WAKE-NET: A 3D-Wake-Aware Economic Turbine Layout and Cabling Optimization Framework for Multi-Capacity Multi-Hub-Height Wind Farms Serving Grid-Scale and Industrial Power Systems

Abstract

The global transition towards renewable energy has accelerated the deployment of utility-scale wind farms, increasing the need for accurate performance and economic assessments. Although wind energy offers substantial potential for carbon emission reduction, investment decisions are highly sensitive to predicted annual energy production and economic profitability. Conventionally wind farm analyses often estimate turbine power output based solely on incoming wind conditions, neglecting wake interactions between turbines. These wake effects can significantly reduce downstream turbine performance, leading to overestimation of energy yield and financial returns. This study proposes WAKE-NET, a 3D wake-aware optimization framework that integrates turbine layout optimization, turbine capacity selection, cable routing, and hub height diversification within a unified profit-driven formulation. Unlike traditional approaches that assume a uniform hub height and turbine capacities or ignore wake dynamics, the proposed framework accounts for wake-induced power losses during optimization. A benchmark wake-ignorant model is also evaluated to quantify the impact of neglecting wake interactions. Results indicate that the wake-ignorant optimization can significantly overestimate annual profits, while the use of multiple hub heights and capacities reduce wake overlap and improve spatial utilization. Overall, the findings demonstrate that wake-aware optimization coupled with hub height and capacity diversification provides more reliable energy yield prediction and economic assessment, offering valuable guidance for large-scale wind farm planning and investment.