Effect of yaw on wake and load characteristics of two tandem offshore wind turbines under neutral atmospheric boundary layer conditions.

This article investigates the effects of yaw angle on the wake dynamics and aerodynamic performance of two tandem National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) 5 MW wind turbines using the actuator line method (ALM) coupled with large eddy simulation (LES) under a neutral atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) with offshore surface roughness. The study finds that increasing yaw angles reduce wake velocity deficits and alter wake structures, leading to improved wake recovery and deflection, particularly benefiting the downstream turbine's performance, which is optimal at a 20° yaw angle. Power output of the upstream turbine decreases with yaw angle following a cos²(γ) scaling law, while the downstream turbine's power increases due to improved inflow conditions. These results enhance understanding of wake interactions and load characteristics in yawed turbine arrays, offering insights for offshore wind farm layout and control strategies.