Unmanned aircraft measure wind turbine wakes

When wind passes through the blades of a wind turbine, it loses speed and increases in turbulence. On wind farms, wind turbines are arrayed relatively close together, and the wake from upstream turbines can reduce the efficiency of downstream turbines if the turbines are not spaced properly. Computer models that predict wind movement through wind farms are often inaccurate so CIRES’ John Cassano and his colleagues have devised an innovative way to measure the effects of wind turbines on wind movement. They will fly small, unmanned aircraft quite close to wind turbines to measure changes in wind variables. If data gathered using unmanned aircraft prove reliable, investigators will be able to gather data covering the entire atmospheric volume of a wind farm, which should prove to be a powerful tool for designing optimal groupings of turbines.