Wind energy software

Last updated

Specialized wind energy software applications aid in the development and operation of wind farms.

Contents

Pre-feasibility and feasibility analysis

The RETScreen software wind power model is designed to evaluate energy production and savings, costs, emission reductions, financial viability and risk for central-grid, isolated-grid and off-grid wind energy projects, for multi-turbine and single-turbine hybrid systems. Developed by the Government of Canada, the software is multilingual, and includes links to wind energy resource maps.

The Wind Data Generator (WDG) is a Wind Energy Software tool capable of running WRF (Weather Research and Forecasting) model to create a wind atlas and to generate wind data at resolutions of 3 km to 10 km.

Turbine design

Software helps design wind turbines. There are several aero-elastic packages that are used in this design process.

FOCUS6 aids in the design of wind turbines and turbine components such as rotor blades. It was developed by Knowledge Centre Wind turbine Materials and Constructions (WMC) [1] and Energy Research Centre of the Netherlands (ECN). [2]

The National Wind Technology Center (NWTC), a division of the U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), has developed many packages which are used by turbine manufacturers and researchers. NWTC has developed a suite of turbine design and performance prediction codes which rely on Blade Element Momentum (BEM) theory. WTPerf uses steady BEM theory to model turbine performance. FAST is a comprehensive aero-elastic simulator which uses unsteady BEM theory to model a turbine as a collection of rigid and flexible bodies in a spatiotemporal field of turbulent flow. Germanischer Lloyd found FAST suitable for "the calculation of onshore wind turbine loads for design and certification." [3] [4]

The open source software QBlade developed by the wind energy research group of Hermann Föttinger Institute of TU Berlin (Chair of Fluid Dynamics) is a BEM code coupled with the airfoil simulation code XFOIL. It allows the user to develop/import airfoil shapes, simulate them and use them for the design and simulation of wind turbine blades/rotors with the use of steady state BEM theory. The software is built with the Qt framework thus it includes a graphical user interface.

The open source software Vortexje, developed by Baayen & Heinz GmbH in Berlin, is an unsteady 3D panel method implementation suitable for dynamic simulation of vertical and horizontal axis wind turbines. Easily coupled with other simulation environments such as Simulink and Dymola, it is suitable for aerodynamic optimization, fluid-structure interaction problems, and unsteady control system simulation.

Ashes is a software package for analyzing aerodynamic and mechanical forces for onshore and offshore horizontal axis wind turbines. It is based on research done at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim, Norway.

Turbine design engineering software
SoftwarePublisherLatest stable versionLicenseCertified
Ashes [5] SIMIS as3.18 proprietary No
Bladed DNV 4.13 proprietary Yes
Fast NREL 8.12 open source Yes
Flex DTU Lyngby 5 proprietary Yes
FOCUS6 WMC6 proprietary No
HAWC2 DTU Wind Energy 12.2 proprietary No
QBlade TU Berlin 0.8 open source No
Simpack Simpack2017.2 proprietary No
Vortexje Baayen & Heinz GmbH- open source No

Flow modeling

Wind flow modeling software predicts important wind characteristics at locations where measurements are not available. Furow is a software which offers a lineal flow model and a Computational fluid dynamic model in the same software. WAsP was created at Denmark's Risø National Laboratory. WAsP uses a potential flow model to predict how wind flows over terrain at a site. Meteodyn WT, Windie, WindSim, WindStation [6] and the opensource code ZephyTOOLS [7] use computational fluid dynamics instead, which are potentially more accurate, but more computationally intensive. [8]

Flow modelling software
SoftwarePublisherLatest stable versionLicenseCertified
ContinuumCancalia/One Energy 2.2.5 proprietary -
Furow Etulos Solute 2.0 proprietary Yes
WAsP DTU Wind Energy 12 proprietary Yes
WindSim Vector AS8.0 opensource Yes
Meteodyn WT Meteodyn 6.1 proprietary Yes
ZephyCFD Zephy-Science19.12 GPL3 Yes
WindStation menzio GmbH1.3.21 proprietary -
WindieWindie Lda.- proprietary -
SimWorks IdealSimulations 20.12 free software -

Farm modeling

This software simulates wind farm behavior, most importantly to calculate its energy output. The user can usually input wind data, height and roughness contour lines (topography), turbine specifications, background maps, and define environmental restrictions. Processing this information produces the design of a wind farm that maximizes energy production while accounting for restrictions and construction issues. Packages include Furow, Meteodyn WT, openWind, WindFarm, WindFarmer: Analyst, WindPRO, WindSim and WindStation. [6] WakeBlaster is a specialised CFD service for modelling the wind farm wake losses.

