Real-data tests of a single-Doppler radar assimilation system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nehrkorn, Thomas; Hegarty, James; Hamill, Thomas M.

1994-06-01

Real data tests of a single-Doppler radar data assimilation and forecast system have been conducted for a Florida sea breeze case. The system consists of a hydrostatic mesoscale model used for prediction of the preconvective boundary layer, an objective analysis that combines model first guess fields with radar derived horizontal winds, a thermodynamic retrieval scheme that obtains temperature information from the three-dimensional wind field and its temporal evolution, and a Newtonian nudging scheme for forcing the model forecast to closer agreement with the analysis. As was found in earlier experiments with simulated data, assimilation using Newtonian nudging benefits from temperature data in addition to wind data. The thermodynamic retrieval technique was successful in retrieving a horizontal temperature gradient from the radar-derived wind fields that, when assimilated into the model, led to a significantly improved forecast of the seabreeze strength and position.

The flight planning - flight management connection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sorensen, J. A.

1984-01-01

Airborne flight management systems are currently being implemented to minimize direct operating costs when flying over a fixed route between a given city pair. Inherent in the design of these systems is that the horizontal flight path and wind and temperature models be defined and input into the airborne computer before flight. The wind/temperature model and horizontal path are products of the flight planning process. Flight planning consists of generating 3-D reference trajectories through a forecast wind field subject to certain ATC and transport operator constraints. The interrelationships between flight management and flight planning are reviewed, and the steps taken during the flight planning process are summarized.

The influence of spatially and temporally high-resolution wind forcing on the power input to near-inertial waves in the ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rimac, A.; Eden, C.; von Storch, J.

2012-12-01

Coexistence of stable stratification, the meridional overturning circulation and meso-scale eddies and their influence on the ocean's circulation still raise complex questions concerning the ocean energetics. Oceanic general circulation is mainly forced by the wind field and deep water tides. Its essential energetics are the conversion of kinetic energy of the winds and tides into oceanic potential and kinetic energy. Energy needed for the circulation is bound to internal wave fields. Direct internal wave generation by the wind at the sea surface is one of the sources of this energy. Previous studies using mixed-layer type of models and low frequency wind forcings (six-hourly and daily) left room for improvement. Using mixed-layer models it is not possible to assess the distribution of near-inertial energy into the deep ocean. Also, coarse temporal resolution of wind forcing strongly underestimates the near-inertial wave energy. To overcome this difficulty we use a high resolution ocean model with high frequency wind forcings. We establish the following model setup: We use the Max Planck Institute Ocean Model (MPIOM) on a tripolar grid with 45km horizontal resolution and 40 vertical levels. We run the model with wind forcings that vary in horizontal (250km versus 40km) and temporal resolution (six versus one-hourly). In our study we answer the following questions: How big is the wind kinetic energy input to the near-inertial waves? Is the kinetic energy of the near-inertial waves enhanced when high-frequency wind forcings are used? If so, by how much and why, due to higher level of temporal wind variability or due to better spatial representation of the near-inertial waves? How big is the total power of near-inertial waves generated by the wind at the surface of the ocean? We run the model for one year. Our model results show that the near-inertial waves are excited both using wind forcings of high and low horizontal and temporal resolution. Near-inertial energy is almost two times higher when we force the model with high frequency wind forcings. The influence on the energy mostly depends on the time difference between two forcing fields while the spatial difference has little influence.

Computational studies of horizontal axis wind turbines in high wind speed condition using advanced turbulence models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benjanirat, Sarun

Next generation horizontal-axis wind turbines (HAWTs) will operate at very high wind speeds. Existing engineering approaches for modeling the flow phenomena are based on blade element theory, and cannot adequately account for 3-D separated, unsteady flow effects. Therefore, researchers around the world are beginning to model these flows using first principles-based computational fluid dynamics (CFD) approaches. In this study, an existing first principles-based Navier-Stokes approach is being enhanced to model HAWTs at high wind speeds. The enhancements include improved grid topology, implicit time-marching algorithms, and advanced turbulence models. The advanced turbulence models include the Spalart-Allmaras one-equation model, k-epsilon, k-o and Shear Stress Transport (k-o-SST) models. These models are also integrated with detached eddy simulation (DES) models. Results are presented for a range of wind speeds, for a configuration termed National Renewable Energy Laboratory Phase VI rotor, tested at NASA Ames Research Center. Grid sensitivity studies are also presented. Additionally, effects of existing transition models on the predictions are assessed. Data presented include power/torque production, radial distribution of normal and tangential pressure forces, root bending moments, and surface pressure fields. Good agreement was obtained between the predictions and experiments for most of the conditions, particularly with the Spalart-Allmaras-DES model.

Advection and resulting CO2 exchange uncertainty in a tall forest in central Germany.

PubMed

Kutsch, Werner L; Kolle, Olaf; Rebmann, Corinna; Knohl, Alexander; Ziegler, Waldemar; Schulze, Ernst-Detlef

2008-09-01

Potential losses by advection were estimated at Hainich Forest, Thuringia, Germany, where the tower is located at a gentle slope. Three approaches were used: (1) comparing nighttime eddy covariance fluxes to an independent value of total ecosystem respiration by bottom-up modeling of the underlying processes, (2) direct measurements of a horizontal CO2 gradient and horizontal wind speed at 2 m height in order to calculate horizontal advection, and (3) direct measurements of a vertical CO2 gradient and a three-dimensional wind profile in order to calculate vertical advection. In the first approach, nighttime eddy covariance measurements were compared to independent values of total ecosystem respiration by means of bottom-up modeling of the underlying biological processes. Turbulent fluxes and storage term were normalized to the fluxes calculated by the bottom-up model. Below a u(*) threshold of 0.6 m/s the normalized turbulent fluxes decreased with decreasing u(*), but the flux to the storage increased only up to values less than 20% of the modeled flux at low turbulence. Horizontal advection was measured by a horizontal CO2 gradient over a distance of 130 m combined with horizontal wind speed measurements. Horizontal advection occurred at most of the evenings independently of friction velocity above the canopy. Nevertheless, horizontal advection was higher when u(*) was low. The peaks of horizontal advection correlated with changes in temperature. A full mass balance including turbulent fluxes, storage, and horizontal and vertical advection resulted in an increase of spikes and scatter but seemed to generally improve the results from the flux measurements. The comparison of flux data with independent bottom-up modeling results as well as the direct measurements resulted in strong indications that katabatic flows along the hill slope during evening and night reduces the measured apparent ecosystem respiration rate. In addition, anabatic flows may occur during the morning. We conclude that direct measurements of horizontal and vertical advection are highly necessary at sites located even on gentle hill slopes.

The UTRC wind energy conversion system performance analysis for horizontal axis wind turbines (WECSPER)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Egolf, T. A.; Landgrebe, A. J.

1981-01-01

The theory for the UTRC Energy Conversion System Performance Analysis (WECSPER) for the prediction of horizontal axis wind turbine performance is presented. Major features of the analysis are the ability to: (1) treat the wind turbine blades as lifting lines with a prescribed wake model; (2) solve for the wake-induced inflow and blade circulation using real nonlinear airfoil data; and (3) iterate internally to obtain a compatible wake transport velocity and blade loading solution. This analysis also provides an approximate treatment of wake distortions due to tower shadow or wind shear profiles. Finally, selected results of internal UTRC application of the analysis to existing wind turbines and correlation with limited test data are described.

Inter-Comparison of WRF Model Simulated Winds and MISR Stereoscopic Winds Embedded within Mesoscale von Kármán Wake Vortices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Horvath, A.; Nunalee, C. G.; Mueller, K. J.

2014-12-01

Several distinct wake regimes are possible when considering atmospheric flow past a steep mountainous island. Of these regimes, coherent vortex shedding in low-Froude number flow is particularly interesting because it can produce laterally focused paths of counter rotating eddies capable of extending downstream for hundreds of kilometers (i.e., a von Kármán vortex street). Given the spatial scales of atmospheric von Kármán vortices, which typically lies on the interface of the meso-scale and the micro-scale, they are uniquely challenging to model using conventional numerical weather prediction platforms. In this presentation, we present high resolution (1-km horizontally) numerical modeling results using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model, of multiple real-world von Kármán vortex shedding events associated with steep islands (e.g., Madeira island, Gran Canaria island, etc.). In parallel, we also present corresponding cloud-motion wind and cloud-top height measurements from the satellite-based Multiangle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) instrument. The MISR stereo algorithm enables experimental retrieval of the horizontal wind vector (both along-track and cross-track components) at 4.4-km resolution, in addition to the operational 1.1-km resolution cross-track wind and cloud-top height products. These products offer the fidelity appropriate for inter-comparison with the numerically simulated vortex streets. In general, we find an agreement between the instantaneous simulated cloud level winds and the MISR stereoscopic winds; however, discrepancies in the vortex street length and localized horizontal wind shear were documented. In addition, the simulated fields demonstrate sensitivity to turbulence closure and input terrain height data.

Determination of real-time predictors of the wind turbine wake meandering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muller, Yann-Aël; Aubrun, Sandrine; Masson, Christian

2015-03-01

The present work proposes an experimental methodology to characterize the unsteady properties of a wind turbine wake, called meandering, and particularly its ability to follow the large-scale motions induced by large turbulent eddies contained in the approach flow. The measurements were made in an atmospheric boundary layer wind tunnel. The wind turbine model is based on the actuator disc concept. One part of the work has been dedicated to the development of a methodology for horizontal wake tracking by mean of a transverse hot wire rake, whose dynamic response is adequate for spectral analysis. Spectral coherence analysis shows that the horizontal position of the wake correlates well with the upstream transverse velocity, especially for wavelength larger than three times the diameter of the disc but less so for smaller scales. Therefore, it is concluded that the wake is actually a rather passive tracer of the large surrounding turbulent structures. The influence of the rotor size and downstream distance on the wake meandering is studied. The fluctuations of the lateral force and the yawing torque affecting the wind turbine model are also measured and correlated with the wake meandering. Two approach flow configurations are then tested: an undisturbed incoming flow (modelled atmospheric boundary layer) and a disturbed incoming flow, with a wind turbine model located upstream. Results showed that the meandering process is amplified by the presence of the upstream wake. It is shown that the coherence between the lateral force fluctuations and the horizontal wake position is significant up to length scales larger than twice the wind turbine model diameter. This leads to the conclusion that the lateral force is a better candidate than the upstream transverse velocity to predict in real time the meandering process, for either undisturbed (wake free) or disturbed incoming atmospheric flows.

Surprises from the field: Novel aspects of aeolian saltation observed under natural turbulence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martin, R. L.; Kok, J. F.; Chamecki, M.

2015-12-01

The mass flux of aeolian (wind-blown) sediment transport - critical for understanding earth and planetary geomorphology, dust generation, and soil stability - is difficult to predict. Recent work suggests that competing models for saltation (the characteristic hopping of aeolian sediment) fail because they do not adequately account for wind turbulence. To address this issue, we performed field deployments measuring high-frequency co-variations of aeolian saltation and near-surface winds at multiple sites under a range of conditions. Our observations yield several novel findings not currently captured by saltation models: (1) Saltation flux displays no significant lag relative to horizontal wind velocity; (2) Characteristic height of the saltation layer remains constant with changes in shear velocity; and (3) During saltation, the vertical profile of mean horizontal wind velocity is steeper than expected from the Reynolds stress. We examine how the interactions between saltation and turbulence in field settings could explain some of these surprising observations.

Determination of the geophysical model function of NSCAT and its corresponding variance by the use of neural networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mejia, C.; Badran, F.; Bentamy, A.; Crepon, M.; Thiria, S.; Tran, N.

1999-05-01

We have computed two geophysical model functions (one for the vertical and one for the horizontal polarization) for the NASA scatterometer (NSCAT) by using neural networks. These neural network geophysical model functions (NNGMFs) were estimated with NSCAT scatterometer σO measurements collocated with European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts analyzed wind vectors during the period January 15 to April 15, 1997. We performed a student t test showing that the NNGMFs estimate the NSCAT σO with a confidence level of 95%. Analysis of the results shows that the mean NSCAT signal depends on the incidence angle and the wind speed and presents the classical biharmonic modulation with respect to the wind azimuth. NSCAT σO increases with respect to the wind speed and presents a well-marked change at around 7 m s-1. The upwind-downwind amplitude is higher for the horizontal polarization signal than for vertical polarization, indicating that the use of horizontal polarization can give additional information for wind retrieval. Comparison of the σO computed by the NNGMFs against the NSCAT-measured σO show a quite low rms, except at low wind speeds. We also computed two specific neural networks for estimating the variance associated to these GMFs. The variances are analyzed with respect to geophysical parameters. This led us to compute the geophysical signal-to-noise ratio, i.e., Kp. The Kp values are quite high at low wind speed and decrease at high wind speed. At constant wind speed the highest Kp are at crosswind directions, showing that the crosswind values are the most difficult to estimate. These neural networks can be expressed as analytical functions, and FORTRAN subroutines can be provided.

Observations of vertical winds and the origin of thermospheric gravity waves launched by auroral substorms and westward travelling surges

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rees, D.

1986-01-01

Several sequences of observations of strong vertical winds in the upper thermosphere are discussed, in conjunction with models of the generation of such winds. In the auroral oval, the strongest upward winds are observed in or close to regions of intense auroral precipitation and strong ionospheric currents. The strongest winds, of the order of 100 to 200 m/sec are usually upward, and are both localized and of relatively short duration (10 to 20 min). In regions adjacent to those displaying strong upward winds, and following periods of upward winds, downward winds of rather lower magnitude (40 to about 80 m/sec) may be observed. Strong and rapid changes of horizontal winds are correlated with these rapid vertical wind variations. Considered from a large scale viewpoint, this class of strongly time dependent winds propagate globally, and may be considered to be gravity waves launched from an auroral source. During periods of very disturbed geomagnetic activity, there may be regions within and close to the auroral oval where systematic vertical winds of the order of 50 m/sec will occur for periods of several hours. Such persistent winds are part of a very strong large scale horizontal wind circulation set up in the polar regions during a major geomagnetic disturbance. This second class of strong horizontal and vertical winds corresponds more to a standing wave than to a gravity wave, and it is not as effective as the first class in generating large scale propagating gravity waves and correlated horizontal and vertical oscillations. A third class of significant (10 to 30 m/sec) vertical winds can be associated with systematic features of the average geomagnetic energy and momentum input to the polar thermosphere, and appear in statistical studies of the average vertical wind as a function of Universal Time at a given location.

Validation of Simplified Load Equations through Loads Measurement and Modeling of a Small Horizontal-Axis Wind Turbine Tower; NREL (National Renewable Energy Laboratory)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dana, S.; Damiani, R.; vanDam, J.

As part of an ongoing effort to improve the modeling and prediction of small wind turbine dynamics, NREL tested a small horizontal axis wind turbine in the field at the National Wind Technology Center (NWTC). The test turbine was a 2.1-kW downwind machine mounted on an 18-meter multi-section fiberglass composite tower. The tower was instrumented and monitored for approximately 6 months. The collected data were analyzed to assess the turbine and tower loads and further validate the simplified loads equations from the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) 61400-2 design standards. Field-measured loads were also compared to the output of an aeroelasticmore » model of the turbine. Ultimate loads at the tower base were assessed using both the simplified design equations and the aeroelastic model output. The simplified design equations in IEC 61400-2 do not accurately model fatigue loads. In this project, we compared fatigue loads as measured in the field, as predicted by the aeroelastic model, and as calculated using the simplified design equations.« less

Middle atmosphere simulated with high vertical and horizontal resolution versions of a GCM: Improvements in the cold pole bias and generation of a QBO-like oscillation in the tropics

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hamilton, K.; Wilson, R.J.; Hemler, R.S.

1999-11-15

The large-scale circulation in the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory SKYHI troposphere-stratosphere-mesosphere finite-difference general circulation model is examined as a function of vertical and horizontal resolution. The experiments examined include one with horizontal grid spacing of {approximately}35 km and another with {approximately}100 km horizontal grid spacing but very high vertical resolution (160 levels between the ground and about 85 km). The simulation of the middle-atmospheric zonal-mean winds and temperatures in the extratropics is found to be very sensitive to horizontal resolution. For example, in the early Southern Hemisphere winter the South Pole near 1 mb in the model is colder thanmore » observed, but the bias is reduced with improved horizontal resolution (from {approximately}70 C in a version with {approximately}300 km grid spacing to less than 10 C in the {approximately}35 km version). The extratropical simulation is found to be only slightly affected by enhancements of the vertical resolution. By contrast, the tropical middle-atmospheric simulation is extremely dependent on the vertical resolution employed. With level spacing in the lower stratosphere {approximately}1.5 km, the lower stratospheric zonal-mean zonal winds in the equatorial region are nearly constant in time. When the vertical resolution is doubled, the simulated stratospheric zonal winds exhibit a strong equatorially centered oscillation with downward propagation of the wind reversals and with formation of strong vertical shear layers. This appears to be a spontaneous internally generated oscillation and closely resembles the observed QBO in many respects, although the simulated oscillation has a period less than half that of the real QBO.« less

Horizontal geometrical reaction time model for two-beam nacelle LiDARs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beuth, Thorsten; Fox, Maik; Stork, Wilhelm

2015-06-01

Wind energy is one of the leading sustainable energies. To attract further private and state investment in this technology, a broad scaled drop of the cost of energy has to be enforced. There is a trend towards using Laser Doppler Velocimetry LiDAR systems for enhancing power output and minimizing downtimes, fatigue and extreme forces. Since most used LiDARs are horizontally setup on a nacelle and work with two beams, it is important to understand the geometrical configuration which is crucial to estimate reaction times for the actuators to compensate wind gusts. In the beginning of this article, the basic operating modes of wind turbines are explained and the literature on wind behavior is analyzed to derive specific wind speed and wind angle conditions in relation to the yaw angle of the hub. A short introduction to the requirements for the reconstruction of the wind vector length and wind angle leads to the problem of wind shear detection of angled but horizontal homogeneous wind fronts due to the spatial separation of the measuring points. A distance is defined in which the wind shear of such homogeneous wind fronts is not present which is used as a base to estimate further distance calculations. The reaction time of the controller and the actuators are having a negative effect on the effective overall reaction time for wind regulation as well. In the end, exemplary calculations estimate benefits and disadvantages of system parameters for wind gust regulating LiDARs for a wind turbine of typical size. An outlook shows possible future improvements concerning the vertical wind behavior.

Wind Resource Assessment in Complex Terrain with a High-Resolution Numerical Weather Prediction Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gruber, Karin; Serafin, Stefano; Grubišić, Vanda; Dorninger, Manfred; Zauner, Rudolf; Fink, Martin

2014-05-01

A crucial step in planning new wind farms is the estimation of the amount of wind energy that can be harvested in possible target sites. Wind resource assessment traditionally entails deployment of masts equipped for wind speed measurements at several heights for a reasonably long period of time. Simplified linear models of atmospheric flow are then used for a spatial extrapolation of point measurements to a wide area. While linear models have been successfully applied in the wind resource assessment in plains and offshore, their reliability in complex terrain is generally poor. This represents a major limitation to wind resource assessment in Austria, where high-altitude locations are being considered for new plant sites, given the higher frequency of sustained winds at such sites. The limitations of linear models stem from two key assumptions in their formulation, the neutral stratification and attached boundary-layer flow, both of which often break down in complex terrain. Consequently, an accurate modeling of near-surface flow over mountains requires the adoption of a NWP model with high horizontal and vertical resolution. This study explores the wind potential of a site in Styria in the North-Eastern Alps. The WRF model is used for simulations with a maximum horizontal resolution of 800 m. Three nested computational domains are defined, with the innermost one encompassing a stretch of the relatively broad Enns Valley, flanked by the main crest of the Alps in the south and the Nördliche Kalkalpen of similar height in the north. In addition to the simulation results, we use data from fourteen 10-m wind measurement sites (of which 7 are located within valleys and 5 near mountain tops) and from 2 masts with anemometers at several heights (at hillside locations) in an area of 1600 km2 around the target site. The potential for wind energy production is assessed using the mean wind speed and turbulence intensity at hub height. The capacity factor is also evaluated, considering the frequency of wind speed between cut-in and cut-out speed and of winds with a low vertical velocity component only. Wind turbines do not turn on at wind speeds below cut-in speed. Wind turbines are taken off from the generator in the case of wind speeds higher than cut-out speed and inclination angles of the wind vector greater than 8o. All of these parameters were computed at each model grid point in the innermost domain in order to map their spatial variability. The results show that in complex terrain the annual mean wind speed at hub height is not sufficient to predict the capacity factor of a turbine; vertical wind speed and the frequency of horizontal wind speed out of the range of cut-in and cut-out speed contribute substantially to a reduction of the energy harvest and locally high turbulence may considerably raise the building costs.

3-D ballistic transport of ellipsoidal volcanic projectiles considering horizontal wind field and variable shape-dependent drag coefficients

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bertin, Daniel

2017-02-01

An innovative 3-D numerical model for the dynamics of volcanic ballistic projectiles is presented here. The model focuses on ellipsoidal particles and improves previous approaches by considering horizontal wind field, virtual mass forces, and drag forces subjected to variable shape-dependent drag coefficients. Modeling suggests that the projectile's launch velocity and ejection angle are first-order parameters influencing ballistic trajectories. The projectile's density and minor radius are second-order factors, whereas both intermediate and major radii of the projectile are of third order. Comparing output parameters, assuming different input data, highlights the importance of considering a horizontal wind field and variable shape-dependent drag coefficients in ballistic modeling, which suggests that they should be included in every ballistic model. On the other hand, virtual mass forces should be discarded since they almost do not contribute to ballistic trajectories. Simulation results were used to constrain some crucial input parameters (launch velocity, ejection angle, wind speed, and wind azimuth) of the block that formed the biggest and most distal ballistic impact crater during the 1984-1993 eruptive cycle of Lascar volcano, Northern Chile. Subsequently, up to 106 simulations were performed, whereas nine ejection parameters were defined by a Latin-hypercube sampling approach. Simulation results were summarized as a quantitative probabilistic hazard map for ballistic projectiles. Transects were also done in order to depict aerial hazard zones based on the same probabilistic procedure. Both maps combined can be used as a hazard prevention tool for ground and aerial transits nearby unresting volcanoes.

Atmospheric Constraints on Landing Site Selection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kass, David M.; Schofield, J. T.

2001-01-01

The Martian atmosphere is a significant part of the environment that the Mars Exploration Rovers (MER) will encounter. As such, it imposes important constraints on where the rovers can and cannot land. Unfortunately, as there are no meteorological instruments on the rovers, there is little atmospheric science that can be accomplished, and no scientific preference for landing sites. The atmosphere constrains landing site selection in two main areas, the entry descent and landing (EDL) process and the survivability of the rovers on the surface. EDL is influenced by the density profile and boundary layer winds (up to altitudes of 5 to 10 km). Surface survivability involves atmospheric dust, temperatures and winds. During EDL, the atmosphere is used to slow the lander down, both ballistically and on the parachute. This limits the maximum elevation of the landing site to -1.3 km below the MOLA reference aeroid. The landers need to encounter a sufficiently dense atmosphere to be able to stop, and the deeper the landing site, the more column integrated atmosphere the lander can pass through before reaching the surface. The current limit was determined both by a desire to be able to reach the hematite region and by a set of atmosphere models we developed for EDL simulations. These are based on Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES) atmospheric profile measurements, Ames Mars General Circulation Model (MGCM) results, and the 1-D Ames GCM radiative/convective model by J. Murphy. The latter is used for the near surface diurnal cycle. The current version of our model encompasses representative latitude bands, but we intend to make specific models for the final candidate landing sites to insure that they fall within the general envelope. The second constraint imposed on potential landing sites through the EDL process is the near surface wind. The wind in the lower approximately 5 km determines the horizontal velocity that the landers have when they land. Due to the mechanics of the landing process, the total velocity (including both the horizontal and vertical components) determines whether or not the landers are successful. Unfortunately, the landing system has no easy way to nullify any horizontal velocity imparted by the wind, so the landing sites selected need to have as little wind as possible. In addition to the mean wind velocity, the landing system is sensitive to vertical wind shear in the lowest kilometer or so. Wind shear can deflect the retro rockets (RADs) from their nominal vertical orientation producing unwanted horizontal spacecraft velocities. Both mean velocity and wind shear are dominated by the the local topography and other surface properties (in particular albedo and thermal inertia which control the surface temperature). This is seen even in simplified 2-D mesoscale models. The effects in a fully 3-D model are expected to he even more topographically dependent. In particular there is potential for wind channeling in canyons and other terrain features. Boundary layer winds and wind shear are currently being modeled based on terrestrial data and boundary layer scaling laws modified for Martian conditions. We hope to supplement this with mesoscale model results (from several sources) once the number of landing sites is reduced to a manageable number.

Simulations of horizontal roll vortex development above lines of extreme surface heating

Treesearch

W.E. Heilman; J.D. Fast

1992-01-01

A two-dimensional, nonhydrostatic, coupled, earth/atmospheric model has been used to simulate mean and turbulent atmospheric characteristics near lines of extreme surface heating. Prognostic equations are used to solve for the horizontal and vertical wind components, potential temperature, and turbulent kinetic energy (TKE). The model computes nonhydrostatic pressure...

FAST Simulation Tool Containing Methods for Predicting the Dynamic Response of Wind Turbines

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jonkman, Jason

2015-08-12

FAST is a simulation tool (computer software) for modeling tlie dynamic response of horizontal-axis wind turbines. FAST employs a combined modal and multibody structural-dynamics formulation in the time domain.

A New Eddy Dissipation Rate Formulation for the Terminal Area PBL Prediction System(TAPPS)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Charney, Joseph J.; Kaplan, Michael L.; Lin, Yuh-Lang; Pfeiffer, Karl D.

2000-01-01

The TAPPS employs the MASS model to produce mesoscale atmospheric simulations in support of the Wake Vortex project at Dallas Fort-Worth International Airport (DFW). A post-processing scheme uses the simulated three-dimensional atmospheric characteristics in the planetary boundary layer (PBL) to calculate the turbulence quantities most important to the dissipation of vortices: turbulent kinetic energy and eddy dissipation rate. TAPPS will ultimately be employed to enhance terminal area productivity by providing weather forecasts for the Aircraft Vortex Spacing System (AVOSS). The post-processing scheme utilizes experimental data and similarity theory to determine the turbulence quantities from the simulated horizontal wind field and stability characteristics of the atmosphere. Characteristic PBL quantities important to these calculations are determined based on formulations from the Blackadar PBL parameterization, which is regularly employed in the MASS model to account for PBL processes in mesoscale simulations. The TAPPS forecasts are verified against high-resolution observations of the horizontal winds at DFW. Statistical assessments of the error in the wind forecasts suggest that TAPPS captures the essential features of the horizontal winds with considerable skill. Additionally, the turbulence quantities produced by the post-processor are shown to compare favorably with corresponding tower observations.

Absolute wind velocities in the lower thermosphere of Venus using infrared heterodyne spectroscopy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goldstein, Jeffrey J.; Mumma, Michael J.; Kostiuk, Theodor; Deming, Drake; Espenak, Fred; Zipoy, David

1991-01-01

NASA's IR Telescope Facility and the McMath Solar Telescope have yielded absolute wind velocities in the Venus thermosphere for December 1985 to March 1987 with sufficient spatial resolution for circulation model discrimination. A qualitative analysis of beam-integrated winds indicates subsolar-to-antisolar circulation in the lower thermosphere; horizontal wind velocity was derived from a two-parameter model wind field of subsolar-antisolar and zonal components. A unique model fit common to all observing periods possessed 120 m/sec subsolar-antisolar and 25 m/sec zonal retrograde components, consistent with the Bougher et al. (1986, 1988) hydrodynamical models for 110 km.

Structural Health and Prognostics Management for Offshore Wind Turbines: Sensitivity Analysis of Rotor Fault and Blade Damage with O&M Cost Modeling

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Myrent, Noah J.; Barrett, Natalie C.; Adams, Douglas E.

2014-07-01

Operations and maintenance costs for offshore wind plants are significantly higher than the current costs for land-based (onshore) wind plants. One way to reduce these costs would be to implement a structural health and prognostic management (SHPM) system as part of a condition based maintenance paradigm with smart load management and utilize a state-based cost model to assess the economics associated with use of the SHPM system. To facilitate the development of such a system a multi-scale modeling and simulation approach developed in prior work is used to identify how the underlying physics of the system are affected by themore » presence of damage and faults, and how these changes manifest themselves in the operational response of a full turbine. This methodology was used to investigate two case studies: (1) the effects of rotor imbalance due to pitch error (aerodynamic imbalance) and mass imbalance and (2) disbond of the shear web; both on a 5-MW offshore wind turbine in the present report. Sensitivity analyses were carried out for the detection strategies of rotor imbalance and shear web disbond developed in prior work by evaluating the robustness of key measurement parameters in the presence of varying wind speeds, horizontal shear, and turbulence. Detection strategies were refined for these fault mechanisms and probabilities of detection were calculated. For all three fault mechanisms, the probability of detection was 96% or higher for the optimized wind speed ranges of the laminar, 30% horizontal shear, and 60% horizontal shear wind profiles. The revised cost model provided insight into the estimated savings in operations and maintenance costs as they relate to the characteristics of the SHPM system. The integration of the health monitoring information and O&M cost versus damage/fault severity information provides the initial steps to identify processes to reduce operations and maintenance costs for an offshore wind farm while increasing turbine availability, revenue, and overall profit.« less

The effect of single-horn glaze ice on the vortex structures in the wake of a horizontal axis wind turbine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jin, Zhe-Yan; Dong, Qiao-Tian; Yang, Zhi-Gang

2015-02-01

The present study experimentally investigated the effect of a simulated single-horn glaze ice accreted on rotor blades on the vortex structures in the wake of a horizontal axis wind turbine by using the stereoscopic particle image velocimetry (Stereo-PIV) technique. During the experiments, four horizontal axis wind turbine models were tested, and both "free-run" and "phase-locked" Stereo-PIV measurements were carried out. Based on the "free-run" measurements, it was found that because of the simulated single-horn glaze ice, the shape, vorticity, and trajectory of tip vortices were changed significantly, and less kinetic energy of the airflow could be harvested by the wind turbine. In addition, the "phase-locked" results indicated that the presence of simulated single-horn glaze ice resulted in a dramatic reduction of the vorticity peak of the tip vortices. Moreover, as the length of the glaze ice increased, both root and tip vortex gaps were found to increase accordingly.

