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Title: Comparison of Measured and Numerically Simulated Turbulence Statistics in a Convective Boundary Layer Over Complex Terrain

Abstract

High resolution numerical simulation can provide insight into important physical processes that occur within the planetary boundary layer (PBL). The present work employs large eddy simulation (LES) nested within the Weather Forecasting and Research (WRF) framework to simulate real conditions in the convective PBL over an area of complex terrain. A multiple nesting approach has been used to downsize the grid spacing size from 12.15 km (mesoscale) to 0.03 km (LES). To minimize artifacts in theWRF-LES solutions resulting from using an inappropriate grid spacing on the WRF-Meso domain, a careful selection of grid spacing has been conducted. The WRF-LES results have been evaluated with in situ and remote sensing observations collected during the US Department of Energy supported Columbia BasinWind Energy Study (CBWES). The comparison for the first and second order moments, turbulence spectrum, and probability density function (pdf) of wind speed show good agreement between the simulation and data. Furthermore, the WRF-LES variables show a great deal of variability in space and time caused by the complex topography in the LES domain. The WRF-LES results show that the flow structures, such as roll vortices and convective cells, over the domain vary depending on both the spatial location and timemore » of the day. In addition to basic studies related to boundary-layer meteorology, results from these simulations can be used in other applications, such as studying the wind energy resources.« less

Authors:
 [1];  [1];  [2];  [3];  [1];  [1]
+ Show Author Affiliations
  1. Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
  2. National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO (United States)
  3. Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)
OSTI Identifier:
1524291
Report Number(s):
LLNL-JRNL-774259
Journal ID: ISSN 0006-8314; 964842
Grant/Contract Number:  
AC52-07NA27344
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Boundary-Layer Meteorology
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 163; Journal Issue: 1; Journal ID: ISSN 0006-8314
Publisher:
Springer
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES

Citation Formats

Rai, Raj K., Berg, Larry K., Kosović, Branko, Mirocha, Jeffrey D., Pekour, Mikhail S., and Shaw, William J. Comparison of Measured and Numerically Simulated Turbulence Statistics in a Convective Boundary Layer Over Complex Terrain. United States: N. p., 2016. Web. doi:10.1007/s10546-016-0217-y.
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Rai, Raj K., Berg, Larry K., Kosović, Branko, Mirocha, Jeffrey D., Pekour, Mikhail S., & Shaw, William J. Comparison of Measured and Numerically Simulated Turbulence Statistics in a Convective Boundary Layer Over Complex Terrain. United States. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10546-016-0217-y
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Rai, Raj K., Berg, Larry K., Kosović, Branko, Mirocha, Jeffrey D., Pekour, Mikhail S., and Shaw, William J. Fri . "Comparison of Measured and Numerically Simulated Turbulence Statistics in a Convective Boundary Layer Over Complex Terrain". United States. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10546-016-0217-y. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1524291.
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@article{osti_1524291,
title = {Comparison of Measured and Numerically Simulated Turbulence Statistics in a Convective Boundary Layer Over Complex Terrain},
author = {Rai, Raj K. and Berg, Larry K. and Kosović, Branko and Mirocha, Jeffrey D. and Pekour, Mikhail S. and Shaw, William J.},
abstractNote = {High resolution numerical simulation can provide insight into important physical processes that occur within the planetary boundary layer (PBL). The present work employs large eddy simulation (LES) nested within the Weather Forecasting and Research (WRF) framework to simulate real conditions in the convective PBL over an area of complex terrain. A multiple nesting approach has been used to downsize the grid spacing size from 12.15 km (mesoscale) to 0.03 km (LES). To minimize artifacts in theWRF-LES solutions resulting from using an inappropriate grid spacing on the WRF-Meso domain, a careful selection of grid spacing has been conducted. The WRF-LES results have been evaluated with in situ and remote sensing observations collected during the US Department of Energy supported Columbia BasinWind Energy Study (CBWES). The comparison for the first and second order moments, turbulence spectrum, and probability density function (pdf) of wind speed show good agreement between the simulation and data. Furthermore, the WRF-LES variables show a great deal of variability in space and time caused by the complex topography in the LES domain. The WRF-LES results show that the flow structures, such as roll vortices and convective cells, over the domain vary depending on both the spatial location and time of the day. In addition to basic studies related to boundary-layer meteorology, results from these simulations can be used in other applications, such as studying the wind energy resources.},
doi = {10.1007/s10546-016-0217-y},
journal = {Boundary-Layer Meteorology},
number = 1,
volume = 163,
place = {United States},
year = {Fri Nov 25 00:00:00 EST 2016},
month = {Fri Nov 25 00:00:00 EST 2016}
}
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Journal Article:
Free Publicly Available Full Text
Publisher's Version of Record
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10546-016-0217-y
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Cited by: 36 works
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Figures / Tables:

Fig. 1 Fig. 1: Mesoscale domains D01, D02, and D03 with the terrain elevation.
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Works referenced in this record:

Large eddy simulation of wind turbine wake dynamics in the stable boundary layer using the Weather Research and Forecasting Model
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    Works referencing / citing this record:

    A method to determine the characteristic time‐scales of quasi‐isotropic surface‐layer turbulence over complex terrain: A case‐study in the Adige Valley (Italian Alps)
    journal, January 2019

    • Falocchi, Marco; Giovannini, Lorenzo; de Franceschi, Massimiliano
    • Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society, Vol. 145, Issue 719
    • DOI: 10.1002/qj.3444

    The Impact of Surface Heterogeneities and Land‐Atmosphere Interactions on Shallow Clouds Over ARM SGP Site
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    • Xiao, Heng; Berg, Larry K.; Huang, Maoyi
    • Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems, Vol. 10, Issue 6
    • DOI: 10.1029/2018ms001286

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    Development of a High-Resolution Wind Forecast System Based on the WRF Model and a Hybrid Kalman-Bayesian Filter
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    • Otero-Casal, Carlos; Patlakas, Platon; Prósper, Miguel A.
    • Energies, Vol. 12, Issue 16
    • DOI: 10.3390/en12163050

    Large-eddy simulation sensitivities to variations of configuration and forcing parameters in canonical boundary-layer flows for wind energy applications
    journal, January 2018

    • Mirocha, Jeffrey D.; Churchfield, Matthew J.; Muñoz-Esparza, Domingo
    • Wind Energy Science, Vol. 3, Issue 2
    • DOI: 10.5194/wes-3-589-2018

    Large-Eddy Simulation Sensitivities to Variations of Configuration and Forcing Parameters in Canonical Boundary-Layer Flows for Wind Energy Applications
    journal, August 2017

    • Mirocha, Jeffrey D.; Churchfield, Matthew J.; Muñoz-Esparza, Domingo
    • Wind Energy Science, Vol. 3, Issue 2, p. 1-40
    • DOI: 10.5194/wes-2017-33
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      Figures / Tables found in this record:

      Fig. 1 (p. 6)figure
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      Table 3 (p. 10)table
      Fig. 3 (p. 11)figure
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