Farm visualization

Wind farm visualization software graphically presents a proposed wind farm, most importantly for the purpose of obtaining building permits. The primary techniques include photomontages, zone-of-visual-impact maps and three-dimensional visualization (perspective views of the landscape often incorporating aerial photography and including turbines and other objects).

Farm visualization software
SoftwarePublisherLatest stable versionLicenseCertified
Furow Etulos Solute 2.0 proprietary Yes
Openwind UL Solutions proprietary Yes
windPRO EMD International A/S 4.0 proprietary
Meteodyn WT Meteodyn6.1 proprietary Yes
ZephyCFD Zephy-Science19.12 GPL3 Yes
Windplanner The Imagineersv3 proprietary
WindFarmer: Analyst DNV GL1.0 proprietary

Farm monitoring

Wind farm monitoring software is a software that allows people to see if the wind turbines are running well or are going to become broken. Other functions of monitoring software is reporting, analysis of measurement data (power curve) and tools for monitoring of environmental constraints (bat control, etc.).

Farm monitoring software
SoftwarePublisherLatest stable versionLicenseCertified
Clir Clir proprietary
Meteodyn SPA Meteodyn 2.2 proprietary Yes
GPM Horizon GreenPowerMonitor
Greenbyte Energy Cloud Greenbyte AB proprietary
ROTORsoft DrehPunkt GmbH proprietary
windPRO - PERFORMANCE CHECK module EMD International A/S 4.0 proprietary
windPRO - TR10 module EMD International A/S 4.0 proprietary Yes
windOPS EMD International A/S 2 proprietary

Prediction software

For existing wind farms, several software systems exist which produce short and medium term forecasts for the generated power (single farms or complete forecast regions) using existing numerical weather prediction data (NWP) and live (SCADA) farm data as input. Examples of numerical weather prediction models used for this purpose are the European HiRLAM (High Resolution Limited Area Model) and the GFS (Global Forecast System) from NOAA.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Computational fluid dynamics</span> Analysis and solving of problems that involve fluid flows

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is a branch of fluid mechanics that uses numerical analysis and data structures to analyze and solve problems that involve fluid flows. Computers are used to perform the calculations required to simulate the free-stream flow of the fluid, and the interaction of the fluid with surfaces defined by boundary conditions. With high-speed supercomputers, better solutions can be achieved, and are often required to solve the largest and most complex problems. Ongoing research yields software that improves the accuracy and speed of complex simulation scenarios such as transonic or turbulent flows. Initial validation of such software is typically performed using experimental apparatus such as wind tunnels. In addition, previously performed analytical or empirical analysis of a particular problem can be used for comparison. A final validation is often performed using full-scale testing, such as flight tests.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Computer-aided engineering</span> Use of software for engineering design and analysis

Computer-aided engineering (CAE) is the general usage of technology to aid in tasks related to engineering analysis. Any use of technology to solve or assist engineering issues falls under this umbrella.

The von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics (VKI) is a non-profit educational and scientific organization which specializes in three specific fields: aeronautics and aerospace, environment and applied fluid dynamics, turbomachinery and propulsion. Founded in 1956, it is located in Sint-Genesius-Rode, Belgium.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NASA Advanced Supercomputing Division</span> Provides computing resources for various NASA projects

The NASA Advanced Supercomputing (NAS) Division is located at NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field in the heart of Silicon Valley in Mountain View, California. It has been the major supercomputing and modeling and simulation resource for NASA missions in aerodynamics, space exploration, studies in weather patterns and ocean currents, and space shuttle and aircraft design and development for almost forty years.

Dassault Systèmes Simulia Corp. is a computer-aided engineering (CAE) vendor. Formerly known as Abaqus Inc. and previously Hibbitt, Karlsson & Sorensen, Inc., (HKS), the company was founded in 1978 by David Hibbitt, Bengt Karlsson and Paul Sorensen, and has its headquarters in Providence, Rhode Island.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tecplot</span>

Tecplot is the name of a family of visualization & analysis software tools developed by American company Tecplot, Inc., which is headquartered in Bellevue, Washington. The firm was formerly operated as Amtec Engineering. In 2016, the firm was acquired by Vela Software, an operating group of Constellation Software, Inc. (TSX:CSU).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">HEC-RAS</span> Software for simulating water flow within rivers

HEC-RAS is simulation software used in computational fluid dynamics – specifically, to model the hydraulics of water flow through natural rivers and other channels.

