Title: “Wind Theft” from Onshore Wind Turbine Arrays: Sensitivity to Wind Farm Parameterization and Resolution

Abstract

Abstract High-resolution simulations are conducted with the Weather Research and Forecasting Model to evaluate the sensitivity of wake effects and power production from two wind farm parameterizations [the commonly used Fitch scheme and the more recently developed Explicit Wake Parameterization (EWP)] to the resolution at which the model is applied. The simulations are conducted for a 9-month period for a domain encompassing much of the U.S. Midwest. The two horizontal resolutions considered are 4 km × 4 km and 2 km × 2 km grid cells, and the two vertical discretizations employ either 41 or 57 vertical layers (with the latter having double the number in the lowest 1 km). Higher wind speeds are observed close to the wind turbine hub height when a larger number of vertical layers are employed (12 in the lowest 200 m vs 6), which contributes to higher power production from both wind farm schemes. Differences in gross capacity factors for wind turbine power production from the two wind farm parameterizations and with resolution are most strongly manifest under stable conditions (i.e., at night). The spatial extent of wind farm wakes when defined as the area affected by velocity deficits near to wind turbine hubmore » heights in excess of 2% of the simulation without wind turbines is considerably larger in simulations with the Fitch scheme. This spatial extent is generally reduced by increasing the horizontal resolution and/or increasing the number of vertical levels. These results have important applications to projections of expected annual energy production from new wind turbine arrays constructed in the wind shadow from existing wind farms.« less

Authors:

Pryor, Sara C. ^[1]; Shepherd, Tristan J. ^[1]; Volker, Patrick J. H. ^[2]; Hahmann, Andrea N. ^[2]; Barthelmie, Rebecca J. ^[3]

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+ Show Author Affiliations

1. Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
2. Department of Wind Energy, Danish Technology University, Roskilde, Denmark
3. Sibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York

Publication Date:

2020-01-10

Sponsoring Org.:

USDOE

OSTI Identifier:

1582087

Grant/Contract Number:  

SC0016438; AC02-05CH11231

Resource Type:

Published Article

Journal Name:

Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology

Additional Journal Information:

Journal Name: Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology Journal Volume: 59 Journal Issue: 1; Journal ID: ISSN 1558-8424

Publisher:

American Meteorological Society

Country of Publication:

United States

Language:

English