Study on the glaze ice accretion of wind turbine with various chord lengths

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liang, Jian; Liu, Maolian; Wang, Ruiqi; Wang, Yuhang

2018-02-01

Wind turbine icing often occurs in winter, which changes the aerodynamic characteristics of the blades and reduces the work efficiency of the wind turbine. In this paper, the glaze ice model is established for horizontal-axis wind turbine in 3-D. The model contains the grid generation, two-phase simulation, heat and mass transfer. Results show that smaller wind turbine suffers from more serious icing problem, which reflects on a larger ice thickness. Both the collision efficiency and heat transfer coefficient increase under smaller size condition.

The effects of vortex structure and vortex translation on the tropical cyclone boundary layer wind field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Williams, Gabriel J.

2015-03-01

The effects of vortex translation and radial vortex structure in the distribution of boundary layer winds in the inner core of mature tropical cyclones are examined using a high-resolution slab model and a multilevel model. It is shown that the structure and magnitude of the wind field (and the corresponding secondary circulation) depends sensitively on the radial gradient of the gradient wind field above the boundary layer. Furthermore, it is shown that vortex translation creates low wave number asymmetries in the wind field that rotate anticyclonically with height. A budget analysis of the steady state wind field for both models was also performed in this study. Although the agradient force drives the evolution of the boundary layer wind field for both models, it is shown that the manner in which the boundary layer flow responds to this force differs between the two model representations. In particular, the inner core boundary layer flow in the slab model is dominated by the effects of horizontal advection and horizontal diffusion, leading to the development of shock structures in the model. Conversely, the inner core boundary layer flow in the multilevel model is primarily influenced by the effects of vertical advection and vertical diffusion, which eliminates shock structures in this model. These results further indicate that special care is required to ensure that qualitative applications from slab models are not unduly affected by the neglect of vertical advection. This article was corrected on 31 MAR 2015. See the end of the full text for details.

Use of wind data for estimating horizontal dilution potential of atmosphere.

PubMed

George, K V; Verma, P; Devotta, S

2007-04-01

In this study, a new methodology is suggested for estimating horizontal dilution potential of an area using wind data. The mean wind speed and wind direction variation are used as a measure of linear and angular spread of pollutants in the atmosphere. A formula is developed for estimating the potential of horizontal spread of pollutants in an area wherein only the wind speed and direction are used. The methodology is further applied to monitor wind data of one year. It is found that there is a very smooth variation of horizontal dilution potential over a year with limited dilution during post monsoon period and a high dilution in pre monsoon period.

LPV control for the full region operation of a wind turbine integrated with synchronous generator.

PubMed

Cao, Guoyan; Grigoriadis, Karolos M; Nyanteh, Yaw D

2015-01-01

Wind turbine conversion systems require feedback control to achieve reliable wind turbine operation and stable current supply. A robust linear parameter varying (LPV) controller is proposed to reduce the structural loads and improve the power extraction of a horizontal axis wind turbine operating in both the partial load and the full load regions. The LPV model is derived from the wind turbine state space models extracted by FAST (fatigue, aerodynamics, structural, and turbulence) code linearization at different operating points. In order to assure a smooth transition between the two regions, appropriate frequency-dependent varying scaling parametric weighting functions are designed in the LPV control structure. The solution of a set of linear matrix inequalities (LMIs) leads to the LPV controller. A synchronous generator model is connected with the closed LPV control loop for examining the electrical subsystem performance obtained by an inner speed control loop. Simulation results of a 1.5 MW horizontal axis wind turbine model on the FAST platform illustrates the benefit of the LPV control and demonstrates the advantages of this proposed LPV controller, when compared with a traditional gain scheduling PI control and prior LPV control configurations. Enhanced structural load mitigation, improved power extraction, and good current performance were obtained from the proposed LPV control.

LPV Control for the Full Region Operation of a Wind Turbine Integrated with Synchronous Generator

PubMed Central

Grigoriadis, Karolos M.; Nyanteh, Yaw D.

2015-01-01

Wind turbine conversion systems require feedback control to achieve reliable wind turbine operation and stable current supply. A robust linear parameter varying (LPV) controller is proposed to reduce the structural loads and improve the power extraction of a horizontal axis wind turbine operating in both the partial load and the full load regions. The LPV model is derived from the wind turbine state space models extracted by FAST (fatigue, aerodynamics, structural, and turbulence) code linearization at different operating points. In order to assure a smooth transition between the two regions, appropriate frequency-dependent varying scaling parametric weighting functions are designed in the LPV control structure. The solution of a set of linear matrix inequalities (LMIs) leads to the LPV controller. A synchronous generator model is connected with the closed LPV control loop for examining the electrical subsystem performance obtained by an inner speed control loop. Simulation results of a 1.5 MW horizontal axis wind turbine model on the FAST platform illustrates the benefit of the LPV control and demonstrates the advantages of this proposed LPV controller, when compared with a traditional gain scheduling PI control and prior LPV control configurations. Enhanced structural load mitigation, improved power extraction, and good current performance were obtained from the proposed LPV control. PMID:25884036

Adaptive Disturbance Tracking Theory with State Estimation and State Feedback for Region II Control of Large Wind Turbines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Balas, Mark J.; Thapa Magar, Kaman S.; Frost, Susan A.

2013-01-01

A theory called Adaptive Disturbance Tracking Control (ADTC) is introduced and used to track the Tip Speed Ratio (TSR) of 5 MW Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine (HAWT). Since ADTC theory requires wind speed information, a wind disturbance generator model is combined with lower order plant model to estimate the wind speed as well as partial states of the wind turbine. In this paper, we present a proof of stability and convergence of ADTC theory with lower order estimator and show that the state feedback can be adaptive.

A comparative study of various inflow boundary conditions and turbulence models for wind turbine wake predictions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tian, Lin-Lin; Zhao, Ning; Song, Yi-Lei; Zhu, Chun-Ling

2018-05-01

This work is devoted to perform systematic sensitivity analysis of different turbulence models and various inflow boundary conditions in predicting the wake flow behind a horizontal axis wind turbine represented by an actuator disc (AD). The tested turbulence models are the standard k-𝜀 model and the Reynolds Stress Model (RSM). A single wind turbine immersed in both uniform flows and in modeled atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) flows is studied. Simulation results are validated against the field experimental data in terms of wake velocity and turbulence intensity.

Effect of rain on Ku-band scatterometer wind measurements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Spencer, Michael; Shimada, Masanobu

1991-01-01

The impact of precipitation on scatterometer wind measurements is investigated. A model is developed which includes the effects of rain attenuation, rain backscatter, and storm horizontal structure. Rain attenuation is found to be the dominant error source at low radar incidence angles and high wind speeds. Volume backscatter from the rain-loaded atmosphere, however, is found to dominate for high incidence angles and low wind speeds.

Validation of Simplified Load Equations Through Loads Measurement and Modeling of a Small Horizontal-Axis Wind Turbine Tower

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dana, Scott; Van Dam, Jeroen J; Damiani, Rick R

As part of an ongoing effort to improve the modeling and prediction of small wind turbine dynamics, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) tested a small horizontal-axis wind turbine in the field at the National Wind Technology Center. The test turbine was a 2.1-kW downwind machine mounted on an 18-m multi-section fiberglass composite tower. The tower was instrumented and monitored for approximately 6 months. The collected data were analyzed to assess the turbine and tower loads and further validate the simplified loads equations from the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) 61400-2 design standards. Field-measured loads were also compared to the outputmore » of an aeroelastic model of the turbine. In particular, we compared fatigue loads as measured in the field, predicted by the aeroelastic model, and calculated using the simplified design equations. Ultimate loads at the tower base were assessed using both the simplified design equations and the aeroelastic model output. The simplified design equations in IEC 61400-2 do not accurately model fatigue loads and a discussion about the simplified design equations is discussed.« less

Synthetic thermosphere winds based on CHAMP neutral and plasma density measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gasperini, F.; Forbes, J. M.; Doornbos, E. N.; Bruinsma, S. L.

2016-04-01

Meridional winds in the thermosphere are key to understanding latitudinal coupling and thermosphere-ionosphere coupling, and yet global measurements of this wind component are scarce. In this work, neutral and electron densities measured by the Challenging Minisatellite Payload (CHAMP) satellite at solar low and geomagnetically quiet conditions are converted to pressure gradient and ion drag forces, which are then used to solve the horizontal momentum equation to estimate low latitude to midlatitude zonal and meridional "synthetic" winds. We validate the method by showing that neutral and electron densities output from National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) Thermosphere Ionosphere Mesosphere Electrodynamics-General Circulation Model (TIME-GCM) can be used to derive solutions to the momentum equations that replicate reasonably well (over 85% of the variance) the winds self-consistently calculated within the TIME-GCM. CHAMP cross-track winds are found to share over 65% of the variance with the synthetic zonal winds, providing further reassurance that this wind product should provide credible results. Comparisons with the Horizontal Wind Model 14 (HWM14) show that the empirical model largely underestimates wind speeds and does not reproduce much of the observed variability. Additionally, in this work we reveal the longitude, latitude, local time, and seasonal variability in the winds; show evidence of ionosphere-thermosphere (IT) coupling, with enhanced postsunset eastward winds due to depleted ion drag; demonstrate superrotation speeds of ˜27 m/s at the equator; discuss vertical wave coupling due the diurnal eastward propagating tide with zonal wave number 3 and the semidiurnal eastward propagating tide with zonal wave number 2.

Dispersive stresses in wind farms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Segalini, Antonio; Braunbehrens, Robert; Hyvarinen, Ann

2017-11-01

One of the most famous models of wind farms is provided by the assumption that the farm can be approximated as a horizontally-homogeneous forest canopy with vertically-varying force intensity. By means of this approximation, the flow-motion equations become drastically simpler, as many of the three-dimensional effects are gone. However, the application of the horizontal average operator to the RANS equations leads to the appearance of new transport terms (called dispersive stresses) originating from the horizontal (small-scale) variation of the mean velocity field. Since these terms are related to the individual turbine signature, they are expected to vanish outside the roughness sublayer, providing a definition for the latter. In the present work, an assessment of the dispersive stresses is performed by means of a wake-model approach and through the linearised code ORFEUS developed at KTH. Both approaches are very fast and enable the characterization of a large number of wind-farm layouts. The dispersive stress tensor and its effect on the turbulence closure models are investigated, providing guidelines for those simulations where it is impossible to resolve the farm at a turbine scale due to grid requirements (as, for instance, mesoscale simulations).

Material transport in a wind and buoyancy forced mixed layer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mensa, J. A.; Özgökmen, T.; Poje, A. C.; Imberger, J.

2016-02-01

Flows in the upper ocean mixed layer are responsible for the transport and dispersion of biogeochemical tracers, phytoplankton and buoyant pollutants, such as hydrocarbons from an oil spill. Material dispersion in mixed layer flows subject to diurnal buoyancy forcing and weak winds (|u10|=5ms-1) are investigated using a non-hydrostatic model. Both purely buoyancy-forced and combined wind- and buoyancy-forced flows are sampled using passive tracers, as well as 2D and 3D particles to explore characteristics of horizontal and vertical dispersion. It is found that the surface tracer patterns are determined by the convergence zones created by convection cells within a time scale of just a few hours. For pure convection, the results displayed the classic signature of Rayleigh-Benard cells. When combined with a wind stress, the convective cells become anisotropic in that the along-wind length scale gets much larger than the cross-wind scale. Horizontal relative dispersion computed by sampling the flow fields using both 2D and 3D passive particles is found to be consistent with the Richardson regime. Relative dispersion is an order of magnitude higher and 2D surface releases transition to Richardson regime faster in the wind-forced case. We also show that the buoyancy-forced case results in significantly lower amplitudes of scale-dependent horizontal relative diffusivity, kD(l), than those reported by Okubo (1970), while the wind- and buoyancy forced case shows a good agreement with Okubo's diffusivity amplitude, and scaling consistent with Richardson's 4/3rd law, kD(l) l4/3. The modelling results provide a framework for measuring material dispersion by mixed layer flow in future observational programs.

Material transport in a convective surface mixed layer under weak wind forcing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mensa, Jean A.; Özgökmen, Tamay M.; Poje, Andrew C.; Imberger, Jörg

2015-12-01

Flows in the upper ocean mixed layer are responsible for the transport and dispersion of biogeochemical tracers, phytoplankton and buoyant pollutants, such as hydrocarbons from an oil spill. Material dispersion in mixed layer flows subject to diurnal buoyancy forcing and weak winds (| u10 | = 5m s-1) are investigated using a non-hydrostatic model. Both purely buoyancy-forced and combined wind- and buoyancy-forced flows are sampled using passive tracers, as well as 2D and 3D particles to explore characteristics of horizontal and vertical dispersion. It is found that the surface tracer patterns are determined by the convergence zones created by convection cells within a time scale of just a few hours. For pure convection, the results displayed the classic signature of Rayleigh-Benard cells. When combined with a wind stress, the convective cells become anisotropic in that the along-wind length scale gets much larger than the cross-wind scale. Horizontal relative dispersion computed by sampling the flow fields using both 2D and 3D passive particles is found to be consistent with the Richardson regime. Relative dispersion is an order of magnitude higher and 2D surface releases transition to Richardson regime faster in the wind-forced case. We also show that the buoyancy-forced case results in significantly lower amplitudes of scale-dependent horizontal relative diffusivity, kD(ℓ), than those reported by Okubo (1970), while the wind- and buoyancy-forced case shows a good agreement with Okubo's diffusivity amplitude, and the scaling is consistent with Richardson's 4/3rd law, kD ∼ ℓ4/3. These modeling results provide a framework for measuring material dispersion by mixed layer flows in future observational programs.

Assimilation of Satellite to Improve Cloud Simulation in Wrf Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, Y. H.; Pour Biazar, A.; McNider, R. T.

2012-12-01

A simple approach has been introduced to improve cloud simulation spatially and temporally in a meteorological model. The first step for this approach is to use Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) observations to identify clouds and estimate the clouds structure. Then by comparing GOES observations to model cloud field, we identify areas in which model has under-predicted or over-predicted clouds. Next, by introducing subsidence in areas with over-prediction and lifting in areas with under-prediction, erroneous clouds are removed and new clouds are formed. The technique estimates a vertical velocity needed for the cloud correction and then uses a one dimensional variation schemes (1D_Var) to calculate the horizontal divergence components and the consequent horizontal wind components needed to sustain such vertical velocity. Finally, the new horizontal winds are provided as a nudging field to the model. This nudging provides the dynamical support needed to create/clear clouds in a sustainable manner. The technique was implemented and tested in the Weather Research and Forecast (WRF) Model and resulted in substantial improvement in model simulated clouds. Some of the results are presented here.

A NASTRAN-based computer program for structural dynamic analysis of Horizontal Axis Wind Turbines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lobitz, Don W.

1995-01-01

This paper describes a computer program developed for structural dynamic analysis of horizontal axis wind turbines (HAWT's). It is based on the finite element method through its reliance on NASTRAN for the development of mass, stiffness, and damping matrices of the tower end rotor, which are treated in NASTRAN as separate structures. The tower is modeled in a stationary frame and the rotor in one rotating at a constant angular velocity. The two structures are subsequently joined together (external to NASTRAN) using a time-dependent transformation consistent with the hub configuration. Aerodynamic loads are computed with an established flow model based on strip theory. Aeroelastic effects are included by incorporating the local velocity and twisting deformation of the blade in the load computation. The turbulent nature of the wind, both in space and time, is modeled by adding in stochastic wind increments. The resulting equations of motion are solved in the time domain using the implicit Newmark-Beta integrator. Preliminary comparisons with data from the Boeing/NASA MOD2 HAWT indicate that the code is capable of accurately and efficiently predicting the response of HAWT's driven by turbulent winds.

Wind effect on diurnal thermally driven flow in vegetated nearshore of a lake

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Y. T.

2014-12-01

In this study, a highly idealized model is developed to discuss the interplay of diurnal heating/cooling induced buoyancy and wind stress on thermally driven flow over a vegetated slope. Since the model is linear, the horizontal velocity components can be broken into buoyancy-driven and surface wind-driven parts. Due to the presence of rooted emergent vegetation, the circulation strength even under the surface wind condition is still significantly reduced, and the transient (adjustment) stage for the initial conditions is shorter than that without vegetation. The flow in shallows is dominated by a viscosity/buoyancy balance as the case without wind, while the effect of wind stress is limited to the upper layer in deep water. In the lower layer of deep regions, vegetative drag is prevailing except the near bottom regions, where viscosity dominates. Under the unidirectional wind condition, a critical dimensionless shear stress to stop the induced flow can be found and is a function of horizontal location . For the periodic wind condition, if the two forcing mechanisms work in concert, the circulation magnitude can be increased. For the case where buoyancy and wind shear stress act against each other, the circulation strength is reduced and its structure becomes more complex. However, the flow magnitudes near the bottom for and are comparable because surface wind almost has no influence.

Analysis and test results for a two-bladed, passive cycle pitch, horizontal-axis wind turbine in free and controlled yaw

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Holenemser, K.H.

1995-10-01

This report surveys the analysis and tests performed at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, on a horizontal-axis, two-laded wind turbine with teeter hub. The introduction is a brief account of results obtained during the 5-year period ending December 1985. The wind tunnel model and the test turbine (7.6 m [25 ft.] in diameter) at Washington University`s Tyson Research Center had a 67{degree} delta-three angle of the teeter axis. The introduction explains why this configuration was selected and named the passive cycle pitch (PCP) wind turbine. Through the analysis was not limited to the PCP rotor, all tests, including thosemore » done from 1986 to 1994, wee conducted with the same teetered wind rotor. The blades are rather stiff and have only a small elastic coning angle and no precone.« less

Aerodynamic design and analysis of small horizontal axis wind turbine blades

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tang, Xinzi

This work investigates the aerodynamic design and analysis of small horizontal axis wind turbine blades via the blade element momentum (BEM) based approach and the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) based approach. From this research, it is possible to draw a series of detailed guidelines on small wind turbine blade design and analysis. The research also provides a platform for further comprehensive study using these two approaches. The wake induction corrections and stall corrections of the BEM method were examined through a case study of the NREL/NASA Phase VI wind turbine. A hybrid stall correction model was proposed to analyse wind turbine power performance. The proposed model shows improvement in power prediction for the validation case, compared with the existing stall correction models. The effects of the key rotor parameters of a small wind turbine as well as the blade chord and twist angle distributions on power performance were investigated through two typical wind turbines, i.e. a fixed-pitch variable-speed (FPVS) wind turbine and a fixed-pitch fixed-speed (FPFS) wind turbine. An engineering blade design and analysis code was developed in MATLAB to accommodate aerodynamic design and analysis of the blades.. The linearisation for radial profiles of blade chord and twist angle for the FPFS wind turbine blade design was discussed. Results show that, the proposed linearisation approach leads to reduced manufacturing cost and higher annual energy production (AEP), with minimal effects on the low wind speed performance. Comparative studies of mesh and turbulence models in 2D and 3D CFD modelling were conducted. The CFD predicted lift and drag coefficients of the airfoil S809 were compared with wind tunnel test data and the 3D CFD modelling method of the NREL/NASA Phase VI wind turbine were validated against measurements. Airfoil aerodynamic characterisation and wind turbine power performance as well as 3D flow details were studied. The detailed flow characteristics from the CFD modelling are quantitatively comparable to the measurements, such as blade surface pressure distribution and integrated forces and moments. It is confirmed that the CFD approach is able to provide a more detailed qualitative and quantitative analysis for wind turbine airfoils and rotors..

Control design and performance analysis of a 6 MW wind turbine-generator

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Murdoch, A.; Barton, R.S.; Javid, S.H.

1983-05-01

This paper discusses an approach to the modeling and performance for the preliminary design phase of a large (6.2 MW) horizontal axis wind turbine generator (WTG). Two control philosophies are presented, both of which are based on linearized models of the WT mechanical and electrical systems. The control designs are compared by showing the performance through detailed non-linear time simulation. The disturbances considered are wind gusts, and electrical faults near the WT terminals.

Control design and performance analysis of a 6 MW wind turbine-generator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Murdoch, A.; Winkelman, J. R.; Javid, S. H.; Barton, R. S.

1983-01-01

This paper discusses an approach to the modeling and performance for the preliminary design phase of a large (6.2 MW) horizontal axis wind turbine generator (WTG). Two control philosophies are presented, both of which are based on linearized models of the WT mechanical and electrical systems. The control designs are compared by showing the performance through detailed non-linear time simulation. The disturbances considered are wind gusts, and electrical faults near the WT terminals.

FPI observations of nighttime mesospheric and thermospheric winds in China and their comparisons with HWM07

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yuan, Wei

2015-04-01

We analyzed the nighttime horizontal neutral winds in the middle atmosphere (˜87 and ˜98 km) and thermosphere (˜250 km) derived from a Fabry-Perot interferometer (FPI), which was installed at Xinglong station (40.2◦ N, 117.4◦ E) in central China. The wind data covered the period from April 2010 to July 2012. We studied the annual, semiannual and terannual variations of the midnight winds at ˜87 km, ˜98 km and ˜250 km for the first time and compared them with Horizontal Wind Model 2007 (HWM07). Our results show the following: (1) at ˜ 87 km, both the observed and model zonal winds have similar phases in the annual and semiannual variations. However, the HWM07 amplitudes are much larger. (2) At ˜98 km, the model shows strong eastward wind in the summer solstice, resulting in a large annual variation, while the observed strongest component is semiannual. The observation and model midnight meridional winds agree well. Both are equatorward throughout the year and have small amplitudes in the annual and semiannual variations. (3) There are large discrepancies between the observed and HWM07 winds at ˜250 km. This discrepancy is largely due to the strong semiannual zonal wind in the model and the phase difference in the annual variation of the meridional wind. The FPI annual variation coincides with the results from Arecibo, which has similar geomagnetic latitude as Xinglong station. In General, the consistency of FPI winds with model winds is better at ˜87 and ˜98 km than that at ˜250 km. We also studied the seasonally and monthly averaged nighttime winds. The most salient features include the following: (1) the seasonally averaged zonal winds at ˜87 and ˜98 km typically have small variations throughout the night. (2) The model zonal and meridional nighttime wind variations are typically much larger than those of observations at ˜87 km and ˜98 km. (3) At ˜250 km, model zonal wind compares well with the observation in the winter. For spring and autumn, the model wind is more eastward before ˜ 03:00 LT but more westward after. The observed nighttime zonal and meridional winds on average are close to zero in the summer and autumn, which indicates a lack of strong stable tides. The consistency of FPI zonal wind with model wind at ˜250 km is better than the meridional wind.

Alleviating tropical Atlantic sector biases in the Kiel climate model by enhancing horizontal and vertical atmosphere model resolution: climatology and interannual variability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harlaß, Jan; Latif, Mojib; Park, Wonsun

2018-04-01

We investigate the quality of simulating tropical Atlantic (TA) sector climatology and interannual variability in integrations of the Kiel climate model (KCM) with varying atmosphere model resolution. The ocean model resolution is kept fixed. A reasonable simulation of TA sector annual-mean climate, seasonal cycle and interannual variability can only be achieved at sufficiently high horizontal and vertical atmospheric resolution. Two major reasons for the improvements are identified. First, the western equatorial Atlantic westerly surface wind bias in spring can be largely eliminated, which is explained by a better representation of meridional and especially vertical zonal momentum transport. The enhanced atmospheric circulation along the equator in turn greatly improves the thermal structure of the upper equatorial Atlantic with much reduced warm sea surface temperature (SST) biases. Second, the coastline in the southeastern TA and steep orography are better resolved at high resolution, which improves wind structure and in turn reduces warm SST biases in the Benguela upwelling region. The strongly diminished wind and SST biases at high atmosphere model resolution allow for a more realistic latitudinal position of the intertropical convergence zone. Resulting stronger cross-equatorial winds, in conjunction with a shallower thermocline, enable a rapid cold tongue development in the eastern TA in boreal spring. This enables simulation of realistic interannual SST variability and its seasonal phase locking in the KCM, which primarily is the result of a stronger thermocline feedback. Our findings suggest that enhanced atmospheric resolution, both vertical and horizontal, could be a key to achieving more realistic simulation of TA climatology and interannual variability in climate models.

A space-based climatology of diurnal MLT tidal winds, temperatures and densities from UARS wind measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Svoboda, Aaron A.; Forbes, Jeffrey M.; Miyahara, Saburo

2005-11-01

A self-consistent global tidal climatology, useful for comparing and interpreting radar observations from different locations around the globe, is created from space-based Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) horizontal wind measurements. The climatology created includes tidal structures for horizontal winds, temperature and relative density, and is constructed by fitting local (in latitude and height) UARS wind data at 95 km to a set of basis functions called Hough mode extensions (HMEs). These basis functions are numerically computed modifications to Hough modes and are globally self-consistent in wind, temperature, and density. We first demonstrate this self-consistency with a proxy data set from the Kyushu University General Circulation Model, and then use a linear weighted superposition of the HMEs obtained from monthly fits to the UARS data to extrapolate the global, multi-variable tidal structure. A brief explanation of the HMEs’ origin is provided as well as information about a public website that has been set up to make the full extrapolated data sets available.

Results of the horizontal and meridional thermospheric winds in the cachoeira paulista (22.5s; 45w), a low latitude station in Brazilian region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Castilho, V. M.; Sobral, J. H. A.; Abdu, M. A.; Takahashi, H.; Arruda, D. C. S.

At this point, 74 nights have been observed during the period of May 2002 to March 2003, high to low solar activity period, by Fabry-Perot Interferometer operating at Cachoeira Paulista - CP (22.5S; 45W). This study focuses the monthly and seasonal analysis of the horizontal and meridional components of the thermospheric winds at CP. For the studied region, the zonal component of the thermospheric winds is predominantly eastward during the nocturnal hours and the meridional component is southward in the initial nocturnal hours and northward in the end of the night. Undesturbed F-region e-filds at low latitudes are primarily generated by the thermospheric winds. Ionosphere plasma drifts and thermospheric winds are important transport mechanisms that affect the electron density distribution. The results observed are compared with HWM93 model. KEY WORDS: Fabry Perot Interferometer, Thermospheric Winds, OI 630nm.

Level-crossing statistics of the horizontal wind speed in the planetary surface boundary layer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Edwards, Paul J.; Hurst, Robert B.

2001-09-01

The probability density of the times for which the horizontal wind remains above or below a given threshold speed is of some interest in the fields of renewable energy generation and pollutant dispersal. However there appear to be no analytic or conceptual models which account for the observed power law form of the distribution of these episode lengths over a range of over three decades, from a few tens of seconds to a day or more. We reanalyze high resolution wind data and demonstrate the fractal character of the point process generated by the wind speed level crossings. We simulate the fluctuating wind speed by a Markov process which approximates the characteristics of the real (non-Markovian) wind and successfully generates a power law distribution of episode lengths. However, fundamental questions concerning the physical basis for this behavior and the connection between the properties of a continuous-time stochastic process and the fractal statistics of the point process generated by its level crossings remain unanswered.

Computational Aerodynamic Analysis of Offshore Upwind and Downwind Turbines

DOE PAGES

Zhao, Qiuying; Sheng, Chunhua; Afjeh, Abdollah

2014-01-01

Aerodynamic interactions of the model NREL 5 MW offshore horizontal axis wind turbines (HAWT) are investigated using a high-fidelity computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis. Four wind turbine configurations are considered; three-bladed upwind and downwind and two-bladed upwind and downwind configurations, which operate at two different rotor speeds of 12.1 and 16 RPM. In the present study, both steady and unsteady aerodynamic loads, such as the rotor torque, blade hub bending moment, and base the tower bending moment of the tower, are evaluated in detail to provide overall assessment of different wind turbine configurations. Aerodynamic interactions between the rotor and tower are analyzed,more » including the rotor wake development downstream. The computational analysis provides insight into aerodynamic performance of the upwind and downwind, two- and three-bladed horizontal axis wind turbines.« less

Specification for a standard radar sea clutter model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paulus, Richard A.

1990-09-01

A model for the average sea clutter radar cross section is proposed for the Oceanographic and Atmospheric Master Library. This model is a function of wind speed (or sea state), wind direction relative to the antenna, refractive conditions, radar antenna height, frequency, polarization, horizontal beamwidth, and compressed pulse length. The model is fully described, a FORTRAN 77 computer listing is provided, and test cases are given to demonstrate the proper operation of the program.

Technical Note: On the Use of Nudging for Aerosol-Climate Model Intercomparison Studies

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhang, Kai; Wan, Hui; Liu, Xiaohong

2014-08-26

Nudging is an assimilation technique widely used in the development and evaluation of climate models. Con- straining the simulated wind and temperature fields using global weather reanalysis facilitates more straightforward comparison between simulation and observation, and reduces uncertainties associated with natural variabilities of the large-scale circulation. On the other hand, the artificial forcing introduced by nudging can be strong enough to change the basic characteristics of the model climate. In the paper we show that for the Community Atmosphere Model version 5, due to the systematic temperature bias in the standard model and the relatively strong sensitivity of homogeneous icemore » nucleation to aerosol concentration, nudging towards reanalysis results in substantial reductions in the ice cloud amount and the impact of anthropogenic aerosols on longwave cloud forcing. In order to reduce discrepancies between the nudged and unconstrained simulations and meanwhile take the advantages of nudging, two alternative experimentation methods are evaluated. The first one constrains only the horizontal winds. The second method nudges both winds and temperature, but replaces the long-term climatology of the reanalysis by that of the model. Results show that both methods lead to substantially improved agreement with the free-running model in terms of the top-of-atmosphere radiation budget and cloud ice amount. The wind-only nudging is more convenient to apply, and provides higher correlations of the wind fields, geopotential height and specific humidity between simulation and reanalysis. This suggests that nudging the horizontal winds but not temperature is a good strategy, especially for studies that involve both warm and cold clouds.« less

Technical Note: On the use of nudging for aerosol–climate model intercomparison studies

DOE PAGES

Zhang, K.; Wan, H.; Liu, X.; ...

2014-08-26

Nudging as an assimilation technique has seen increased use in recent years in the development and evaluation of climate models. Constraining the simulated wind and temperature fields using global weather reanalysis facilitates more straightforward comparison between simulation and observation, and reduces uncertainties associated with natural variabilities of the large-scale circulation. On the other hand, the forcing introduced by nudging can be strong enough to change the basic characteristics of the model climate. In the paper we show that for the Community Atmosphere Model version 5 (CAM5), due to the systematic temperature bias in the standard model and the sensitivity ofmore » simulated ice formation to anthropogenic aerosol concentration, nudging towards reanalysis results in substantial reductions in the ice cloud amount and the impact of anthropogenic aerosols on long-wave cloud forcing. In order to reduce discrepancies between the nudged and unconstrained simulations, and meanwhile take the advantages of nudging, two alternative experimentation methods are evaluated. The first one constrains only the horizontal winds. The second method nudges both winds and temperature, but replaces the long-term climatology of the reanalysis by that of the model. Results show that both methods lead to substantially improved agreement with the free-running model in terms of the top-of-atmosphere radiation budget and cloud ice amount. The wind-only nudging is more convenient to apply, and provides higher correlations of the wind fields, geopotential height and specific humidity between simulation and reanalysis. Results from both CAM5 and a second aerosol–climate model ECHAM6-HAM2 also indicate that compared to the wind-and-temperature nudging, constraining only winds leads to better agreement with the free-running model in terms of the estimated shortwave cloud forcing and the simulated convective activities. This suggests nudging the horizontal winds but not temperature is a good strategy for the investigation of aerosol indirect effects since it provides well-constrained meteorology without strongly perturbing the model's mean climate.« less

Technical Note: On the use of nudging for aerosol-climate model intercomparison studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, K.; Wan, H.; Liu, X.; Ghan, S. J.; Kooperman, G. J.; Ma, P.-L.; Rasch, P. J.; Neubauer, D.; Lohmann, U.

