Analysis of an Actuator Disc under Unsteady Loading: Validation of Engineering Models using Experimental and Numerical Methods

Wind turbines operate in the earth's atmospheric boundary layer - an environment where the climate is turbulent and unsteady. In addition, wind turbines usually operate in clusters (wind farms) and are thus subjected to the unsteady wakes generated by upstream turbines. Because of the unsteady inflow, wind turbines suffer from structural fatigue...