Development of Software Tool for Optimizing Offshore Wind Farm Layouts
(2025) In CODEN:LUTEDX/TEIE EIEM01 20251Industrial Electrical Engineering and Automation
- Abstract
- This Master's Thesis examines the possibility of developing a software tool for optimizing offshore wind power plant layouts in regards to wake effects. The study was conducted with the purpose of making development and operation of offshore wind power plants more efficient and cost effective. The tool, named OptiWind, was developed in Python and employs several imported packages for mathematical computations and simulations. In particular the package 'PyWake', developed by the Danish Technical University, was installed and utilized, which allowed the program to conduct performance simulations on suggested layouts.
The program resulted in two main functions for providing suggestions on optimized layouts based on a given set of... (More) - This Master's Thesis examines the possibility of developing a software tool for optimizing offshore wind power plant layouts in regards to wake effects. The study was conducted with the purpose of making development and operation of offshore wind power plants more efficient and cost effective. The tool, named OptiWind, was developed in Python and employs several imported packages for mathematical computations and simulations. In particular the package 'PyWake', developed by the Danish Technical University, was installed and utilized, which allowed the program to conduct performance simulations on suggested layouts.
The program resulted in two main functions for providing suggestions on optimized layouts based on a given set of restrictions and regulations. The first function tries to linearly optimize layouts based on the site perimeter, minimum distances between turbines and wind conditions. The second function employs a Random Search Algorithm which randomly adjusts the positions of turbines in a given layout, and evaluates if each iteration performs better than the previous one.
The quantitative results are presented in two parts. Part A evaluates the program's ability to effectively and accurately simulate a given layout's performance. It calculates the wake efficiency of three given layouts and compares the results to a well recognized software tool used by the industry. The results indicate that OptiWind slightly underestimates wake efficiency compared to the existing tool consistently in all three cases. Part B of the results compares optimized layouts generated by OptiWind to existing layouts. The results indicate that OptiWind's layouts outperform the existing in all three tests, however it is uncertain if the existing layouts have special requirements that limited their potential for optimization.
Qualitatively, the program considers various inputs and configuration settings from the user while plotting, simulating or optimizing layouts. The optimization functions require around 15 minutes of active work by the user, followed by a few hours of passive computing. The relatively short run time together with its performance results in a program potentially well suitable for its purpose of streamlining the development process of offshore wind farm layouts. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9207339
- author
- Dryselius, William LU
- supervisor
- organization
- course
- EIEM01 20251
- year
- 2025
- type
- H3 - Professional qualifications (4 Years - )
- subject
- keywords
- Wind Farm, Layout Optimization, Offshore
- publication/series
- CODEN:LUTEDX/TEIE
- report number
- 5549
- language
- English
- id
- 9207339
- date added to LUP
- 2025-07-02 15:56:51
- date last changed
- 2025-07-02 15:56:51
@misc{9207339,
abstract = {{This Master's Thesis examines the possibility of developing a software tool for optimizing offshore wind power plant layouts in regards to wake effects. The study was conducted with the purpose of making development and operation of offshore wind power plants more efficient and cost effective. The tool, named OptiWind, was developed in Python and employs several imported packages for mathematical computations and simulations. In particular the package 'PyWake', developed by the Danish Technical University, was installed and utilized, which allowed the program to conduct performance simulations on suggested layouts.
The program resulted in two main functions for providing suggestions on optimized layouts based on a given set of restrictions and regulations. The first function tries to linearly optimize layouts based on the site perimeter, minimum distances between turbines and wind conditions. The second function employs a Random Search Algorithm which randomly adjusts the positions of turbines in a given layout, and evaluates if each iteration performs better than the previous one.
The quantitative results are presented in two parts. Part A evaluates the program's ability to effectively and accurately simulate a given layout's performance. It calculates the wake efficiency of three given layouts and compares the results to a well recognized software tool used by the industry. The results indicate that OptiWind slightly underestimates wake efficiency compared to the existing tool consistently in all three cases. Part B of the results compares optimized layouts generated by OptiWind to existing layouts. The results indicate that OptiWind's layouts outperform the existing in all three tests, however it is uncertain if the existing layouts have special requirements that limited their potential for optimization.
Qualitatively, the program considers various inputs and configuration settings from the user while plotting, simulating or optimizing layouts. The optimization functions require around 15 minutes of active work by the user, followed by a few hours of passive computing. The relatively short run time together with its performance results in a program potentially well suitable for its purpose of streamlining the development process of offshore wind farm layouts.}},
author = {{Dryselius, William}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
series = {{CODEN:LUTEDX/TEIE}},
title = {{Development of Software Tool for Optimizing Offshore Wind Farm Layouts}},
year = {{2025}},
}