FutureWind & Marine 2024
Morning Session B:
Aerodynamics, Resource Assessment & Control
Charlie Plumley
Nuveen Infrastructure
Title: Why do renewables investors need researchers?
Abstract: Investing in wind, solar and battery storage projects is a risky business, and uncertainties mean the industry pays higher costs for finance and returns on investment are not guaranteed. To increase investment and speed up the energy transition, we need to reduce risk and improve returns. This presentation will highlight how research into energy yield analyses and site optimization could help achieve this, and hence show why renewables investors need researchers.
Biography: Charlie is a Master of Physics, Chartered Engineer, graduate from the University of Strathclyde's Wind Energy Systems CDT with a PhD in “Smart Rotor Control of Wind Turbines,” and open-source and open-data advocate. At Nuveen Infrastructure Charlie is the Senior Performance Engineer. In this role he analyses long-term production forecasts for both wind and solar assets, promotes the use of data, and works to optimise the performance of assets.
Scott Dallas
University of Strathclyde
Title: Control-oriented modelling of wind direction variability
Abstract: Wind direction variation and its impact on wind farms are both poorly understood. Measurement bias and direction variation mean that the yaw system often operates sub-optimally, resulting in yaw misalignment and significant deterioration in turbine performance. Control-oriented modelling of wind direction variability is an approach that aims to capture the relevant dynamics of wind direction variability for improving controller performance over a complete set of farm flow scenarios, performing iterative controller development, and/or achieving real-time closed-loop model-based feedback control. This research is concerned with how to achieve these objectives through a data-driven approach.
Jarred Kenworthy
University of Strathclyde
Title: Nonsteady load responses on the main bearing by the passage of daytime atmospheric turbulence eddies through the rotor of a utility-scale wind turbine
Abstract: The main bearing responds directly to the highly nonsteady moments generated at the rotor hub by aerodynamic interactions between the rotating blades and energetic atmospheric turbulence eddies. We analyse the time changes in magnitude and direction of the force on the bearing from the passage of turbulence eddies of different type through the rotor with high-fidelity LES of a 5 MW wind turbine rotor within a canonical daytime atmospheric boundary layer with an advanced actuator line model for the blades. We present analysis of the characteristics and key mechanisms that drive potentially detrimental nonsteady forcings of the main bearing.