How to Use the Wind Farm Optimizer
Overview and Getting Started
The Wind Farm Optimizer is a comprehensive online tool designed to help you optimize various aspects of wind farm design, including electrical layouts, road networks, crane pads, and more. This guide will walk you through each module and explain how to use the tool effectively.
Quick Start Guide
Enter coordinates
Start by defining the position of the turbines. You can copy and paste the coordinates from Excel, use a CSV file or manually type in turbine names and coordinates. Define in which UTM zone the project is located and save the information.
Configure electrical parameters
Set up your electrical system parameters, including cable specifications and substation(s) locations. In ‘Cable Data’ you can define the cost of the various cable types and their technical characteristics. This information will be used to calculate the most efficient medium voltage network.
Generate MST connections
Create the minimum spanning tree to connect all wind turbines in the most cost-effective way. It is also possible to calculate the MST by considering inaccessible ‘No Go areas’ (e.g. areas with environmental constraints) and existing roads to be used whenever possible.
Upload DEM
If available, you can upload your DEM (Digital Elevation Model) through the DEM uploader module. You will optimise road layouts and crane pad designs based on your terrain data.
Optimize roads
Optimize road layouts based on your terrain data. This module generates the best layout considering the topography, minimising the gradients of internal roads.
Optimize crane pads
Find which crane pad position minimises earth movement. This module finds the ideal rotation angle and height for each crane platform.
Optimize crane movements
Plan efficient crane movements for construction and maintenance.
Optimize foundation
In this module, if you have the soil data and turbine loads available, you can check the dimensions of the foundation and find the most cost-effective solution.
Optimize electrical circuits
Create optimal electrical circuits that minimize costs while meeting technical constraints. This module uses various algorithms to create the medium-voltage network connecting the turbines to the substation.
Visualize
Use the graph and GIS visualization tools to review your design. In this module you can define the position of ‘no go areas’ and existing roads. It is also possible to enter the turbines and substation directly from the GIS viewer.