Abstract:
The moving downburst, influenced by the atmospheric boundary layer wind, results in a constantly shifting jet center, causing significant changes in the wind field structure and radial velocity characteristics compared to stationary downbursts. These variations notably affect the load distribution and dynamic response characteristics of wind turbines within the wind field. To investigate these effects, this study utilizes empirical formulas by Oseguera, Wood, and Vicroy to simulate the horizontal and fluctuating wind velocities of moving downbursts. Wind speed time-history data were obtained and analyzed using spectral analysis and probability density statistics, which confirmed the non-stationary and non-Gaussian characteristics of the fluctuating wind speed. The study also employed dynamic mesh techniques to construct a high-precision computational domain for numerical simulations of the moving downburst. The results indicate that the evolution of the downburst flow can be divided into four stages: formation, descent, impact, and diffusion. The wind field structure is asymmetric, with enhanced horizontal wind speeds at the leading edge and reduced wind speeds at the trailing edge. Both jet velocity and translation speed jointly influence the inclination of the descending air flow and the radial distribution range of the wind field. Furthermore, when a wind turbine is positioned along the centerline of the moving downburst, the surface wind pressure is found to vary with the shifting position of the jet center. During the main impact phase, the turbine's tower and blades exhibit significant flapwise and edgewise displacements, with the tower base experiencing substantial oscillations in bending moment. As the airflow diffuses and weakens, these dynamic responses gradually attenuate. This study presents an innovative “flow field-wind pressure-structural response” analysis framework, which comprehensively considers the unsteady characteristics of the wind field, the structural responses of the wind turbine, and the time-varying aerodynamic loads. The high-precision numerical simulations provide quantitative insights into the relationships between jet velocity, translation speed, and the turbine's dynamic response. The findings offer theoretical guidance for the design of wind turbines to withstand extreme wind loads, as well as safety assessments for wind farms under severe wind events. This research contributes valuable engineering insights for optimizing wind turbine designs, improving the stability of wind turbines in extreme weather, and enhancing the overall safety of wind farms.