Positioning Wind Turbines For Greater Energy Output

Assistant Professor Spencer Zimmerman received an Ørsted award to develop models to better predict turbulent flows of air over / through wind turbine arrays. The project aims to determine how the flow of air is modified by the positioning of the turbines in the array and to help engineers orientate and configure the turbines in a way that minimizes disruption from wake interactions and maximizes energy output. This data becomes even more critical as the energy industry moves towards floating offshore wind platforms which have more freedom of movement.

As Professor Zimmerman said, “The range of possible configurations will only expand as we work towards floating offshore wind platforms, so it's important that we consider how we might use this increased flexibility to our greatest advantage down the road.”