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Wind Energy Department
Digital twin of the DLR Research Wind Farm
Research for high-performance and low-noise wind farms
In the Wind Energy department, we deal with the aerodynamics and aeroacoustics of wind turbines and develop future technologies for efficient and quiet wind farms. Our tools include numerical and semi-empirical simulation methods, innovative experimental methods and measurement technology from aerospace research, high-performance computing clusters, wind tunnels and wind turbines in the Research Wind Farm.
Competencies
We carry out performance and sound emission calculations and explore noise reduction- and flow control measures on rotor blades. In the AWB and DNW-NWB wind tunnels, we test new profile designs or rotor blade components and conduct generic experiments for aerodynamic and aeroacoustic modelling. Together with our colleagues at other DLR institutes, we perform multidisciplinary analyses accounting for aeroelastics, structure, atmospheric physics and control. In the Research Wind Farm, we can use far-reaching validation and testing possibilities, evaluate new rotor technologies in a real environment along the entire physical interrelation path and thus, advance their readiness level for industrial exploitation. With our work, we face the challenges of the energy transition and its resulting issues: Which are suitable areas for wind turbines? How can we create more acceptance among the population? What means can we use to make the set-up and operation of wind farms even more cost-efficient?
Main research topics
- Power and noise prediction for wind turbines and their components
- Semi-empirical to high-resolution numerical prediction for flow and aeroacoustics within multi-disciplinary simulation chains
- Wind farm simulation (weather- and site-specific yield and noise emission)
- Efficient and quiet profile design, blade design for wind turbine rotors
- Noise reduction technology from concept to field test
- Experimental testing and evaluation of new wind energy technologies including methods validation
- Aerodynamic and aeroacoustic (experimental and numerical) investigation of installation effects in wind farm layouts
- Determination of environmental effects (on and through the system)
- Derivation of scaling laws and evaluation metrics
- Technology transfer to the wind energy industry
Ongoing projects of the department
Contact
Dr. Michaela Herr
Head of Department
German Aerospace Center (DLR)
Institute of Aerodynamics and Flow Technology
Wind Energy
Lilienthalplatz 7, 38108 Braunschweig
Germany