2014-08-01

Nudging as an assimilation technique has seen increased use in recent years in the development and evaluation of climate models. Constraining the simulated wind and temperature fields using global weather reanalysis facilitates more straightforward comparison between simulation and observation, and reduces uncertainties associated with natural variabilities of the large-scale circulation. On the other hand, the forcing introduced by nudging can be strong enough to change the basic characteristics of the model climate. In the paper we show that for the Community Atmosphere Model version 5 (CAM5), due to the systematic temperature bias in the standard model and the sensitivity of simulated ice formation to anthropogenic aerosol concentration, nudging towards reanalysis results in substantial reductions in the ice cloud amount and the impact of anthropogenic aerosols on long-wave cloud forcing. In order to reduce discrepancies between the nudged and unconstrained simulations, and meanwhile take the advantages of nudging, two alternative experimentation methods are evaluated. The first one constrains only the horizontal winds. The second method nudges both winds and temperature, but replaces the long-term climatology of the reanalysis by that of the model. Results show that both methods lead to substantially improved agreement with the free-running model in terms of the top-of-atmosphere radiation budget and cloud ice amount. The wind-only nudging is more convenient to apply, and provides higher correlations of the wind fields, geopotential height and specific humidity between simulation and reanalysis. Results from both CAM5 and a second aerosol-climate model ECHAM6-HAM2 also indicate that compared to the wind-and-temperature nudging, constraining only winds leads to better agreement with the free-running model in terms of the estimated shortwave cloud forcing and the simulated convective activities. This suggests nudging the horizontal winds but not temperature is a good strategy for the investigation of aerosol indirect effects since it provides well-constrained meteorology without strongly perturbing the model's mean climate.

Absolute wind measurements in the lower thermosphere of Venus using infrared heterodyne spectroscopy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goldstein, Jeffrey J.

1990-01-01

The first absolute wind velocities above the Venusian cloud-tops were obtained using NASA/Goddard infrared heterodyne spectrometers at the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF) and the McMath Solar Telescope. Beam-integrated Doppler displacements in the non-thermal emission core of (12)C(16)O2 10.33 micron R(8) sampled the line of sight projection of the lower thermospheric wind field (100 to 120 km). A field-usable Lamb-dip laser stabilization system, developed for spectrometer absolute frequency calibration to less than + or - 0.1 MHz, allowed S/N-limited line of sight velocity resolution at the 1 m/s level. The spectrometer's diffraction-limited beam (1.7 arc-second HPBW at McMath, 0.9 arc-second HPBW at IRTF), and 1 to 2 arc-second seeing, provided the spatial resolution necessary for circulation model discrimination. Qualitative analysis of beam-integrated winds provided definitive evidence of a dominant subsolar-antisolar circulation in the lower thermosphere. Beam-integrated winds were modelled with a 100x100 grid over the beam, incorporating beam spatial rolloff and across-the-beam gradients in non-thermal emission intensity, line of sight projection geometry, and horizontal wind velocity. Horizontal wind velocity was derived from a 2-parameter model wind field comprised of subsolar-antisolar and zonal components. Best-fit models indicated a dominant subsolar-antisolar flow with 120 m/s cross-terminator winds and a retrograde zonal component with a 25 m/s equatorial velocity. A review of all dynamical indicators above the cloud-tops allowed development of an integrated and self-consistent picture of circulation in the 70 to 200 km range.

Doppler-shifting effects on frequency spectra of gravity waves observed near the summer mesopause at high latitude

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fritts, David C.; Wang, Ding-Yi

1991-01-01

Results are presented of radar observations of horizontal and vertical velocities near the summer mesopause at Poker Flat (Alaska), showing that the observed vertical velocity spectra were influenced strongly by Doppler-shifting effects. The horizontal velocity spectra, however, were relatively insensitive to horizontal wind speed. The observed spectra are compared with predicted spectra for various models of the intrinsic motion spectrum and degrees of Doppler shifting.

Experimental Study on the Wake Meandering Within a Scale Model Wind Farm Subject to a Wind-Tunnel Flow Simulating an Atmospheric Boundary Layer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coudou, Nicolas; Buckingham, Sophia; Bricteux, Laurent; van Beeck, Jeroen

2017-12-01

The phenomenon of meandering of the wind-turbine wake comprises the motion of the wake as a whole in both horizontal and vertical directions as it is advected downstream. The oscillatory motion of the wake is a crucial factor in wind farms, because it increases the fatigue loads, and, in particular, the yaw loads on downstream turbines. To address this phenomenon, experimental investigations are carried out in a wind-tunnel flow simulating an atmospheric boundary layer with the Coriolis effect neglected. A 3 × 3 scaled wind farm composed of three-bladed rotating wind-turbine models is subject to a neutral boundary layer over a slightly-rough surface, i.e. corresponding to offshore conditions. Particle-image-velocimetry measurements are performed in a horizontal plane at hub height in the wakes of the three wind turbines occupying the wind-farm centreline. These measurements allow determination of the wake centrelines, with spectral analysis indicating the characteristic wavelength of the wake-meandering phenomenon. In addition, measurements with hot-wire anemometry are performed along a vertical line in the wakes of the same wind turbines, with both techniques revealing the presence of wake meandering behind all three turbines. The spectral analysis performed with the spatial and temporal signals obtained from these two measurement techniques indicates a Strouhal number of ≈ 0.20 - 0.22 based on the characteristic wake-meandering frequency, the rotor diameter and the flow speed at hub height.

Experimental Study on the Wake Meandering Within a Scale Model Wind Farm Subject to a Wind-Tunnel Flow Simulating an Atmospheric Boundary Layer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coudou, Nicolas; Buckingham, Sophia; Bricteux, Laurent; van Beeck, Jeroen

2018-04-01

The phenomenon of meandering of the wind-turbine wake comprises the motion of the wake as a whole in both horizontal and vertical directions as it is advected downstream. The oscillatory motion of the wake is a crucial factor in wind farms, because it increases the fatigue loads, and, in particular, the yaw loads on downstream turbines. To address this phenomenon, experimental investigations are carried out in a wind-tunnel flow simulating an atmospheric boundary layer with the Coriolis effect neglected. A 3 × 3 scaled wind farm composed of three-bladed rotating wind-turbine models is subject to a neutral boundary layer over a slightly-rough surface, i.e. corresponding to offshore conditions. Particle-image-velocimetry measurements are performed in a horizontal plane at hub height in the wakes of the three wind turbines occupying the wind-farm centreline. These measurements allow determination of the wake centrelines, with spectral analysis indicating the characteristic wavelength of the wake-meandering phenomenon. In addition, measurements with hot-wire anemometry are performed along a vertical line in the wakes of the same wind turbines, with both techniques revealing the presence of wake meandering behind all three turbines. The spectral analysis performed with the spatial and temporal signals obtained from these two measurement techniques indicates a Strouhal number of ≈ 0.20 - 0.22 based on the characteristic wake-meandering frequency, the rotor diameter and the flow speed at hub height.

An empirical model for ocean radar backscatter and its application in inversion routine to eliminate wind speed and direction effects

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dome, G. J.; Fung, A. K.; Moore, R. K.

1977-01-01

Several regression models were tested to explain the wind direction dependence of the 1975 JONSWAP (Joint North Sea Wave Project) scatterometer data. The models consider the radar backscatter as a harmonic function of wind direction. The constant term accounts for the major effect of wind speed and the sinusoidal terms for the effects of direction. The fundamental accounts for the difference in upwind and downwind returns, while the second harmonic explains the upwind-crosswind difference. It is shown that a second harmonic model appears to adequately explain the angular variation. A simple inversion technique, which uses two orthogonal scattering measurements, is also described which eliminates the effect of wind speed and direction. Vertical polarization was shown to be more effective in determining both wind speed and direction than horizontal polarization.

Implications of Wind-Assisted Aerial Navigation for Titan Mission Planning and Science Exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Elfes, A.; Reh, K.; Beauchamp, P.; Fathpour, N.; Blackmore, L.; Newman, C.; Kuwata, Y.; Wolf, M.; Assad, C.

2010-01-01

The recent Titan Saturn System Mission (TSSM) proposal incorporates a montgolfiere (hot air balloon) as part of its architecture. Standard montgolfiere balloons generate lift through heating of the atmospheric gases inside the envelope, and use a vent valve for altitude control. A Titan aerobot (robotic aerial vehicle) would have to use radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs) for electric power, and the excess heat generated can be used to provide thermal lift for a montgolfiere. A hybrid montgolfiere design could have propellers mounted on the gondola to generate horizontal thrust; in spite of the unfavorable aerodynamic drag caused by the shape of the balloon, a limited amount of lateral controllability could be achieved. In planning an aerial mission at Titan, it is extremely important to assess how the moon-wide wind field can be used to extend the navigation capabilities of an aerobot and thereby enhance the scientific return of the mission. In this paper we explore what guidance, navigation and control capabilities can be achieved by a vehicle that uses the Titan wind field. The control planning approach is based on passive wind field riding. The aerobot would use vertical control to select wind layers that would lead it towards a predefined science target, adding horizontal propulsion if available. The work presented in this paper is based on aerodynamic models that characterize balloon performance at Titan, and on TitanWRF (Weather Research and Forecasting), a model that incorporates heat convection, circulation, radiation, Titan haze properties, Saturn's tidal forcing, and other planetary phenomena. Our results show that a simple unpropelled montgolfiere without horizontal actuation will be able to reach a broad array of science targets within the constraints of the wind field. The study also indicates that even a small amount of horizontal thrust allows the balloon to reach any area of interest on Titan, and to do so in a fraction of the time needed by the unpropelled balloon. The results show that using the Titan wind field allows an aerobot to significantly extend its scientific reach, and that a montgolfiere (unpropelled or propelled) is a highly desirable architecture that can very significantly enhance the scientific return of a future Titan mission.

Tropical Cyclone Intensity in Global Models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davis, C. A.; Wang, W.; Ahijevych, D.

2017-12-01

In recent years, global prediction and climate models have begun to depict intense tropical cyclones, even up to Category 5 on the Saffir-Simpson scale. In light of the limitation of horizontal resolution in such models, we examine the how well these models treat tropical cyclone intensity, measured from several different perspectives. The models evaluated include the operational Global Forecast System, with a grid spacing of about 13 km, and the Model for Prediction Across Scales, with a variable resolution of 15 km over the Northwest Pacific transitioning to 60 km elsewhere. We focus on the Northwest Pacific for the period July-October, 2016. Results indicate that discrimination of tropical cyclone intensity is reasonably good up to roughly category 3 storms. The models are able to capture storms of category 4 intensity, but still exhibit a negative intensity bias of 20-30 knots at lead times beyond 5 days. This is partly indicative of the large number of super-typhoons that occurred in 2016. The question arises of how well global models should represent intensity, given that it is unreasonable for them to depict the inner core of many intense tropical cyclones with a grid increment of 13-15 km. We compute an expected "best-case" prediction of intensity based on filtering the observed wind profiles of Atlantic tropical cyclones according to different hypothetical model resolutions. The Atlantic is used because of the significant number of reconnaissance missions and more reliable estimate of wind radii. Results indicate that, even under the most optimistic assumptions, models with horizontal grid spacing of 1/4 degree or coarser should not produce a realistic number of category 4 and 5 storms unless there are errors in spatial attributes of the wind field. Furthermore, models with a grid spacing of 1/4 degree or greater are unlikely to systematically discriminate hurricanes with differing intensity. Finally, for simple wind profiles, it is shown how an accurate representation of maximum wind on a coarse grid will lead to an overestimate of horizontally integrated kinetic energy by a factor of two or more.

Experimental study on the wind-turbine wake meandering inside a scale model wind farm placed in an atmospheric-boundary-layer wind tunnel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coudou, N.; Buckingham, S.; van Beeck, J.

2017-05-01

Increasing use of wind energy over the years results in more and larger clustered wind farms. It is therefore fundamental to have an in-depth knowledge of wind-turbine wakes, and especially a better understanding of the well-known but less understood wake-meandering phenomenon which causes the wake to move as a whole in both horizontal and vertical directions as it is convected downstream. This oscillatory motion of the wake is crucial for loading on downstream turbines because it increases fatigue loads and in particular yaw loads. In order to address this phenomenon, experimental investigations were carried out in an atmospheric-boundary-layer wind tunnel using a 3 × 3 scaled wind farm composed of three-bladed rotating wind-turbine models subject to a neutral atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) corresponding to a slightly rough terrain, i.e. to offshore conditions. Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) measurements were performed in a horizontal plane, at hub height, in the wake of the three wind turbines in the wind-farm centreline. From the PIV velocity fields obtained, the wake-centrelines were determined and a spectral analysis was performed to obtain the characteristics of the wake-meandering phenomenon. In addition, Hot-Wire Anemometry (HWA) measurements were performed in the wakes of the same wind turbines to validate the PIV results. The spectral analysis performed with the spatial and temporal signals obtained from PIV and HWA measurements respectively, led to Strouhal numbers St = fD/Uhub ≃ 0.20 - 0.22.

Volumetric LiDAR scanning of a wind turbine wake and comparison with a 3D analytical wake model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carbajo Fuertes, Fernando; Porté-Agel, Fernando

2016-04-01

A correct estimation of the future power production is of capital importance whenever the feasibility of a future wind farm is being studied. This power estimation relies mostly on three aspects: (1) a reliable measurement of the wind resource in the area, (2) a well-established power curve of the future wind turbines and, (3) an accurate characterization of the wake effects; the latter being arguably the most challenging one due to the complexity of the phenomenon and the lack of extensive full-scale data sets that could be used to validate analytical or numerical models. The current project addresses the problem of obtaining a volumetric description of a full-scale wake of a 2MW wind turbine in terms of velocity deficit and turbulence intensity using three scanning wind LiDARs and two sonic anemometers. The characterization of the upstream flow conditions is done by one scanning LiDAR and two sonic anemometers, which have been used to calculate incoming vertical profiles of horizontal wind speed, wind direction and an approximation to turbulence intensity, as well as the thermal stability of the atmospheric boundary layer. The characterization of the wake is done by two scanning LiDARs working simultaneously and pointing downstream from the base of the wind turbine. The direct LiDAR measurements in terms of radial wind speed can be corrected using the upstream conditions in order to provide good estimations of the horizontal wind speed at any point downstream of the wind turbine. All this data combined allow for the volumetric reconstruction of the wake in terms of velocity deficit as well as turbulence intensity. Finally, the predictions of a 3D analytical model [1] are compared to the 3D LiDAR measurements of the wind turbine. The model is derived by applying the laws of conservation of mass and momentum and assuming a Gaussian distribution for the velocity deficit in the wake. This model has already been validated using high resolution wind-tunnel measurements and large-eddy simulation (LES) data of miniature wind turbine wakes, as well as LES data of real-scale wind-turbine wakes, but not yet with full-scale wind turbine wake measurements. [1] M. Bastankhah and F. Porté-Agel. A New Analytical Model For Wind-Turbine Wakes, in Renewable Energy, vol. 70, p. 116-123, 2014.

Splash dispersal of Phyllosticta citricarpa conidia from infected citrus fruit

PubMed Central

Perryman, S. A. M.; Clark, S. J.; West, J. S.

2014-01-01

Rain-splash dispersal of Phyllosticta citricarpa (syn. Guignardia citricarpa) conidia (pycnidiospores) from infected oranges was studied in still air and combined with wind. High power microscopy demonstrated the presence of conidia in splash droplets from diseased oranges, which exuded conidia for over one hour during repeated wetting. The largest (5 mm) incident drops produced the highest splashes (up to 41.0 cm). A linear-by-quadratic surface model predicted highest splashes to be 41.91 cm at a horizontal distance of 25.97 cm from the target orange. Large splash droplets contained most conidia (4–5.5 mm splashes averaged 308 conidia), but were splashed <30 cm horizontal distance. Most (80–90%) splashes were <1 mm diameter but carried only 0–4 conidia per droplet. In multiple splash experiments, splashes combined to reach higher maxima (up to 61.7 cm; linear-by-quadratic surface model prediction, 62.1 cm) than in the single splash experiments. In combination with wind, higher wind speeds carried an increasing proportion of splashes downwind travelling horizontally at least 8 m at the highest wind speed tested (7 m/s), due to a small proportion of droplets (<1 mm) being aerosolised. These experiments suggest that P. citricarpa conidia can be dispersed from infected oranges by splashes of water in rainfall events. PMID:25298272

Splash dispersal of Phyllosticta citricarpa conidia from infected citrus fruit.

PubMed

Perryman, S A M; Clark, S J; West, J S

2014-10-09

Rain-splash dispersal of Phyllosticta citricarpa (syn. Guignardia citricarpa) conidia (pycnidiospores) from infected oranges was studied in still air and combined with wind. High power microscopy demonstrated the presence of conidia in splash droplets from diseased oranges, which exuded conidia for over one hour during repeated wetting. The largest (5 mm) incident drops produced the highest splashes (up to 41.0 cm). A linear-by-quadratic surface model predicted highest splashes to be 41.91 cm at a horizontal distance of 25.97 cm from the target orange. Large splash droplets contained most conidia (4-5.5 mm splashes averaged 308 conidia), but were splashed <30 cm horizontal distance. Most (80-90%) splashes were <1 mm diameter but carried only 0-4 conidia per droplet. In multiple splash experiments, splashes combined to reach higher maxima (up to 61.7 cm; linear-by-quadratic surface model prediction, 62.1 cm) than in the single splash experiments. In combination with wind, higher wind speeds carried an increasing proportion of splashes downwind travelling horizontally at least 8 m at the highest wind speed tested (7 m/s), due to a small proportion of droplets (<1 mm) being aerosolised. These experiments suggest that P. citricarpa conidia can be dispersed from infected oranges by splashes of water in rainfall events.

The impact of resolution on the dynamics of the martian global atmosphere: Varying resolution studies with the MarsWRF GCM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Toigo, Anthony D.; Lee, Christopher; Newman, Claire E.; Richardson, Mark I.

2012-09-01

We investigate the sensitivity of the circulation and thermal structure of the martian atmosphere to numerical model resolution in a general circulation model (GCM) using the martian implementation (MarsWRF) of the planetWRF atmospheric model. We provide a description of the MarsWRF GCM and use it to study the global atmosphere at horizontal resolutions from 7.5° × 9° to 0.5° × 0.5°, encompassing the range from standard Mars GCMs to global mesoscale modeling. We find that while most of the gross-scale features of the circulation (the rough location of jets, the qualitative thermal structure, and the major large-scale features of the surface level winds) are insensitive to horizontal resolution over this range, several major features of the circulation are sensitive in detail. The northern winter polar circulation shows the greatest sensitivity, showing a continuous transition from a smooth polar winter jet at low resolution, to a distinct vertically “split” jet as resolution increases. The separation of the lower and middle atmosphere polar jet occurs at roughly 10 Pa, with the split jet structure developing in concert with the intensification of meridional jets at roughly 10 Pa and above 0.1 Pa. These meridional jets appear to represent the separation of lower and middle atmosphere mean overturning circulations (with the former being consistent with the usual concept of the “Hadley cell”). Further, the transition in polar jet structure is more sensitive to changes in zonal than meridional horizontal resolution, suggesting that representation of small-scale wave-mean flow interactions is more important than fine-scale representation of the meridional thermal gradient across the polar front. Increasing the horizontal resolution improves the match between the modeled thermal structure and the Mars Climate Sounder retrievals for northern winter high latitudes. While increased horizontal resolution also improves the simulation of the northern high latitudes at equinox, even the lowest model resolution considered here appears to do a good job for the southern winter and southern equinoctial pole (although in detail some discrepancies remain). These results suggest that studies of the northern winter jet (e.g., transient waves and cyclogenesis) will be more sensitive to global model resolution that those of the south (e.g., the confining dynamics of the southern polar vortex relevant to studies of argon transport). For surface winds, the major effect of increased horizontal resolution is in the superposition of circulations forced by local-scale topography upon the large-scale surface wind patterns. While passive predictions of dust lifting are generally insensitive to model horizontal resolution when no lifting threshold is considered, increasing the stress threshold produces significantly more lifting in higher resolution simulations with the generation of finer-scale, higher-stress winds due primarily to better-resolved topography. Considering the positive feedbacks expected for radiatively active dust lifting, we expect this bias to increase when such feedbacks are permitted.

A Large-eddy Simulation Study of Vertical Axis Wind Turbine Wakes in the Atmospheric Boundary Layer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shamsoddin, Sina; Porté-Agel, Fernando

2016-04-01

Vertical axis wind turbines (VAWTs) offer some advantages over their horizontal axis counterparts, and are being considered as a viable alternative to conventional horizontal axis wind turbines (HAWTs). Nevertheless, a relative shortage of scientific, academic and technical investigations of VAWTs is observed in the wind energy community with respect to HAWTs. Having this in mind, in this work, we aim to study the wake of a single VAWT, placed in the atmospheric boundary layer, using large-eddy simulation (LES) coupled with actuator line model (ALM). It is noteworthy that this is the first time that such a study is being performed. To do this, for a typical 1 MW VAWT design, first, the variation of power coefficient with both the chord length of the blades and the tip-speed ratio is analyzed using LES-ALM, and an optimum combination of chord length and tip-speed ratio is obtained. Subsequently, the wake of a VAWT with these optimum specifications is thoroughly examined by showing different relevant mean and turbulent wake flow statistics. Keywords: vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT); VAWT wake; Atmospheric Boundary Layer (ABL); large eddy simulation (LES); actuator line model (ALM); turbulence.

Technical Note: On the use of nudging for aerosol-climate model intercomparison studies

DOE PAGES

Zhang, K.; Wan, H.; Liu, X.; ...

2014-04-24

Nudging is an assimilation technique widely used in the development and evaluation of climate models. Constraining the simulated wind and temperature fields using global weather reanalysis facilitates more straightforward comparison between simulation and observation, and reduces uncertainties associated with natural variabilities of the large-scale circulation. On the other hand, the forcing introduced by nudging can be strong enough to change the basic characteristics of the model climate. In the paper we show that for the Community Atmosphere Model version 5, due to the systematic temperature bias in the standard model and the sensitivity of simulated ice formation to anthropogenic aerosolmore » concentration, nudging towards reanalysis results in substantial reductions in the ice cloud amount and the impact of anthropogenic aerosols on longwave cloud forcing. In order to reduce discrepancies between the nudged and unconstrained simulations and meanwhile take the advantages of nudging, two alternative experimentation methods are evaluated. The first one constrains only the horizontal winds. The second method nudges both winds and temperature, but replaces the long-term climatology of the reanalysis by that of the model. Results show that both methods lead to substantially improved agreement with the free-running model in terms of the top-of-atmosphere radiation budget and cloud ice amount. The wind-only nudging is more convenient to apply, and provides higher correlations of the wind fields, geopotential height and specific humidity between simulation and reanalysis. This suggests nudging the horizontal winds but not temperature is a good strategy for the investigation of aerosol indirect effects through ice clouds, since it provides well-constrained meteorology without strongly perturbing the model's mean climate.« less

Technical Note: On the use of nudging for aerosol-climate model intercomparison studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, K.; Wan, H.; Liu, X.; Ghan, S. J.; Kooperman, G. J.; Ma, P.-L.; Rasch, P. J.

2014-04-01

Nudging is an assimilation technique widely used in the development and evaluation of climate models. Constraining the simulated wind and temperature fields using global weather reanalysis facilitates more straightforward comparison between simulation and observation, and reduces uncertainties associated with natural variabilities of the large-scale circulation. On the other hand, the forcing introduced by nudging can be strong enough to change the basic characteristics of the model climate. In the paper we show that for the Community Atmosphere Model version 5, due to the systematic temperature bias in the standard model and the sensitivity of simulated ice formation to anthropogenic aerosol concentration, nudging towards reanalysis results in substantial reductions in the ice cloud amount and the impact of anthropogenic aerosols on longwave cloud forcing. In order to reduce discrepancies between the nudged and unconstrained simulations and meanwhile take the advantages of nudging, two alternative experimentation methods are evaluated. The first one constrains only the horizontal winds. The second method nudges both winds and temperature, but replaces the long-term climatology of the reanalysis by that of the model. Results show that both methods lead to substantially improved agreement with the free-running model in terms of the top-of-atmosphere radiation budget and cloud ice amount. The wind-only nudging is more convenient to apply, and provides higher correlations of the wind fields, geopotential height and specific humidity between simulation and reanalysis. This suggests nudging the horizontal winds but not temperature is a good strategy for the investigation of aerosol indirect effects through ice clouds, since it provides well-constrained meteorology without strongly perturbing the model's mean climate.

A rotor-aerodynamics-based wind estimation method using a quadrotor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Song, Yao; Luo, Bing; Meng, Qing-Hao

2018-02-01

Attempts to estimate horizontal wind by the quadrotor are reviewed. Wind estimations are realized by utilizing the quadrotor’s thrust change, which is caused by the wind’s effect on the rotors. The basis of the wind estimation method is the aerodynamic formula for the rotor’s thrust, which is verified and calibrated by experiments. A hardware-in-the-loop simulation (HILS) system was built as a testbed; its dynamic model and control structure are demonstrated. Verification experiments on the HILS system proved that the wind estimation method was effective.

The development and testing of a novel cross axis wind turbine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chong, W. T.; Muzammil, W. K.; Gwani, M.; Wong, K. H.; Fazlizan, A.; Wang, C. T.; Poh, S. C.

2016-06-01

A novel cross axis wind turbine (CAWT) which comprises of a cross axis blades arrangement was presented and investigated experimentally. The CAWT is a new type of wind turbine that extracts wind energy from airflow coming from the horizontal and vertical directions. The wind turbine consists of three vertical blades and six horizontal blades arranged in a cross axis orientation. Hubs in the middle of the CAWT link the horizontal and vertical blades through connectors to form the CAWT. The study used a 45° deflector to guide the oncoming airflow upward (vertical wind direction). The results from the study showed that the CAWT produced significant improvements in power output and rotational speed performance compared to a conventional straight-bladed vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT).

High fidelity CFD-CSD aeroelastic analysis of slender bladed horizontal-axis wind turbine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sayed, M.; Lutz, Th.; Krämer, E.; Shayegan, Sh.; Ghantasala, A.; Wüchner, R.; Bletzinger, K.-U.

2016-09-01

The aeroelastic response of large multi-megawatt slender horizontal-axis wind turbine blades is investigated by means of a time-accurate CFD-CSD coupling approach. A loose coupling approach is implemented and used to perform the simulations. The block- structured CFD solver FLOWer is utilized to obtain the aerodynamic blade loads based on the time-accurate solution of the unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equations. The CSD solver Carat++ is applied to acquire the blade elastic deformations based on non-linear beam elements. In this contribution, the presented coupling approach is utilized to study the aeroelastic response of the generic DTU 10MW wind turbine. Moreover, the effect of the coupled results on the wind turbine performance is discussed. The results are compared to the aeroelastic response predicted by FLOWer coupled to the MBS tool SIMPACK as well as the response predicted by SIMPACK coupled to a Blade Element Momentum code for aerodynamic predictions. A comparative study among the different modelling approaches for this coupled problem is discussed to quantify the coupling effects of the structural models on the aeroelastic response.

Effect of film slicks on near-surface wind

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Charnotskii, Mikhail; Ermakov, Stanislav; Ostrovsky, Lev; Shomina, Olga

2016-09-01

The transient effects of horizontal variation of sea-surface wave roughness due to surfactant films on near-surface turbulent wind are studied theoretically and experimentally. Here we suggest two practical schemes for calculating variations of wind velocity profiles near the water surface, the average short-wave roughness of which is varying in space and time when a film slick is present. The schemes are based on a generalized two-layer model of turbulent air flow over a rough surface and on the solution of the continuous model involving the equation for turbulent kinetic energy of the air flow. Wave tank studies of wind flow over wind waves in the presence of film slicks are described and compared with theory.

Horizontal wind fluctuations in the stratosphere during large-scale cyclogenesis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chan, K. R.; Scott, S. G.; Danielsen, Edwin F.; Pfister, L.; Bowen, S. W.; Gaines, Steven E.

1991-01-01

The meteorological measurement system (MMS) on the U-2 aircraft measured pressure, temperature, and the horizontal wind during a cyclogenesis event over western United States on April 20, 1984. The mean horizontal wind in the stratosphere decreases monotonically with altitude. Superimposed on the mean stratospheric wind is a perturbation wind vector, which is an elliptically polarized wave with an amplitude of 4 to 10 m/s and a vertical wavelength of 2 to 3 km. The perturbation wind vector rotates anticyclonically (clockwise) with altitude and produces alternating advection in the plane of the aircraft flight path. This differential advection folds surfaces of constant tracer mixing ratio and contributes to the observed tracer laminar structures and inferred cross-jet transport.

Wind direction variability in Afternoon and Sunset Turbulence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nilsson, Erik; Lothon, Marie; Lohou, Fabienne; Mahrt, Larry

2014-05-01

Understanding wind direction (WD) variability better is important for several reasons. Air pollution models need information about how variable wind direction is in different conditions (Davies and Thomson 1999). Accurate predictions of dispersion are important for human health and safety and allow for adaptation planning (Nagle et al. 2011). Other applications include horizontal diffusion, efficiency and fatigue of wind machines and air-sea interaction (Mahrt 2011). Most studies of wind direction variability have focused on nocturnal conditions because of greater variability in light winds. Modelling WD variability in transition periods when both mean wind speed and variance of the wind components are in a state of change can, however, also be very challenging and has not been the focus of earlier studies. The evening transitioning to the nocturnal boundary layer can play an important role in the diffusion process of pollutants and scalars emitted at surface and transported within the atmosphere. The Boundary Layer Late Afternoon and Sunset Turbulence (BLLAST) field campaign that took place in southern France in June and July 2011 focused on the decaying turbulence of the late afternoon boundary layer and related issues (Lothon et al. 2012). We analyse field measurements from BLLAST to investigate WD variability in the evening transition period. Standard deviations of horizontal wind direction fluctuations in the lowest 60 m of the boundary layer have been examined for dependence on mean wind speed, higher order moments and averaging time. Measurement results are interpreted using measured and idealized probability density functions of horizontal wind vectors. These are also used to develop analytical functions describing how WD variability depends on wind speed, variance and other controlling factors in the atmospheric boundary layer. References: Davies B.M., Thomson D.J., 1999. Comparison of some parameterizations of wind direction variability with observations, Atmospheric Enviroment 33, 4909-4917. Lothon M. et al., 2012. The Boundary-Layer Late Afternoon and Sunset Turbulence field experiment, Proc. of the 20th Symposium on Boundary-Layers and Turbulence, 7-13 July, Boston, MA, USA. Mahrt L., 2011. Surface Wind Direction Variability, Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology 50. 144-152. Nagle J.C., 2011. Adapting to Pollution, Research Roundtable on Climate Change, Adaptation, and Enviromental Law, Northwestern Law Searle Center, Legal and Regulatory Studies 7-18 April, IL, USA.