CFD-FASTRAN is a commercial Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) software package developed by Applied Materials for aerodynamic and aerothermodynamic applications.

A wind power forecast corresponds to an estimate of the expected production of one or more wind turbines in the near future, up to a year. Forecast are usually expressed in terms of the available power of the wind farm, occasionally in units of energy, indicating the power production potential over a time interval.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Airflow Sciences Corporation</span> Organization

Airflow Sciences Corporation (ASC) is an engineering consulting company based in Livonia, Michigan, USA that specializes in the design and optimization of equipment and processes involving flow, heat transfer, combustion, and mass transfer. Engineering techniques include Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) modeling, experimental laboratory testing, and field measurements at client sites. ASC works for a wide range of industries world-wide, including power generation, manufacturing, aerospace, HVAC, food processing, biomedical, pollution control, oil and gas, rail, legal, and automotive.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">OpenFOAM</span> Open-source software package for numerical processes

OpenFOAM is a C++ toolbox for the development of customized numerical solvers, and pre-/post-processing utilities for the solution of continuum mechanics problems, most prominently including computational fluid dynamics (CFD).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Overflow (software)</span>

OVERFLOW - the OVERset grid FLOW solver - is a software package for simulating fluid flow around solid bodies using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). It is a compressible 3-D flow solver that solves the time-dependent, Reynolds-averaged, Navier–Stokes equations using multiple overset structured grids.

Wind resource assessment is the process by which wind power developers estimate the future energy production of a wind farm. Accurate wind resource assessments are crucial to the successful development of wind farms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SimulationX</span> Software application

SimulationX is a CAE software application running on Microsoft Windows for the physical simulation of technical systems. It is developed and sold by ESI Group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">CD-adapco</span>

CD-adapco was a multinational computer software company that authored and distributed applications used for computer-aided engineering, best known for its computational fluid dynamics (CFD) products. In 2016 the company was acquired by Siemens Digital Industries Software.

QBlade is a public source, cross-platform simulation software for wind turbine blade design and aerodynamic simulation. It comes with a user-friendly graphical user interface (GUI) based on Qt.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gerris (software)</span> Computer Software

Gerris is computer software in the field of computational fluid dynamics (CFD). Gerris was released as free and open-source software, subject to the requirements of the GNU General Public License (GPL), version 2 or any later.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flowmaster Ltd.</span> Software companies of the United Kingdom

Flowmaster Ltd. was a leading British Engineering Simulation Software company based in Towcester, UK. Its flagship 1D CFD product, also named ‘Flowmaster’, was first released commercially in 1987 although initial versions went back to the early 1980s having originated from BHRA, the not-for-profit British Hydromechanics Research Association, later to become the BHR Group.

Meteodyn WT, commonly known as Meteodyn is a wind energy software program that uses computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to conduct wind resource assessment. Developed and marketed by Meteodyn, Meteodyn WT was first released in September 2009. The software quantifies the wind resource in a desired terrain in order to assess the feasibility of a proposed wind farm. The software's objective is to design the most profitable wind farm. This is achieved by taking into account the measured wind data at a measurement tower and the terrain conditions. Both of these are essential to be able to obtain the wind conditions and therefore the wind resources of the desired terrain.

References

  1. Knowledge Centre Wind turbine Materials and Constructions (WMC)
  2. Energy Research Centre of the Netherlands
  3. GL Wind Certificate No. ZZ 001A-2005
  4. NWTC Design Codes
  5. "A Novel Tool for Fem Analysis of Offshore Wind Turbines with Innovative Visualization Techniques">“A Novel Tool for Fem Analysis of Offshore Wind Turbines with Innovative Visualization Techniques.” In 22nd International Offshore and Polar Engineering Conference, June 2012
  6. 1 2 Website of menzio GmbH and WindStation
  7. RECHARGE NEWS "New software could make wind farm planning a breeze">
  8. Pereira, R; Guedes, Ricardo; Silva Santos, Carlos (2010-01-01). "Comparing WAsP and CFD wind resource estimates for the "regular" user".{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)