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At least 1,441 records · Page 80
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2018

Assessing spacing impact on coherent features in a wind turbine array boundary layer

As wind farms become larger, the spacing between turbines becomes a significant design consideration that can impose serious economic constraints. To investigate the turbulent flow structures in a 4 × 3 Cartesian wind turbine array boundary layer (WTABL), a wind tunnel experiment was carried out parameterizing the streamwise and spanwise wind turbine spacing. Four cases are chosen spacing turbines by 6 or 3D in the streamwise direction, and 3 or 1.5D in the spanwise direction, where D = 12cm is the rotor diameter. Data are obtained experimentally using stereo particle image velocimetry. Mean streamwise velocity showed maximum values upstream of the turbine with the spacing of 6 and 3D in the streamwise and spanwise direction, respectively. Fixing the spanwise turbine spacing to 3D, variations in the streamwise spacing influence the turbulent flow structure and the power available to following wind turbines. Quantitative comparisons are made through spatial averaging, shifting measurement data and interpolating to account for the full range between devices to obtain data independent of array spacing. The largest averaged Reynolds stress is seen in cases with spacing of 3D × 3D. Snapshot proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) was employed to identify the flow structures based on the turbulence kinetic energy content. The maximum turbulence kinetic energy content in the first POD mode is seen for turbine spacing of 6D × 1.5D. The flow upstream of each wind turbine converges faster than the flow downstream according to accumulation of turbulence kinetic energy by POD modes, regardless of spacing. The streamwise-averaged profile of the Reynolds stress is reconstructed using a specific number of modes for each case; the case of 6D × 1.5D spacing shows the fastest reconstruction to compare the rate of reconstruction of statistical profiles. Intermediate modes are also used to reconstruct the averaged profile and show that the intermediate scales are responsible for features seen in the original profile. The variation in streamwise and spanwise spacing leads to changes in the background structure of the turbulence, where the color map based on barycentric map and Reynolds stress anisotropy tensor provides an alternate perspective on the nature of the perturbations within the wind turbine array. The impact of the streamwise and spanwise spacings on power produced is quantified, where the maximum production corresponds with the case of greatest turbine spacing.

17 WIND ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2020

Accomplishments and Mid-Year Performance Report: Wind Energy Program Fiscal Year 2020

Through transformative science and innovation, the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) National Wind Technology Center (NWTC) at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory's (NREL's) Flatirons Campus helps lead the way to a sustainable energy future that powers America with significant levels of reliable, low-cost, and accessible wind energy. Since 1976, NREL has provided an ideal environment for the research and development (R&D) of advanced energy technologies through: Wind energy resource assessments, World-class research facilities, High-performance computing and modeling, Data and technology analysis, Manufacturing breakthroughs, Environmental analysis and wildlife conservation efforts, Education and training programs for a future workforce. These activities enable the innovations needed to advance U.S. wind systems, address market and deployment barriers, and drive down the cost of wind energy with more efficient, more reliable, and more predictable wind energy systems. This report provides an overview of the achievements NREL delivered on behalf of DOE's Wind Energy Technologies Office (WETO) and other partners during the first and second quarters of Fiscal Year (FY) 2020.

49 EE - Wind and Water Power Program - Wind (EE-4W↗
DOE OSTI2013

Wind Powering America's Regional Stakeholder Meetings and Priority State Reports: FY11 Summary

Beginning in 2010, DOE conducted an assessment of Wind Powering America (WPA) activities to determine whether the methods the department had used to help grow the wind industry to provide 2% of the nation's electrical energy should be the same methods used to achieve 20% of the nation's energy from wind (as described in the report 20% Wind Energy by 2030: Increasing Wind Energy's Contribution to U.S. Electricity Supply). After the assessment, it was determined that the initiative's state-based activities should be phased out as part of a shift to regional-based approaches. To assist with this transition, WPA hosted a series of 1-day regional meetings at six strategic locations around the country and a single teleconference for island states, U.S. territories, and remote communities. This report summarizes the results of the inaugural regional meetings and the state reports with a focus on ongoing wind deployment barriers in each region.

