Multi-scale simulations of wind farm performance with complex terrain and weather events
- Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
- Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States)
- Texas Tech Univ., Lubbock, TX (United States)
Predicting the response of wind farms to local weather is necessary for optimal design and operation. In this work, simulation and analysis of a frontal passage through a utility scale wind farm is achieved for the first time using a seamless multi-scale modeling approach. A generalized actuator disk (GAD) wind turbine model is used to represent turbine wakes, and results are compared to novel radar observations during the frontal passage. The Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model is employed with a nested grid setup that allows for coupling between multi-scale atmospheric conditions and turbine response. Starting with mesoscale forcing, the atmosphere is dynamically downscaled to the region of interest, where the interaction between turbulent flows and individual wind turbines is simulated with the GAD at10 m resolution. Several improvements are made to the GAD model to mimic realistic turbine operation, including a yawing capability and a power output calculation. Ultimately, the model is able to capture both the dynamics of the frontal passage and the turbine response; predictions show good agreement with observed turbine wake structure, velocity deficit, and power output after accounting for a phase shift in the mesoscale forcing. This study demonstrates the utility of the WRF-GAD framework for simulating wind farm performance under complex atmospheric conditions.
- Research Organization:
- Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC52-07NA27344
- OSTI ID:
- 1577236
- Report Number(s):
- LLNL-JRNL-782108; 977246
- Journal Information:
- Journal of Physics. Conference Series, Journal Name: Journal of Physics. Conference Series; ISSN 1742-6588
- Publisher:
- IOP Publishing
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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