Now in windPRO – new wake model: WakeBlaster
windPRO now includes an option to run WakeBlaster, a new wake model. WakeBlaster is a numerical solver of the 3-dimensional Reynolds averaged Navier Stokes equations, specialized in wind turbine wakes.
But what is new?
- No more superposition: Instead of modelling single turbine wakes and superimposing them empirically, WakeBlaster models the whole waked wind field in a wind farm
- Wake induced turbulence: Different wake decays (inside a wind farm and on the outer rim of a wind farm) are considered, as both ambient turbulence and wake induced turbulence are included in the model
- Three-dimensional model: Wakes are no longer considered axis symmetric. WakeBlaster considers the ambient boundary layer profile and the impact of neighbouring wakes at different hub heights
- Lower prices: WakeBlaster prices have just been reduced for windPRO users:
Prices start at 250 Euros per month for a 12-month licence, or 350 Euro for one month, the latter being more suitable for a single project with several EPA iterations.
All licenses include up to 50k flow cases per month, with each flow case having up to 500 wind turbines.
Additional flow cases are available from 0.001 Euros per flow case.
Examples of where WakeBlaster can make a difference, by reducing uncertainty and preventing surprise losses, include offshore wind farms, inter-wind farm cluster wakes, strong diurnal variability or seasonal effects, low hub heights, and mixed height wind farms.
Reducing the number of empirical expert model parameters also allows more consistent results to be obtained.