17 WIND ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2013

Wind Powering America's Regional Stakeholder Meetings and Priority State Reports: FY11 Summary

Beginning in 2010, DOE conducted an assessment of Wind Powering America (WPA) activities to determine whether the methods the department had used to help grow the wind industry to provide 2% of the nation's electrical energy should be the same methods used to achieve 20% of the nation's energy from wind (as described in the report 20% Wind Energy by 2030: Increasing Wind Energy's Contribution toU.S. Electricity Supply). After the assessment, it was determined that the initiative's state-based activities should be phased out as part of a shift to regional-based approaches. To assist with this transition, WPA hosted a series of 1-day regional meetings at six strategic locations around the country and a single teleconference for island states, U.S. territories, and remote communities.This report summarizes the results of the inaugural regional meetings and the state reports with a focus on ongoing wind deployment barriers in each region.

17 WIND ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2021

Lowering post‐construction yield assessment uncertainty through better wind plant power curves

Abstract Many operational analyses of wind power plants require a statistical relationship, which can be called the wind plant power curve, to be developed between wind plant energy production and concurrent atmospheric variables. Currently, a univariate linear regression at monthly resolution is the industry standard for post‐construction yield assessments. Here, we evaluate the benefits in augmenting this conventional approach by testing alternative regressions performed with multiple inputs, at a finer time resolution, and using nonlinear machine‐learning algorithms. We utilize the National Renewable Energy Laboratory's open‐source software package OpenOA to assess wind plant power curves for 10 wind plants. When a univariate generalized additive model at daily or hourly resolution is used, regression uncertainty is reduced, in absolute terms, by up to 1.0 % and 1.2 % (corresponding to a −59 % and −80 % relative change), respectively, compared to a univariate linear regression at monthly resolution; also, a more accurate assessment of the mean long‐term wind plant production is achieved. Additional input variables also reduce the regression uncertainty: when temperature is added as an input to the conventional monthly linear regression, the operational analysis uncertainty connected to regression is reduced, in absolute terms, by up to 0.5 % (−43 % relative change) for wind power plants with strong seasonal variability. Adding input variables to the machine‐learning model at daily resolution can further reduce regression uncertainty, with up to a −10 % relative change. Based on these results, we conclude that a multivariate nonlinear regression at daily or hourly resolution should be recommended for assessing wind plant power curves.

17 WIND ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2023

Advanced wind turbine control development using field test analysis for generator overspeed mitigation

Abstract Turbulent and gusty wind conditions can cause generator overspeed peaks to exceed a threshold that then lead to wind turbine shutdowns, which then decrease the energy production of the wind turbines. We derive so‐called “gust measures” that predict when generator overspeed peaks may occur. These gust measures are then used to develop advanced controllers to mitigate generator overspeed peaks so that wind turbines can operate more robustly in difficult wind conditions without exceeding generator overspeed thresholds that would lead to turbine shutdown events. The advanced controllers are demonstrated in nonlinear aeroelastic simulations using the open‐source wind turbine simulation tool OpenFAST. To increase the realism of the simulations, they are run using field‐replicated wind conditions and a wind turbine model based on data from an experimental field campaign on a downscaled demonstrator of a novel extreme‐scale, two‐bladed, downwind rotor design.

17 WIND ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2017

Development of performance specifications for hybrid modeling of floating wind turbines in wave basin tests

Hybrid modeling—combining physical testing and numerical simulation in real time$-$opens new opportunities in floating wind turbine research. Wave basin testing is an important validation step for floating support structure design, but the conventional approaches that use physical wind above the basin are limited by scaling problems in the aerodynamics. Applying wind turbine loads with an actuation system that is controlled by a simulation responding to the basin test in real time offers a way to avoid scaling problems and reduce cost barriers for floating wind turbine design validation in realistic coupled wind and wave conditions. This paper demonstrates the development of performance specifications for a system that couples a wave basin experiment with a wind turbine simulation. Two different points for the hybrid coupling are considered: the tower-base interface and the aero-rotor interface (the boundary between aerodynamics and the rotor structure). Analyzing simulations of three floating wind turbine designs across seven load cases reveals the motion and force requirements of the coupling system. By simulating errors in the hybrid coupling system, the sensitivity of the floating wind turbine response to coupling quality can be quantified. The sensitivity results can then be used to determine tolerances for motion tracking errors, force actuation errors, bandwidth limitations, and latency in the hybrid coupling system. These tolerances can guide the design of hybrid coupling systems to achieve desired levels of accuracy. An example demonstrates how the developed methods can be used to generate performance specifications for a system at 1:50 scale. Results show that sensitivities vary significantly between support structure designs and that coupling at the aero-rotor interface has less stringent requirements than those for coupling at the tower base. As a result, the methods and results presented here can inform design of future hybrid coupling systems and enhance understanding of how test results are affected by hybrid coupling quality.

