First Advisor

Raúl Bayoán Cal

Date of Publication

Summer 8-23-2013

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (M.S.) in Mechanical Engineering

Department

Mechanical and Materials Engineering

Language

English

Subjects

Markov processes, Wind power -- Mathematical models, Turbulence -- Measurement -- Data processing

DOI

10.15760/etd.1421

Physical Description

1 online resource (vi, 52 pages)

Abstract

The Markovianity within a wind turbine array boundary layer is explored for data taken in a wind tunnel containing a model wind turbine array. A stochastic analysis of the data is carried out using Markov chain theory. The data were obtained via hot-wire anemometry thus providing point velocity statistics. The theory of Markovian processes is applied to obtain a statistical description of longitudinal velocity increments inside the turbine wake using conditional probability density functions. It is found that two and three point conditional probability density functions are similar for scale differences larger than the Taylor micro-scale. This result is quantified by use of the Wilcoxon rank-sum test which verifies that this relationship holds independent of initial scale selection outside of the near-wake region behind a wind turbine. Furthermore, at the locations which demonstrate Markovian properties there is a well defined inertial sub-range which follows Kolmogorv's -5/3 scaling behavior. Results indicate an existence of Markovian properties at scales on the order of the Taylor micro-scale, λ for most locations in the wake. The exception being directly behind the tips of the rotor and the hub where the complex turbulent interactions characteristic of the near-wake demonstrate influence upon the Markov process. The presence of a Markov process in the remaining locations leads to characterization of the multi-point statistics of the wind turbine wakes using the most recent states of the flow.

Rights

In Copyright. URI: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).

Persistent Identifier

http://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/10036

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