WAKE-NET: 3D-Wake-Aware Turbine Layout and Cabling Optimization Framework of Multi-Hub-Height Wind Farms for Grid-Scale and Industrial Power Systems

TL;DR

WAKE-NET introduces a wake-aware optimization framework for wind farm layout and hub height diversification, significantly improving energy yield accuracy and economic assessments by accounting for wake effects and turbine capacity variations.

Contribution

It presents a novel framework that integrates wake effects and hub height diversity into wind farm optimization, enhancing accuracy over traditional models.

Findings

Wake effects cause overestimation of profits in traditional models.

Multiple hub heights reduce wake overlap and power losses.

Wake-aware design improves economic viability of wind farms.

Abstract

The global transition towards renewable energy has accelerated the deployment of utility-scale wind farms, increasing the need for accurate performance and economic assessments. Although wind energy offers substantial potential for carbon emission reduction, investment decisions are highly sensitive to predicted annual energy production and economic profitability. Conventionally wind farm analyses often estimate turbine power output based solely on incoming wind conditions, neglecting wake interactions between turbines. These wake effects can significantly reduce downstream turbine performance, leading to overestimation of energy yield and financial returns. This study proposes WAKE-NET a wake-aware optimization framework that incorporates both turbine layout optimization and hub height diversification across turbines of varying capacities. Unlike traditional approaches that assume a uniform hub height or ignore wake dynamics, the proposed methodology accounts for wake-induced power losses in its framework. Results indicate that the benchmark model that neglects wake effects can overestimate annual profits, while the use of multiple hub heights reduces wake overlap and associated power losses. Overall, the findings demonstrate that wake-aware design and hub height diversity improve energy yield accuracy and economic viability, offering a valuable guidance for wind farm developers and investors seeking to invest in renewable energy systems.