Dresden 2026 – scientific programme

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DY: Fachverband Dynamik und Statistische Physik

DY 8: Nonlinear Dynamics, Synchronization, and Chaos

DY 8.4: Talk

Monday, March 9, 2026, 10:15–10:30, ZEU/0118

Transition to turbulence in wind turbine wakes: synchronisation and non-linear dynamics — •Thomas Messmer, Michael Hölling, and Joachim Peinke — Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, School of Mathematics and Science, Institute of Physics, Oldenburg, Germany

The wake of a wind turbine is a typical shear flow that transitions from near- to far-wake, ultimately reaching fully developed turbulence. In this study, we investigate experimentally in a wind tunnel the wake dynamics of a periodically excited model wind turbine*a scenario motivated by applications such as floating wind turbines and periodic control strategies. Our findings reveal distinct excitation regimes with unique wake behaviours.

In one regime, the wake synchronises with the excitation period, forming an organised flow structure that accelerates the transition to turbulence. In another regime, nonlinear quasi-periodic dynamics emerge, characterised by the formation of multiple coherent structures that interact nonlinearly and also accelerate the transition to the far wake.

At the conference, we will discuss the mechanisms underlying synchronisation and quasi-periodic dynamics, as well as their implications for the fundamental problem of the transition to turbulence.

Keywords: turbulence; wake; shear-flow; coherent structures