Impact of U.S. west coastline inhomogeneity and synoptic forcing on winds, wind stress, and wind stress curl during upwelling season
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Clive E. Dorman↗
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Effects of Wind Shear and Aerosol Conditions on the Organization of Precipitating Marine Stratocumulus Clouds
Here this study examines how wind shear affects precipitating marine stratocumulus clouds under different cloud droplet number concentrations (N d ). We performed a series of large eddy simulations (LES) of nocturnal marine stratocumulus clouds using Cloud Model 1 (CM1). The simulations show that N d is the dominant factor for cloud cellular organization in this cloud regime rather than wind shear. Low N d characterizes the open cellular structure with a high in-cloud liquid water path (LWP). When wind shear is increased, the cloud fraction tends to decrease along with LWP, suggesting the cloud top region is significantly influenced by the entrainment and mixing of dry air from the free troposphere. We also examine cold pools in open and closed cellular clouds. Open-cell clouds produce larger and deeper cold pools compared to closed-cell clouds. Interestingly, cold pools can exist without surface precipitation and are produced by evaporation of light precipitation (drizzle) below the cloud base with weak downdrafts. The evaporation of raindrops and drizzle play an important role in initiating new convection, particularly where colliding outflows occur downstream of the cloud. This secondary convection contributes to the development and maintenance of the cloud cellular organization and formation.
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
Resistance of The Flex-Wire Windings
In this paper, an analysis of the flexible printed circuit board (FPCB) windings is performed. A one-dimensional model of the flex-wire winding is introduced and an equation for the FPCB ac winding resistance is derived. Experimental verification of derived equations is performed, i.e., impedance and power loss measurements.
Wojda, Rafal↗
Evaluation of coupled wind-wave model simulations of offshore winds in the Mid-Atlantic Bight using lidar-equipped buoys.
From 2014 to 2017, two Department of Energy buoys equipped with Doppler lidar were deployed off the U.S. East Coast to provide long term measurements of hub-height wind speed in the marine environment. In this study, we performed simulations of selected cases from the deployment using a 5-km configuration of the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model, to see if simulated hub height speeds could produce closer agreement with the observations than existing reanalysis products. For each case we performed two additional simulations: one in which marine surface roughness height was one-way coupled to forecast wave parameters from a standalone WaveWatch III (WW3) simulation, and another in which WRF and WW3 were two-way coupled using the Coupled-Ocean-Atmosphere-Wave-Sediment-Transport (COAWST) framework. It was found that all the 5-km WRF simulations improved 90-m wind speed statistics for the tropical cyclone case of 08 May 2015 and the cold frontal case of 25 Mar 2016, but not the nor-easter of 18 Jan 2016. The impact of wave coupling on buoy-level (4 m) wind speed was modest and case dependent, but when present, the impact was typically seen at 90 m as well, being as large as 10% in stable conditions. One-way wave coupling consistently reduced wind speeds, improving biases for 25 Mar 2016 but worsening them for 08 May 2015. Two-way wave coupling mitigated these negative biases, improved wave field representation and statistics, and mostly improved 4-m wind field correlation coefficients, at least at the VA buoy, largely due to greater self-consistency between wind and wave fields.
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
How Does Vertical Wind Shear Influence Updraft Characteristics and Hydrometeor Distributions in Supercell Thunderstorms?
Abstract Vertical wind shear is known to affect supercell thunderstorms by displacing updraft hydrometeor mass downshear, thereby facilitating the storms’ longevity. Shear also impacts the size of supercell updrafts, with stronger shear leading to wider, less dilute, and stronger updrafts with likely greater hydrometeor production. To more clearly define the role of shear across different vertical layers on hydrometeor concentrations and displacements relative to supercell updrafts, a suite of idealized numerical model simulations of supercells was conducted. Shear magnitudes were systematically varied across the 0–1, 1–6, and 6–12 km AGL layers, while the thermodynamic environment was held fixed. Simulations show that as shear magnitude increases, especially from 1 to 6 km, updrafts become wider and less dilute with an increase in hydrometeor loading, along with an increase in the low-level precipitation area/rate and total precipitation accumulation. Even with greater updraft hydrometeor loading amid stronger shear, updrafts are more intense in stronger shear simulations due to larger thermal buoyancy owing to wider, less dilute updraft cores. Furthermore, downshear hydrometeor displacements are larger in environments with stronger 1–6-km shear. In contrast, there is relatively less sensitivity of hydrometeor concentrations and displacements to variations in either 0–1- or 6–12-km shear. Results are consistent across free tropospheric relative humidity sensitivity simulations, which show an increase in updraft size and hydrometeor mass with increasing free tropospheric relative humidity owing to a reduction in entrainment-driven dilution for wider updrafts in moister environments. Significance Statement Rotating thunderstorms, known as supercells, are able to persist for multiple hours. One common explanation is that large changes in wind speed and/or direction with height, or shear, transport rain/hail away from supercell updrafts, supporting their maintenance. The strong shear within supercell environments, however, may also lead to greater rail/hail amounts, thereby leading to weaker storms due to this extra mass of water/ice within updrafts. Furthermore, the impact of shear across different height layers on supercell rain/hail characteristics has not been thoroughly investigated. In this study, computer simulations of supercells were conducted to determine that shear occurring between 1 and 6 km above ground level has a large impact on rain/hail distribution in supercells and that stronger shear in this layer leads to wider/stronger supercells with greater rain/hail accumulations at the surface. Additionally, some of the extra mass of water/ice is transported farther away from updrafts due to the stronger environmental storm-relative winds.
