Abstract

Wind energy sector is getting bigger and becoming a major part of social and economical

aspects globally. A wind energy conversion system, such as horizontal axis

wind turbine, extracts energy from the wind in the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL).

The Reynolds number in the ABL is typically very large (Re ⇠ 106–108), so the wind

in the ABL is nearly always turbulent.

Normally, a wind turbine placed at a site will be operating during its life-time period

of ⇠20-25 years. During the period, wind turbulence plays an important role by

affecting– the mechanical loading of individual and clustered wind turbines, and the

electricity production.

This presentation addresses small scale turbulence with the range– from seconds to

hours temporally, and, in the order of meters spatially. First part will explain briefly an

interaction between turbulent wind field and a wind turbine. Secondly, turbulence characteristics

and their modeling—that are important to wind engineers—are discussed.

Finally, effects of turbulence on wind turbine loading and some other issues are discussed.

Bio-sketch

Dr. Abhijit Chougule earned a bachelor degree in an aeronautical engineering

with the specialization in aerodynamics; a M. Tech. in Earth system science and

technology from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur; and, a Ph.D. in

Atmospheric turbulence and wind energy from the Risø National Laboratory for

Sustainable Energy, now known as DTU Wind Energy at the Technical University

of Denmark. Of the 130 world-wide applications, Abhijit was selected for the

Ph.D. position at Risø.

After his Ph.D., Abhijit had conducted postdoctoral research at DTU Wind

Energy and University of Agder in Norway. He also had spent time at the National

Center for Atmospheric Research, USA; did consultancy as a private company;

and published in good journals. Abhijit had presented his work at Siemens Wind

Power A/S; Statoil, Norway; and at several seminars and conferences, e.g., the

EAWA PhD Seminars in Delft, Netherlands.