Design and testing of a model-scale yaw mechanism for an experimental wind turbine model

Abstract In this study a new yaw mechanism for a small existing wind turbine model is designed and tested. The special requirement for this yaw device is its compact design due to the small length scaling factor of the model turbine. Such a dense design is crucial in order for the wake of the model turbine not to be influenced by the yaw mechanism. Furthermore, it has to have a fast system response and high accuracy to take into account the time scaling. Different concepts are investigated and a design located at the tower base is realized. To limit its drag, the structure is being concealed in an aerodynamically shaped cover. Wind tunnel measurements confirmed that the wake of the turbine is not influenced by the structure. A system analysis, using a Simulink model of the turbine helps finding the right motor and shows that the device has a fast system response with high accuracy. Consequently, the designed yaw mechanism is suited for the small wind turbine model, which can be used for experimental wake and wind farm control studies in the future.