ANSYS Case Studies Simulation of Wind Turbine Sites Increases Power Yield and Reduces Risk

	Simulation of Wind Turbine Sites Increases Power Yield and Reduces Risk ANSYS

Simulation of Wind Turbine Sites Increases Power Yield and Reduces Risk

ANSYS

Technology Category	Analytics & Modeling - Digital Twin / Simulation Sensors - Flow Meters
Applicable Industries	Electrical Grids Renewable Energy
Applicable Functions	Product Research & Development
Use Cases	Digital Twin Virtual Reality
Challenge	The development of onshore wind farms requires a detailed understanding of how prevailing wind conditions interact with local terrain and potential wind turbine installations. Many of the software programs currently in use are not well suited to complex onshore terrain where factors such as atmospheric stability, forestry, and turbine interactions play a significant role. The accurate prediction of wind conditions including wind speed, wind shear, wind veer, and turbulence intensity both under ambient and waked conditions is vital for intelligent project design. The challenge lies in finding a solution that can accurately model these complex wind climates and optimize turbine placement to maximize energy yield and minimize risk. Read More
About Customer	SSE is the largest renewable generator of electricity across the UK and Ireland with a significant wind portfolio. The company is involved in the development of onshore wind farms and requires a detailed understanding of how prevailing wind conditions interact with local terrain and potential wind turbine installations. SSE needed a solution that could accurately model complex wind climates and optimize turbine placement to maximize energy yield and minimize risk. Read More
Solution	SSE collaborated with the ANSYS ACE consulting and support team to deploy ANSYS CFX with WindModeller onto the in-house HPC cluster. This solution was validated using over 25 onshore development and operational wind projects across SSE’s portfolio. ANSYS CFX with WindModeller is now an essential part of SSE’s wind farm development toolset. WindModeller is used for energy production assessments, site suitability analysis, turbine positioning, and turbine model selection. It can also be used to calculate the wind resource and assess site suitability for a particular turbine type, ensuring that the site turbulence conditions will not adversely affect the turbine lifetime. Read More Log in to view content
Contents

Technology Category

Analytics & Modeling - Digital Twin / Simulation

Sensors - Flow Meters

Applicable Industries

Electrical Grids

Renewable Energy

Applicable Functions

Product Research & Development

Use Cases

Digital Twin

Virtual Reality

Challenge

The development of onshore wind farms requires a detailed understanding of how prevailing wind conditions interact with local terrain and potential wind turbine installations. Many of the software programs currently in use are not well suited to complex onshore terrain where factors such as atmospheric stability, forestry, and turbine interactions play a significant role. The accurate prediction of wind conditions including wind speed, wind shear, wind veer, and turbulence intensity both under ambient and waked conditions is vital for intelligent project design. The challenge lies in finding a solution that can accurately model these complex wind climates and optimize turbine placement to maximize energy yield and minimize risk.

About Customer

SSE is the largest renewable generator of electricity across the UK and Ireland with a significant wind portfolio. The company is involved in the development of onshore wind farms and requires a detailed understanding of how prevailing wind conditions interact with local terrain and potential wind turbine installations. SSE needed a solution that could accurately model complex wind climates and optimize turbine placement to maximize energy yield and minimize risk.

Solution

SSE collaborated with the ANSYS ACE consulting and support team to deploy ANSYS CFX with WindModeller onto the in-house HPC cluster. This solution was validated using over 25 onshore development and operational wind projects across SSE’s portfolio. ANSYS CFX with WindModeller is now an essential part of SSE’s wind farm development toolset. WindModeller is used for energy production assessments, site suitability analysis, turbine positioning, and turbine model selection. It can also be used to calculate the wind resource and assess site suitability for a particular turbine type, ensuring that the site turbulence conditions will not adversely affect the turbine lifetime.

Impact #1	The deployment of ANSYS CFX with WindModeller has resulted in a more accurate and efficient process for developing onshore wind farms. The software is now an essential part of SSE’s wind farm development toolset, used for energy production assessments, site suitability analysis, turbine positioning, and turbine model selection. It has also enabled SSE to assess site suitability for specific turbine types, ensuring that site turbulence conditions will not adversely affect the turbine lifetime. This has significantly reduced the risk posed to long-term asset integrity, leading to safer and more profitable wind farm projects.

Impact #1

The deployment of ANSYS CFX with WindModeller has resulted in a more accurate and efficient process for developing onshore wind farms. The software is now an essential part of SSE’s wind farm development toolset, used for energy production assessments, site suitability analysis, turbine positioning, and turbine model selection. It has also enabled SSE to assess site suitability for specific turbine types, ensuring that site turbulence conditions will not adversely affect the turbine lifetime. This has significantly reduced the risk posed to long-term asset integrity, leading to safer and more profitable wind farm projects.

Benefit #1	Software tools were well validated.
Benefit #2	A 1 percent improvement on yield can generate additional revenue of several million pounds on a typical 100MW project over a 20-year lifetime.
Benefit #3	Accurate modelling of complex wind climates and turbine placement optimization significantly reduce the risk posed to long-term asset integrity.

Benefit #1

Software tools were well validated.

Benefit #2

A 1 percent improvement on yield can generate additional revenue of several million pounds on a typical 100MW project over a 20-year lifetime.

Benefit #3

Accurate modelling of complex wind climates and turbine placement optimization significantly reduce the risk posed to long-term asset integrity.

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Overview

Simulation of Wind Turbine Sites Increases Power Yield and Reduces Risk

Operational Impact

Quantitative Benefit