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗
DOE OSTI2026

Hybrid geothermal-wind integration in the US energy grid

Here, we combine US wind generation—a cheap yet intermittent source of electricity—with the latest geothermal resource estimates to understand the technoeconomic possibilities of pairing enhanced geothermal systems (EGSs) with existing wind farms to develop a hybrid energy system. Using observed generation data from 583 wind farms, generation gaps are quantified and geographically paired with the latest EGS estimates. Results demonstrate that EGS potential within a 1 km 2 footprint can supplement wind generation at 56% of onshore wind farms. Each wind farm can be supplemented by EGSs when 10% of its surface-occupying footprint is available. The cost of EGSs at wind farms is lowest in the western US and southern Texas border and highest in the central US. While further experiments are warranted, a wind + EGS hybrid system offers an opportunity to increase power output from the same land footprint while maximizing the use of existing electrical infrastructure.

EGS↗
DOE OSTI2026

Numerical Analysis of Offshore Wind-Farm-Induced Drag Effects on Coastal Upwelling Dynamics

Wind farms extract momentum from the atmospheric flow, generating wind-speed deficits both within the plant, and extending downstream. When located offshore, these deficits modulate air-sea coupling, potentially impacting coastal upwelling in sensitive regions. We investigate impacts of wind farms on coastal upwelling using kilometre-scale, three-way-coupled simulations with the coupled ocean-atmosphere-wave-sediment transport system for the US West Coast. Wind-farm effects are represented by a generalised turbine drag formulation, an idealised, height-dependent body force whose magnitude is systematically varied. This approach isolates the leading-order fluid-dynamical response in a realistic coastal configuration. The atmospheric adjustment exhibits an approximately linear relation between drag force and wind-speed deficit, with wakes that expand downstream and increase in magnitude as drag increases. An empirical orthogonal function analysis of sea-surface-temperature anomalies reveals the emergence of a canonical dipole pattern under strong drag forcing. Subsurface diagnostics show consistent shoaling of the mixed layer and suppressed upward velocities in areas near wind-farm region, accompanied by compensating enhancements of shoaling closer to the coast. These results identify turbine drag as a control parameter in assessing interactions between wind-farm wake and coastal upwelling and provide scaling relationships for understanding offshore wind-farm effects on the coastal circulation dynamics.

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗
DOE OSTI2022

Assessment of Wind Energy Resource Potential for Future Human Missions to Mars

Energy sustainability and redundancy for surface habitats, life support systems and scientific instrumentation represent one of the highest-priority issues for future crewed missions to Mars. However, power sources utilized for the current class of robotic missions to Mars may be potentially dangerous near human surface habitats (for example, nuclear) or lack stability on diurnal or seasonal timescales (for example, solar) that cannot be easily compensated for by power storage. Here, we evaluate the power potential for wind turbines as an alternative energy resource on the Mars surface. Using a state-of-the-art Mars global climate model, we analyse the total planetary Martian wind potential and calculate its spatial and temporal variability. We find that wind speeds at some proposed landing sites are sufficiently fast to provide a stand-alone or complementary energy source to solar or nuclear power. While several regions show promising wind energy resource potential, other regions of scientific interest can be discarded based on the natural solar and wind energy potential alone. We demonstrate that wind energy compensates for diurnal and seasonal reductions in solar power particularly in regions of scientific merit in the midlatitudes and during regional dust storms. Critically, proposed turbines stabilize power production when combined with solar arrays, increasing the percent time that power exceeds estimated mission requirements from ~40% for solar arrays alone to greater than 60-90% across a broad fraction of the Mars surface. We encourage additional study aimed at advancing wind turbine technology to operate efficiently under Mars conditions and to extract more power from Mars winds.

atmospheric dynamics↗
DOE OSTI2021

Wind plants can impact long-term local atmospheric conditions

Abstract Long-term weather and climate observatories can be affected by the changing environments in their vicinity, such as the growth of urban areas or changing vegetation. Wind plants can also impact local atmospheric conditions through their wakes, characterized by reduced wind speed and increased turbulence. We explore the extent to which the wind plants near an atmospheric measurement site in the central United States have affected their long-term measurements. Both direct observations and mesoscale numerical weather prediction simulations demonstrate how the wind plants induce a wind deficit aloft, especially in stable conditions, and a wind speed acceleration near the surface, which extend $$\sim 30$$ ∼ 30 km downwind of the wind plant. Turbulence kinetic energy is significantly enhanced within the wind plant wake in stable conditions, with near-surface observations seeing an increase of more than 30% a few kilometers downwind of the plants.

