Large eddy simulations of curled wakes from tilted wind turbines

One control strategy to increase power production in wind farms is angling turbine rotors, order steer wakes away from downwind turbines. Although rotor yaw the most common approach wake steering, tilting vertically downward can also total farm power. In this study, large eddy simulations of a 15 MW are performed for tilt angles 0°, 15°, and 30° with below-rated turbulent inflow. Wake characteristics analyzed, including using circulation quantify curled wake's counter-rotating vortex pair quantifying shapes by fitting Legendre polynomials edge polar coordinates. Tilting causes wider compressed cross-sections, stronger vortices. velocity deficit recovers similarly tilted non-tilted wakes, available faster because steered area replaced high-speed air above. This higher effective shear across rotor. Additional double gap between ground surface bottom, which affects geometry as well recovery shear.