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences↗
Seismic Noise Induced by Wind Turbine Operation and Wind Gusts
Improved seismic noise characterization, due to varied sources, may benefit traditional applications. Some examples are earthquake detection, Earth structure research, and nuclear testing. This improvement could also permit use of seismic data in transdisciplinary research such as wind gust detection and wind turbine (WT) condition monitoring. However, it is a challenging task to unambiguously quantify relationships between potential sources of seismic noise and the actual seismic response. In this article, we analyze seismic and meteorological data (wind speed and pressure), measured at a remote site in a complex terrain area in eastern Portugal, to examine seismic signatures from WT operational status and wind gusts. Results presented herein show the following: (1) WT signatures in seismic data can be used to accurately determine WT-operational status. Attenuation of WT signatures in seismic data exhibits an exponential decay with distance, with attenuation coefficients that scale with frequency. (2) After WT signatures are removed from seismic power spectra, wind gust signatures remain. Analyses of these data further indicate that it may be possible to extract quantitative wind gust estimates from seismic data and decompose them into pressure and shear stress drivers of this coupling.
Geochemistry & Geophysics↗
IEA Wind Task 26. Wind Technology, Cost, and Performance Trends in Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Norway, the European Union, and the United States: 2007–2012
The International Energy Agency Implementing Agreement for cooperation in Research, Development, and Deployment of Wind Energy Systems (IEA Wind) Task 26—The Cost of Wind Energy represents an international collaboration dedicated to exploring past, present and future cost of wind energy. This report provides an overview of recent trends in wind plant technology, cost, and performance in those countries that are currently represented by participating organizations in IEA Wind Task 26: Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Norway, and the United States as well as the European Union.
32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
Responses of a Modular Floating Wind TLP of MarsVAWT Supporting a 10 MW Vertical Axis Wind Turbine
Offshore floating wind foundations supporting a large wind turbine require a large yard facility or significant facility upgrades for their fabrication. To overcome the cost increase associated with facility upgrades, an innovative lightweight modular floating foundation is developed. The foundation comprises multiple modules to enable their assembly on water, offering many benefits and expanding fabrication options for a reduction in the overall cost of the platform. In this paper, the foundation modules and their assembly are briefly described, and an analysis of the platform’s dynamic responses is presented. The modular foundation includes a modular and lightweight tension leg platform (TLP) called “MarsVAWT” which supports a Darrieus 10 MW vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT). The platform is moored with highly pretensioned wire rope tendons. The responses of the platform are analyzed in the time domain in a semi-coupled manner under the turbine operating and parked conditions for an offshore site in the US Northeast. The tower base shear forces and bending moments increase considerably with the combination of wind and waves, compared to those with wind only. The tendon tensions on the weatherside in the operating condition at high wind speeds are comparable to the values of the 50-year extreme (parked). The tendon tension increases are highly correlated to the platform pitch, as well as the horizontal and vertical velocities and vertical acceleration at the tendon porch. The modular platform performances and tendon designs are confirmed to comply with industry standards and practices.
Boo, Sung Youn↗
Preliminary results of the large experimental wind turbine phase of the national wind energy program
The preliminary results of two projects in the development phase of reliable wind turbines designed to supply cost-competitive electrical energy were discussed. An experimental 100 kW wind turbine design and its status are first reviewed. The results of two parallel design studies for determining the configurations and power levels for wind turbines with minimum energy costs are also discussed. These studies predict wind energy costs of 1.5 to 7 cents per kW-h for wind turbines produced in quantities of 100 to 1000 per year and located at sites having average winds of 12 to 18 mph.
Thomas, R. L.↗
Simulation of the atmospheric boundary layer in the wind tunnel for modeling of wind loads on low-rise structures
The lower part of the atmospheric boundary layer (strong wind conditions) was simulated in low speed wind tunnel for the modeling of wind loads on low-rise structures. The turbulence characteristics of the turbulent boundary layer in the wind tunnel are compared with full scale measurements and with measurements made at NASA Wallops Flight Center. Wind pressures measured on roofs of a 1:70 scale model of a small single family dwelling were compared with results obtained from full scale measurements. The results indicate a favorable comparison between full scale and model pressure data as far as mean, r.m.s. and peak pressures are concerned. In addition, results also indicate that proper modeling of the turbulence is essential for proper simulation of the wind pressures.
