First North Sea Test for Delft Wind Farm Control Technology
Helix concept moves from simulations and wind tunnels to offshore testing at Hollandse Kust Noord wind farm.
Researchers from TU Delft are carrying out the first offshore test of the Helix concept at the Hollandse Kust Noord wind farm. The technology aims to reduce the wake effect between wind turbines and increase the overall energy yield of a wind farm.
“Wind turbines often get in each other’s way,” says professor Jan Willem van Wingerden. “When wind flows through a turbine, wind speed decreases and the flow becomes more turbulent. A turbine located directly behind it therefore receives less wind and produces less electricity.” This phenomenon is known as the wake effect.
Seven years ago, TU Delft researchers discovered that periodically rotate each turbine blade slightly around its own axis, the wake takes on a helical shape. As a result, downstream turbines experience less interference from upstream turbines.
After years of numerical simulations and wind tunnel experiments, the technology is now being tested in practice. One turbine at Hollandse Kust Noord has been equipped with the Helix concept, developed by TU Delft in collaboration with Siemens Gamesa, while two downstream turbines measure the wake behaviour. Advanced lidar systems are being used to visualise airflow patterns and track changes in the wake.
Measurements will be conducted over six months. According to Professor Jan Willem van Wingerden, the test marks an important milestone in the development of smart control technologies for future wind farms. For more information about the Helix concept and the related dynamic wind farm flow control project, visit dedicated website of the project or the website of TU Delft.
