A control-oriented load surrogate model based on sector-averaged inflow quantities: Capturing damage for unwaked, waked, wake-steering and curtailed wind turbines

This paper presents a novel approach to constructing a load surrogate model. The surrogate estimates the damage equivalent loads (DELs) of a wind turbine of a given type regardless of its position within a wind farm, and under various farm control actions. The model relies solely on local inflow quantities (sector-averaged wind speeds and turbulence intensities) and local control parameters (rotor speed, pitch angle, and yaw misalignment). Despite its highly simplified representation of the complex behavior of the turbulent wind field, wake effects, and controller dynamics, these quantities prove sufficient to characterize DELs. The paper demonstrates the training of this load model within a simulation environment. Validation results using a different wind farm configuration indicate that the surrogate can accurately predict fatigue loads for both unwaked and waked turbines, encompassing scenarios of wake steering and induction control.