Wind farm wake effects significantly reduce the fatigue life of downwind turbines by increasing turbulence intensity, decreasing mean wind speed, and creating fluctuating loads. Wake effects refer to the disturbed airflow behind a wind turbine. The wake is characterized by reduced wind speed and increased turbulence compared to the undisturbed freestream wind. Turbulence intensity is a measure of the fluctuations in wind speed. Increased turbulence leads to increased fluctuating loads on the turbine components. Fatigue life is the amount of time a component can withstand repeated loading cycles before failure. The impact of wake effects on fatigue life is substantial. Downwind turbines operating in the wake of upwind turbines experience a reduced mean wind speed, which decreases power production. More critically, the increased turbulence intensity in the wake leads to more frequent and larger fluctuations in the loads on the downwind turbine components. These components include the blade....
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