Wind tunnel tests applied to wind energy management: comparison of measurements in closed-circuit and open-circuit wind tunnels

Abstract

Power loss, damages overestimation and environmental impacts are the main problems related to wind energy and its planning and management. One of the tools used to analyse and manage this problem is the aerodynamic wind tunnel. In this work wind tunnel tests were performed in two different facilities, an open-circuit wind tunnel and a close-circuit wind tunnel, in order to study the suitability of these features to optimize wind farms layout and power quality and its dependence of the type of tests facility. Experimental results in this work are reported as wind speed and turbulence intensity vertical profiles and flow fields with a simulated ABL with and without the presence of a three-bladed wind turbine model. Results show that mean wind velocity is similar in both tunnels, but turbulence intensity is higher for the open-circuit wind tunnel.