Application of engineering models to predict wake deflection due to a tilted wind turbine

It is a known fact that the power produced by wind turbines operating inside an array decreases due to the wake effects of the upstream turbines. It has been proposed previously to use the yaw mechanism as a potential means to steer the upstream wake away from downstream turbines, however such a mechanism introduces control complications due to changing wind directions.

Deflecting the wake in the vertical direction using tilt, on the other hand, overcomes this challenge. In this paper, the feasibility of steering wake is explored in a simple uniform inflow case. This is done by trying to model the wake deflection as a function of the yaw/tilt angle and the rotor thrust, initially using the momentum and vortex theories.

Thereafter, a relatively more promising empirical model based on a set of actuator disc CFD computations is proposed. Finally, comments are made on the feasibility of wake control using yaw/tilt.