RANS Computations of Wind Turbine Near-Wake Aerodynamics in Uniform and Yawed Inflow

Full RANS simulations of the flow in the near wake of a three-bladed horizontal-axis wind turbine are presented. The simulations, which are based on the MEXICO experiment and include the complete rotor, nacelle and tower, show good agreement with experimental data, with 4% difference relative to measured flow properties. The flow properties in the near wake are detailed for both uniform and non-uniform flow conditions. The effects of increasing tip-speed ratio and of yawed inflow of 30° are studied. The full RANS simulations are used to support the development of an immersed wind turbine model at ETH Zurich. This model allows for modeling of the wake evolution and interactions in wind farms, for multiple turbines, with substantially reduced computational effort.