17 WIND ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2016

The coherent relation between the solar wind proton speed and O{sup 7+}/O{sup 6+} ratio and its coronal sources

We analyze the two-hour resolution solar wind proton speed (V{sub p}) and charge state ratio of O{sup 7+}/O{sup 6+} measured by ACE (SWICS and SWEPAM) from 1998 to 2011 at 1 AU. By applying a two-step mapping method, we link the solar wind in-situ observations to the corona images captured by SOHO and STEREO, in which we identify the different plasma structures, such as active regions (ARs), coronal holes (CHs) and quiet Sun regions (QS), using a classification scheme based on pixel brightness. Then we determine from which region in the corona the solar wind originates. We examine the in-situ properties of the solar wind streams associated with CHs, ARs and QS regions. We find that more than half of CH associated wind is actually slow wind, and O{sup 7+}/O{sup 6+} ratio has a strong coherent correlation with the location of the solar wind coronal sources. Therefore, we conclude that O{sup 7+}/O{sup 6+} ratio can be used as a much more effective discriminator to identify solar wind coronal sources region than V{sub p}.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2013

HEMISPHERIC ASYMMETRIES IN THE POLAR SOLAR WIND OBSERVED BY ULYSSES NEAR THE MINIMA OF SOLAR CYCLES 22 AND 23

We examined solar wind plasma and interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) observations from Ulysses' first and third orbits to study hemispheric differences in the properties of the solar wind and IMF originating from the Sun's large polar coronal holes (PCHs) during the declining and minimum phase of solar cycles 22 and 23. We identified hemispheric asymmetries in several parameters, most notably {approx}15%-30% south-to-north differences in averages for the solar wind density, mass flux, dynamic pressure, and energy flux and the radial and total IMF magnitudes. These differences were driven by relatively larger, more variable solar wind density and radial IMF between {approx}36 Degree-Sign S-60 Degree-Sign S during the declining phase of solar cycles 22 and 23. These observations indicate either a hemispheric asymmetry in the PCH output during the declining and minimum phase of solar cycles 22 and 23 with the southern hemisphere being more active than its northern counterpart, or a solar cycle effect where the PCH output in both hemispheres is enhanced during periods of higher solar activity. We also report a strong linear correlation between these solar wind and IMF parameters, including the periods of enhanced PCH output, that highlight the connection between the solar wind mass and energy output and the Sun's magnetic field. That these enhancements were not matched by similar sized variations in solar wind speed points to the mass and energy responsible for these increases being added to the solar wind while its flow was subsonic.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Observations of Alfvén and slow waves in the solar wind near 1 AU

Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) waves play a significant role in the processes of the solar wind acceleration and the coronal heating. Based on the in situ measurements of the WIND spacecraft, some MHD waves in the quiet solar wind are identified with two criteria: (1) the correlation coefficients between velocity and magnetic field perturbations (δv and δB) and between thermal pressure and magnetic pressure perturbations (δp{sub t} and δp{sub b}), and (2) the dispersion relations of MHD waves. A preliminary statistics of those MHD modes is also achieved by selecting and analyzing the WIND data of 42,279 samples (45050.4 hr) in the 23rd solar cycle. It is found that the time fraction of Alfvén waves is 8% in this period, while the existence time of slow waves is 3.4%, and the fast wave is rare. The statistical result also shows that the Alfvén waves have a higher time fraction in fast solar wind, while the occurrence of slow waves is higher in moderate-speed solar wind. This work will provide more clues to understanding MHD activities in the solar wind, as well as the studies of solar wind acceleration and heating.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

