Open AccessSiting wind turbines near cliffs—the effect of wind direction
Author(s) -
Rowcroft J.,
Burton D.,
Blackburn H.M.,
Sheridan J.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
wind energy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.743
H-Index - 92
eISSN - 1099-1824
pISSN - 1095-4244
DOI - 10.1002/we.1931
Subject(s) - crest , inflow , cliff , turbulence kinetic energy , wake , wind direction , turbulence , wind speed , meteorology , wind gradient , wind tunnel , geology , vortex , intensity (physics) , wind profile power law , environmental science , marine engineering , physics , mechanics , engineering , optics , paleontology
The optimal siting of wind turbines in the vicinity of cliffs is investigated with respect to inflow yaw angle, using wind tunnel experiments. Wind statistics are measured above a generic forward facing step, namely, the speed‐up, turbulence intensity, changes in wind direction and the persistence and frequency of vortices shed from the crest of the cliff. The experiments demonstrate that at half a cliff height above the cliff, and that same distance downstream of the crest, there exists an optimal region with increases in wind speed, combined with lower levels of turbulence intensity across the range of inflow angles that were investigated. In contrast, the far wake experiences a velocity deficit and an increase in turbulence intensity, when compared with the inflow. Furthermore, vortices are shed from the downstream reattachment region and persist beyond 10 cliff heights downstream. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.