A Numerical Model Study of Nocturnal Drainage Flows with Strong Wind and Temperature Gradients.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamada, T.; Bunker, S.

1989-07-01

A second-moment turbulence-closure model described in Yamada and Bunker is used to simulate nocturnal drainage flows observed during the 1984 ASCOT field expedition in Brush Creek, Colorado. In order to simulate the observed strong wind directional shear and temperature gradients, two modifications are added to the model. The strong wind directional shear was maintained by introducing a `nudging' term in the equation of motion to guide the modeled winds in the layers above the ridge top toward the observed wind direction. The second modification was accomplished by reformulating the conservation equation for the potential temperature in such a way that only the deviation from the horizontally averaged value was prognostically computed.The vegetation distribution used in this study is undoubtedly crude. Nevertheless, the present simulation suggests that tall tree canopy can play an important role in producing inhomogeneous wind distribution, particularly in the levels below the canopy top.

A comparison of quiet time thermospheric winds between FPIs and models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, G.; Xu, J.; Wang, W.; Yuan, W.; Zhang, S.; Yu, T.; Zhang, X.; Huang, C.; Liu, W.; Li, Q.

2017-12-01

Abstract:The Fabry-Perot Interferometer (FPI) instruments installed at Xinglong, (geog.: 40.2oN, 117.4oE; geom.: 35oN), Kelan (geog.: 38.7oN, 111.6oE; geom.: 34oN) and Millstone Hill (geog.: 42.6oN, 71.5oW; geom.: 52oN) started to measure the thermosphere neutral winds near 250 km since April 2010, March 2010 and November 2011, respectively. In this work, the joined comparison of FPI observed winds and two models during geomagnetic quiet time are processed for the study of mid-latitudinal thermosphere. The years of FPI wind data we use are from 2010 to 2014. The two models we use are NCAR TIE-GCM (Thermosphere-Ionosphere-Electrodynamics General Circulation Model of National Center for Atmospheric Research) and HWM07 (Horizontal Wind Model, version 2007). The real solar and geomagnetic conditions were applied to the models.

Radiosonde and satellite observations of topographic flow off the Norwegian coast

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rugaard Furevik, Birgitte; Dagestad, Knut-Frode; Olafsson, Haraldur

2015-04-01

Winds in Norway are strongly affected by the complex topography and in some areas the average wind speed in the fjords may exceed those on the coast. Such effects are revealed through a statistical analysis derived wind speed from ~8500 Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) scenes covering the Norwegian coast. We have compared the results with modelled winds from the operational atmosphere model at MET (horizontal grid spacing of 2.5km) and 3 years of measurements from "M/S Trollfjord", a ferry traversing a 2400km coastal route between the cities Bergen and Kirkenes. The analysis reveals many coastal details of the wind field not observed from the meteorological station network of Norway. The data set proves useful for verification of offshore winds in the model. High temporal resolution radiosonde winds from two locations are used to analyse the topographic effects.

Preliminary Assessment of Wind and Wave Retrieval from Chinese Gaofen-3 SAR Imagery

PubMed Central

Sun, Jian

2017-01-01

The Chinese Gaofen-3 (GF-3) synthetic aperture radar (SAR) launched by the China Academy of Space Technology (CAST) has operated at C-band since September 2016. To date, we have collected 16/42 images in vertical-vertical (VV)/horizontal-horizontal (HH) polarization, covering the National Data Buoy Center (NDBC) buoy measurements of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) around U.S. western coastal waters. Wind speeds from NDBC in situ buoys are up to 15 m/s and buoy-measured significant wave height (SWH) has ranged from 0.5 m to 3 m. In this study, winds were retrieved using the geophysical model function (GMF) together with the polarization ratio (PR) model and waves were retrieved using a new empirical algorithm based on SAR cutoff wavelength in satellite flight direction, herein called CSAR_WAVE. Validation against buoy measurements shows a 1.4/1.9 m/s root mean square error (RMSE) of wind speed and a 24/23% scatter index (SI) of SWH for VV/HH polarization. In addition, wind and wave retrieval results from 166 GF-3 images were compared with the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) re-analysis winds, as well as the SWH from the WaveWatch-III model, respectively. Comparisons show a 2.0 m/s RMSE for wind speed with a 36% SI of SWH for VV-polarization and a 2.2 m/s RMSE for wind speed with a 37% SI of SWH for HH-polarization. Our work gives a preliminary assessment of the wind and wave retrieval results from GF-3 SAR images for the first time and will provide guidance for marine applications of GF-3 SAR. PMID:28757571

A kinematic investigation of the influence of anvil air flow over convective nephsystems on high-level horizontal flow

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Balogun, E. E.

1977-01-01

The interactions between horizontal ambient flow and divergent wind fields, such as those that obtain atop cumulonimbus complexes, were investigated (theoretically) kinematically. The following were observed from the results of the analyses. First, for a particular divergent field, the relative mass flux over the area of the nephsystem decreased as the strength of the horizontal flow increased. Secondly, while in some of the cases analyzed the interaction between the two flows only resulted in the fanning out of streamlines and a slight redistribution in the wind speed, in many cases backflows and a total reorganization of the wind field occurred. Backflows have a blocking effect on the horizontal flow. Some of the computed patterns were compared with upper level cloud vectors (from geostationary satellite photographs). The comparison indicated that the computed resultant wind field could be used to explain some features of such satellite-derived wind fields.

Gravity wave momentum flux in the lower stratosphere over convection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Alexander, M. Joan; Pfister, Leonhard

1995-01-01

This work describes a method for estimating vertical fluxes of horizontal momentum carried by short horizontal scale gravity waves (lambda(sub x) = 10-100 km) using aircraft measured winds in the lower stratosphere. We utilize in situ wind vector and pressure altitude measurements provided by the Meteorological Measurement System (MMS) on board the ER-2 aircraft to compute the momentum flux vectors at the flight level above deep convection during the tropical experiment of the Stratosphere Troposphere Exchange Project (STEP-Tropical). Data from Flight 9 are presented here for illustration. The vertical flux of horizontal momentum these observations points in opposite directions on either side of the location of a strong convective updraft in the cloud shield. This property of internal gravity waves propagating from a central source compares favorably with previously described model results.

The horizontal transport of pollutants from a slope wind layer into the valley core as a function of atmospheric stability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leukauf, Daniel; Gohm, Alexander; Rotach, Mathias W.; Posch, Christian

2016-04-01

Slope winds provide a mechanism for the vertical exchange of air between the valley and the free atmosphere aloft. By this means, heat, moisture and pollutants are exported or imported. However, it the static stability of the valley atmosphere is strong, one part of the up-slope flow is redirected towards the valley center and pollutants are recirculated within the valley. This may limit the venting potential of slope winds severely. The main objective of this study is to quantify the horizontal transport of pollutants from the slope wind layer into the stable valley core and to determine the dependency of this flux as a function of the initial stability of the atmosphere. For this purpose, we conducted large eddy simulations with the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model for a quasi-two-dimensional valley. The valley geometry consists of two slopes with constant slope angle rising to a crest height of 1500 m and a 4 km wide flat valley floor in between. The valley is 20 km long and homogeneous in along-valley direction. Hence, only slope winds but no valley winds can evolve. The surface sensible heat flux is prescribed by a sine function with an amplitude of 125 W m-2. The initial sounding characterized by an atmosphere at rest and by a constant Brunt-Väisälä frequency which is varied between 0.006 s-1 and 0.02 s-1. A passive tracer is released with an arbitrary but constant rate at the valley floor. As expected, the atmospheric stability has a strong impact on the vertical and horizontal transport of tracer mass. A horizontal intrusion forms at the top of the mixed layer due to outflow from the slope wind layer. Tracer mass is transported from the slope towards the center of the valley. The efficiency of this mechanism increases with increasing stability N. For the lowest value of N, about 70% of the tracer mass released at the valley bottom is exported out of the valley. This value drops to about 12% in the case of the strongest stability. Hence, most of the tracer mass, which enters the slope wind layer at the valley bottom, is leaving it again through horizontal fluxes at the height of the intrusion and therefore remains inside the valley.

Modelling the horizontal structure of mid-latitude E(s) from its refraction effects on F-region echoes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barnes, R. I.

1991-02-01

The observation of the refraction of F-region echoes presently reported implies that significant horizontal structure exists within some E(s) clouds. A modeling of the data collected with the Bribie Island HF radar indicates that wind shear variations can account for examples in which irregularities either pass through, or pass with, existing layers of E(s) which create the cloudy, nonblanketing variety of E(s). The blanketing variety of E(s) seems to have little or no horizontal structure, and most likely drifts with the same velocity as the irregularities which produce nonblanketing E(s). Irregularities with strong horizontal gradients act as diverging lenses, leading to an overestimation of cloud size via simple occulting geometry.

Spatiotemporal Variability of Turbulence Kinetic Energy Budgets in the Convective Boundary Layer over Both Simple and Complex Terrain

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rai, Raj K.; Berg, Larry K.; Pekour, Mikhail

The assumption of sub-grid scale (SGS) horizontal homogeneity within a model grid cell, which forms the basis of SGS turbulence closures used by mesoscale models, becomes increasingly tenuous as grid spacing is reduced to a few kilometers or less, such as in many emerging high-resolution applications. Herein, we use the turbulence kinetic energy (TKE) budget equation to study the spatio-temporal variability in two types of terrain—complex (Columbia Basin Wind Energy Study [CBWES] site, north-eastern Oregon) and flat (ScaledWind Farm Technologies [SWiFT] site, west Texas) using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model. In each case six-nested domains (three domains eachmore » for mesoscale and large-eddy simulation [LES]) are used to downscale the horizontal grid spacing from 10 km to 10 m using the WRF model framework. The model output was used to calculate the values of the TKE budget terms in vertical and horizontal planes as well as the averages of grid cells contained in the four quadrants (a quarter area) of the LES domain. The budget terms calculated along the planes and the mean profile of budget terms show larger spatial variability at CBWES site than at the SWiFT site. The contribution of the horizontal derivative of the shear production term to the total production shear was found to be 45% and 15% of the total shear, at the CBWES and SWiFT sites, respectively, indicating that the horizontal derivatives applied in the budget equation should not be ignored in mesoscale model parameterizations, especially for cases with complex terrain with <10 km scale.« less

Dynamic Behavior of Wind Turbine by a Mixed Flexible-Rigid Multi-Body Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Jianhong; Qin, Datong; Ding, Yi

A mixed flexible-rigid multi-body model is presented to study the dynamic behavior of a horizontal axis wind turbine. The special attention is given to flexible body: flexible rotor is modeled by a newly developed blade finite element, support bearing elasticities, variations in the number of teeth in contact as well as contact tooth's elasticities are mainly flexible components in the power train. The couple conditions between different subsystems are established by constraint equations. The wind turbine model is generated by coupling models of rotor, power train and generator with constraint equations together. Based on this model, an eigenproblem analysis is carried out to show the mode shape of rotor and power train at a few natural frequencies. The dynamic responses and contact forces among gears under constant wind speed and fixed pitch angle are analyzed.

Study on load-bearing characteristics of a new pile group foundation for an offshore wind turbine.

PubMed

Lang, Ruiqing; Liu, Run; Lian, Jijian; Ding, Hongyan

2014-01-01

Because offshore wind turbines are high-rise structures, they transfer large horizontal loads and moments to their foundations. One of the keys to designing a foundation is determining the sensitivities and laws affecting its load-bearing capacity. In this study, this procedure was carried out for a new high-rise cap pile group foundation adapted to the loading characteristics of offshore wind turbines. The sensitivities of influential factors affecting the bearing properties were determined using an orthogonal test. Through a combination of numerical simulations and model tests, the effects of the inclination angle, length, diameter, and number of side piles on the vertical bearing capacity, horizontal bearing capacity, and bending bearing capacity were determined. The results indicate that an increase in the inclination angle of the side piles will increase the vertical bearing capacity, horizontal bearing capacity, and bending bearing capacity. An increase in the length of the side piles will increase the vertical bearing capacity and bending bearing capacity. When the length of the side piles is close to the central pile, the increase is more apparent. Finally, increasing the number of piles will increase the horizontal bearing capacity; however, the growth rate is small because of the pile group effect.

Study on Load-Bearing Characteristics of a New Pile Group Foundation for an Offshore Wind Turbine

PubMed Central

Liu, Run; Lian, Jijian; Ding, Hongyan

2014-01-01

Because offshore wind turbines are high-rise structures, they transfer large horizontal loads and moments to their foundations. One of the keys to designing a foundation is determining the sensitivities and laws affecting its load-bearing capacity. In this study, this procedure was carried out for a new high-rise cap pile group foundation adapted to the loading characteristics of offshore wind turbines. The sensitivities of influential factors affecting the bearing properties were determined using an orthogonal test. Through a combination of numerical simulations and model tests, the effects of the inclination angle, length, diameter, and number of side piles on the vertical bearing capacity, horizontal bearing capacity, and bending bearing capacity were determined. The results indicate that an increase in the inclination angle of the side piles will increase the vertical bearing capacity, horizontal bearing capacity, and bending bearing capacity. An increase in the length of the side piles will increase the vertical bearing capacity and bending bearing capacity. When the length of the side piles is close to the central pile, the increase is more apparent. Finally, increasing the number of piles will increase the horizontal bearing capacity; however, the growth rate is small because of the pile group effect. PMID:25250375

Scope of wind energy in Bangladesh and simulation analysis of three different horizontal axis wind turbine blade shapes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khan, Md. Arif-Ul Islam; Das, Swapnil; Dey, Saikat

2017-12-01

: Economic growth and energy demand are intertwined. Therefore, one of the most important concerns of the government and in the world is the need for energy security. Currently, the world relies on coal, crude oil and natural gas for energy generati on. However, the energy crisis together with climate change and depletion of oil have become major concerns to all countries. Therefore, alternative energy resources such as wind energy attracted interest from both public and private sectors to invest in energy generation from this source extensively. Both Vertical and Horizontal axis wind turbine can be used for this purpose. But, Horizontal axis is the most promising between them due to its efficiency and low expense. Bangladesh being a tropical country does have a lot of wind flow at different seasons of the year. However, there are some windy locations in which wind energy projects could be feasible. In this project a detailed review of the current st ate-of-art for wind turbine blade design is presented including theoretical maximum efficiency, Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine (HAWT) blade design, simulation power and COP values for different blade material. By studying previously collected data on the wind resources available in B angladesh at present and by analyzing this data, this paper will discuss the scope of wind energy in Bangladesh.

A model of rotationally-sampled wind turbulence for predicting fatigue loads in wind turbines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Spera, David A.

1995-01-01

Empirical equations are presented with which to model rotationally-sampled (R-S) turbulence for input to structural-dynamic computer codes and the calculation of wind turbine fatigue loads. These equations are derived from R-S turbulence data which were measured at the vertical-plane array in Clayton, New Mexico. For validation, the equations are applied to the calculation of cyclic flapwise blade loads for the NASA/DOE Mod-2 2.5-MW experimental HAWT's (horizontal-axis wind turbines), and the results compared to measured cyclic loads. Good correlation is achieved, indicating that the R-S turbulence model developed in this study contains the characteristics of the wind which produce many of the fatigue loads sustained by wind turbines. Empirical factors are included which permit the prediction of load levels at specified percentiles of occurrence, which is required for the generation of fatigue load spectra and the prediction of the fatigue lifetime of structures.

Large HAWT wake measurement and analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miller, A. H.; Wegley, H. L.; Buck, J. W.

1995-01-01

From the theoretical fluid dynamics point of view, the wake region of a large horizontal-axis wind turbine has been defined and described, and numerical models of wake behavior have been developed. Wind tunnel studies of single turbine wakes and turbine array wakes have been used to verify the theory and further refine the numerical models. However, the effects of scaling, rotor solidity, and topography on wake behavior are questions that remain unanswered. In the wind tunnel studies, turbines were represented by anything from scaled models to tea strainers or wire mesh disks whose solidity was equivalent to that of a typical wind turbine. The scale factor compensation for the difference in Reynolds number between the scale model and an actual turbine is complex, and not typically accounted for. Though it is wise to study the simpler case of wakes in flat topography, which can be easily duplicated in the wind tunnel, current indications are that wind turbine farm development is actually occurring in somewhat more complex terrain. Empirical wake studies using large horizontal-axis wind turbines have not been thoroughly composited, and, therefore, the results have not been applied to the well-developed theory of wake structure. The measurement programs have made use of both in situ sensor systems, such as instrumented towers, and remote sensors, such as kites and tethered, balloonborne anemometers. We present a concise overview of the work that has been performed, including our own, which is based on the philosophy that the MOD-2 turbines are probably their own best detector of both the momentum deficit and the induced turbulence effect downwind. Only the momentum deficit aspects of the wake/machine interactions have been addressed. Both turbine power output deficits and wind energy deficits as measured by the onsite meteorological towers have been analyzed from a composite data set. The analysis has also evidenced certain topographic influences on the operation of spatially diverse wind turbines.

Large HAWT wake measurement and analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miller, A. H.; Wegley, H. L.; Buck, J. W.

1995-05-01

From the theoretical fluid dynamics point of view, the wake region of a large horizontal-axis wind turbine has been defined and described, and numerical models of wake behavior have been developed. Wind tunnel studies of single turbine wakes and turbine array wakes have been used to verify the theory and further refine the numerical models. However, the effects of scaling, rotor solidity, and topography on wake behavior are questions that remain unanswered. In the wind tunnel studies, turbines were represented by anything from scaled models to tea strainers or wire mesh disks whose solidity was equivalent to that of a typical wind turbine. The scale factor compensation for the difference in Reynolds number between the scale model and an actual turbine is complex, and not typically accounted for. Though it is wise to study the simpler case of wakes in flat topography, which can be easily duplicated in the wind tunnel, current indications are that wind turbine farm development is actually occurring in somewhat more complex terrain. Empirical wake studies using large horizontal-axis wind turbines have not been thoroughly composited, and, therefore, the results have not been applied to the well-developed theory of wake structure. The measurement programs have made use of both in situ sensor systems, such as instrumented towers, and remote sensors, such as kites and tethered, balloonborne anemometers. We present a concise overview of the work that has been performed, including our own, which is based on the philosophy that the MOD-2 turbines are probably their own best detector of both the momentum deficit and the induced turbulence effect downwind. Only the momentum deficit aspects of the wake/machine interactions have been addressed. Both turbine power output deficits and wind energy deficits as measured by the onsite meteorological towers have been analyzed from a composite data set. The analysis has also evidenced certain topographic influences on the operation of spatially diverse wind turbines.

Development of an analytical Lagrangian model for passive scalar dispersion in low-wind speed meandering conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stefanello, M. B.; Degrazia, G. A.; Mortarini, L.; Buligon, L.; Maldaner, S.; Carvalho, J. C.; Acevedo, O. C.; Martins, L. G. N.; Anfossi, D.; Buriol, C.; Roberti, D.

2018-02-01

Describing the effects of wind meandering motions on the dispersion of scalars is a challenging task, since this type of flow represents a physical state characterized by multiple scales. In this study, a Lagrangian stochastic diffusion model is derived to describe scalar transport during the horizontal wind meandering phenomenon that occurs within a planetary boundary layer. The model is derived from the linearization of the Langevin equation, and it employs a heuristic functional form that represents the autocorrelation function of meandering motion. The new solutions, which describe the longitudinal and lateral wind components, were used to simulate tracer experiments that were performed in low-wind speed conditions. The results of the comparison indicate that the new model can effectively reproduce the observed concentrations of the contaminants, and therefore, it can satisfactorily describe enhanced dispersion effects due to the presence of meandering.

Full non-linear treatment of the global thermospheric wind system. I - Mathematical method and analysis of forces. II - Results and comparison with observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Blum, P. W.; Harris, I.

1975-01-01

The equations of horizontal motion of the neutral atmosphere between 120 and 500 km are integrated with the inclusion of all nonlinear terms of the convective derivative and the viscous forces due to vertical and horizontal velocity gradients. Empirical models of the distribution of neutral and charged particles are assumed to be known. The model of velocities developed is a steady state model. In Part I the mathematical method used in the integration of the Navier-Stokes equations is described and the various forces are analyzed. Results of the method given in Part I are presented with comparison with previous calculations and observations of upper atmospheric winds. Conclusions are that nonlinear effects are only significant in the equatorial region, especially at solstice conditions and that nonlinear effects do not produce any superrotation.

Wind power forecasting for a real onshore wind farm on complex terrain using WRF high resolution simulations.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ángel Prósper Fernández, Miguel; Casal, Carlos Otero; Canoura Fernández, Felipe; Miguez-Macho, Gonzalo

2017-04-01

Regional meteorological models are becoming a generalized tool for forecasting wind resource, due to their capacity to simulate local flow dynamics impacting wind farm production. This study focuses on the production forecast and validation of a real onshore wind farm using high horizontal and vertical resolution WRF (Weather Research and Forecasting) model simulations. The wind farm is located in Galicia, in the northwest of Spain, in a complex terrain region with high wind resource. Utilizing the Fitch scheme, specific for wind farms, a period of one year is simulated with a daily operational forecasting set-up. Power and wind predictions are obtained and compared with real data provided by the management company. Results show that WRF is able to yield good wind power operational predictions for this kind of wind farms, due to a good representation of the planetary boundary layer behaviour of the region and the good performance of the Fitch scheme under these conditions.

Unified Model for the Overall Efficiency of Inlets Sampling from Horizontal Aerosol Flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hangal, Sunil Pralhad

When sampling aerosols from ambient or industrial air environments, the sampled aerosol must be representative of the aerosol in the free stream. The changes that occur during sampling must be assessed quantitatively so that sampling errors can be compensated for. In this study, unified models have been developed for the overall efficiency of tubular sharp-edged inlets sampling from horizontal aerosol flows oriented at 0 to 90^circ relative to the wind direction in the vertical (pitch) and horizontal plane(yaw). In the unified model, based on experimental data, the aspiration efficiency is represented by a single equation with different inertial parameters at 0 to 60^ circ and 45 to 90^circ . Tnt transmission efficiency is separated into two components: one due to gravitational settling in the boundary layer and the other due to impaction. The gravitational settling component is determined by extending a previously developed isoaxial sampling model to nonisoaxial sampling. The impaction component is determined by a new model that quantifies the particle losses caused by wall impaction. The model also quantifies the additional particle losses resulting from turbulent motion in the vena contracta which is formed in the inlet when the inlet velocity is higher than the wind velocity. When sampling aerosols in ambient or industrial environments with an inlet, small changes in wind direction or physical constraints in positioning the inlet in the system necessitates the assessment of sampling efficiency in both the vertical and horizontal plane. The overall sampling efficiency of tubular inlets has been experimentally investigated in yaw and pitch orientations at 0 to 20 ^circ from horizontal aerosol flows using a wind tunnel facility. The model for overall sampling efficiency has been extended to include both yaw and pitch sampling based on the new data. In this model, the difference between yaw and pitch is expressed by the effect of gravity on the impaction process inside the inlet described by a newly developed gravity effect angle. At yaw, the gravity effect angle on the wall impaction process does not change with sampling angle. At pitch, the gravity effect on the impaction process results in particle loss increase for upward and decrease for downward sampling. Using the unified model, graphical representations have been developed for sampling at small angles. These can be used in the field to determine the overall sampling efficiency of inlets at several operating conditions and the operating conditions that result in an acceptable sampling error. Pitch and diameter factors have been introduced for relating the efficiency values over a wide range of conditions to those of a reference condition. The pitch factor determines the overall sampling efficiency at pitch from yaw values, and the diameter factor determines the overall sampling efficiency at different inlet diameters.

Wind turbine blade shear web disbond detection using rotor blade operational sensing and data analysis.

PubMed

Myrent, Noah; Adams, Douglas E; Griffith, D Todd

2015-02-28

A wind turbine blade's structural dynamic response is simulated and analysed with the goal of characterizing the presence and severity of a shear web disbond. Computer models of a 5 MW offshore utility-scale wind turbine were created to develop effective algorithms for detecting such damage. Through data analysis and with the use of blade measurements, a shear web disbond was quantified according to its length. An aerodynamic sensitivity study was conducted to ensure robustness of the detection algorithms. In all analyses, the blade's flap-wise acceleration and root-pitching moment were the clearest indicators of the presence and severity of a shear web disbond. A combination of blade and non-blade measurements was formulated into a final algorithm for the detection and quantification of the disbond. The probability of detection was 100% for the optimized wind speed ranges in laminar, 30% horizontal shear and 60% horizontal shear conditions. © 2015 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.

Multifractal Analysis of the Small Time-Scale Boundary-Layer Characteristics of the Wind: the Anisotropy and Extremes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fitton, G. F.; Tchiguirinskaia, I.; Schertzer, D. J.; Lovejoy, S.

2012-12-01

Under various physical conditions (mean temperature and velocity gradients, stratification and rotation) atmospheric turbulent flows remain intrinsically anisotropic. The immediate vicinity of physical boundaries rises to a greater complexity of the anisotropy effects. In this paper we address the issue of the scaling anisotropy of the wind velocity fields within the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL). Under the universal multifractal (UM) framework we compare the small time-scale (0.1 to 1,000 seconds) boundary-layer characteristics of the wind for two different case studies. The first case study consisted of a single mast located within a wind farm in Corsica, France. Three sonic anemometers were installed on the mast at 22, 23 and 43m, measuring three-dimensional wind velocity data at 10Hz. Wakes, complex terrain and buoyancy forces influenced the measurements. The second case study (GROWIAN experiment in Germany) consisted of an array of propeller anemometers measuring wind speed inflow data at 2.5Hz over flat terrain. The propeller anemometers were positioned vertically at 10, 50, 75, 100, 125 and 150m with four horizontal measurements taken at 75, 100 and 125m. The spatial distribution allowed us to calculate the horizontal and vertical shear structure functions of the horizontal wind. Both case studies are within a kilometre from the sea. For the first case study (10Hz measurements in a wind farm test site) the high temporal resolution of the data meant we observed Kolmogorov scaling from 0.2 seconds (with intermittency correction) right up to 1,000 seconds at which point a scaling break occurred. After the break we observed a scaling power law of approximately 2, which is in agreement with Bolgiano-Obukhov scaling theory with intermittency correction. However, for the second case study (2.5Hz on flat terrain) we only observed Kolmogorov scaling from 6.4 seconds (also with intermittency correction). The spectra of horizontal velocity components remain anisotropic over high frequencies, where u1 most scales as Bolgiano-Obukhov and u2 scales as Kolmogorov. The scaling law of the vertical shears of the horizontal wind in the array varied from Kolmogorov to Bolgiano-Obukhov with height depending on the condition of stability. We interpret the results with the UM anisotropic model that greatly enhances our understanding of the ABL structure. Comparing the two case studies we found in both cases the multifractality parameter of about 1.6, which remains close to the estimates obtained for the free atmosphere. From the UM parameters, the exponent of the power law of the distribution of the extremes can be predicted. Over small scales, this exponent is of about 7.5 for the wind velocity, which is a crucial result for applications within the field of wind energy.

Plans and Status of Wind-Tunnel Testing Employing an Aeroservoelastic Semispan Model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Perry, Boyd, III; Silva, Walter A.; Florance, James R.; Wieseman, Carol D.; Pototzky, Anthony S.; Sanetrik, Mark D.; Scott, Robert C.; Keller, Donald F.; Cole, Stanley R.; Coulson, David A.

2007-01-01

This paper presents the research objectives, summarizes the pre-wind-tunnel-test experimental results to date, summarizes the analytical predictions to date, and outlines the wind-tunnel-test plans for an aeroservoelastic semispan wind-tunnel model. The model is referred to as the Supersonic Semispan Transport (S4T) Active Controls Testbed (ACT) and is based on a supersonic cruise configuration. The model has three hydraulically-actuated surfaces (all-movable horizontal tail, all-movable ride control vane, and aileron) for active controls. The model is instrumented with accelerometers, unsteady pressure transducers, and strain gages and will be mounted on a 5-component sidewall balance. The model will be tested twice in the Langley Transonic Dynamics Tunnel (TDT). The first entry will be an "open-loop" model-characterization test; the second entry will be a "closed-loop" test during which active flutter suppression, gust load alleviation and ride quality control experiments will be conducted.

The effect of solidity on the performance of H-rotor Darrieus turbine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hassan, S. M. Rakibul; Ali, Mohammad; Islam, Md. Quamrul

2016-07-01

Utilization of wind energy has been investigated for a long period of time by different researchers in different ways. Out of which, the Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine and the Vertical Axis Wind Turbine have now advanced design, but still there is scope to improve their efficiency. The Vertical Axis Wind Turbine (VAWT) has the advantage over Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine (HAWT) for working on omnidirectional air flow without any extra control system. A modified H-rotor Darrieus type VAWT is analysed in this paper, which is a lift based wind turbine. The effect of solidity (i.e. chord length, no. of blades) on power coefficient (CP) of H-rotor for different tip speed ratios is numerically investigated. The study is conducted using time dependent RANS equations using SST k-ω model. SIMPLE scheme is used as pressure-velocity coupling and in all cases, the second order upwind discretization scheme is chosen for getting more accurate solution. In results, different parameters are compared, which depict the performance of the modified H-rotor Darrieus type VAWT. Double layered H-rotor having inner layer blades with longer chord gives higher power coefficient than those have inner layer blades with smaller chord.

Measurement of the horizontal velocity of wind perturbations in the middle atmosphere by spaced MF radar systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Meek, C. E.; Manson, A. H.; Smith, M. J.

1983-01-01

Two remote receiving sites have been set up at a distance of approx 40 km from the main MF radar system. This allows measurement of upper atmosphere winds from 60-120 km (3 km resolution) at the corners of an approximately equilateral triangle of side approx 20 km. Some preliminary data are compared through cross correlation and cross spectral analysis in an attempt to determine the horizontal velocity of wind perturbations and/or the horizontal wavelength and phase velocity of gravity waves.