INERTIAL RANGE TURBULENCE OF FAST AND SLOW SOLAR WIND AT 0.72 AU AND SOLAR MINIMUM

We investigate Venus Express observations of magnetic field fluctuations performed systematically in the solar wind at 0.72 Astronomical Units (AU), between 2007 and 2009, during the deep minimum of solar cycle 24. The power spectral densities (PSDs) of the magnetic field components have been computed for time intervals that satisfy the data integrity criteria and have been grouped according to the type of wind, fast and slow, defined for speeds larger and smaller, respectively, than 450 km s{sup −1}. The PSDs show higher levels of power for the fast wind than for the slow. The spectral slopes estimated for all PSDs in the frequency range 0.005–0.1 Hz exhibit a normal distribution. The average value of the trace of the spectral matrix is −1.60 for fast solar wind and −1.65 for slow wind. Compared to the corresponding average slopes at 1 AU, the PSDs are shallower at 0.72 AU for slow wind conditions suggesting a steepening of the solar wind spectra between Venus and Earth. No significant time variation trend is observed for the spectral behavior of both the slow and fast wind.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

2013-2014 Lidar Campaign: Measurements of Inflow at a Northern Oklahoma Wind Farm

In November 2013, LLNL deployed two vertically-profiling, Doppler Laser Detection and Ranging (lidar) instruments at Enel Green Power North America’s 235 MW wind farm in Northern Oklahoma to collect wind measurements. The lidars were used to measure wake-free observations of the free-stream wind flow (i.e., inflow) for purposes of quantifying rotor-disk wind characteristics under varying atmospheric conditions. The measurements included horizontal wind speed, vertical wind speed, wind direction, and turbulence intensity, taken at a ~1 Hz sampling rate and averaged over 10-minute intervals. From these measurements we also calculated wind shear across the turbine rotor disk and turbulence kinetic energy (TKE).

17 WIND ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2015

Wind Power Curve Modeling in Simple and Complex Terrain

Our previous work on wind power curve modeling using statistical models focused on a location with a moderately complex terrain in the Altamont Pass region in northern California (CA). The work described here is the follow-up to that work, but at a location with a simple terrain in northern Oklahoma (OK). The goal of the present analysis was to determine the gain in predictive ability afforded by adding information beyond the hub-height wind speed, such as wind speeds at other heights, as well as other atmospheric variables, to the power prediction model at this new location and compare the results to those obtained at the CA site in the previous study. While we reach some of the same conclusions at both sites, many results reported for the CA site do not hold at the OK site. In particular, using the entire vertical profile of wind speeds improves the accuracy of wind power prediction relative to using the hub-height wind speed alone at both sites. However, in contrast to the CA site, the rotor equivalent wind speed (REWS) performs almost as well as the entire profile at the OK site. Another difference is that at the CA site, adding wind veer as a predictor significantly improved the power prediction accuracy. The same was true for that site when air density was added to the model separately instead of using the standard air density adjustment. At the OK site, these additional variables result in no significant benefit for the prediction accuracy.

17 WIND ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2019

Optimized Carbon Fiber Composites in Wind Turbine Blade Design

The objective of this study is to assess the commercial viability to develop cost-competitive carbon fiber composites specifically suited for the unique loading experienced by wind turbine blades. The wind industry is a cost-driven market, while carbon fiber materials have been developed for the performance-driven aerospace industry. Carbon fiber has known benefits for reducing wind turbine blade mass due to the significantly improved stiffness, strength, and fatigue resistance per unit mass compared to fiberglass; however, the high relative cost has prohibited broad adoption within the wind industry. Novel carbon fiber materials derived from the textile industry are studied as a potentially more optimal material for the wind industry and are characterized using a validated material cost model and through mechanical testing. The novel heavy tow textile carbon fiber is compared with commercial carbon fiber and fiberglass materials in representative land-based and offshore reference wind turbine models. Some of the advantages of carbon fiber spar caps are observed in reduced blade mass and improved fatigue life. The heavy tow textile carbon fiber is found to have improved cost performance over the baseline carbon fiber and performed similarly to the commercial carbon fiber in wind turbine blade design, but at a significantly reduced cost. This novel carbon fiber was observed to even outperform fiberglass when comparing material cost estimates for spar caps optimized to satisfy the design constraints. This study reveals a route to enable broader carbon fiber usage by the wind industry to enable larger rotors that capture more energy at a lower cost.

17 WIND ENERGY↗