AWS Truepower, LLC announces important updates and improvements to its Deep-Array Wake Model (DAWM), which was first released in openWind Enterprise in 2010. Concluding a rigorous validation of plant production and wind data from several projects, AWS Truepower also confirmed that the so-called deep-array wake effect, which results in greater wake losses than predicted by standard wake models, can occur in onshore wind projects.
Previous research had clearly established such an effect only for offshore projects. Researchers in the wind energy community are aware that the current generation of wake models underestimates wake losses in offshore wind projects with multiple rows of turbines. This phenomenon results from the cumulative drag imposed by so-called deep turbine arrays on the planetary boundary layer (PBL), the lowest layer of the atmosphere. However, the jury has been out regarding whether or not the deep-array wake effect significantly impacts onshore projects. AWS Truepower’s validation effort indicates that onshore projects are also susceptible to this issue and should be analyzed using the most up-to-date models.
Previous research had clearly established such an effect only for offshore projects. Researchers in the wind energy community are aware that the current generation of wake models underestimates wake losses in offshore wind projects with multiple rows of turbines. This phenomenon results from the cumulative drag imposed by so-called deep turbine arrays on the planetary boundary layer (PBL), the lowest layer of the atmosphere. However, the jury has been out regarding whether or not the deep-array wake effect significantly impacts onshore projects. AWS Truepower’s validation effort indicates that onshore projects are also susceptible to this issue and should be analyzed using the most up-to-date models.