Experimental investigation of the unsteady aerodynamics of FOWT through PIV and hot-wire wake measurements

Abstract

This work presents a selected set of results from an extensive experimental campaign aimed at characterizing the wake aerodynamics of a floating offshore wind turbines (FOWT) in dynamic conditions. The campaign was carried out in the Politecnico di Milano 14m x 4m atmospheric boundary layer test section, under UNAFLOW project (UNsteady Aerodynamics of FLoating Wind turbines). Wake measurements were carried out either through hot-wire anemometers with a traversing system as well as through Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) technique. A 1/75 scale model of the DTU 10 MW reference wind turbine was adopted, which was mounted on a hydraulically actuated mechanism imposing sinusoidal surge motion at different frequencies and amplitudes, and for different tip speed ratios λ. Selected results are reported with the aim of giving a first interpretation of the novel set of measurements, also completing previous measurements conducted by the authors, to put the basis of a more comprehensive understanding of unsteady aerodynamics of FOWT for control and wind farm purposes.