Identification and quantification of vortical structures in wind turbine wakes for operational wake modeling

The present paper describes a method to quantify the vortical structure characteristics from simulation results of the flow past a wind turbine, with the aim to develop an accurate, physics-based operational wake model. The wake centerline is first identified. Then, the flow characteristics are extracted by fitting a vorticity-based wake skeleton onto the velocity deficit profiles de fined around the centerline and measured at several downstream distances from the rotor. The simulation results were obtained using a hybrid Vortex Particle-Mesh approach combined with an immersed Lifting Line technique to account for the blades. The characterization of the identified vortex wake structure lays a basis for the development of an operational wake model based on strong physical grounds.