École Nationale Supérieure de
Techniques Avancées

Abstract

In the context of wind farm optimization, intentional yaw misalignment of turbines away from the mean wind direction is a promising strategy to reduce power losses caused by upstream wake effects. However, this practice can also lead to increased dynamic loads and structural fatigue damage. This study aims to quantitatively assess the impacts of yaw misalignment angle as well as turbulent wind conditions on the fatigue loading experienced by an upstream wind turbine. Numerical simulations were performed using the OpenFAST and TurbSim software tools. Different yaw misalignment scenarios were modeled, combined with realistic wind conditions covering varying turbulence intensities and wind speed profiles. The resulting alternating loads on critical components such as blades and tower were extracted, enabling calculation of damage equivalent loads. The simulations will be first carried out for a reference case, estimating the loads for different wind speeds and understanding their origins. Then, the loads and fatigue damages at different yaw misalignment angles, at the tower base and the blade root, will be studied, as well as turbulence intensity impact. These trends are quantified and analyzed to establish operational guidelines for optimal yaw misalignment control strategies in wind farms in the context of the M4WIND project.