Low-latitude thermospheric neutral winds determined from AE-E measurements of the 6300-A nightglow at solar maximum

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Burrage, M. D.; Abreu, V. J.; Fesen, C. G.

1990-01-01

Atmosphere Explorer E (AE-E) measurements of the O(1D) 6300-A emission in the nighttime equatorial thermosphere are used to infer the height of the F2 layer peak as a function of latitude and local time. The investigation is conducted both for northern hemisphere winter solstice and for spring equinox, under solar maximum conditions. The layer heights are used to derive magnetic meridional components of the transequatorial neutral wind, in conjunction with the MSIS-86 model and previous Jicamarca incoherent scatter measurements of the zonal electric field. The AE-E wind estimates indicate a predominant summer to winter flow for the winter solstice case. Comparisons are made with the empirical horizontal wind model HWM87 and with winds generated by the thermospheric general circulation model. The model predictions and experimental results are generally in good agreement, confirming the applicability of visible airglow data to studies of the global neutral wind pattern.

Eastern equatorial Pacific sea surface temperature annual cycle in the Kiel climate model: simulation benefits from enhancing atmospheric resolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wengel, C.; Latif, M.; Park, W.; Harlaß, J.; Bayr, T.

2018-05-01

A long-standing difficulty of climate models is to capture the annual cycle (AC) of eastern equatorial Pacific (EEP) sea surface temperature (SST). In this study, we first examine the EEP SST AC in a set of integrations of the coupled Kiel Climate Model, in which only atmosphere model resolution differs. When employing coarse horizontal and vertical atmospheric resolution, significant biases in the EEP SST AC are observed. These are reflected in an erroneous timing of the cold tongue's onset and termination as well as in an underestimation of the boreal spring warming amplitude. A large portion of these biases are linked to a wrong simulation of zonal surface winds, which can be traced back to precipitation biases on both sides of the equator and an erroneous low-level atmospheric circulation over land. Part of the SST biases also is related to shortwave radiation biases related to cloud cover biases. Both wind and cloud cover biases are inherent to the atmospheric component, as shown by companion uncoupled atmosphere model integrations forced by observed SSTs. Enhancing atmosphere model resolution, horizontal and vertical, markedly reduces zonal wind and cloud cover biases in coupled as well as uncoupled mode and generally improves simulation of the EEP SST AC. Enhanced atmospheric resolution reduces convection biases and improves simulation of surface winds over land. Analysis of a subset of models from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 5 (CMIP5) reveals that in these models, very similar mechanisms are at work in driving EEP SST AC biases.

Simulating and validating coastal gradients in wind energy resources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hahmann, Andrea; Floors, Rogier; Karagali, Ioanna; Vasiljevic, Nikola; Lea, Guillaume; Simon, Elliot; Courtney, Michael; Badger, Merete; Peña, Alfredo; Hasager, Charlotte

2016-04-01

The experimental campaign of the RUNE (Reducing Uncertainty of Near-shore wind resource Estimates) project took place on the western coast of Denmark during the winter 2015-2016. The campaign used onshore scanning lidar technology combined with ocean and satellite information and produced a unique dataset to study the transition in boundary layer dynamics across the coastal zone. The RUNE project aims at reducing the uncertainty of near-shore wind resource estimates produced by mesoscale modeling. With this in mind, simulations using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model were performed to identify the sensitivity in the coastal gradients of wind energy resources to various model parameters and model inputs. Among these: model horizontal grid spacing and the planetary boundary layer and surface-layer scheme. We report on the differences amongst these simulations and preliminary results on the comparison of the model simulations with the RUNE observations of lidar and satellite measurements and near coastal tall mast.

A new parameterization of an empirical model for wind/ocean scatterometry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Woiceshyn, P. M.; Wurtele, M. G.; Boggs, D. H.; Mcgoldrick, L. F.; Peteherych, S.

1984-01-01

The power law form of the SEASAT A Scatterometer System (SASS) empirical backscatter-to-wind model function does not uniformly meet the instrument performance over the range 4 to 24 /ms. Analysis indicates that the horizontal polarization (H-Pol) and vertical polarization (V-Pol) components of the benchmark SASS1 model function yield self-consistent results only for a small mid-range of speeds at larger incidence angles, and for a somewhat larger range of speeds at smaller incidence angles. Comparison of SASS1 to in situ data over the Gulf of Alaska region further underscores the shortcomings of the power law form. Finally, a physically based empirical SASS model is proposed which corrects some of the deficiencies of power law models like SASS1. The new model allows the mutual determination of sea surface wind stress and wind speed in a consistent manner from SASS backscatter measurements.

Weather Research and Forecasting Model Wind Sensitivity Study at Edwards Air Force Base, CA

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Watson, Leela R.; Bauman, William H., III

2008-01-01

NASA prefers to land the space shuttle at Kennedy Space Center (KSC). When weather conditions violate Flight Rules at KSC, NASA will usually divert the shuttle landing to Edwards Air Force Base (EAFB) in Southern California. But forecasting surface winds at EAFB is a challenge for the Spaceflight Meteorology Group (SMG) forecasters due to the complex terrain that surrounds EAFB, One particular phenomena identified by SMG is that makes it difficult to forecast the EAFB surface winds is called "wind cycling". This occurs when wind speeds and directions oscillate among towers near the EAFB runway leading to a challenging deorbit bum forecast for shuttle landings. The large-scale numerical weather prediction models cannot properly resolve the wind field due to their coarse horizontal resolutions, so a properly tuned high-resolution mesoscale model is needed. The Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model meets this requirement. The AMU assessed the different WRF model options to determine which configuration best predicted surface wind speed and direction at EAFB, To do so, the AMU compared the WRF model performance using two hot start initializations with the Advanced Research WRF and Non-hydrostatic Mesoscale Model dynamical cores and compared model performance while varying the physics options.

Probabilistic Path Planning of Montgolfier Balloons in Strong, Uncertain Wind Fields

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wolf, Michael; Blackmore, James C.; Kuwata, Yoshiaki

2011-01-01

Lighter-than-air vehicles such as hot-air balloons have been proposed for exploring Saturn s moon Titan, as well as other bodies with significant atmospheres. For these vehicles to navigate effectively, it is critical to incorporate the effects of surrounding wind fields, especially as these winds will likely be strong relative to the control authority of the vehicle. Predictive models of these wind fields are available, and previous research has considered problems of planning paths subject to these predicted forces. However, such previous work has considered the wind fields as known a priori, whereas in practical applications, the actual wind vector field is not known exactly and may deviate significantly from the wind velocities estimated by the model. A probabilistic 3D path-planning algorithm was developed for balloons to use uncertain wind models to generate time-efficient paths. The nominal goal of the algorithm is to determine what altitude and what horizontal actuation, if any is available on the vehicle, to use to reach a particular goal location in the least expected time, utilizing advantageous winds. The solution also enables one to quickly evaluate the expected time-to-goal from any other location and to avoid regions of large uncertainty. This method is designed for balloons in wind fields but may be generalized for any buoyant vehicle operating in a vector field. To prepare the planning problem, the uncertainty in the wind field is modeled. Then, the problem of reaching a particular goal location is formulated as a Markov decision process (MDP) using a discretized space approach. Solving the MDP provides a policy of what actuation option (how much buoyancy change and, if applicable, horizontal actuation) should be selected at any given location to minimize the expected time-to-goal. The results provide expected time-to-goal values from any given location on the globe in addition to the action policy. This stochastic approach can also provide insights not accessible by deterministic methods; for example, one can evaluate variability and risk associated with different scenarios, rather than only viewing the expected outcome.

Nonlinear Aeroelastic Equations of Motion of Twisted, Nonuniform, Flexible Horizontal-Axis Wind Turbine Blades

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kaza, K. R. V.

1980-01-01

The second-degree nonlinear equations of motion for a flexible, twisted, nonuniform, horizontal axis wind turbine blade were developed using Hamilton's principle. A mathematical ordering scheme which was consistent with the assumption of a slender beam was used to discard some higher-order elastic and inertial terms in the second-degree nonlinear equations. The blade aerodynamic loading which was employed accounted for both wind shear and tower shadow and was obtained from strip theory based on a quasi-steady approximation of two-dimensional, incompressible, unsteady, airfoil theory. The resulting equations had periodic coefficients and were suitable for determining the aeroelastic stability and response of large horizontal-axis wind turbine blades.

Meteor radar wind over Chung-Li (24.9°N, 121°E), Taiwan, for the period 10-25 November 2012 which includes Leonid meteor shower: Comparison with empirical model and satellite measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Su, C. L.; Chen, H. C.; Chu, Y. H.; Chung, M. Z.; Kuong, R. M.; Lin, T. H.; Tzeng, K. J.; Wang, C. Y.; Wu, K. H.; Yang, K. F.

2014-08-01

The neutral winds in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere (MLT) region are measured by a newly installed meteor trail detection system (or meteor radar) at Chung-Li, Taiwan, for the period 10-25 November 2012, which includes the Leonid meteor shower period. In this study, we use the 3 m field-aligned plasma irregularities in the sporadic E (Es) region in combination with the International Geomagnetic Reference Field model to calibrate the system phase biases such that the true positions of the meteor trails can be correctly determined with interferometry technique. The horizontal wind velocities estimated from the radial velocities of the meteor trails and their locations by using a least squares method show that the diurnal tide dominates the variation of the MLT neutral wind with time over Chung-Li, which is in good agreement with the horizontal wind model (HWM07) prediction. However, harmonic analysis reveals that the amplitudes of the mean wind, diurnal, and semidiurnal tides of the radar-measured winds in height range 82-100 km are systematically larger than those of the model-predicted winds by up to a factor of 3. A comparison shows that the overall pattern of the height-local time distribution of the composite radar-measured meteor wind is, in general, consistent with that of the TIMED Doppler Interferometer-observed wind, which is dominated by a diurnal oscillation with downward phase progression at a rate of about 1.3 km/h. The occurrences of the Es layers retrieved from fluctuations of the amplitude and excess phase of the GPS signal received by the FORMOSAT-3/COSMIC satellites during the GPS radio occultation (RO) process are compared with the shear zones of the radar-measured meteor wind and HWM07 wind. The result shows that almost all of the RO-retrieved Es layers occur within the wind shear zones that favor the Es layer formation based on the wind shear theory, suggesting that the primary physical process responsible for the Es layer events retrieved from the scintillations of the GPS RO signal is very likely the plasma convergence effect of the neutral wind shear.

A Variational Assimilation Method for Satellite and Conventional Data: a Revised Basic Model 2B

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Achtemeier, Gary L.; Scott, Robert W.; Chen, J.

1991-01-01

A variational objective analysis technique that modifies observations of temperature, height, and wind on the cyclone scale to satisfy the five 'primitive' model forecast equations is presented. This analysis method overcomes all of the problems that hindered previous versions, such as over-determination, time consistency, solution method, and constraint decoupling. A preliminary evaluation of the method shows that it converges rapidly, the divergent part of the wind is strongly coupled in the solution, fields of height and temperature are well-preserved, and derivative quantities such as vorticity and divergence are improved. Problem areas are systematic increases in the horizontal velocity components, and large magnitudes of the local tendencies of the horizontal velocity components. The preliminary evaluation makes note of these problems but detailed evaluations required to determine the origin of these problems await future research.

3D turbulence measurements in inhomogeneous boundary layers with three wind LiDARs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carbajo Fuertes, Fernando; Valerio Iungo, Giacomo; Porté-Agel, Fernando

2014-05-01

One of the most challenging tasks in atmospheric anemometry is obtaining reliable turbulence measurements of inhomogeneous boundary layers at heights or in locations where is not possible or convenient to install tower-based measurement systems, e.g. mountainous terrain, cities, wind farms, etc. Wind LiDARs are being extensively used for the measurement of averaged vertical wind profiles, but they can only successfully accomplish this task under the limiting conditions of flat terrain and horizontally homogeneous flow. Moreover, it has been shown that common scanning strategies introduce large systematic errors in turbulence measurements, regardless of the characteristics of the flow addressed. From the point of view of research, there exist a variety of techniques and scanning strategies to estimate different turbulence quantities but most of them rely in the combination of raw measurements with atmospheric models. Most of those models are only valid under the assumption of horizontal homogeneity. The limitations stated above can be overcome by a new triple LiDAR technique which uses simultaneous measurements from three intersecting Doppler wind LiDARs. It allows for the reconstruction of the three-dimensional velocity vector in time as well as local velocity gradients without the need of any turbulence model and with minimal assumptions [EGU2013-9670]. The triple LiDAR technique has been applied to the study of the flow over the campus of EPFL in Lausanne (Switzerland). The results show the potential of the technique for the measurement of turbulence in highly complex boundary layer flows. The technique is particularly useful for micrometeorology and wind engineering studies.

Wind-Tunnel Investigation of Effects of Unsymmetrical Horizontal-Tail Arrangements on Power-on Static Longitudinal Stability of a Single-Engine Airplane Model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Purser, Paul E.; Spear, Margaret F.

1947-01-01

A wind-tunnel investigation has been made to determine the effects of unsymmetrical horizontal-tail arrangements on the power-on static longitudinal stability of a single-engine single-rotation airplane model. Although the tests and analyses showed that extreme asymmetry in the horizontal tail indicated a reduction in power effects on longitudinal stability for single-engine single-rotation airplanes, the particular "practical" arrangement tested did not show marked improvement. Differences in average downwash between the normal tail arrangement and various other tail arrangements estimated from computed values of propeller-slipstream rotation agreed with values estimated from pitching-moment test data for the flaps-up condition (low thrust and torque) and disagreed for the flaps-down condition (high thrust and torque). This disagreement indicated the necessity for continued research to determine the characteristics of the slip-stream behind various propeller-fuselage-wing combinations. Out-of-trim lateral forces and moments of the unsymmetrical tail arrangements that were best from consideration of longitudinal stability were no greater than those of the normal tail arrangement.

Improved double-multiple streamtube model for the Darrieus-type vertical axis wind turbine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berg, D. E.

Double streamtube codes model the curved blade (Darrieus-type) vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT) as a double actuator fish arrangement (one half) and use conservation of momentum principles to determine the forces acting on the turbine blades and the turbine performance. Sandia National Laboratories developed a double multiple streamtube model for the VAWT which incorporates the effects of the incident wind boundary layer, nonuniform velocity between the upwind and downwind sections of the rotor, dynamic stall effects and local blade Reynolds number variations. The theory underlying this VAWT model is described, as well as the code capabilities. Code results are compared with experimental data from two VAWT's and with the results from another double multiple streamtube and a vortex filament code. The effects of neglecting dynamic stall and horizontal wind velocity distribution are also illustrated.

A wind-tunnel investigation of wind-turbine wakes in different yawed and loading conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bastankhah, Majid; Porté-Agel, Fernando

2015-04-01

Wind-turbine wakes have negative effects on wind-farm performance. They are associated with: (a) the velocity deficit, which reduces the generated power of downwind turbines; and (b) the turbulence level, which increases the fatigue loads on downwind turbines. Controlling the yaw angle of turbines can potentially improve the performance of wind farms by deflecting the wake away from downwind turbines. However, except for few studies, wakes of yawed turbines still suffer from the lack of systematic research. To fill this research gap, we performed wind-tunnel experiments in the recirculating boundary-layer wind tunnel at the WIRE Laboratory of EPFL to better understand the wakes of yawed turbines. High-resolution stereoscopic particle image-velocimetry (S-PIV) was used to measure three velocity components in a horizontal plane located downwind of a horizontal-axis, three-blade model turbine. A servo-controller was connected to the DC generator of the turbine, which allowed us to apply different loadings. The power and thrust coefficients of the turbine were also measured for each case. These power and thrust measurements together with the highly-resolved flow measurements enabled us to study different wake characteristics such as the energy entrainment from the outer flow into the wake, the wake deflection and the helicoidal tip vortices for yawed turbines.

Wind-tunnel Investigation of End-plate Effects of Horizontal Tails on a Vertical Tail Compared with Available Theory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Murray, Harry E

1946-01-01

A vertical-tail model with stub fuselage was tested in combination with various simulated horizontal tails to determine the effect of horizontal-tail span and location on the aerodynamic characteristics of the vertical tail. Available theoretical data on end-plate effects were collected and presented in the form most suitable for design purposes. Reasonable agreement was obtained between the measured and theoretical end-plate effects of horizontal tails on vertical tails, and the data indicated that the end-plate effect was determined more by the location of the horizontal tail than by the span of the horizontal tail. The horizontal tail gave most end-plate effect when located near either tip of the vertical tail and, when located near the base of the vertical tail, the end-plate effect was increased by moving the horizontal tail rearward.

Observations and predictability of gap winds in a steep, narrow, fire-prone canyon in central Idaho, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wagenbrenner, N. S.; Forthofer, J.; Gibson, C.; Lamb, B. K.

2017-12-01

Frequent strong gap winds were measured in a deep, steep, wildfire-prone river canyon of central Idaho, USA during July-September 2013. Analysis of archived surface pressure data indicate that the gap wind events were driven by regional scale surface pressure gradients. The events always occurred between 0400 and 1200 LT and typically lasted 3-4 hours. The timing makes these events particularly hazardous for wildland firefighting applications since the morning is typically a period of reduced fire activity and unsuspecting firefighters could be easily endangered by the onset of strong downcanyon winds. The gap wind events were not explicitly forecast by operational numerical weather prediction (NWP) models due to the small spatial scale of the canyon ( 1-2 km wide) compared to the horizontal resolution of operational NWP models (3 km or greater). Custom WRF simulations initialized with NARR data were run at 1 km horizontal resolution to assess whether higher resolution NWP could accurately simulate the observed gap winds. Here, we show that the 1 km WRF simulations captured many of the observed gap wind events, although the strength of the events was underpredicted. We also present evidence from these WRF simulations which suggests that the Salmon River Canyon is near the threshold of WRF-resolvable terrain features when the standard WRF coordinate system and discretization schemes are used. Finally, we show that the strength of the gap wind events can be predicted reasonably well as a function of the surface pressure gradient across the gap, which could be useful in the absence of high-resolution NWP. These are important findings for wildland firefighting applications in narrow gaps where routine forecasts may not provide warning for wind effects induced by high-resolution terrain features.

Horizontal heat fluxes over complex terrain computed using a simple mixed-layer model and a numerical model

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kimura, Fujio; Kuwagata, Tuneo

1995-02-01

The thermally induced local circulation over a periodic valley is simulated by a two-dimensional numerical model that does-not include condensational processes. During the daytime of a clear, calm day, heat is transported from the mountainous region to the valley area by anabatic wind and its return flow. The specific humidity is, however, transported in an inverse manner. The horizontal exchange rate of sensible heat has a horizontal scale similarity, as long as the horizontal scale is less than a critical width of about 100 km. The sensible heat accumulated in an atmospheric column over an arbitrary point can be estimatedmore » by a simple model termed the uniform mixed-layer model (UML). The model assumes that the potential temperature is both vertically and horizontally uniform in the mixed layer, even over the complex terrain. The UML model is valid only when the horizontal scale of the topography is less than the critical width and the maximum difference in the elevation of the topography is less than about 1500 m. Latent heat is accumulated over the mountainous region while the atmosphere becomes dry over the valley area. When the horizontal scale is close to the critical width, the largest amount of humidity is accumulated during the late afternoon over the mountainous region. 18 refs., 15 figs., 1 tab.« less

A simple inertial model for Neptune's zonal circulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Allison, Michael; Lumetta, James T.

1990-01-01

Voyager imaging observations of zonal cloud-tracked winds on Neptune revealed a strongly subrotational equatorial jet with a speed approaching 500 m/s and generally decreasing retrograde motion toward the poles. The wind data are interpreted with a speculative but revealingly simple model based on steady gradient flow balance and an assumed global homogenization of potential vorticity for shallow layer motion. The prescribed model flow profile relates the equatorial velocity to the mid-latitude shear, in reasonable agreement with the available data, and implies a global horizontal deformation scale L(D) of about 3000 km.

Wind turbine blades: A study of prototypes in a steady regime - Unsteady considerations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leblanc, R.; Goethals, R.; de Saint Louvent, B.

1981-11-01

The results of comparisons of numerical models with experimental results for the performance of prototype wind turbines in steady flows are presented, along with preliminary results on behavior in unsteady flows. The numerical models are based on previous schemes devised for propellers, with modifications for small perturbations, significant radial velocity effects from the wake, and the fact that the speed is induced. Two computational methods are currently used, one a method of short blades, the other the Prandtl lifting line theory. Trials have been run in the T4 wind tunnel using a 3 m horizontal axis machine and a 2.5 m Darrieus. Attention is given to modeling the structural dynamics and turbulent flow structures encountered by wind turbines. Experimental results relating windspeed, angle of attack, and output are presented. Optimization studies have indicated that wind farms will require a 6-7 blade diameter unit spacing to maintain satisfactory group output efficiencies.

Control design for a wind turbine-generator using output feedback

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Javid, S. H.; Murdoch, A.; Winkelman, J. R.

1981-01-01

The modeling and approach to control design for a large horizontal axis wind turbine (WT) generator are presented. The control design is based on a suboptimal output regulator which allows coordinated control of WT blade pitch angle and field voltage for the purposes of regulating electrical power and terminal voltage. Results of detailed non-linear simulation tests of this controller are shown.

Control design for a wind turbine-generator using output feedback

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Javid, S. H.; Murdoch, A.; Winkelman, J. R.

The modeling and approach to control design for a large horizontal axis wind turbine (WT) generator are presented. The control design is based on a suboptimal output regulator which allows coordinated control of WT blade pitch angle and field voltage for the purposes of regulating electrical power and terminal voltage. Results of detailed non-linear simulation tests of this controller are shown.

The turbulence structure of katabatic flows below and above wind-speed maximum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grachev, Andrey; Leo, Laura; Di Sabatino, Silvana; Fernando, Harindra; Pardyjak, Eric; Fairall, Christopher

2015-04-01

Measurements of atmospheric small-scale turbulence made over the complex-terrain at the US Army Dugway Proving Grounds in Utah during the Mountain Terrain Atmospheric Modeling and Observations (MATERHORN) Program are used to describe the turbulence structure of katabatic flows. Turbulent and mean meteorological data were continuously measured at multiple levels (up to seven) on four towers deployed along East lower slope (2-4 degrees) of Granite Mountain. The multi-level, multi-tower observations obtained during a 30-day long MATERHORN-Fall field campaign in September-October 2102 allow studying temporal and spatial structure of nocturnal slope flows in detail. In this study, we focus on the various statistics (fluxes, variances, spectra, cospectra, etc.) of the small-scale turbulence of katabatic winds. Observed vertical profiles of velocity, turbulent fluxes, and other quantities show steep gradients near the surface but in the layer above the slope jet these variables vary with height more slowly than near the surface. It is found that vertical momentum flux and horizontal heat (buoyancy) flux in a slope-following coordinate system change their sign below and above the wind maximum of a katabatic flow. The vertical momentum flux is directed downward (upward) whereas the horizontal heat flux is downslope (upslope) below (above) the wind maximum. Our study, therefore, suggests that a position of the jet speed maximum can be derived from linear interpolation between positive and negative values of the momentum flux (or the horizontal heat flux) and determination of a height where a flux becomes zero. It is shown that the standard deviations of all wind speed components (and therefore the turbulent kinetic energy) and the dissipation rate of turbulent kinetic energy have a local minimum, whereas the standard deviation of air temperature has an absolute maximum at the height of wind speed maximum. We report several cases when the destructive effect of vertical heat (buoyancy) flux is completely cancelled by the generation of turbulence due to the horizontal heat (buoyancy) flux. Turbulence in the layer above the wind-speed maximum is decoupled from the surface and it is consistent with the classical local z-less predictions for stably stratified boundary layer.

Full nonlinear treatment of the global thermospheric wind system. Part 1: Mathematical method and analysis of forces

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Blum, P. W.; Harris, I.

1973-01-01

The equations of horizontal motion of the neutral atmosphere between 120 and 500 km are integrated with the inclusion of all the nonlinear terms of the convective derivative and the viscous forces due to vertical and horizontal velocity gradients. Empirical models of the distribution of neutral and charged particles are assumed to be known. The model of velocities developed is a steady state model. In part 1 the mathematical method used in the integration of the Navier-Stokes equations is described and the various forces are analysed.

Intercomparison of state-of-the-art models for wind energy resources with mesoscale models:

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Olsen, Bjarke Tobias; Hahmann, Andrea N.; Sempreviva, Anna Maria; Badger, Jake; Joergensen, Hans E.

2016-04-01

1. Introduction Mesoscale models are increasingly being used to estimate wind conditions to identify perspective areas and sites where to develop wind farm projects. Mesoscale models are functional for giving information over extensive areas with various terrain complexities where measurements are scarce and measurement campaigns costly. Several mesoscale models and families of models are being used, and each often contains thousands of setup options. Since long-term integrations are expensive and tedious to carry out, only limited comparisons exist. To remedy this problem and for evaluating the capabilities of mesoscale models to estimate site wind conditions, a tailored benchmarking study has been co-organized by the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) and the European Energy Research Alliance Joint Programme Wind Energy (EERA JP WIND). EWEA hosted results and ensured that participants were anonymous. The blind evaluation was performed at the Wind Energy Department of the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) with the following objectives: (1) To highlight common issues on mesoscale modelling of wind conditions on sites with different characteristics, and (2) To identify gaps and strengths of models and understand the root conditions for further evaluating uncertainties. 2. Approach Three experimental sites were selected: FINO 3 (offshore, GE), Høvsore (coastal, DK), and Cabauw (land-based, NL), and three other sites without observations based on . The three mast sites were chosen because the availability of concurrent suitable time series of vertical profiles of winds speed and other surface parameters. The participants were asked to provide hourly time series of wind speed, wind direction, temperature, etc., at various vertical heights for a complete year. The methodology used to derive the time series was left to the choice of the participants, but they were asked for a brief description of their model and many other parameters (e.g., horizontal and vertical resolution, model parameterizations, surface roughness length) that could be used to group the various models and interpret the results of the intercomparison. 3. Main body abstract Twenty separate entries were received by the deadline of 31 March 2015. They included simulations done with various versions of the Weather Research and Forecast (WRF) model, but also of six other well-known mesoscale models. The various entries represent an excellent sample of the various models used in by the wind energy industry today. The analysis of the submitted time series included comparison to observations, summarized with well-known measures such as biases, RMSE, correlations, and of sector-wise statistics, e.g. frequency and Weibull A and k. The comparison also includes the observed and modeled temporal spectra. The various statistics were grouped as a function of the various models, their spatial resolution, forcing data, and the various integration methods. Many statistics have been computed and will be presented in addition to those shown in the Helsinki presentation. 4. Conclusions The analysis of the time series from twenty entries has shown to be an invaluable source of information about state of the art in wind modeling with mesoscale models. Biases between the simulated and observed wind speeds at hub heights (80-100 m AGL) from the various models are around ±1.0 m/s and fairly independent of the site and do not seem to be directly related to the model horizontal resolution used in the modeling. As probably expected, the wind speeds from the simulations using the various version of the WRF model cluster close to each other, especially in their description of the wind profile.

Impacts of a large array of offshore wind farms on precipitation during hurricane Harvey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pan, Y.; Archer, C. L.

2017-12-01

Hurricane Harvey brought to the Texas coast possibly the heaviest rain ever recorded in U.S. history, which then caused flooding at unprecedented levels. Previous studies have shown that large arrays of offshore wind farms can extract kinetic energy from a hurricane and thus reduce the wind and storm surge. This study will quantitatively test weather the offshore turbines may also affect precipitation patterns. The Weather Research Forecast model is employed to model Harvey and the offshore wind farms are parameterized as elevated drag and turbulence kinetic energy sources. The turbines (7.8 MW Enercon-126 with rotor diameter D=127 m) are placed along the coast of Texas and Louisiana within 100 km from the shore, where the water depth is below 200 meters. Three spacing between turbines are considered (with the number of turbines in parenthesis): 7D×7D (149,936), 9D×9D (84,339), and 11D×11D (56,226). A fourth case (9D×9D) with a smaller area and thus less turbines (33,363) is added to the simulations to emphasize the impacts of offshore turbines installed specifically to protect the city of Houston, which was flooded heavily during hurricane Harvey. The model is integrated for 24 hours from 00UTC Aug 26th, 2017 to 00UTC Aug 27th, 2017. Model results indicate that the offshore wind farms have a strong impact on the distribution of 24-hour accumulated precipitation, with an obvious decrease onshore, downstream of the wind farms, and an increase in the offshore areas, upstream of or within the wind farms. A sector covering the metro-Houston area is chosen to study the sensitivity of the four different wind farm layouts. The spatial-average 24-hour accumulated precipitation is decreased by 37%, 28%, 20% and 25% respectively for the four cases. Compared with the control case with no wind turbines, increased horizontal wind divergence and lower vertical velocity are found where the precipitation is reduced onshore, whereas increased horizontal wind convergence and higher vertical velocity occur upstream or within the offshore wind farms. These preliminary results suggest that large arrays of offshore wind turbines can effectively protect the coast from heavy rain during hurricanes and that smart layouts with fewer turbines over smaller areas can be almost as effective as those with more turbines over larger areas.

Neutral winds and electric fields from model studies using reduced ionograms

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Baran, D. E.

1974-01-01

A relationship between the vertical component of the ion velocity and electron density profiles derived from reduced ionograms is developed. Methods for determining the horizontal components of the neutral winds and electric fields by using this relationship and making use of the variations of the inclinations and declinations of the earth's magnetic field are presented. The effects that electric fields have on the neutral wind calculations are estimated to be small but not second order. Seasonal and latitudinal variations of the calculated neutral winds are presented. From the calculated neutral winds a new set of neutral pressure gradients is determined. The new pressure gradients are compared with those generated from several static neutral atmospheric models. Sensitivity factors relating the pressure gradients and neutral winds are calculated and these indicate that mode coupling and harmonic generation are important to studies which assume linearized theories.

Wind Measurements from Arc Scans with Doppler Wind Lidar

DOE PAGES

Wang, H.; Barthelmie, R. J.; Clifton, Andy; ...

