Simulations | Comparing Speed-Up

Accurate Simulations

There has been an increasing demand for more accurate simulation software in the wind energy industry because large shares of projects are located in areas with relatively complex terrain.

Several studies have shown that Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) captures terrain effects on wind conditions in a more realistic way than traditional technology used within the industry.

The differences between the traditional so-called linear method and a CFD method could be illustrated by looking at speed-up over a ridge. The speed-up increases with increasing inclination angles until the flow separates.

This behavior is captured by the CFD method available in WindSim. Even for smaller inclination angles, when the flow does not separate, there is a significant difference in predicted speed-up between the linear and the CFD methods.