Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
293111 | Journal of Wind Engineering and Industrial Aerodynamics | 2011 | 10 Pages |
The goal of this effort is to combine the strengths of Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) with Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) to produce locale-specific flow patterns that could be used for micrositing wind power plants. We do this in two ways: (1) we use the mesoscale model data as inflow for the CFD model and (2) we assimilate vertical profiles of mesoscale model output into the CFD model as a body force. We study the impact of this technique with a case study in the rolling topography of central Pennsylvania. We compare wind profiles between the mesoscale model alone, the CFD model alone, and the fully assimilated mesoscale/CFD solution. In addition, we examine the impact of the mesoscale assimilation into the CFD model on the fine-scale flow structure. This preliminary approach of combining techniques in NWP and CFD through data assimilation provides a unique assessment of the utility of specific locations for wind power production as well as for improving simulations for other purposes.