2015-11-25

When defining optimal scanning geometries for scanning lidars for wind energy applications, we found that it is still an active field of research. Our paper evaluates uncertainties associated with arc scan geometries and presents recommendations regarding optimal configurations in the atmospheric boundary layer. The analysis is based on arc scan data from a Doppler wind lidar with one elevation angle and seven azimuth angles spanning 30° and focuses on an estimation of 10-min mean wind speed and direction. When flow is horizontally uniform, this approach can provide accurate wind measurements required for wind resource assessments in part because of itsmore » high resampling rate. Retrieved wind velocities at a single range gate exhibit good correlation to data from a sonic anemometer on a nearby meteorological tower, and vertical profiles of horizontal wind speed, though derived from range gates located on a conical surface, match those measured by mast-mounted cup anemometers. Uncertainties in the retrieved wind velocity are related to high turbulent wind fluctuation and an inhomogeneous horizontal wind field. Moreover, the radial velocity variance is found to be a robust measure of the uncertainty of the retrieved wind speed because of its relationship to turbulence properties. It is further shown that the standard error of wind speed estimates can be minimized by increasing the azimuthal range beyond 30° and using five to seven azimuth angles.« less

The US Navy Coupled Ocean-Wave Prediction System

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-09-01

Stokes drift to be the dominant wave effect and that it increased surface drift speeds by 35% and veered the current in the direction of the wind...ocean model has been modified to incorporate the effect of the Stokes drift current, wave radiation stresses due to horizontal gradients of the momentum...for fourth-order differences for horizontal baroclinic pressure gradients and for interpolation of Coriolis terms. There is an option to use the

A unified high-resolution wind and solar dataset from a rapidly updating numerical weather prediction model

DOE PAGES

James, Eric P.; Benjamin, Stanley G.; Marquis, Melinda

2016-10-28

A new gridded dataset for wind and solar resource estimation over the contiguous United States has been derived from hourly updated 1-h forecasts from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration High-Resolution Rapid Refresh (HRRR) 3-km model composited over a three-year period (approximately 22 000 forecast model runs). The unique dataset features hourly data assimilation, and provides physically consistent wind and solar estimates for the renewable energy industry. The wind resource dataset shows strong similarity to that previously provided by a Department of Energy-funded study, and it includes estimates in southern Canada and northern Mexico. The solar resource dataset represents anmore » initial step towards application-specific fields such as global horizontal and direct normal irradiance. This combined dataset will continue to be augmented with new forecast data from the advanced HRRR atmospheric/land-surface model.« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Li, Fuyu; Collins, William D.; Wehner, Michael F.

High-resolution climate models have been shown to improve the statistics of tropical storms and hurricanes compared to low-resolution models. The impact of increasing horizontal resolution in the tropical storm simulation is investigated exclusively using a series of Atmospheric Global Climate Model (AGCM) runs with idealized aquaplanet steady-state boundary conditions and a fixed operational storm-tracking algorithm. The results show that increasing horizontal resolution helps to detect more hurricanes, simulate stronger extreme rainfall, and emulate better storm structures in the models. However, increasing model resolution does not necessarily produce stronger hurricanes in terms of maximum wind speed, minimum sea level pressure, andmore » mean precipitation, as the increased number of storms simulated by high-resolution models is mainly associated with weaker storms. The spatial scale at which the analyses are conducted appears to have more important control on these meteorological statistics compared to horizontal resolution of the model grid. When the simulations are analyzed on common low-resolution grids, the statistics of the hurricanes, particularly the hurricane counts, show reduced sensitivity to the horizontal grid resolution and signs of scale invariant.« less

A ground-base Radar network to access the 3D structure of MLT winds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stober, G.; Chau, J. L.; Wilhelm, S.; Jacobi, C.

2016-12-01

The mesosphere/lower thermosphere (MLT) is a highly variable atmospheric region driven by wave dynamics at various scales including planetary waves, tides and gravity waves. Some of these propagate through the MLT into the thermosphere/ionosphere carrying energy and momentum from the middle atmosphere into the upper atmosphere. To improve our understanding of the wave energetics and momentum transfer during their dissipation it is essential to characterize their space time properties. During the last two years we developed a new experimental approach to access the horizontal structure of wind fields at the MLT using a meteor radar network in Germany, which we called MMARIA - Multi-static Multi-frequency Agile Radar for Investigation of the Atmosphere. The network combines classical backscatter meteor radars and passive forward scatter radio links. We present our preliminary results using up to 7 different active and passive radio links to obtain horizontally resolved wind fields applying a statistical inverse method. The wind fields are retrieved with 15-30 minutes temporal resolution on a grid with 30x30 km horizontal spacing. Depending on the number of observed meteors, we are able to apply the wind field inversion at heights between 84-94 km. The horizontally resolved wind fields provide insights of the typical horizontal gravity wave length and the energy cascade from large scales to small scales. We present first power spectra indicating the transition from the synoptic wave scale to the gravity wave scale.

Development and testing of tip devices for horizontal axis wind turbines

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gyatt, G.W.; Lissaman, P.B.S.

1985-05-01

A theoretical and field experimental program has been carried out to investigate the use of tip devices on horizontal axis wind turbine rotors. Objective was to improve performance by the reduction of tip losses. A vortex lattice computer model was used to optimize three basic tip configuration types for a 25 kW stall limited commercial wind turbines. The types were a change in tip planform, and a single-element and double-element nonplannar tip extension (winglets). Approximately 270 h of performance data were collected over a three-month period. The sampling interval was 2.4 s; thus over 400,000 raw data points were logged.more » Results for each of the three new tip devices, compared with the original tip, showed a small decrease (of the order of 1 kW) in power output over the measured range of wind speeds from cut-in at about 4 m/s to over 20 m/s, well into the stall limiting region. For aircraft wing tip devices, favorable tip shapes have been reported and it is likely that the tip devices tested in this program did not improve rotor performance because they were not optimally adjusted. The computer model used does not have adequate lifting surface resolution or accuracy to design these small winglet extensions.« less

The effect of solidity on the performance of H-rotor Darrieus turbine

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hassan, S. M. Rakibul, E-mail: rakibulhassan21@gmail.com; Ali, Mohammad, E-mail: mali@me.buet.ac.bd; Islam, Md. Quamrul, E-mail: quamrul@me.buet.ac.bd

Utilization of wind energy has been investigated for a long period of time by different researchers in different ways. Out of which, the Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine and the Vertical Axis Wind Turbine have now advanced design, but still there is scope to improve their efficiency. The Vertical Axis Wind Turbine (VAWT) has the advantage over Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine (HAWT) for working on omnidirectional air flow without any extra control system. A modified H-rotor Darrieus type VAWT is analysed in this paper, which is a lift based wind turbine. The effect of solidity (i.e. chord length, no. of blades)more » on power coefficient (C{sub P}) of H-rotor for different tip speed ratios is numerically investigated. The study is conducted using time dependent RANS equations using SST k-ω model. SIMPLE scheme is used as pressure-velocity coupling and in all cases, the second order upwind discretization scheme is chosen for getting more accurate solution. In results, different parameters are compared, which depict the performance of the modified H-rotor Darrieus type VAWT. Double layered H-rotor having inner layer blades with longer chord gives higher power coefficient than those have inner layer blades with smaller chord.« less

Prediction and analysis of infra and low-frequency noise of upwind horizontal axis wind turbine using statistical wind speed model

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lee, Gwang-Se; Cheong, Cheolung, E-mail: ccheong@pusan.ac.kr

Despite increasing concern about low-frequency noise of modern large horizontal-axis wind turbines (HAWTs), few studies have focused on its origin or its prediction methods. In this paper, infra- and low-frequency (the ILF) wind turbine noise are closely examined and an efficient method is developed for its prediction. Although most previous studies have assumed that the ILF noise consists primarily of blade passing frequency (BPF) noise components, these tonal noise components are seldom identified in the measured noise spectrum, except for the case of downwind wind turbines. In reality, since modern HAWTs are very large, during rotation, a single blade ofmore » the turbine experiences inflow with variation in wind speed in time as well as in space, breaking periodic perturbations of the BPF. Consequently, this transforms acoustic contributions at the BPF harmonics into broadband noise components. In this study, the ILF noise of wind turbines is predicted by combining Lowson’s acoustic analogy with the stochastic wind model, which is employed to reproduce realistic wind speed conditions. In order to predict the effects of these wind conditions on pressure variation on the blade surface, unsteadiness in the incident wind speed is incorporated into the XFOIL code by varying incident flow velocities on each blade section, which depend on the azimuthal locations of the rotating blade. The calculated surface pressure distribution is subsequently used to predict acoustic pressure at an observing location by using Lowson’s analogy. These predictions are compared with measured data, which ensures that the present method can reproduce the broadband characteristics of the measured low-frequency noise spectrum. Further investigations are carried out to characterize the IFL noise in terms of pressure loading on blade surface, narrow-band noise spectrum and noise maps around the turbine.« less

Effect of vertical canopy architecture on transpiration, thermoregulation and carbon assimilation

DOE PAGES

Banerjee, Tirtha; Linn, Rodman Ray

2018-04-11

Quantifying the impact of natural and anthropogenic disturbances such as deforestation, forest fires and vegetation thinning among others on net ecosystem—atmosphere exchanges of carbon dioxide, water vapor and heat—is an important aspect in the context of modeling global carbon, water and energy cycles. The absence of canopy architectural variation in horizontal and vertical directions is a major source of uncertainty in current climate models attempting to address these issues. This work demonstrates the importance of considering the vertical distribution of foliage density by coupling a leaf level plant biophysics model with analytical solutions of wind flow and light attenuation inmore » a horizontally homogeneous canopy. It is demonstrated that plant physiological response in terms of carbon assimilation, transpiration and canopy surface temperature can be widely different for two canopies with the same leaf area index (LAI) but different leaf area density distributions, under several conditions of wind speed, light availability, soil moisture availability and atmospheric evaporative demand.« less

Effect of vertical canopy architecture on transpiration, thermoregulation and carbon assimilation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Banerjee, Tirtha; Linn, Rodman Ray

Quantifying the impact of natural and anthropogenic disturbances such as deforestation, forest fires and vegetation thinning among others on net ecosystem—atmosphere exchanges of carbon dioxide, water vapor and heat—is an important aspect in the context of modeling global carbon, water and energy cycles. The absence of canopy architectural variation in horizontal and vertical directions is a major source of uncertainty in current climate models attempting to address these issues. This work demonstrates the importance of considering the vertical distribution of foliage density by coupling a leaf level plant biophysics model with analytical solutions of wind flow and light attenuation inmore » a horizontally homogeneous canopy. It is demonstrated that plant physiological response in terms of carbon assimilation, transpiration and canopy surface temperature can be widely different for two canopies with the same leaf area index (LAI) but different leaf area density distributions, under several conditions of wind speed, light availability, soil moisture availability and atmospheric evaporative demand.« less

Results of a utility survey of the status of large wind turbine development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Watts, A.; Quraeshi, S.; Rowley, L. P.

1979-01-01

Wind energy conversion systems were surveyed from a utility viewpoint to establish the state of the art with regard to: (1) availability of the type of machines; (2) quality of power generation; (3) suitability for electrical grid; (4) reliability; and (5) economics. Of the 23 designs discussed, 7 have vertical axis wind turbines, 9 have upwind horizontal axis turbines, and 7 have downwind horizontal axis turbines.

Small Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine under High Speed Operation: Study of Power Evaluation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moh. M. Saad, Magedi; Mohd, Sofian Bin; Zulkafli, Mohd Fadhli Bin; Abdullah, Aslam Bin; Rahim, Mohammad Zulafif Bin; Subari, Zulkhairi Bin; Rosly, Nurhayati Binti

2017-10-01

Mechanical energy is produced through the rotation of wind turbine blades by air that convert the mechanical energy into electrical energy. Wind turbines are usually designed to be use for particular applications and design characteristics may vary depending on the area of use. The variety of applications is reflected on the size of turbines and their infrastructures, however, performance enhancement of wind turbine may start by analyzing the small horizontal axis wind turbine (SHAWT) under high wind speed operation. This paper analyzes the implementations of SHAWT turbines and investigates their performance in both simulation and real life. Depending on the real structure of the rotor geometry and aerodynamic test, the power performance of the SHAWT was simulated using ANSYS-FLUENT software at different wind speed up to 33.33 m/s (120km/h) in order to numerically investigate the actual turbine operation. Dynamic mesh and user define function (UDF) was used for revolving the rotor turbine via wind. Simulation results were further validated by experimental data and hence good matching was yielded. And for reducing the energy producing cost, car alternator was formed to be used as a small horizontal wind turbine. As a result, alternator-based turbine system was found to be a low-cost solution for exploitation of wind energy.

A simple, analytic 3-dimensional downburst model based on boundary layer stagnation flow

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Oseguera, Rosa M.; Bowles, Roland L.

1988-01-01

A simple downburst model is developed for use in batch and real-time piloted simulation studies of guidance strategies for terminal area transport aircraft operations in wind shear conditions. The model represents an axisymmetric stagnation point flow, based on velocity profiles from the Terminal Area Simulation System (TASS) model developed by Proctor and satisfies the mass continuity equation in cylindrical coordinates. Altitude dependence, including boundary layer effects near the ground, closely matches real-world measurements, as do the increase, peak, and decay of outflow and downflow with increasing distance from the downburst center. Equations for horizontal and vertical winds were derived, and found to be infinitely differentiable, with no singular points existent in the flow field. In addition, a simple relationship exists among the ratio of maximum horizontal to vertical velocities, the downdraft radius, depth of outflow, and altitude of maximum outflow. In use, a microburst can be modeled by specifying four characteristic parameters, velocity components in the x, y and z directions, and the corresponding nine partial derivatives are obtained easily from the velocity equations.

Wind Characteristics of Coastal and Inland Surface Flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Subramanian, Chelakara; Lazarus, Steven; Jin, Tetsuya

2015-11-01

Lidar measurements of the winds in the surface layer (up to 80 m) inland and near the beach are studied to better characterize the velocity profile and the effect of roughness. Mean and root-mean-squared profiles of horizontal and vertical wind components are analyzed. The effects of variable time (18, 60 and 600 seconds) averaging on the above profiles are discussed. The validity of common surface layer wind profile models to estimate skin friction drag is assessed in light of these measurements. Other turbulence statistics such as auto- and cross- correlations in spatial and temporal domains are also presented. The help of FIT DMES field measurement crew is acknowledged.

Long range lidar data processing for validating LES of wind turbine wakes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trabucchi, D.; van Dooren, M.; Vollmer, L.; Schneemann, J.; Trujillo, J. J.; Witha, B.; Kühn, M.

2014-12-01

Scanning wind lidars offer the possibility to compare full-scale measurements in the wake of a wind turbine with LES wind fields calculated for the same test case. Due to the novelty and the peculiarity of lidar measurements, a comparison between experimental data and simulation results is non-trivial and several methods can be applied. This study presents validation methods for single and dual-doppler lidar measurements respectively.Consecutive azimuthal scans - commonly indicated as Plan Position Indicator (PPI) - at a low fixed elevation and centered on the wind turbine wake provide the radial wind speed, i.e. the wind component along the laser beam, on an almost flat polar grid. This data can be directly compared with the radial wind speed evaluated at the measurement point from the simulated wind field. This approach provides a detailed spatial description of the wind field and can be applied to averaged data for steady analysis. For the comparison with LES results, time average and spatial interpolation of the computed wind field are needed. Moreover, a proper wind direction should be chosen to evaluate the radial wind speed.With two lidars performing consecutive PPI scans over the same region from different places it is possible to estimate the horizontal wind field where the scanned regions overlap. Due to the limits in the synchronization of the PPI scans by the lidars, only steady analysis based on time averaged data can be done. A horizontal grid based on the one used for the LES is overlapped to the region covered by the two non-co-planar scans. The horizontal wind field at a considered point can be evaluated solving the system given by at least two non-aligned radial directions about this point. For each node, the data sampled by the lidars in a well defined volume during the considered time interval is used to write this system. Moreover, a discrete approximation of the continuity equation is applied to link the solutions for all the grid nodes. Instead of an interpolation on the LES wind field, this approach requires a temporal and vertical average over the considered time and height intervals.The application of these two approaches to lidar measurements performed in the offshore wind farm »alpha ventus« is presented in this work. The results are going to be used to evaluate different wind turbine wake models applied to LES.

Impact of tropical cyclones on modeled extreme wind-wave climate

DOE PAGES

Timmermans, Ben; Stone, Daithi; Wehner, Michael; ...

2017-02-16

Here, the effect of forcing wind resolution on the extremes of global wind-wave climate are investigated in numerical simulations. Forcing winds from the Community Atmosphere Model at horizontal resolutions of ~1.0° and ~0.25° are used to drive Wavewatch III. Differences in extreme wave height are found to manifest most strongly in tropical cyclone (TC) regions, emphasizing the need for high-resolution forcing in those areas. Comparison with observations typically show improvement in performance with increased forcing resolution, with a strong influence in the tail of the distribution, although simulated extremes can exceed observations. A simulation for the end of the 21stmore » century under a RCP 8.5 type emission scenario suggests further increases in extreme wave height in TC regions.« less

Impact of tropical cyclones on modeled extreme wind-wave climate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Timmermans, Ben; Stone, Dáithí; Wehner, Michael; Krishnan, Harinarayan

2017-02-01

The effect of forcing wind resolution on the extremes of global wind-wave climate are investigated in numerical simulations. Forcing winds from the Community Atmosphere Model at horizontal resolutions of ˜1.0° and ˜0.25° are used to drive Wavewatch III. Differences in extreme wave height are found to manifest most strongly in tropical cyclone (TC) regions, emphasizing the need for high-resolution forcing in those areas. Comparison with observations typically show improvement in performance with increased forcing resolution, with a strong influence in the tail of the distribution, although simulated extremes can exceed observations. A simulation for the end of the 21st century under a RCP 8.5 type emission scenario suggests further increases in extreme wave height in TC regions.

Coupling the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model and Large Eddy Simulations with Actuator Disk Model: predictions of wind farm power production

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garcia Cartagena, Edgardo Javier; Santoni, Christian; Ciri, Umberto; Iungo, Giacomo Valerio; Leonardi, Stefano

2015-11-01

A large-scale wind farm operating under realistic atmospheric conditions is studied by coupling a meso-scale and micro-scale models. For this purpose, the Weather Research and Forecasting model (WRF) is coupled with an in-house LES solver for wind farms. The code is based on a finite difference scheme, with a Runge-Kutta, fractional step and the Actuator Disk Model. The WRF model has been configured using seven one-way nested domains where the child domain has a mesh size one third of its parent domain. A horizontal resolution of 70 m is used in the innermost domain. A section from the smallest and finest nested domain, 7.5 diameters upwind of the wind farm is used as inlet boundary condition for the LES code. The wind farm consists in six-turbines aligned with the mean wind direction and streamwise spacing of 10 rotor diameters, (D), and 2.75D in the spanwise direction. Three simulations were performed by varying the velocity fluctuations at the inlet: random perturbations, precursor simulation, and recycling perturbation method. Results are compared with a simulation on the same wind farm with an ideal uniform wind speed to assess the importance of the time varying incoming wind velocity. Numerical simulations were performed at TACC (Grant CTS070066). This work was supported by NSF, (Grant IIA-1243482 WINDINSPIRE).

Turbulence feature modifications from high to low wind conditions: results from the CCT observations at Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schiavon, Mario; Mazzola, Mauro; Tampieri, Francesco; Pietro Viola, Angelo; Choi, Taejin

2017-04-01

The turbulence features in the quasi neutral surface layer are investigated as the intensity of the wind decreases, i.e. as the forcing due to the shear decreases. In this aim, a 5-year (2012-2016) set of observations of meteorological and micro-meteorological parameters acquired on the Climate Change Tower (CCT) in Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard Islands, is used. The 34-m high tower, operated by the Italian National Council of Research (CNR) is equipped with four slow response wind and temperature probes and three fast response sonic anemometers and is located on heterogeneous terrain. One of the fast sensors was installed by KOPRI since 2012. The observations are averaged over 10 and 30 minutes intervals. The analysis addresses the share of the mean turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) among the along-wind, cross-wind and vertical velocity variances (respectively < u2 >, < v2 >, < w2 >), with attention to the parameterizations of the boundary layer commonly used in NWP models: the classical Mellor-Yamada (1982) scheme with the return-to-isotropy term by Rotta(1951) and its modifications, and the recent approach by Zilitinkevich and coworkers (2013). The results show that the share of TKE among the vertical < w2 > and the total horizontal variance < u2 > + < v2 > is weakly dependent on the wind velocity while the share of the total horizontal variance between the along-wind and cross-wind components depends on wind speed. At high velocity (and large wind shear) a clear anisotropy , with < u2 >≈ 2 < v2 >, is observed, quite consistent with literature (Tampieri, 2017, pag. 69). As the velocity decreases, the ratio < u2 > /(< u2 > + < v2 >) displays a wide flat distribution between 0.2 and 0.8 with median values corresponding approximately to horizontal isotropy: < u2 >≈< v2 >. These features can be parameterized using suitable coefficients, function of the wind intensity in the equations for the TKE share, capturing the average behaviour of the flow. A further investigation based on estimates of the relative importance of the high frequency and low frequency spectral distribution of TKE suggests that the presence of slow motions (like meandering) affects the tendency to isotropy; in absence of such effects, the horizontal turbulence is anisotropic both in high and in relatively low wind conditions. Some comparison with the results from other data sets is outlined, to give a preliminary answer to the possible generalization of such features. Mellor, Yamada. Rev. G. Space Phys. 20, 851 (1982) Rotta. Z. Phys. 129, 547 (1951) Tampieri. Turbulence and Dispersion in the PBL. Springer (2017) Zilitinkevich et al. Bound.-Layer Meteorol. 146, 341 (2013)

Vector wind, horizontal divergence, wind stress and wind stress curl from SEASAT-SASS at one degree resolution

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pierson, W. J., Jr.; Sylvester, W. B.; Salfi, R. E.

1984-01-01

Conventional data obtained in 1983 are contrasted with SEASAT-A scatterometer and scanning multichannel microwave radiometer (SMMR) data to show how observations at a single station can be extended to an area of about 150,000 square km by means of remotely sensed data obtained in nine minutes. Superobservations at a one degree resolution for the vector winds were estimated along with their standard deviations. From these superobservations, the horizontal divergence, vector wind stress, and the curl of the wind stress can be found. Weather forecasting theory is discussed and meteorological charts of the North Pacific Ocean are presented. Synoptic meteorology as a technique is examined.

Large-scale variability of wind erosion mass flux rates at Owens Lake 1. Vertical profiles of horizontal mass fluxes of wind-eroded particles with diameter greater than 50 μm

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gillette, Dale A.; Fryrear, D.W.; Xiao, Jing Bing; Stockton, Paul; Ono, Duane; Helm, Paula J.; Gill, Thomas E; Ley, Trevor

1997-01-01

A field experiment at Owens (dry) Lake, California, tested whether and how the relative profiles of airborne horizontal mass fluxes for >50-μm wind-eroded particles changed with friction velocity. The horizontal mass flux at almost all measured heights increased proportionally to the cube of friction velocity above an apparent threshold friction velocity for all sediment tested and increased with height except at one coarse-sand site where the relative horizontal mass flux profile did not change with friction velocity. Size distributions for long-time-averaged horizontal mass flux samples showed a saltation layer from the surface to a height between 30 and 50 cm, above which suspended particles dominate. Measurements from a large dust source area on a line parallel to the wind showed that even though the saltation flux reached equilibrium ∼650 m downwind of the starting point of erosion, weakly suspended particles were still input into the atmosphere 1567 m downwind of the starting point; thus the saltating fraction of the total mass flux decreased after 650 m. The scale length difference and ratio of 70/30 suspended mass flux to saltation mass flux at the farthest down wind sampling site confirm that suspended particles are very important for mass budgets in large source areas and that saltation mass flux can be a variable fraction of total horizontal mass flux for soils with a substantial fraction of <100-μm particles.

Wind Energy System Time-domain (WEST) analyzers using hybrid simulation techniques

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hoffman, J. A.

1979-01-01

Two stand-alone analyzers constructed for real time simulation of the complex dynamic characteristics of horizontal-axis wind energy systems are described. Mathematical models for an aeroelastic rotor, including nonlinear aerodynamic and elastic loads, are implemented with high speed digital and analog circuitry. Models for elastic supports, a power train, a control system, and a rotor gimbal system are also included. Limited correlation efforts show good comparisons between results produced by the analyzers and results produced by a large digital simulation. The digital simulation results correlate well with test data.

Navier-Stokes and Comprehensive Analysis Performance Predictions of the NREL Phase VI Experiment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Duque, Earl P. N.; Burklund, Michael D.; Johnson, Wayne

2003-01-01

A vortex lattice code, CAMRAD II, and a Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stoke code, OVERFLOW-D2, were used to predict the aerodynamic performance of a two-bladed horizontal axis wind turbine. All computations were compared with experimental data that was collected at the NASA Ames Research Center 80- by 120-Foot Wind Tunnel. Computations were performed for both axial as well as yawed operating conditions. Various stall delay models and dynamics stall models were used by the CAMRAD II code. Comparisons between the experimental data and computed aerodynamic loads show that the OVERFLOW-D2 code can accurately predict the power and spanwise loading of a wind turbine rotor.

Near-Surface Wind Predictions in Complex Terrain with a CFD Approach Optimized for Atmospheric Boundary Layer Flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wagenbrenner, N. S.; Forthofer, J.; Butler, B.; Shannon, K.

2014-12-01

Near-surface wind predictions are important for a number of applications, including transport and dispersion, wind energy forecasting, and wildfire behavior. Researchers and forecasters would benefit from a wind model that could be readily applied to complex terrain for use in these various disciplines. Unfortunately, near-surface winds in complex terrain are not handled well by traditional modeling approaches. Numerical weather prediction models employ coarse horizontal resolutions which do not adequately resolve sub-grid terrain features important to the surface flow. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models are increasingly being applied to simulate atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) flows, especially in wind energy applications; however, the standard functionality provided in commercial CFD models is not suitable for ABL flows. Appropriate CFD modeling in the ABL requires modification of empirically-derived wall function parameters and boundary conditions to avoid erroneous streamwise gradients due to inconsistences between inlet profiles and specified boundary conditions. This work presents a new version of a near-surface wind model for complex terrain called WindNinja. The new version of WindNinja offers two options for flow simulations: 1) the native, fast-running mass-consistent method available in previous model versions and 2) a CFD approach based on the OpenFOAM modeling framework and optimized for ABL flows. The model is described and evaluations of predictions with surface wind data collected from two recent field campaigns in complex terrain are presented. A comparison of predictions from the native mass-consistent method and the new CFD method is also provided.

Aerodynamic study of a stall regulated horizontal-axis wind turbine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Constantinescu, S. G.; Crunteanu, D. E.; Niculescu, M. L.

2013-10-01

The wind energy is deemed as one of the most durable energetic variants of the future because the wind resources are immense. Furthermore, one predicts that the small wind turbines will play a vital role in the urban environment. Unfortunately, the complexity and the price of pitch regulated small horizontal-axis wind turbines represent ones of the main obstacles to widespread the use in populated zones. Moreover, the energetic efficiency of small stall regulated wind turbines has to be high even at low and medium wind velocities because, usually the cities are not windy places. During the running stall regulated wind turbines, due to the extremely broad range of the wind velocity, the angle of attack can reach high values and some regions of the blade will show stall and post-stall behavior. This paper deals with stall and post-stall regimes because they can induce significant vibrations, fatigue and even the wind turbine failure.

Performance and evaluation of a coupled prognostic model TAPM over a mountainous complex terrain industrial area

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matthaios, Vasileios N.; Triantafyllou, Athanasios G.; Albanis, Triantafyllos A.; Sakkas, Vasileios; Garas, Stelios

2018-05-01

Atmospheric modeling is considered an important tool with several applications such as prediction of air pollution levels, air quality management, and environmental impact assessment studies. Therefore, evaluation studies must be continuously made, in order to improve the accuracy and the approaches of the air quality models. In the present work, an attempt is made to examine the air pollution model (TAPM) efficiency in simulating the surface meteorology, as well as the SO2 concentrations in a mountainous complex terrain industrial area. Three configurations under different circumstances, firstly with default datasets, secondly with data assimilation, and thirdly with updated land use, ran in order to investigate the surface meteorology for a 3-year period (2009-2011) and one configuration applied to predict SO2 concentration levels for the year of 2011.The modeled hourly averaged meteorological and SO2 concentration values were statistically compared with those from five monitoring stations across the domain to evaluate the model's performance. Statistical measures showed that the surface temperature and relative humidity are predicted well in all three simulations, with index of agreement (IOA) higher than 0.94 and 0.70 correspondingly, in all monitoring sites, while an overprediction of extreme low temperature values is noted, with mountain altitudes to have an important role. However, the results also showed that the model's performance is related to the configuration regarding the wind. TAPM default dataset predicted better the wind variables in the center of the simulation than in the boundaries, while improvement in the boundary horizontal winds implied the performance of TAPM with updated land use. TAPM assimilation predicted the wind variables fairly good in the whole domain with IOA higher than 0.83 for the wind speed and higher than 0.85 for the horizontal wind components. Finally, the SO2 concentrations were assessed by the model with IOA varied from 0.37 to 0.57, mostly dependent on the grid/monitoring station of the simulated domain. The present study can be used, with relevant adaptations, as a user guideline for future conducting simulations in mountainous complex terrain.

Studies regarding the quality of numerical weather forecasts of the WRF model integrated at high-resolutions for the Romanian territory

DOE PAGES

Iriza, Amalia; Dumitrache, Rodica C.; Lupascu, Aurelia; ...

2016-01-01

Our paper aims to evaluate the quality of high-resolution weather forecasts from the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) numerical weather prediction model. The lateral and boundary conditions were obtained from the numerical output of the Consortium for Small-scale Modeling (COSMO) model at 7 km horizontal resolution. Furthermore, the WRF model was run for January and July 2013 at two horizontal resolutions (3 and 1 km). The numerical forecasts of the WRF model were evaluated using different statistical scores for 2 m temperature and 10 m wind speed. Our results showed a tendency of the WRF model to overestimate the valuesmore » of the analyzed parameters in comparison to observations.« less

Studies regarding the quality of numerical weather forecasts of the WRF model integrated at high-resolutions for the Romanian territory

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Iriza, Amalia; Dumitrache, Rodica C.; Lupascu, Aurelia

Our paper aims to evaluate the quality of high-resolution weather forecasts from the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) numerical weather prediction model. The lateral and boundary conditions were obtained from the numerical output of the Consortium for Small-scale Modeling (COSMO) model at 7 km horizontal resolution. Furthermore, the WRF model was run for January and July 2013 at two horizontal resolutions (3 and 1 km). The numerical forecasts of the WRF model were evaluated using different statistical scores for 2 m temperature and 10 m wind speed. Our results showed a tendency of the WRF model to overestimate the valuesmore » of the analyzed parameters in comparison to observations.« less

Independent Blade Pitch Controller Design for a Three-Bladed Turbine Using Disturbance Accommodating Control

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wang, Na; Wright, Alan D.; Johnson, Kathryn E.

