The NearWake project creates the conditions for efficient land utilisation of wind energy for new and existing wind farms in Germany, especially for repowering, by improving knowledge about the near wake of wind turbines and its simulation capability, thus advancing the state of the art for the planning and operation of closely spaced turbines in a wind farm. It provides a boost for the expansion path up to 2035.
The project has the challenging task of building a bridge from basic research into the physics of the near wake to modelling and the first prototypes for application. Based on the WiValdi research wind farm, experimental and numerical research contributions of varying degrees of detail generate a unique database for modelling and validation. Reliable models are being developed for inflow, turbulence and loads in the near wake, the physical processes of which have not yet been fully understood or modelled in the industrial process chain. The new models will lead to the creation and evaluation of initial prototypes for further scientific and industrial utilisation.
DLR's contribution here will be the experimental measurement of the near wake flow at the WiValdi research park and a realistic, high-resolution simulation of the observed cases. The NearWake-DLR sub-project will focus on the meteorological conditions that lead to long-term stability of the near wake. In addition, the FreeWake model, a mid-fidelity tool for visualising wake, is being transferred from aviation to wind energy in order to evaluate its potential in the industrial process chain.
Contact
Dr. Norman Wildmann
Head of Department
Institute of Atmospheric Physics
Applied Meteorology
Münchener Straße 20, 82234 Oberpfaffenhofen-Wessling
