Annual Energy Production Maximisation Effects on Turbine Thrust Coefficient and Turbulence Intensity

Thrust coefficient (C
T
) and turbulence intensity (TI) are parameters, respectively, which directly affect the fatigue and extreme loads experienced by turbines in a wind plant (WP). Most often in the literature, WP power maximisation have been effected without considerations for these parameters. In this study, a high fidelity Gaussian wake model is used to model a hypothetical WP comprising 45 Gamesa-g128-5.0MW turbines deployed in a hexagonal lattice. PSO and GA optimisation algorithms are then applied for power and AEP maximisation, and the resultant effects on turbine thrust coefficient and TI levels are observed. Observations show that power maximisation in WPs negatively impacts turbine C
T
values - increasing it beyond manufacturer specifications for mean wind speeds above 4 m/s, with TI levels exceeding 20 % for inflow wind speeds up to 7 m/s.