Two independent pitch controllers (IPCs) based on the disturbance accommodating control (DAC) algorithm are designed for the three-bladed Controls Advanced Research Turbine to regulate rotor speed and to mitigate blade root flapwise bending loads in above-rated wind speed. One of the DAC-based IPCs is designed based on a transformed symmetrical-asymmetrical (TSA) turbine model, with wind disturbances being modeled as a collective horizontal component and an asymmetrical linear shear component. Another DAC-based IPC is designed based on a multiblade coordinate (MBC) transformed turbine model, with a horizontal component and a vertical shear component being modeled as step waveform disturbance. Both ofmore » the DAC-based IPCs are found via a regulation equation solved by Kronecker product. Actuator dynamics are considered in the design processes to compensate for actuator phase delay. The simulation study shows the effectiveness of the proposed DAC-based IPCs compared to a proportional-integral (PI) collective pitch controller (CPC). Improvement on rotor speed regulation and once-per-revolution and twice-per-revolution load reductions has been observed in the proposed IPC designs.« less

Independent Blade Pitch Controller Design for a Three-Bladed Turbine Using Disturbance Accommodating Control: Preprint

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wang, Na; Wright, Alan D.; Johnson, Kathryn E.

Two independent pitch controllers (IPCs) based on the disturbance accommodating control (DAC) algorithm are designed for the three-bladed Controls Advanced Research Turbine to regulate rotor speed and to mitigate blade root flapwise bending loads in above-rated wind speed. One of the DAC-based IPCs is designed based on a transformed symmetrical-asymmetrical (TSA) turbine model, with wind disturbances being modeled as a collective horizontal component and an asymmetrical linear shear component. Another DAC-based IPC is designed based on a multiblade coordinate (MBC) transformed turbine model, with a horizontal component and a vertical shear component being modeled as step waveform disturbance. Both ofmore » the DAC-based IPCs are found via a regulation equation solved by Kronecker product. Actuator dynamics are considered in the design processes to compensate for actuator phase delay. The simulation study shows the effectiveness of the proposed DAC-based IPCs compared to a proportional-integral (PI) collective pitch controller (CPC). Improvement on rotor speed regulation and once-per-revolution and twice-per-revolution load reductions has been observed in the proposed IPC designs.« less

Wind-tunnel modelling of the tip-speed ratio influence on the wake evolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stein, Victor P.; Kaltenbach, Hans-Jakob

2016-09-01

Wind-tunnel measurements on the near-wake evolution of a three bladed horizontal axis wind turbine model (HAWT) in the scale 1:O(350) operating in uniform flow conditions and within a turbulent boundary layer at different tip speed ratios are presented. Operational conditions are chosen to exclude Reynolds number effects regarding the turbulent boundary layer as well as the rotor performance. Triple-wire anemometry is used to measure all three velocity components in the mid-vertical and mid-horizontal plane, covering the range from the near- to the far-wake region. In order to analyse wake properties systematically, power and thrust coefficients of the turbine were measured additionally. It is confirmed that realistic modelling of the wake evolution is not possible in a low-turbulence uniform approach flow. Profiles of mean velocity and turbulence intensity exhibit large deviations between the low-turbulence uniform flow and the turbulent boundary layer, especially in the far-wake region. For nearly constant thrust coefficients differences in the evolution of the near-wake can be identified for tip speed ratios in the range from 6.5 to 10.5. It is shown that with increasing downstream distances mean velocity profiles become indistinguishable whereas for turbulence statistics a subtle dependency on the tip speed ratio is still noticeable in the far-wake region.

Numerical Simulation of Atmospheric Response to Pacific Tropical Instability Waves(.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Small, R. Justin; Xie, Shang-Ping; Wang, Yuqing

2003-11-01

Tropical instability waves (TIWs) are 1000-km-long waves that appear along the sea surface temperature (SST) front of the equatorial cold tongue in the eastern Pacific. The study investigates the atmospheric planetary boundary layer (PBL) response to TIW-induced SST variations using a high-resolution regional climate model. An investigation is made of the importance of pressure gradients induced by changes in air temperature and moisture, and vertical mixing, which is parameterized in the model by a 1.5-level turbulence closure scheme. Significant turbulent flux anomalies of sensible and latent heat are caused by changes in the air sea temperature and moisture differences induced by the TIWs. Horizontal advection leads to the occurrence of the air temperature and moisture extrema downwind of the SST extrema. High and low hydrostatic surface pressures are then located downwind of the cold and warm SST patches, respectively. The maximum and minimum wind speeds occur in phase with SST, and a thermally direct circulation is created. The momentum budget indicates that pressure gradient, vertical mixing, and horizontal advection dominate. In the PBL the vertical mixing acts as a frictional drag on the pressure-gradient-driven winds. Over warm SST the mixed layer deepens relative to over cold SST. The model simulations of the phase and amplitude of wind velocity, wind convergence, and column-integrated water vapor perturbations due to TIWs are similar to those observed from satellite and in situ data.

Wind measurement system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cliff, W. C.; Huffaker, R. M.; Dahm, W. K.; Thomson, J. A. L.; Lawrence, T. R.; Krause, M. C.; Wilson, D. J. (Inventor)

1976-01-01

A system for remotely measuring vertical and horizontal winds present in discrete volumes of air at selected locations above the ground is described. A laser beam is optically focused in range by a telescope, and the output beam is conically scanned at an angle about a vertical axis. The backscatter, or reflected light, from the ambient particulates in a volume of air, the focal volume, is detected for shifts in wavelength, and from these, horizontal and vertical wind components are computed.

High Altitude Bird Migration at Temperate Latitudes: A Synoptic Perspective on Wind Assistance

PubMed Central

Dokter, Adriaan M.; Shamoun-Baranes, Judy; Kemp, Michael U.; Tijm, Sander; Holleman, Iwan

2013-01-01

At temperate latitudes the synoptic patterns of bird migration are strongly structured by the presence of cyclones and anticyclones, both in the horizontal and altitudinal dimensions. In certain synoptic conditions, birds may efficiently cross regions with opposing surface wind by choosing a higher flight altitude with more favourable wind. We observed migratory passerines at mid-latitudes that selected high altitude wind optima on particular nights, leading to the formation of structured migration layers at varying altitude up to 3 km. Using long-term vertical profiling of bird migration by C-band Doppler radar in the Netherlands, we find that such migration layers occur nearly exclusively during spring migration in the presence of a high-pressure system. A conceptual analytic framework providing insight into the synoptic patterns of wind assistance for migrants that includes the altitudinal dimension has so far been lacking. We present a simple model for a baroclinic atmosphere that relates vertical profiles of wind assistance to the pressure and temperature patterns occurring at temperate latitudes. We show how the magnitude and direction of the large scale horizontal temperature gradient affects the relative gain in wind assistance that migrants obtain through ascending. Temperature gradients typical for northerly high-pressure systems in spring are shown to cause high altitude wind optima in the easterly sectors of anticyclones, thereby explaining the frequent observations of high altitude migration in these synoptic conditions. Given the recurring synoptic arrangements of pressure systems across temperate continents, the opportunities for exploiting high altitude wind will differ between flyways, for example between easterly and westerly oceanic coasts. PMID:23300969

High altitude bird migration at temperate latitudes: a synoptic perspective on wind assistance.

PubMed

Dokter, Adriaan M; Shamoun-Baranes, Judy; Kemp, Michael U; Tijm, Sander; Holleman, Iwan

2013-01-01

At temperate latitudes the synoptic patterns of bird migration are strongly structured by the presence of cyclones and anticyclones, both in the horizontal and altitudinal dimensions. In certain synoptic conditions, birds may efficiently cross regions with opposing surface wind by choosing a higher flight altitude with more favourable wind. We observed migratory passerines at mid-latitudes that selected high altitude wind optima on particular nights, leading to the formation of structured migration layers at varying altitude up to 3 km. Using long-term vertical profiling of bird migration by C-band Doppler radar in the Netherlands, we find that such migration layers occur nearly exclusively during spring migration in the presence of a high-pressure system. A conceptual analytic framework providing insight into the synoptic patterns of wind assistance for migrants that includes the altitudinal dimension has so far been lacking. We present a simple model for a baroclinic atmosphere that relates vertical profiles of wind assistance to the pressure and temperature patterns occurring at temperate latitudes. We show how the magnitude and direction of the large scale horizontal temperature gradient affects the relative gain in wind assistance that migrants obtain through ascending. Temperature gradients typical for northerly high-pressure systems in spring are shown to cause high altitude wind optima in the easterly sectors of anticyclones, thereby explaining the frequent observations of high altitude migration in these synoptic conditions. Given the recurring synoptic arrangements of pressure systems across temperate continents, the opportunities for exploiting high altitude wind will differ between flyways, for example between easterly and westerly oceanic coasts.

Estimating Variances of Horizontal Wind Fluctuations in Stable Conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luhar, Ashok K.

2010-05-01

Information concerning the average wind speed and the variances of lateral and longitudinal wind velocity fluctuations is required by dispersion models to characterise turbulence in the atmospheric boundary layer. When the winds are weak, the scalar average wind speed and the vector average wind speed need to be clearly distinguished and both lateral and longitudinal wind velocity fluctuations assume equal importance in dispersion calculations. We examine commonly-used methods of estimating these variances from wind-speed and wind-direction statistics measured separately, for example, by a cup anemometer and a wind vane, and evaluate the implied relationship between the scalar and vector wind speeds, using measurements taken under low-wind stable conditions. We highlight several inconsistencies inherent in the existing formulations and show that the widely-used assumption that the lateral velocity variance is equal to the longitudinal velocity variance is not necessarily true. We derive improved relations for the two variances, and although data under stable stratification are considered for comparison, our analysis is applicable more generally.

Large, horizontal-axis wind turbines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Linscott, B. S.; Perkins, P.; Dennett, J. T.

1984-01-01

Development of the technology for safe, reliable, environmentally acceptable large wind turbines that have the potential to generate a significant amount of electricity at costs competitive with conventional electric generating systems are presented. In addition, these large wind turbines must be fully compatible with electric utility operations and interface requirements. There are several ongoing large wind system development projects and applied research efforts directed toward meeting the technology requirements for utility applications. Detailed information on these projects is provided. The Mod-O research facility and current applied research effort in aerodynamics, structural dynamics and aeroelasticity, composite and hybrid composite materials, and multiple system interaction are described. A chronology of component research and technology development for large, horizontal axis wind turbines is presented. Wind characteristics, wind turbine economics, and the impact of wind turbines on the environment are reported. The need for continued wind turbine research and technology development is explored. Over 40 references are sited and a bibliography is included.

Observations of Thermospheric Horizontal Winds at Watson Lake, Yukon Territory (lambda=65 Deg N)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Niciejewski, R. J.; Killeen, T. L.; Solomon, Stanley C.

1996-01-01

Fabry-Perot interferometer observations of the thermospheric O I (6300 A) emission have been conducted from an airglow observatory at a dark field site in the southeastern Yukon Territory, Canada, for the period November 1991 to April 1993. The experiment operated in unattended, remote fashion, has resulted in a substantial data set from which mean neutral winds have been determined. Dependent upon geomagnetic activity, the nocturnal location of the site is either equatorward of the auroral oval or within oval boundaries. The data set is rich enough to permit hourly binning of neutral winds based upon the K(sub p) geomagnetic disturbance index as well as the season. For cases of low geomagnetic activity the averaged vector horizontal neutral wind exhibits the characteristics of a midlatitude site displaying antisunward pressure-gradient-driven winds. As the geomagnetic activity rises in the late afternoon and evening winds slowly rotate sunward in an anticlockwise direction, initially remaining near 100 m/s in speed but eventually increasing to 300 m/s for K(sub p) greater than 5. For the higher levels of activity the observed neutral wind flow pattern resembles a higher-latitude polar cap pattern characterized by ion drag forcing of thermospheric neutral gases. In addition, rotational Coriolis forcing on the dusk side enhances the ion drag forcing, resulting in dusk winds which trace out the clockwise dusk cell plasma flow. On the dawn side the neutral winds also rotate in an anticlockwise direction as the strength of geomagnetic disturbances increase. Since the site is located at a transition latitude between the midlatitude and the polar cap the data set provides a sensitive test for general circulation models which attempt to parameterize the contribution of magnetospheric processes. A comparison with the Vector Spherical Harmonic (VSH) model indicates several regions of poor correspondence for December solstice conditions but reasonable agreement for the vernal equinox.

Conceptual optimization using genetic algorithms for tube in tube structures

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pârv, Bianca Roxana; Hulea, Radu; Mojolic, Cristian

2015-03-10

The purpose of this article is to optimize the tube in tube structural systems for tall buildings under the horizontal wind loads. It is well-known that the horizontal wind loads is the main criteria when choosing the structural system, the types and the dimensions of structural elements in the majority of tall buildings. Thus, the structural response of tall buildings under the horizontal wind loads will be analyzed for 40 story buildings and a total height of 120 meters; the horizontal dimensions will be 30m × 30m for the first two optimization problems and 15m × 15m for the third.more » The optimization problems will have the following as objective function the cross section area, as restrictions the displacement of the building< the admissible displacement (H/500), and as variables the cross section dimensions of the structural elements.« less

On wind-wave-current interactions during the Shoaling Waves Experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Fei W.; Drennan, William M.; Haus, Brian K.; Graber, Hans C.

2009-01-01

This paper presents a case study of wind-wave-current interaction during the Shoaling Waves Experiment (SHOWEX). Surface current fields off Duck, North Carolina, were measured by a high-frequency Ocean Surface Current Radar (OSCR). Wind, wind stress, and directional wave data were obtained from several Air Sea Interaction Spar (ASIS) buoys moored in the OSCR scanning domain. At several times during the experiment, significant coastal currents entered the experimental area. High horizontal shears at the current edge resulted in the waves at the peak of wind-sea spectra (but not those in the higher-frequency equilibrium range) being shifted away from the mean wind direction. This led to a significant turning of the wind stress vector away from the mean wind direction. The interactions presented here have important applications in radar remote sensing and are discussed in the context of recent radar imaging models of the ocean surface.

EXPRESSING SUPPLY LIMITATION IN SAND SALTATION

EPA Science Inventory

Saltation-driven sandblasting is the most effective producer of windblown dust. Modeling of wind-blown dust emissions requires an efficient parameterization of sand flux in the saltating mode. According to the theory of P. R. Owen the horizontal mass flux of saltating uniform p...

Anechoic wind tunnel study of turbulence effects on wind turbine broadband noise

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Loyd, B.; Harris, W. L.

1995-01-01

This paper describes recent results obtained at MIT on the experimental and theoretical modelling of aerodynamic broadband noise generated by a downwind rotor horizontal axis wind turbine. The aerodynamic broadband noise generated by the wind turbine rotor is attributed to the interaction of ingested turbulence with the rotor blades. The turbulence was generated in the MIT anechoic wind tunnel facility with the aid of biplanar grids of various sizes. The spectra and the intensity of the aerodynamic broadband noise have been studied as a function of parameters which characterize the turbulence and of wind turbine performance parameters. Specifically, the longitudinal integral scale of turbulence, the size scale of turbulence, the number of turbine blades, and free stream velocity were varied. Simultaneous measurements of acoustic and turbulence signals were made. The sound pressure level was found to vary directly with the integral scale of the ingested turbulence but not with its intensity level. A theoretical model based on unsteady aerodynamics is proposed.

Observing Equatorial Thermospheric Winds and Temperatures with a New Mapping Technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Faivre, M. W.; Meriwether, J. W.; Sherwood, P.; Veliz, O.

2005-12-01

Application of the Fabry-Perot interferometer (FPI) at Arequipa, Peru (16.4S, 71.4 W) to measure the Doppler shifts and Doppler broadenings in the equatorial O(1D) 630-nm nightglow has resulted in numerous detections of a large-scale thermospheric phenomenon called the Midnight Temperature Maximum (MTM). A recent detector upgrade with a CCD camera has improved the accuracy of these measurements by a factor of 5. Temperature increases of 50 to 150K have been measured during nights in April and July, 2005, with error bars less than 10K after averaging in all directions. Moreover, the meridional wind measurements show evidence for a flow reversal from equatorward to poleward near local midnight for such events. A new observing strategy based upon the pioneering work of Burnside et al.[1981] maps the equatorial wind and temperature fields by observing in eight equally-spaced azimuth directions, each with a zenith angle of 60 degrees. Analysis of the data obtained with this technique gives the mean wind velocities in the meridional and zonal directions as well as the horizontal gradients of the wind field for these directions. Significant horizontal wind gradients are found for the meridional direction but not for the zonal direction. The zonal wind blows eastward throughout the night with a maximum speed of ~150 m/s near the middle of the night and then decreases towards zero just before dawn. In general, the fastest poleward meridional wind is observed near mid-evening. By the end of the night, the meridional flow tends to be more equatorward at speeds of about 50 m/s. Using the assumption that local time and longitude are equivalent over a period of 30 minutes, a map of the horizontal wind field vector field is constructed over a range of 12 degrees latitude centered at 16.5 S. Comparison between MTM nights and quiet nights (no MTM) revealed significant differences in the horizontal wind fields. Using the method of Fourier decomposition of the line-of-sight winds, the vertical wind can be retrieved from the horizontal flow divergence with a much-improved sensitivity than that represented by direct zenith measurements. The value of the vertical wind speed ranges from -5 to 5 m/s. Some nights seem to present gravity wave activity with periodic fluctuations of 1-2 hours visible in the vertical winds as well as in the temperature series.

Dust devil characteristics and associated dust entrainment based on large-eddy simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klose, Martina; Kwidzinski, Nick; Shao, Yaping

2015-04-01

The characteristics of dust devils, such as occurrence frequency, lifetime, size, and intensity, are usually inferred from in situ field measurements and remote sensing. Numerical models, e.g. large-eddy simulation (LES) models, have also been established as a tool to investigate dust devils and their structures. However, most LES models do not contain a dust module. Here, we present results from simulations using the WRF-LES model coupled to the convective turbulent dust emission (CTDE) scheme of Klose et al. (2014). The scheme describes the stochastic process of aerodynamic dust entrainment in the absence of saltation. It therefore allows for dust emission even below the threshold friction velocity for saltation. Numerical experiments have been conducted for different atmospheric stability and background wind conditions at 10 m horizontal resolution. A dust devil tracking algorithm is used to identify dust devils in the simulation results. The detected dust devils are statistically analyzed with regard to e.g. radius, pressure drop, lifetime, and turbulent wind speeds. An additional simulation with higher horizontal resolution (2 m) is conducted for conditions, which are especially favorable for dust devil development, i.e. unstable atmospheric stratification and weak mean winds. The higher resolution enables the identification of smaller dust devils and a more detailed structure analysis. Dust emission fluxes, dust concentrations, and dust mass budgets are calculated from the simulations. The results are compared to field observations reported in literature.

A simple method for simulating wind profiles in the boundary layer of tropical cyclones

DOE PAGES

Bryan, George H.; Worsnop, Rochelle P.; Lundquist, Julie K.; ...

2016-11-01

A method to simulate characteristics of wind speed in the boundary layer of tropical cyclones in an idealized manner is developed and evaluated. The method can be used in a single-column modelling set-up with a planetary boundary-layer parametrization, or within large-eddy simulations (LES). The key step is to include terms in the horizontal velocity equations representing advection and centrifugal acceleration in tropical cyclones that occurs on scales larger than the domain size. Compared to other recently developed methods, which require two input parameters (a reference wind speed, and radius from the centre of a tropical cyclone) this new method alsomore » requires a third input parameter: the radial gradient of reference wind speed. With the new method, simulated wind profiles are similar to composite profiles from dropsonde observations; in contrast, a classic Ekman-type method tends to overpredict inflow-layer depth and magnitude, and two recently developed methods for tropical cyclone environments tend to overpredict near-surface wind speed. When used in LES, the new technique produces vertical profiles of total turbulent stress and estimated eddy viscosity that are similar to values determined from low-level aircraft flights in tropical cyclones. Lastly, temporal spectra from LES produce an inertial subrange for frequencies ≳0.1 Hz, but only when the horizontal grid spacing ≲20 m.« less

A Simple Method for Simulating Wind Profiles in the Boundary Layer of Tropical Cyclones

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bryan, George H.; Worsnop, Rochelle P.; Lundquist, Julie K.; Zhang, Jun A.

2017-03-01

A method to simulate characteristics of wind speed in the boundary layer of tropical cyclones in an idealized manner is developed and evaluated. The method can be used in a single-column modelling set-up with a planetary boundary-layer parametrization, or within large-eddy simulations (LES). The key step is to include terms in the horizontal velocity equations representing advection and centrifugal acceleration in tropical cyclones that occurs on scales larger than the domain size. Compared to other recently developed methods, which require two input parameters (a reference wind speed, and radius from the centre of a tropical cyclone) this new method also requires a third input parameter: the radial gradient of reference wind speed. With the new method, simulated wind profiles are similar to composite profiles from dropsonde observations; in contrast, a classic Ekman-type method tends to overpredict inflow-layer depth and magnitude, and two recently developed methods for tropical cyclone environments tend to overpredict near-surface wind speed. When used in LES, the new technique produces vertical profiles of total turbulent stress and estimated eddy viscosity that are similar to values determined from low-level aircraft flights in tropical cyclones. Temporal spectra from LES produce an inertial subrange for frequencies ≳ 0.1 Hz, but only when the horizontal grid spacing ≲ 20 m.

A search for thermospheric composition perturbations due to vertical winds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krynicki, Matthew P.

The thermosphere is generally in hydrostatic equilibrium, with winds blowing horizontally along stratified constant-pressure surfaces, driven by the dayside-to-nightside pressure gradient. A marked change in this paradigm resulted after Spencer et al. [1976] reported vertical wind measurements of 80 m·s-1 from analyses of AE-C satellite data. It is now established that the thermosphere routinely supports large-magnitude (˜30-150 m·s-1) vertical winds at auroral latitudes. These vertical winds represent significant departure from hydrostatic and diffusive equilibrium, altering locally---and potentially globally---the thermosphere's and ionosphere's composition, chemistry, thermodynamics and energy budget. Because of their localized nature, large-magnitude vertical wind effects are not entirely known. This thesis presents ground-based Fabry-Perot Spectrometer OI(630.0)-nm observations of upper-thermospheric vertical winds obtained at Inuvik, NT, Canada and Poker Flat, AK. The wind measurements are compared with vertical displacement estimates at ˜104 km2 horizontal spatial scales determined from a new modification to the electron transport code of Lummerzheim and Lilensten [1994] as applied to FUV-wavelength observations by POLAR spacecraft's Ultraviolet Imager [Torr et al. , 1995]. The modification, referred to as the column shift, simulates vertical wind effects such as neutral transport and disruption of diffusive equilibrium by vertically displacing the Hedin [1991] MSIS-90 [O2]/[N2] and [O]/([N2]+[O2]) mixing ratios and subsequently redistributing the O, O2, and N 2 densities used in the transport code. Column shift estimates are inferred from comparisons of UVI OI(135.6)-nm auroral observations to their corresponding modeled emission. The modeled OI(135.6)-nm brightness is determined from the modeled thermospheric response to electron precipitation and estimations of the energy flux and characteristic energy of the precipitation, which are inferred from UVI-observed Lyman-Birge-Hopfield N2 emissions in two wavelength ranges. Two-dimensional column shift maps identify the spatial morphology of thermospheric composition perturbations associated with auroral forms relative to the model thermosphere. Case-study examples and statistical analyses of the column shift data sets indicate that column shifts can be attributed to vertical winds. Unanticipated limitations associated with modeling of the OI(135.6)-nm auroral emission make absolute column shift estimates indeterminate. Insufficient knowledge of thermospheric air-parcel time histories hinders interpretations of point-to-point time series comparisons between column shifts and vertical winds.

Various Numerical Applications on Tropical Convective Systems Using a Cloud Resolving Model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shie, C.-L.; Tao, W.-K.; Simpson, J.

2003-01-01

In recent years, increasing attention has been given to cloud resolving models (CRMs or cloud ensemble models-CEMs) for their ability to simulate the radiative-convective system, which plays a significant role in determining the regional heat and moisture budgets in the Tropics. The growing popularity of CRM usage can be credited to its inclusion of crucial and physically relatively realistic features such as explicit cloud-scale dynamics, sophisticated microphysical processes, and explicit cloud-radiation interaction. On the other hand, impacts of the environmental conditions (for example, the large-scale wind fields, heat and moisture advections as well as sea surface temperature) on the convective system can also be plausibly investigated using the CRMs with imposed explicit forcing. In this paper, by basically using a Goddard Cumulus Ensemble (GCE) model, three different studies on tropical convective systems are briefly presented. Each of these studies serves a different goal as well as uses a different approach. In the first study, which uses more of an idealized approach, the respective impacts of the large-scale horizontal wind shear and surface fluxes on the modeled tropical quasi-equilibrium states of temperature and water vapor are examined. In this 2-D study, the imposed large-scale horizontal wind shear is ideally either nudged (wind shear maintained strong) or mixed (wind shear weakened), while the minimum surface wind speed used for computing surface fluxes varies among various numerical experiments. For the second study, a handful of real tropical episodes (TRMM Kwajalein Experiment - KWAJEX, 1999; TRMM South China Sea Monsoon Experiment - SCSMEX, 1998) have been simulated such that several major atmospheric characteristics such as the rainfall amount and its associated stratiform contribution, the Qlheat and Q2/moisture budgets are investigated. In this study, the observed large-scale heat and moisture advections are continuously applied to the 2-D model. The modeled cloud generated from such an approach is termed continuously forced convection or continuous large-scale forced convection. A third study, which focuses on the respective impact of atmospheric components on upper Ocean heat and salt budgets, will be presented in the end. Unlike the two previous 2-D studies, this study employs the 3-D GCE-simulated diabatic source terms (using TOGA COARE observations) - radiation (longwave and shortwave), surface fluxes (sensible and latent heat, and wind stress), and precipitation as input for the Ocean mixed-layer (OML) model.

Effects of incoming surface wind conditions on the wake characteristics and dynamic wind loads acting on a wind turbine model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tian, Wei; Ozbay, Ahmet; Hu, Hui

2014-12-01

An experimental investigation was conducted to examine the effects of incoming surface wind conditions on the wake characteristics and dynamic wind loads acting on a wind turbine model. The experimental study was performed in a large-scale wind tunnel with a scaled three-blade Horizontal Axial Wind Turbine model placed in two different types of Atmospheric Boundary Layer (ABL) winds with distinct mean and turbulence characteristics. In addition to measuring dynamic wind loads acting on the model turbine by using a force-moment sensor, a high-resolution Particle Image Velocimetry system was used to achieve detailed flow field measurements to characterize the turbulent wake flows behind the model turbine. The measurement results reveal clearly that the discrepancies in the incoming surface winds would affect the wake characteristics and dynamic wind loads acting on the model turbine dramatically. The dynamic wind loads acting on the model turbine were found to fluctuate much more significantly, thereby, much larger fatigue loads, for the case with the wind turbine model sited in the incoming ABL wind with higher turbulence intensity levels. The turbulent kinetic energy and Reynolds stress levels in the wake behind the model turbine were also found to be significantly higher for the high turbulence inflow case, in comparison to those of the low turbulence inflow case. The flow characteristics in the turbine wake were found to be dominated by the formation, shedding, and breakdown of various unsteady wake vortices. In comparison with the case with relatively low turbulence intensities in the incoming ABL wind, much more turbulent and randomly shedding, faster dissipation, and earlier breakdown of the wake vortices were observed for the high turbulence inflow case, which would promote the vertical transport of kinetic energy by entraining more high-speed airflow from above to re-charge the wake flow and result in a much faster recovery of the velocity deficits in the turbine wake.

Transient response to three-phase faults on a wind turbine generator. Ph.D. Thesis - Toledo Univ.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gilbert, L. J.

1978-01-01

In order to obtain a measure of its responses to short circuits a large horizontal axis wind turbine generator was modeled and its performance was simulated on a digital computer. Simulation of short circuit faults on the synchronous alternator of a wind turbine generator, without resort to the classical assumptions generally made for that analysis, indicates that maximum clearing times for the system tied to an infinite bus are longer than the typical clearing times for equivalent capacity conventional machines. Also, maximum clearing times are independent of tower shadow and wind shear. Variation of circuit conditions produce the modifications in the transient response predicted by analysis.

Mid-latitude thermospheric wind changes during the St. Patrick's Day storm of 2015 observed by two Fabry-Perot interferometers in China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Cong; Xu, Ji-Yao; Zhang, Xiao-Xin; Liu, Dan-Dan; Yuan, Wei; Jiang, Guo-Ying

2018-04-01

In this work, we utilize thermospheric wind observations by the Fabry-Perot interferometers (FPI) from the Kelan (KL) station (38.7°N, 111.6°E, Magnetic Latitude: 28.9°N) and the Xinglong (XL) station (40.2°N, 117.4°E, Magnetic Latitude: 30.5°N) in central China during the St. Patrick's Day storm (from Mar. 17 to Mar. 19) of 2015 to analyze thermospheric wind disturbances and compare observations with the Horizontal Wind Model 2007 (HWM07). The results reveal that the wind measurements at KL show very similar trends to those at XL. Large enhancements are seen in both the westward and equatorward winds after the severe geomagnetic storm occurred. The westward wind speed increased to a peak value of 75 m/s and the equatorward wind enhanced to a peak value of over 100 m/s. There also exist obvious poleward disturbances in the meridional winds during Mar. 17 to Mar. 19. According to the comparison with HWM07, there exist evident wind speed and temporal differences between FPI-winds and the model outputs in this severe geomagnetic storm. The discrepancies between the observations and HWM07 imply that the empirical model should be used carefully in wind disturbance forecast during large geomagnetic storms and more investigations between measurements and numerical models are necessary in future studies.

The Turbulent Structure of the Atmosphere: Vorticity, Winds and Temperature Emerge From Molecular Motion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tuck, A. F.; Hovde, S. J.; Lovejoy, S.; Schertzer, D.

2007-12-01

Application of generalized scale invariance to horizontal airborne observations of winds, temperature, ozone and humidity reveals the atmosphere as a random, non-Gaussian Levy process, having mean scaling exponents H (conservation), C1 (intermittency) and alpha (Levy) of 0.56, 0.05 and 1.6 respectively in the cases of winds and temperature. A correlation between the intermittency of temperature and the ozone photodissociation rate in the Arctic lower stratosphere is interpreted in terms of the ring currents of non-equilibrium statistical mechanics in which vortices, fluid dynamical behavior, emerge from thermalized populations of Maxwellian molecules subjected to an anisotropy in the form of a flux. The emergence of jet streams and the definition of atmospheric temperature are examined in the light of these results. The vertical scaling of wind, temperature and humidity is examined through the depth of the troposphere using data observed by GPS dropsondes from the NOAA Gulfstream 4 aircraft over the eastern Pacific Ocean in boreal winter. The results exclude isotropic turbulence in the atmosphere, and reveal the structure of static, moist static and dynamic (Richardson number) stabilities to be sparse fractal sets. Each stable layer contains a set of smaller scale unstable sublayers, each of which in turn contains a set of stable sub-sublayers and so on. The moist static stability scales differently to the dry static stability in the lower troposphere. As with the 'horizontal' data, the 'vertical' data reveal a correlation between H for horizontal wind and measures of jet stream strength. It is pointed out that these results provide potentially a new way of testing numerical models of the atmosphere.

