Experimental Study for Application of Spinner Anemometer to the Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine

Abstract

Spinner anemometer is generally an ultrasonic wind direction anemometer mounted on the spinner of horizontal axis wind turbine. Research is currently being conducted as a method to estimate wind direction and velocity far from the wind turbine upstream. However, to estimate upstream wind speed, it is necessary to clarify relationship between wind speed upstream of wind turbine and vicinity of spinner. In this research, the flow field upstream of wind turbine and the flow field around spinner at the time of yaw angle change were measured by laser Doppler velocimeter. From obtained three-dimensional velocity component, we constructed relational expression to estimate upstream wind velocity from flow field observed around the spinner.