Turbines cast “wind shadows” that reduce windspeed and alter wind flow for turbines downwind. Using our expertise in fluid dynamics we focused on the observation of these shadows to build a wind prediction model. This predicts how energy can be extracted from the wind from any configuration of turbines. Ultimately, this will help enhance the performance of future offshore wind farms and support the UK's ambition to achieve net‑zero.
The project was made possible with a grant from the SPace Research and Innovation Network for Technology (SPRINT).
“Our expertise covers maritime engineering and renewable energy, and the team at Flightform was looking for specific expertise in joining up the data to confidently predict the performance of wind turbine arrays.”
Professor Stephen Turnock, Head of School, Engineering.