed that the rates of change in the annual average wind speed and the average maximum wind speed after the completion of onshore wind farms were -1.5% and -18.5%, respectively, and the annual average wind speed showed a decreasing trend over time (Gu et al, 2016;Luo et al, 2021). The numerical model simulation results are similar, and the simulation results show a significant reduction in wind speed at the hub height level for onshore wind farms (Roy et al, 2004;Kovalnogov et al, 2022). In terms of the correlations between the timing of wind speed changes and seasonal distribution, the wind speed changes caused by onshore wind farms are mainly concentrated in spring and winter (14%), with a 10% reduction in daytime wind speeds and a 12% reduction in nighttime wind speeds (Gu et al, 2016;Liu et al, 2021b).…”

“…Numerical model simulation can theoretically analyze and predict the climatic effects caused by the construction and operation of onshore wind farms, and facilitate research on the related mechanisms. Currently, numerical model simulations of the ecological and climatic impacts of onshore wind farms mainly focus on the impacts generated by the wind turbines themselves, such as wind speed and turbulence (Roy et al, 2004; Fitch et al, 2013; Bleeg et al, 2018; Ai et al, 2022; Kovalnogov et al, 2022), although some studies have also analyzed near-surface temperatures and vegetation growth using numerical model simulations (Li et al, 2018). Overall, relatively few studies have used numerical model simulations to analyze the eco-climatic impacts of onshore wind farms, and the problem that needs to be solved lies in the further optimization of model parameters against a background that fully considers additional factors such as land-use types and local climatic conditions.…”

“…Regarding the spatial distribution of the affected wind speeds, the results are quite divergent, with some studies suggesting that upstream wind speeds are lower than downstream, and others suggesting that local wind speeds at onshore wind farms show a spatial characteristic of decreasing from upstream to downstream, small in the middle, and large on both sides under the interactions of large airflow fields (Bleeg et al, 2018; Gao et al, 2020). In addition to these patterns, onshore wind farms cause enhanced near-surface turbulence, and the increase is greater at night than during the day (Kovalnogov et al, 2022; Xia et al, 2022). Since studies on wind speed are based on numerical model simulations, and the selection of data sets and models may have a large impact on the results, different data sets may produce completely opposite simulation results (Li et al, 2023).…”

Análisis de torque en turbinas eólicas con generadores de vórtice y variaciones de temperatura mediante volúmenes finitos

“…Las energías renovables son una solución al impacto ambiental negativo de los combustibles fósiles a nivel mundial, el número de trabajos de investigación relacionados indican una creciente preocupación por cambiar la producción energética a producción a partir de recurso renovable y así generar una disminución en el uso de sistemas energéticos contaminantes, actualmente existen trabajos que estudian el impacto de las turbinas en la zona en que son ubicadas (Bodini et al 2021) y otros sobre protección de las turbinas a temperaturas extremas (Kovalnogov et al 2022). Sin embargo, estudiar el torque generado por un aerogenerador ante cambios de temperatura mediante CFD resulta novedoso y aplicable a las etapas de diseño de parques eólicos.…”