Windbreaks may seem like a counterintuitive idea to improve the performance of wind turbines. Physicists report that low wind-blocking walls can actually help wind farms generate more energy.
Scientists already knew that the power of one wind turbine could be improved with windscreens. While the windbreaks slow down the wind speed near the ground, above the windbreak height, the wind speed actually increases as air rushes over the summit. But there is a disadvantage for large wind farms. The windbreak slows down the flow of air through the rows of turbines. This could mean windbreaks become a hindrance to wind farms with a large number of turbines.
But by balancing these competing effects, windbreaks placed in front of each turbine can increase power output, as new computer models show. It all comes down to the size of the windbreak. According to the six-row wind farm model, it is best to squat with wide obstructions. Physicists report in Physical Review Fluids that windbreaks should be ten times the height of the turbine and at least five times wider than the blades to optimize performance. The researchers found that this arrangement could increase overall power by about 10 percent. This is equivalent to adding an additional turbine for every 10 wind farms on average.
In simulations, the wind has always come from one direction, which suggests that this method may be useful in locations where the wind tends to blow in one direction, such as coastal areas. Future studies could explore how this method can be applied in locations with variable wind directions.
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