AbstractsPhysical Sciences

A annual nergy production analysis was undertaken to compare wind resources and annual energy production as estimated by WAsP and Windsim. Nordex Sverige AB has designed a wind farm with the help of WAsP and this study will involve the examination of this site with Windsim. Two site formations are of interest, one with the same class of turbine and one with a mix of two turbine types. The study is interested in the effect on annual energy production as estimated by the different software of employing a hybrid layout using wind turbines of different height.The results showed that whilst initial estimations of total energy production without wake losses appear very similar between WAsP and Windsim the ways in which the software are treating individual turbines within the planned farm can be quite different because of different physics. The analysis of the „hybrid‟ turbine layout showed significant increases in estimated annual energy production when a turbine with a higher tower and larger rotor diameter was used in a hybrid arrangement. Estimated annual energy losses on the turbines that were not changed in favour of a larger turbine were small. However, no great benefit in estimated turbine efficiency was achieved through the mixing of turbine types with different hub heights. The gains in annual energy production estimated by both software are however significant with increased production of 18 % across the entire farm when comparing the „hybrid‟ layout to a farm based on only the smaller of the two turbine types.