Tieleman, H. W.↗
Wind response characteristics of horizontal axis wind turbines
It was the objective of the work reported here, and in the companion paper 1 . A broader examination of wind turbine dynamic response to turbulence, and attempts to ascertain the features of turbulence that wind turbines are most sensitive to were made. A statistical description of the wind input including all three wind components and allowing linear wind gradients across the rotor disk, was used together with quasi-static aerodynamic theory and an elementary structural model involving only a few degrees of freedom. The idea was to keep the turbine model simple and show the benefits of this type of statistical wind representation before attempting to use a more complex turbine model. As far as possible, the analysis was kept in the simplest form, while still preserving key physical responses.
Thresher, R. W.↗
Effect of wind turbine generator model and siting on wind power changes out of large WECS arrays
Methods of reducing the WECS generation change through selection of the wind turbine model for each site, selection of an appropriate siting configuration, and wind array controls are discussed. An analysis of wind generation change from an echelon and a farm for passage of a thunderstorm is presented. Reduction of the wind generation change over ten minutes is shown to reduce the increase in spinning reserve, unloadable generation and load following requirements on unit commitment when significant WECS generation is present and the farm penetration constraint is satisfied. Controls on the blade pitch angle of all wind turbines in an array or a battery control are shown to reduce both the wind generation change out of an array and the effective farm penetration in anticipation of a storm so that the farm penetration constraint may be satisfied.
Schleuter, R. A.↗
Wind and turbine characteristics needed for integration of wind turbine arrays into a utility system
Wind data and wind turbine generator (WTG) performance characteristics are often available in a form inconvenient for use by utility planners and engineers. The steps used by utility planners are summarized and the type of wind and WTG data needed for integration of WTG arrays suggested. These included long term yearly velocity averages for preliminary site feasibility, hourly velocities on a 'wind season' basis for more detailed economic analysis and for reliability studies, worst-case velocity profiles for gusts, and various minute-to-hourly velocity profiles for estimating the effect of longer-term wind fluctuations on utility operations. wind turbine data needed includes electrical properties of the generator, startup and shutdown characteristics, protection characteristics, pitch control response and control strategy, and electro-mechanical model for stability analysis.
Park, G. L.↗
ACARS wind measurements - An intercomparison with radiosonde, cloud motion and VAS thermally derived winds
Statistical comparisons between winds measured by ACARS and winds obtained from radiosondes, geostationary satellite image cloud motions, and VAS are presented. Observations from three separate comparisons reveal over 60 percent of wind vector magnitude differences are within 9 m/s, and 70 percent of the directional differences are within 15 deg. The comparisons indicate that the ACARS system provides an independent source of wind data that complements other sources of wind data for constructing composite wind field analyses.
Lord, R. J.↗
A day-to-day comparison study of Seasat scatterometer winds with winds observed from islands in the tropical Pacific
The winds derived from the Seasat-A Satellite Scatterometer (SASS) measurements have been the subject of great interest since the 1978 mission, because of the promise of radically improved wind observations over the world ocean. Due to the early end of the mission, only a few of the planned ground truth validation experiments could be made, and the subsequent lack of sufficient high quality independent wind data for comparison has limited the ability to resolve critical issues regarding the scatterometer's performance and the correct interpretation of its signal. Operational weather observations were made of ocean winds independent of Seasat mission plans during the Seasat mission period; the results are reported of a comparison study using such observations. Previous verification with in situ winds has been primarily in middle latitudes (GOASEX, JASIN, and NDBO buoys); winds observed from nine tropical Pacific islands are compared with nearly contemporaneous measurements taken by SASS during overpasses of the islands.
Davison, Jerry↗
Near-nadir microwave specular returns from the sea surface - Altimeter algorithms for wind and wind stress
Two approaches have been adopted to construct altimeter wind algorithms: one is based on the mean-square sea surface slope, and the other is based on the Seasat scatterometer wind. Both types of algorithms are critically reviewed with respect to the mechanism governing near-nadir sea returns and the comparison between altimeter and buoy winds. A new algorithm is proposed; it is deduced on the basis of microwave specular reflection and is finely tuned with buoy-measured winds. On the basis of this algorithm and the formula of the wind-stress coefficient, a simple wind-stress algorithm is also proposed.
Wu, Jin↗
Wind persistence from 2-18 km using a wind profiler
Existing techniques for quantifying the effects of temporal wind variability on launch vehicles employ very limited sets of wind profile pairs derived from rising balloons. Variability due to spatial differences between the drifting balloon and a vehicle trajectory are traditionally ignored. The authors developed a technique to extract high quality wind profiles at frequent time intervals from a Doppler Radar Wind Profiler. This technique was applied to a limited number of data sets gathered from December 1990 through March 1992 at the Kennedy Space Center using the NASA 50 Mhz Wind Profiler. The authors then used these derived wind profiles to demonstrate techniques for quantifying the effects of temporal and spatial variability.
Wilfong, Timothy L.↗