Effect of Nacelle and Tower on Wind Turbine Wake

Wind turbine wakes seriously affect the power output and working life of downstream wind turbines. In order to accurately assess the impact of wake, and ensure the safe and efficient operation of wind turbines. In this research, the wake characteristics of NREL 5 MW wind turbines operating under neutral atmospheric boundary are studied by the method of large eddy simulation coupled with actuator line model. The results show that the actuator line model with tower and nacelle can solve the problem of insufficient velocity deficit to some extent. At the same time, the existence of the tower breaks the symmetry of the velocity distribution in the vertical plane, making the velocity distribution below the hub more reasonable. The nacelle and tower vortex also change the turbulence kinetic energy and vorticity distribution. As the wake develops, the wake of nacelle and tower interacts with the tip vortices, promoting wake recovery.