13 research outputs found
On the optimization of offshore wind farm layouts
Layout optimization of offshore wind farms seeks to automate the design of the wind
farm and the placement of wind turbines such that the proposed wind farm maximizes
its potential. The optimization of an offshore wind farm layout therefore seeks to
minimize the costs of the wind farm while maximizing the energy extraction while
considering the effects of wakes on the resource; the electrical infrastructure required
to collect the energy generated; the cost variation across the site; and all technical and
consenting constraints that the wind farm developer must adhere to. As wakes, electrical
losses, and costs are non-linear, this produces a complex optimization problem. This
thesis describes the design, development, validation, and initial application of a new
framework for the optimization of offshore wind farm layouts using either a genetic
algorithm or a particle swarm optimizer.
The developed methodology and analysis tool have been developed such that individual
components can either be used to analyze a particular wind farm layout or used
in conjunction with the optimization algorithms to design and optimize wind farm
layouts. To accomplish this, separate modules have been developed and validated for
the design and optimization of the necessary electrical infrastructure, the assessment of
the energy production considering energy losses, and the estimation of the project costs.
By including site-dependent parameters and project specific constraints, the framework
is capable of exploring the influence the wind farm layout has on the levelized cost of
energy of the project.
Deploying the integrated framework using two common engineering metaheuristic algorithms
to hypothetical, existing, and future wind farms highlights the advantages
of this holistic layout optimization framework over the industry standard approaches
commonly deployed in offshore wind farm design leading to a reduction in LCOE.
Application of the tool to a UK Round 3 site recently under development has also
highlighted how the use of this tool can aid in the development of future regulations by
considering various constraints on the placement of wind turbines within the site and
exploring how these impact the levelized cost of energy
Proceedings of the Seventh Congress of the European Society for Research in Mathematics Education
International audienceThis volume contains the Proceedings of the Seventh Congress of the European Society for Research in Mathematics Education (ERME), which took place 9-13 February 2011, at Rzeszñw in Poland