Chapter 7: Systems Engineering and Optimization of Wind Turbines and Power Plants

In this chapter, wind turbine optimization has been demonstrated as an effective approach to exploring complex design decisions. However, it is not a push-button solution and effective use requires a multidisciplinary design team and expertise in optimization algorithms. Common techniques include using reduced-order models for computationally intensive portions of the analysis, taking advantage of gradients to solve large problems, and more recently to include UQ to allow for robust design decisions. Current efforts continue to push for increased model fidelity, more comprehensive disciplinary coverage, and incorporation of uncertainty.