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Title: Filtered actuator disks: Theory and application to wind turbine models in large eddy simulation
Summary The actuator disk model (ADM) continues to be a popular wind turbine representation in large eddy simulations (LES) of large wind farms. Computational restrictions typically limit the number of grid points across the rotor of each actuator disk and require spatial filtering to smoothly distribute the applied force distribution on discrete grid points. At typical grid resolutions, simulations cannot capture all of the vorticity shed behind the disk and subsequently overpredict power by upwards of 10%. To correct these modeling errors, we propose a vortex cylinder model to quantify the shed vorticity when a filtered force distribution is applied at the actuator disk. This model is then used to derive a correction factor for numerical simulations that collapses the power curve for simulations at various filter widths and grid resolutions onto the curve obtained using axial momentum theory. The proposed correction, which is analytically derived from first principles, facilitates accurate power measurements in LES without resorting to highly refined numerical grids or empirical correction factors.  more » « less
Award ID(s):
1635430
PAR ID:
10454332
Author(s) / Creator(s):
 ;  ;  
Publisher / Repository:
Wiley Blackwell (John Wiley & Sons)
Date Published:
Journal Name:
Wind Energy
Volume:
22
Issue:
10
ISSN:
1095-4244
Page Range / eLocation ID:
p. 1414-1420
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
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