Comparison of different simulation methods regarding loads, considering the centre of wind pressure

Abstract

The centre of wind pressure (CoWP) (Schubert et al., 2025) introduces a concept to determine a flow structure from the incoming flow fields, which provides critical load information. This paper refines the approach in order to better understand how local flow structures affect the turbine. A new quantity, namely the load centre, is introduced to correlate the flow-related CoWP and the loads of the turbine. A novel calibration factor is introduced to establish a direct relationship between flow structures and aerodynamic loads. Therefore, simulations under laminar, shear, and turbulent inflow conditions are carried out, as well as with different wind turbine simulation methods. A good correlation between the turbulent inflow structures and loads from blade element momentum (BEM) simulations is found. High-resolution large-eddy simulations (LESs) even improve this correlation, attributable to the more resolved flow modelling capabilities.