Output details

Formation of tip-vortices on triangular prismatic-shaped cliffs Part 1: A wind tunnel study

Speed-up over topography has long been recognized as significant for structural design and wind energy capture. Measurements of the turbulent flow structure over a saw-tooth cliff were undertaken. This configuration is significant as it represents typical topology at sea cliffs in Australia and Texas, locations where significant investment in wind energy is being undertaken. The study reveals that there is a significant penalty (approximately 20% reduced yield) by siting wind turbines in these locations because of increased turbulence. The data were used to validate computational flow over complex geometries which is a crucial step in future wind engineering analyses.