In his research project "Dynamic Loading of Wind Turbines in Wake Operation", Juan José Trujillo-Quintero aims at the development of a new method for the evaluation of dynamic wind fields in wind farms. This topic results from the insight, that the change of wind speed and the turbulences in the wake of wind turbines rather follows a meandering pattern than a uniform shadowing. The wake dynamics cause loads on wind energy plants that escape comprehension when analysed with classical approaches. Additional complexity is caused by the interference of multiple turbines in wind farms. Thus, a model will be developed that allows the analysis of the far wake of wind turbines and its application in an improved wind field generator. The validation of the model is carried out through laser-optical wake measurements via LiDAR on a prototype of the 5MW wind turbine Multibrid M5000.
This research can be applied twofold: On the one side, the reliability and cost efficiency of large wind energy plants can be increased, especially offshore, by a more exact description of the occurring loads. On the other side, and exact description of the wake and its effects allows to optimise the layout of wind farms.

Andreas Rettenmeier is interested with the experimental and numerical analysis of "Loading and Power Performance of Wind Turbines at Inhomogeneous Inflow". The existing guidelines regarding the measurement and simulation of loads and energy yield of wind turbines are based on assumptions of fairly simplistic wind conditions (e.g. homogeneous wind shear and distribution of the turbulences). This leads to great forecast uncertainty with respect to the energy yield given different atmospheric layers and the associated wind shear.

Since 2005 measurements have been taken on a prototype Multibrid M5000 in Bremerhaven, utilizing a four-channel measurement system, a meteorological mast and the SWE LiDAR system. Since the beginning of 2009, measurements taken at the offshore wind farm alpha ventus are evaluated. The development of new measurement methods and an improved analytical definition of the operating behaviour is supported by aeroelastic smulations. This research finds its application in a more exact evaluation of the occurring loads and yields which allows to improve both.

The two aforementioned PhD projects make use of the laser-optical wind measurement method LiDAR (Light Detecting and Ranging). The DLR Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Oberpfaffenhofen, collected in depth knowledge of this method in their analysis of wake turbulences of commercial aircrafts. In her PhD research, Yvonne Käsler focuses on "LiDAR Wind Field Measurements for Onshore and Offshore Wind Energy Application". She refines the hard- and software of LiDAR addressing the special demands from wind energy applications, as e.g. nacelle based measurements of inflow and wake. This research is executed and financed by DLR.
In cooperation with the University of Hohenheim Department of Environmental Management (Prof. Dr. W. F. Schulz) Ingo Lange researches on the optimisation of the cost-effectiveness of wind farms (OWIRA), which is financed by the Windwin GmbH&Co KG, Aichtal, of Karl Schlecht, who - through his endowment - made the SWE possible.