The Influence of Consecutive Gust on Turbine Under Yaw Misalignment

The sudden variation in wind speed, also known as gust, can increase the power output fluctuations and fatigue loading on wind turbines, as power output is proportional to the incoming velocity cubed and turbine loads are proportional to the incoming velocity squared. Extreme loads in gust events can also lead to significant and occasionally catastrophic damage to the turbine, such as tower strikes, in addition to fatigue failure from dynamic loads. This study focuses on how wake flows, power output fluctuations, and fluctuating aerodynamic loads on turbines under yaw misalignment in the presence of consecutive gust wind are fundamentally coupled. Systematic wind tunnel experiments were carried out with a model turbine to quantify the unsteady power outputs, thrust, and side-forces on turbines with varying yaw misalignment angles and incoming gust magnitude, and frequency. Furthermore, a reduced-order physical model was built based on local incoming flow statistics and turbine parameters to emphasize the dominant elements for modifying the variations of turbine power output and aerodynamic loads.