Modeling, Feasibility and Performance Analysis of a Grid-Connected Near-Shore Wind Farm Using BEM-Based Simulation

Near-shore wind resources present a viable opportunity for expanding renewable energy generation in coastal developing regions where offshore deployment may be economically restrictive. This paper presents a detailed feasibility and performance analysis of a proposed grid-connected near-shore wind farm in the Patenga coastal region of Bangladesh, with comparative benchmarking against the existing Muhuri Dam on-shore wind farm. A structured turbine layout is proposed to minimize wake interaction and improve spatial energy distribution. Aerodynamic performance is evaluated using both analytical formulations and Blade Element Momentum (BEM)-based simulations implemented in Q-Blade. A simplified “Area Use Efficiency” (ηAS) metric is introduced to quantify land utilization effectiveness, and the potential applicability of diffuser-augmented wind turbine (DAWT) configurations is examined under low wind-speed conditions. Simulation results are cross-validated with manually derived calculations, showing consistent performance trends with an average deviation of approximately 30%. This deviation is critically analyzed in terms of scaling assumptions, aerodynamic simplifications, and loss modeling. The results demonstrate that near-shore configurations provide improved energy capture potential compared to conventional on-shore deployment in Bangladesh’s coastal regions. The study mainly provides a feasibility-level modeling preliminary framework and identifies key technical considerations for future high-fidelity simulation and experimental validation.

The major contributions of this work are summarized as follows:
1. A comparative feasibility framework between near-shore and existing on-shore wind farm configurations in
Bangladesh.
2. A structured turbine layout design to minimize wake losses and improve energy distribution.
3. Introduction of an “Area Use Efficiency” metric to quantify spatial utilization of wind farms.
4. Integration of analytical modeling with BEM-based simulation (Q-Blade) for cross-validation of turbine performance.
5. A critical, qualitative assessment of diffuser-augmented wind turbine (DAWT) configurations under low wind-speed conditions.
This work is positioned as a primary feasibility and modeling study rather than a high-fidelity aerodynamic or experimental investigation.