Actuator line modeling of wind turbines requires the definition of a free-stream velocity in a computational mesh and a regularization kernel to project the computed body forces onto the domain. Both choices strongly influence the results. In this work, a novel velocity sampling method—the so-called effective velocity model (EVM)—is implemented in the CFD software SOWFA, validated, and compared to pre-existing approaches. Results show superior method robustness with respect to the regularization kernel width ((Formula presented.)) choice while preserving acceptable accuracy. In particular, the power predicted by the EVM is nearly independent of the (Formula presented.) value.

In this work, we find a reduced-order model for the wake of a wind turbine controlled with dynamic induction control. We use a physics-informed dynamic mode decomposition algorithm to reduce the model complexity in a way such that the physics of the wake mixing can be investigated and that the model itself can be easily embedded into control-oriented frameworks. After discussing the advantage of forcing the linear system resulting from the algorithm to be conservative (as a consequence of the periodicity of the pitch excitation) and the choice of observables, we describe a procedure for calculating the energy associated with individual modes. The considered data-set is composed of large eddy simulation (LES) results for a single DTU 10 MW wind turbine in uniform flow. Simulations were performed first with baseline control (for reference) and then with the Pulse and the Helix approaches with constant excitation amplitude and different excitation frequencies. The frequencies and energies associated with the resulting modes are discussed.

Dynamic Induction Control (DIC) is a novel, exciting branch of Wind Farm Control. It makes use of time-varying control inputs to increase wake mixing, and consequently improve the velocity recovery rate of the flow and the power production of downstream turbines. The Pulse and the Helix are two promising DIC strategies that rely on sinusoidal excitations of the collective pitch and individual pitch of the blades, respectively. While their beneficial effects are evident in simulations and wind tunnel tests, we do not yet fully understand the physics behind them. We perform a systematic analysis of the dynamics of pulsed and helicoidal wakes by applying a data-driven approach to the analysis of data coming from Large Eddy Simulations (LES). Specifically, Dynamic Mode Decomposition (DMD) is used to extract coherent patterns from high-dimensional flow data. The periodicity of the excitation is exploited by adding a novel physics informed step to the algorithm. We then analyze the power spectral density of the resulting DMD modes as a function of the Strouhal number for different pitch excitation frequencies and amplitudes. Finally, we show the evolution in time and space of the dominant modes and comment on the recognizable patterns. By focusing on the modes that contribute the most to the flow dynamics, we gather insight on what causes the increased wake recovery rate in DIC techniques. This knowledge can then be used for the optimization of the signal parameters in complex layouts and conditions.