Experimental analysis of yaw by individual pitch control

This study is a collaboration between Technische Universität München (TUM) and University of Perugia and consists in analyzing, through wind tunnel tests, the mechanical aspects of yaw by Individual Pitch Control (IPC) on a wind turbine scaled model. A total of about 60 tests have been executed in different conditions in order to assess a comparison between turbine's behaviour with and without IPC. The referece parameters used for the analysis are comprehensive of energetic and mechanical quantities, the first are used to verify that IPC does not causes a loss of power production, while the latter to investigate the differences on loads and vibration scenario. Results show that performance of the turbine is not affected by IPC. Otherwise, the effects of IPC on loads and vibrations have been found to be extremely complex as measured forces and accelerations can be increased or not depending on the direction or on the spectral order considered. In the end, Damage equivalent loads (DEL's) computation shows that IPC can be impactful on tower loads.