Aim of the project is the experimental validation of lidars technology in the wind tunnel with controlled environment using real-time turbulent flow. The availability of the large Polimi’s wind tunnel allows to provide reliable experimental data that can be used to develop wind farm control strategies. The project will develop numerical models able to predict the turbulent flow inside the wind tunnel in order to test the control strategies using a numerical tool, and a numerical model for the simulation of wind turbines and make advantage of lidar measurement for the control of the single turbines and wind farm. The developed control laws will then be tested and validated against experimental tests in the wind tunnel. Control algorithms will be developed using traditional control data and information coming from lidar measurement, in order to enlarge the set of inputs of the control models and increase the performance of wind farm power production.
Doppler Lidars (light detection and ranging) that measure the wind in the atmosphere remotely have reduced in price and increased in reliability over the last decade mainly done by European universities and companies serving the growing wind energy industry. This opens the possibility for new applications in many areas. LIKE improves, tests and refines the technology thus expanding these areas of application. LIKE promotes wind energy applications such as wind resource mapping using scanning lidars and control of single wind turbines or entire wind farms in order to increase energy production and reduce mechanical loads. LIKE maps unusual atmospheric flow patterns over airports in real-time and thus improves the safety of landing aircrafts. LIKE explores wind and turbulence under extreme conditions at the sites of future European bridges paving the road for optimal bridge design.
The principal outputs of this doctoral activity are described as follows:
1) Numerical modelling of turbulent flow at tunnel scale and at full-scale.
2) Measurement and study of wind tunnel flow.
3) Development of wind farm control laws using traditional and lidar assisted input.