Offshore Wind Energy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Strach-Sonsalla, Mareike; Stammler, Matthias; Wenske, Jan

In 1991, the Vindeby Offshore Wind Farm, the first offshore wind farm in the world, started feeding electricity to the grid off the coast of Lolland, Denmark. Since then, offshore wind energy has developed from this early experiment to a multibillion dollar market and an important pillar of worldwide renewable energy production. Unit sizes grew from 450 kW at Vindeby to the 7.5 MW-class offshore wind turbines (OWT ) that are currently (by October 2014) in the prototyping phase. This chapter gives an overview of the state of the art in offshore wind turbine (OWT) technology and introduces the principlesmore » of modeling and simulating an OWT. The OWT components -- including the rotor, nacelle, support structure, control system, and power electronics -- are introduced, and current technological challenges are presented. The OWT system dynamics and the environment (wind and ocean waves) are described from the perspective of OWT modelers and designers. Finally, an outlook on future technology is provided. The descriptions in this chapter are focused on a single OWT -- more precisely, a horizontal-axis wind turbine -- as a dynamic system. Offshore wind farms and wind farm effects are not described in detail in this chapter, but an introduction and further references are given.« less

Preview Scheduled Model Predictive Control For Horizontal Axis Wind Turbines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laks, Jason H.

This research investigates the use of model predictive control (MPC) in application to wind turbine operation from start-up to cut-out. The studies conducted are focused on the design of an MPC controller for a 650˜KW, three-bladed horizontal axis turbine that is in operation at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory's National Wind Technology Center outside of Golden, Colorado. This turbine is at the small end of utility scale turbines, but it provides advanced instrumentation and control capabilities, and there is a good probability that the approach developed in simulation for this thesis, will be field tested on the actual turbine. A contribution of this thesis is a method to combine the use of preview measurements with MPC while also providing regulation of turbine speed and cyclic blade loading. A common MPC technique provides integral-like control to achieve offset-free operation. At the same time in wind turbine applications, multiple studies have developed "feed-forward" controls based on applying a gain to an estimate of the wind speed changes obtained from an observer incorporating a disturbance model. These approaches are based on a technique that can be referred to as disturbance accommodating control (DAC). In this thesis, it is shown that offset-free tracking MPC is equivalent to a DAC approach when the disturbance gain is computed to satisfy a regulator equation. Although the MPC literature has recognized that this approach provides "structurally stable" disturbance rejection and tracking, this step is not typically divorced from the MPC computations repeated each sample hit. The DAC formulation is conceptually simpler, and essentially uncouples regulation considerations from MPC related issues. This thesis provides a self contained proof that the DAC formulation (an observer-controller and appropriate disturbance gain) provides structurally stable regulation.

Alternative Operational Energy Options - A Need for a Holistic Approach to Reduce the Logistics Tail and Improve Strategic Advantage

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-02-18

tends to resurge when the cost of petroleum rises as it did during the energy crisis of the 1970’s. Wind turbines are divided into two categories that...include horizontal axis and vertical axis. Horizontal-axis wind turbines have a main rotor driving an electrical generator on... turbines . They convert significantly more power in medium and higher winds than drag blades. Blades are attached directly to a hub just like on a

Computational studies of horizontal axis wind turbines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Guanpeng

A numerical technique has been developed for efficiently simulating fully three-dimensional viscous fluid flow around horizontal axis wind turbines (HAWT) using a zonal approach. The flow field is viewed as a combination of viscous regions, inviscid regions and vortices. The method solves the costly unsteady Reynolds averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) equations only in the viscous region around the turbine blades. It solves the full potential equation in the inviscid region where flow is irrotational and isentropic. The tip vortices are simulated using a Lagrangean approach, thus removing the need to accurately resolve them on a fine grid. The hybrid method is shown to provide good results with modest CPU resources. A full Navier-Stokes based methodology has also been developed for modeling wind turbines at high wind conditions where extensive stall may occur. An overset grid based version that can model rotor-tower interactions has been developed. Finally, a blade element theory based methodology has been developed for the purpose of developing improved tip loss models and stall delay models. The effects of turbulence are simulated using a zero equation eddy viscosity model, or a one equation Spalart-Allmaras model. Two transition models, one based on the Eppler's criterion, and the other based on Michel's criterion, have been developed and tested. The hybrid method has been extensively validated for axial wind conditions for three rotors---NREL Phase II, Phase III, and Phase VI configurations. A limited set of calculations has been done for rotors operating under yaw conditions. Preliminary simulations have also been carried out to assess the effects of the tower wake on the rotor. In most of these cases, satisfactory agreement has been obtained with measurements. Using the numerical results from present methodologies as a guide, Prandtl's tip loss model and Corrigan's stall delay model were correlated with present calculations. An improved tip loss model has been obtained. A correction to the Corrigan's stall delay model has also been developed. Incorporation of these corrections is shown to considerably improve power predictions, even when a very simple aerodynamic theory---blade element method with annular inflow---is used.

Wind energy system time-domain (WEST) analyzers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dreier, M. E.; Hoffman, J. A.

1981-01-01

A portable analyzer which simulates in real time the complex nonlinear dynamics of horizontal axis wind energy systems was constructed. Math models for an aeroelastic rotor featuring nonlinear aerodynamic and inertial terms were implemented with high speed digital controllers and analog calculation. This model was combined with other math models of elastic supports, control systems, a power train and gimballed rotor kinematics. A stroboscopic display system graphically depicting distributed blade loads, motion, and other aerodynamic functions on a cathode ray tube is included. Limited correlation efforts showed good comparison between the results of this analyzer and other sophisticated digital simulations. The digital simulation results were successfully correlated with test data.

Coupling between the lower and middle atmosphere observed during a very severe cyclonic storm 'Madi'

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hima Bindu, H.; Venkat Ratnam, M.; Yesubabu, V.; Narayana Rao, T.; Eswariah, S.; Naidu, C. V.; Vijaya Bhaskara Rao, S.

2018-04-01

Synoptic-scale systems like cyclones can generate broad spectrum of waves, which propagate from its source to the middle atmosphere. Coupling between the lower and middle atmosphere over Tirupati (13.6°N, 79.4°E) is studied during a very severe cyclonic storm 'Madi' (06-13 December 2013) using Weather Research and Forecast (WRF) model assimilated fields and simultaneous meteor radar observations. Since high temporal and spatial measurements are difficult to obtain during these disturbances, WRF model simulations are obtained by assimilating conventional and satellite observations using 3DVAR technique. The obtained outputs are validated for their consistency in predicting cyclone track and vertical structure by comparing them with independent observations. The good agreement between the assimilated outputs and independent observations prompted us to use the model outputs to investigate the gravity waves (GWs) and tides over Tirupati. GWs with the periods 1-5 h are observed with clear downward phase propagation in the lower stratosphere. These upward propagating waves obtained from the model are also noticed in the meteor radar horizontal wind observations in the MLT region (70-110 km). Interestingly, enhancement in the tidal activity in both the zonal and meridional winds in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere (MLT) region is noticed during the peak cyclonic activity except the suppression of semi-diurnal tide in meridional wind. A very good agreement in the tidal activity is also observed in the horizontal winds in the troposphere and lower stratosphere from the WRF model outputs and ERA5. These results thus provide evidence on the vertical coupling of lower and middle atmosphere induced by the tropical cyclone.

Convective Systems over the South China Sea: Cloud-Resolving Model Simulations.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tao, W.-K.; Shie, C.-L.; Simpson, J.; Braun, S.; Johnson, R. H.; Ciesielski, P. E.

2003-12-01

The two-dimensional version of the Goddard Cumulus Ensemble (GCE) model is used to simulate two South China Sea Monsoon Experiment (SCSMEX) convective periods [18 26 May (prior to and during the monsoon onset) and 2 11 June (after the onset of the monsoon) 1998]. Observed large-scale advective tendencies for potential temperature, water vapor mixing ratio, and horizontal momentum are used as the main forcing in governing the GCE model in a semiprognostic manner. The June SCSMEX case has stronger forcing in both temperature and water vapor, stronger low-level vertical shear of the horizontal wind, and larger convective available potential energy (CAPE).The temporal variation of the model-simulated rainfall, time- and domain-averaged heating, and moisture budgets compares well to those diagnostically determined from soundings. However, the model results have a higher temporal variability. The model underestimates the rainfall by 17% to 20% compared to that based on soundings. The GCE model-simulated rainfall for June is in very good agreement with the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM), precipitation radar (PR), and the Global Precipitation Climatology Project (GPCP). Overall, the model agrees better with observations for the June case rather than the May case.The model-simulated energy budgets indicate that the two largest terms for both cases are net condensation (heating/drying) and imposed large-scale forcing (cooling/moistening). These two terms are opposite in sign, however. The model results also show that there are more latent heat fluxes for the May case. However, more rainfall is simulated for the June case. Net radiation (solar heating and longwave cooling) are about 34% and 25%, respectively, of the net condensation (condensation minus evaporation) for the May and June cases. Sensible heat fluxes do not contribute to rainfall in either of the SCSMEX cases. Two types of organized convective systems, unicell (May case) and multicell (June case), are simulated by the model. They are determined by the observed mean U wind shear (unidirectional versus reverse shear profiles above midlevels).Several sensitivity tests are performed to examine the impact of the radiation, microphysics, and large-scale mean horizontal wind on the organization and intensity of the SCSMEX convective systems.

Atmospheric Dispersion Capability for T2VOC

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Oldenburg, Curtis M.

2005-09-19

Atmospheric transport by variable-K theory dispersion has been added to T2VOC. The new code, T2VOCA, models flow and transport in the subsurface identically to T2VOC, but includes also the capability for modeling passive multicomponent variable-K theory dispersion in an atmospheric region assumed to be flat, horizontal, and with a logarithmic wind profile. The specification of the logarithmic wind profile in the T2VOC input file is automated through the use of a build code called ATMDISPV. The new capability is demonstrated on 2-D and 3-D example problems described in this report.

Wind Tunnel Model Study of the Hot Exhaust Plume from the Compressor Research Facility at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio

DTIC Science & Technology

1977-10-01

PLUME FROM THE COMPRESSOR JtESEARCHJAC ILITY AT WRIGHT- /ATTERSON AIR FORCE JBASE, OHIO , r= mrm (.) Gary R./Ludwig 9. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME... ms Mass flux of stack exhaust gas (slugs/sec) nrtfl Mass flux of ambient air and stack exhaust gas mixture st plume cross-section A (slugs/sec...the horizontal momentum flux in the ambient wind be the same in the model as it is in full-scale. /»» Ms M i a. ’ ro P>"S P*» + ’f (3) where 0

Laboratory Study of Topographic Effects on the Near-surface Tornado Flow Field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Razavi, Alireza; Sarkar, Partha P.

2018-03-01

To study topographic effects on the near-surface tornado flow field, the Iowa State University tornado simulator was used to simulate a translating tornado passing over three different two-dimensional topographies: a ridge, an escarpment and a valley. The effect of the translation speed on maximum horizontal wind speeds is observed for translation speeds of 0.15 and 0.50 m s^{-1} , with the lower value resulting in a larger maximum horizontal wind speed. The tornado translation over the three topographies with respect to flat terrain is assessed for changes in: (a) the maximum horizontal wind speeds in terms of the flow-amplification factor; (b) the maximum aerodynamic drag in terms of the tornado speed-up ratio; (c) the maximum duration of exposure at any location to high wind speeds of a specific range in terms of the exposure amplification factor. Results show that both the maximum wind amplification factor of 14%, as well as the maximum speed-up ratio of 14%, occur on the ridge. For all topographies, the increase in aerodynamic drag is observed to be maximized for low-rise buildings, which illustrates the importance of the vertical profiles of the horizontal wind speed near the ground. The maximum exposure amplification factors, estimated for the range of wind speeds corresponding to the EF2 (50-60 m s^{-1} ) and EF3 (61-75 m s^{-1}) scales, are 86 and 110% for the ridge, 4 and 60% for the escarpment and - 6 and 47% for the valley, respectively.

Recent developments and assessment of a three-dimensional PBL parameterization for improved wind forecasting over complex terrain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kosovic, B.; Jimenez, P. A.; Haupt, S. E.; Martilli, A.; Olson, J.; Bao, J. W.

2017-12-01

At present, the planetary boundary layer (PBL) parameterizations available in most numerical weather prediction (NWP) models are one-dimensional. One-dimensional parameterizations are based on the assumption of horizontal homogeneity. This homogeneity assumption is appropriate for grid cell sizes greater than 10 km. However, for mesoscale simulations of flows in complex terrain with grid cell sizes below 1 km, the assumption of horizontal homogeneity is violated. Applying a one-dimensional PBL parameterization to high-resolution mesoscale simulations in complex terrain could result in significant error. For high-resolution mesoscale simulations of flows in complex terrain, we have therefore developed and implemented a three-dimensional (3D) PBL parameterization in the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model. The implementation of the 3D PBL scheme is based on the developments outlined by Mellor and Yamada (1974, 1982). Our implementation in the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model uses a pure algebraic model (level 2) to diagnose the turbulent fluxes. To evaluate the performance of the 3D PBL model, we use observations from the Wind Forecast Improvement Project 2 (WFIP2). The WFIP2 field study took place in the Columbia River Gorge area from 2015-2017. We focus on selected cases when physical phenomena of significance for wind energy applications such as mountain waves, topographic wakes, and gap flows were observed. Our assessment of the 3D PBL parameterization also considers a large-eddy simulation (LES). We carried out a nested LES with grid cell sizes of 30 m and 10 m covering a large fraction of the WFIP2 study area. Both LES domains were discretized using 6000 x 3000 x 200 grid cells in zonal, meridional, and vertical direction, respectively. The LES results are used to assess the relative magnitude of horizontal gradients of turbulent stresses and fluxes in comparison to vertical gradients. The presentation will highlight the advantages of the 3D PBL scheme in regions of complex terrain.

Trajectories of thermospheric air parcels flowing over Alaska, reconstructed from ground-based wind measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dhadly, Manbharat; Conde, Mark

2017-06-01

It is widely presumed that the convective stability and enormous kinematic viscosity of Earth's upper thermosphere hinders development of both horizontal and vertical wind shears and other gradients. Any strong local structure (over scale sizes of several hundreds of kilometers) that might somehow form would be expected to dissipate rapidly. Air flow in such an atmosphere should be relatively simple, and transport effects only slowly disperse and mix air masses. However, our observations show that wind fields in Earth's thermosphere have much more local-scale structure than usually predicated by current modeling techniques, at least at auroral latitudes; they complicate air parcel trajectories enormously, relative to typical expectations. For tracing air parcels, we used wind measurements of an all-sky Scanning Doppler Fabry-Perot interferometer and reconstructed time-resolved two-dimensional maps of the horizontal vector wind field to infer forward and backward air parcel trajectories over time. This is the first comprehensive study to visualize the complex motions of thermospheric air parcels carried through the actual observed local-scale structures in the high-latitude winds. Results show that thermospheric air parcel transport is a very difficult observational problem, because the trajectories followed are very sensitive to the detailed features of the driving wind field. To reconstruct the actual motion of a given air parcel requires wind measurements everywhere along the trajectory followed, with spatial resolutions of 100 km or less, and temporal resolutions of a few minutes or better. Understanding such transport is important, for example, in predicting the global-scale impacts of aurorally generated composition perturbations.

Application of wind-profiling radar data to the analysis of dust weather in the Taklimakan Desert.

PubMed

Wang, Minzhong; Wei, Wenshou; Ruan, Zheng; He, Qing; Ge, Runsheng

2013-06-01

The Urumqi Institute of Desert Meteorology of the China Meteorological Administration carried out an atmospheric scientific experiment to detect dust weather using a wind-profiling radar in the hinterland of the Taklimakan Desert in April 2010. Based on the wind-profiling data obtained from this experiment, this paper seeks to (a) analyze the characteristics of the horizontal wind field and vertical velocity of a breaking dust weather in a desert hinterland; (b) calculate and give the radar echo intensity and vertical distribution of a dust storm, blowing sand, and floating dust weather; and (c) discuss the atmosphere dust counts/concentration derived from the wind-profiling radar data. Studies show that: (a) A wind-profiling radar is an upper-air atmospheric remote sensing system that effectively detects and monitors dust. It captures the beginning and ending of a dust weather process as well as monitors the sand and dust being transported in the air in terms of height, thickness, and vertical intensity. (b) The echo intensity of a blowing sand and dust storm weather episode in Taklimakan is about -1~10 dBZ while that of floating dust -1~-15 dBZ, indicating that the dust echo intensity is significantly weaker than that of precipitation but stronger than that of clear air. (c) The vertical shear of horizontal wind and the maintenance of low-level east wind are usually dynamic factors causing a dust weather process in Taklimakan. The moment that the low-level horizontal wind field finds a shear over time, it often coincides with the onset of a sand blowing and dust storm weather process. (d) When a blowing sand or dust storm weather event occurs, the atmospheric vertical velocity tends to be of upward motion. This vertical upward movement of the atmosphere supported with a fast horizontal wind and a dry underlying surface carries dust particles from the ground up to the air to form blown sand or a dust storm.

Measurement of middle and upper atmospheric horizontal winds with a submillimeter/THz limb sounder: results from JEM/SMILES and simulation study for SMILES-2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baron, Philippe; Manago, Naohiro; Ozeki, Hiroyuki; Yoshihisa, Irimajiri; Donal, Murtagh; Yoshinori, Uzawa; Satoshi, Ochiai; Masato, Shiotani; Makoto, Suzuki

2016-04-01

In a near future, ESA will launch the Atmospheric Dynamics Mission (ADM) equipped with a lidar for measuring tropospheric and lower stratospheric winds. NASA will continue a long-term series of upper atmospheric wind measurements (altitudes >80 km) with the new Michelson Interferometer for Global High-resolution Thermospheric Imaging (MIGHTI) on the Ionospheric Connection Explorer (ICON) satellite. No mission is planned to observe winds in the middle atmosphere (30-80 km), though they are recognized as essential parameters for understanding atmospheric dynamics and the vertical coupling between atmospheric regions. They are also promising data for improving long-term weather forecast and climate modelling. It has been demonstrated with the Superconducting Submillimeter Wave Limb Emission Sounder (SMILES, Oct 2009 - Apr 2010) that a 4-K cooled microwave radiometer can provide data to fill the altitude gap in the wind measurements. Its possible successor named SMILES-2, is being designed in Japan for the study of the middle and upper atmospheric chemistry and dynamics (O3, H2O, T, atomic O, OH, HO2, ClO, BrO, ...). If realized, the instrument will measure sub-millimeter and THz molecular spectral lines (616-150 μm) with high sensitivity and frequency resolution. The SMILES-2 characteristics are very well suited for horizontal wind observations between 20 km to more than 160 km. The best performances are found between 35-90 km where the retrieval precision is better than 3 m/s for a vertical resolution of 2-3 km [1]. In this presentation, we summarize the results obtained from SMILES and assess the measurement performances of SMILES-2 to measure horizontal winds. [1] P. Baron, N. Manago, H. Ozeki, Y. Irimajiri, D. Murtagh, Y. Uzawa, S. Ochiai, M. Shiotani, M. Suzuki: "Measurement of stratospheric and mesospheric winds with a SubMillimeter wave limb sounder: Results from JEM/SMILES and simulation study for SMILES-2"; Proc. of SPIE Remote sensing, 96390N-96390N-20, 2015

Derivation of the horizontal wind field in the polar mesopause region by using successive images of noctilucent clouds observed by a color digital camera in Iceland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suzuki, H.; Yamashita, R.

2017-12-01

It is important to quantify amplitude of turbulent motion to understand the energy and momentum budgets and distribution of minor constituents in the upper mesosphere. In particular, to know the eddy diffusion coefficient of minor constituents which are locally and impulsively produced by energetic particle precipitations in the polar mesopause is one of the most important subjects in the upper atmospheric science. One of the straight methods to know the amplitude of the eddy motion is to measure the wind field with both spatial and temporal domain. However, observation technique satisfying such requirements is limited in this region. In this study, derivation of the horizontal wind field in the polar mesopause region by tracking the motion of noctilucent clouds (NLCs) is performed. NLC is the highest cloud in the Earth which appears in a mesopause region during summer season in both polar regions. Since the vertical structure of the NLC is sufficiently thin ( within several hundred meters in typical), the apparent horizontal motion observed from ground can be regarded as the result of transportation by the horizontal winds at a single altitude. In this presentation, initial results of wind field derivation by tracking a motion of noctilucent clouds (NLC) observed by a ground-based color digital camera in Iceland is reported. The procedure for wind field estimation consists with 3 steps; (1) projects raw images to a geographical map (2) enhances NLC structures by using FFT method (3) determines horizontal velocity vectors by applying template matching method to two sequential images. In this talk, a result of the wind derivation by using successive images of NLC with 3 minutes interval and 1.5h duration observed on the night of Aug 1st, 2013 will be reported as a case study.

Small scale wind tunnel model investigation of hybrid high lift systems combining upper surface blowing with the internally blown flap

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Waites, W. L.; Chin, Y. T.

1974-01-01

A small-scale wind tunnel test of a two engine hybrid model with upper surface blowing on a simulated expandable duct internally blown flap was accomplished in a two phase program. The low wing Phase I model utilized 0.126c radius Jacobs/Hurkamp flaps and 0.337c radius Coanda flaps. The high wing Phase II model was utilized for continued studies on the Jacobs/Hurkamp flap. Principal study areas included: basic data both engines operative and with an engine out, control flap utilization, horizontal tail effectiveness, spoiler effectiveness, USB nacelle deflector study and USB/IBF pressure ratio effects.

Wind Tunnel Model Design for Sonic Boom Studies of Nozzle Jet with Shock Interactions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cliff, Susan E.; Denison, Marie; Sozer, Emre; Moini-Yekta, Shayan

2016-01-01

NASA and Industry are performing vehicle studies of configurations with low sonic boom pressure signatures. The computational analyses of modern configuration designs have matured to the point where there is confidence in the prediction of the pressure signature from the front of the vehicle, but uncertainty in the aft signatures with often greater boundary layer effects and nozzle jet pressures. Wind tunnel testing at significantly lower Reynolds numbers than in flight and without inlet and nozzle jet pressures make it difficult to accurately assess the computational solutions of flight vehicles. A wind tunnel test in the NASA Ames 9- by 7-Foot Supersonic Wind Tunnel from Mach 1.6 to 2.0 will be used to assess the effects of shocks from components passing through nozzle jet plumes on the sonic boom pressure signature and provide datasets for comparison with CFD codes. A large number of high-fidelity numerical simulations of wind tunnel test models with a variety of shock generators that simulate horizontal tails and aft decks have been studied to provide suitable models for sonic boom pressure measurements using a minimally intrusive pressure rail in the wind tunnel. The computational results are presented and the evolution of candidate wind tunnel models is summarized and discussed in this paper.

Intercomparison of middle-atmospheric wind in observations and models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rüfenacht, Rolf; Baumgarten, Gerd; Hildebrand, Jens; Schranz, Franziska; Matthias, Vivien; Stober, Gunter; Lübken, Franz-Josef; Kämpfer, Niklaus

2018-04-01

Wind profile information throughout the entire upper stratosphere and lower mesosphere (USLM) is important for the understanding of atmospheric dynamics but became available only recently, thanks to developments in remote sensing techniques and modelling approaches. However, as wind measurements from these altitudes are rare, such products have generally not yet been validated with (other) observations. This paper presents the first long-term intercomparison of wind observations in the USLM by co-located microwave radiometer and lidar instruments at Andenes, Norway (69.3° N, 16.0° E). Good correspondence has been found at all altitudes for both horizontal wind components for nighttime as well as daylight conditions. Biases are mostly within the random errors and do not exceed 5-10 m s-1, which is less than 10 % of the typically encountered wind speeds. Moreover, comparisons of the observations with the major reanalyses and models covering this altitude range are shown, in particular with the recently released ERA5, ECMWF's first reanalysis to cover the whole USLM region. The agreement between models and observations is very good in general, but temporally limited occurrences of pronounced discrepancies (up to 40 m s-1) exist. In the article's Appendix the possibility of obtaining nighttime wind information about the mesopause region by means of microwave radiometry is investigated.

Design and aero-acoustic analysis of a counter-rotating wind turbine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Agrawal, Vineesh V.

Wind turbines have become an integral part of the energy business because they are one of the most economical and reliable sources of renewable energy. Conventional wind turbines are capable of capturing less than half of the energy present in the wind. Hence, to make the wind turbines more efficient, it is important to increase their performance. A horizontal axis wind turbine with multiple rotors is one concept that can achieve a higher power conversion rate. Also, a concern for wind energy is the noise generated by wind turbines. Hence, an investigation into the acoustic behavior of a multi-rotor horizontal axis wind turbine is required. In response to the need of a wind turbine design with higher power coefficient, a unique design of a counter-rotating horizontal axis wind turbine (CR-HAWT) is proposed. The Blade Element Momentum (BEM) theory is used to aerodynamically design the blades of the two rotors. Modifications are made to the BEM theory to accommodate the interaction of the two rotors. The tower effect on the noise generation of the downwind rotor is investigated. Predictions are made for the total noise generated by the wind turbine at its design operating conditions. A total power coefficient of 65.2% is predicted for the proposed CR-HAWT design. A low tip speed ratio is chosen to minimize the noise generation. The aeroacoustic analysis of the CR-HAWT shows that the noise generated at its design operating conditions is within an acceptable range. Thus, the CR-HAWT is predicted to be a quiet wind turbine with a high power coefficient, making it highly desirable for small wind turbine applications.

Sensitivity of desert dust emission modelling to horizontal resolution: the example of the Bodélé Depression

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bouet, Christel; Cautenet, Guy; Marticorena, Béatrice; Bergametti, Gilles; Minvielle, Fanny; Schmechtig, Catherine; Laurent, Benoit

2010-05-01

Atmospheric aerosols are known to play an important role in the Earth's climate system. However, the quantification of aerosol radiative impact on the Earth's radiative budget is very complex because of the high variability in space and time of aerosol mass and particle number concentrations, and optical properties as well. In many regions, like in desert regions, dust is the largest contribution to aerosol optical thickness [Tegen et al., 1997]. Consequently, it appears fundamental to well represent mineral dust emissions to reduce uncertainties concerning aerosol radiative impact on the Earth's radiative budget. Recently, several studies (e.g. Prospero et al. [2002]) underlined that the Bodélé depression, in northern Chad, is probably the most important source of mineral dust in the world. However many models fail in simulating these large dust emissions. Indeed, dust emission is a threshold phenomenon mainly driven by the intensity of surface wind velocity. Realistic estimates of dust emissions then rely on the quality and accuracy of the surface wind fields. Koren and Kaufman [2004] showed that the reanalysis data (NCEP), which can be used as input data in numerical models, underestimates surface wind velocity in the Bodélé Depression by up to 50%. Such an uncertainty on surface wind velocity cannot allow an accurate simulation of the dust emission. In mesoscale meteorological models, global reanalysis datasets are used to initialize and laterally nudge the models that compute meteorological parameters (like wind velocity) with a finer spatial and temporal resolutions. The question arises concerning the precision of the wind speeds calculated by these models. Using the Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (RAMS, Cotton et al. [2003]) coupled online with the dust production model developed by Marticorena and Bergametti [1995] and recently improved by Laurent et al. [2008] for Africa, the influence of the horizontal resolution of the mesoscale meteorological model on the simulation of dust emission in the Bodélé Depression is investigated. A one year simulation is run in order to test the capability of the model to represent the pronounced seasonal cycle of dust emission in this region. Routine measurements from meteorological stations as well as satellite imagery are used to evaluate the accuracy of the simulations.

Mercury Capsule Separation Tests

NASA Image and Video Library

1960-04-01

Mercury capsule separation from Redstone booster in the Altitude Wind Tunnel (AWT): NASA Lewis conducted full-scale separation tests of the posigrade rockets that were fired after the Redstone rockets burned out. The researchers studied the effect of the posigrade rockets firing on the Redstone booster and retrograde package. This film shows the Mercury capsule being mounted to the Redstone missile model in the Altitude Wind Tunnel. The capsule's engines are fired and it horizontally separates from the Atlas. After firing the capsule swings from an overhead crane.

Deterministic and Advanced Statistical Modeling of Wind-Driven Sea

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-07-06

firm scientific foundation for study of wind driven seas. The most important step in this direction was made in 1962 by K. Hasselmann [R2,R3] who...10~5 cop for waves with the frequencies close to the peak frequency (op. The value of ydjssdoQS not exceeds y, or waves are not excited at all...measurements. However, there are some advances in this direction [R33,R29]. The necessity of taking into account the waves feedback into the horizontal

Wind tunnel investigation of the aerodynamic characteristics of symmetrically deflected ailerons of the F-8C airplane. [conducted in the Langley 8-foot transonic pressure tunnel

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gera, J.

1977-01-01

A .042-scale model of the F-8C airplane was investigated in a transonic wind tunnel at high subsonic Mach numbers and a range of angles of attack between-3 and 20 degrees. The effect of symmetrically deflected ailerons on the longitudinal aerodynamic characteristics was measured. Some data were also obtained on the lateral control effectiveness of asymmetrically deflected horizontal tail surfaces.

Numerical and Observational Investigations of Long-Lived Mcs-Induced Severe Surface Wind Events: the Derecho

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schmidt, Jerome Michael

This study addresses the production of sustained, straight-line, severe surface winds associated with mesoscale convective systems (MCSs) of extratropical origin otherwise known as derechos. The physical processes which govern the observed derecho characteristics are identified and their possible forcing mechanisms are determined. Detailed observations of two derechos are presented along with simulations using the Colorado State University Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (CSU-RAMS). The observations revealed a derecho environment characterized by strong vertical wind shear through the depth of the troposphere and large values of convective available potential energy (CAPE). The thermodynamic environment of the troposphere in each case had a distinct three-layer structure consisting of: (i) a surface-based stable layer of 1-to-2 km in depth, (ii) an elevated well -mixed layer of 2-4 km in depth, and (iii) an upper tropospheric layer of intermediate stability that extended to the tropopause. Two primary sets of simulations were performed to assess the impact of the observed environmental profiles on the derecho structure, propagation, and longevity. The first set consisted of nested-grid regional-scale simulations initialized from the standard NMC analyses on a domain having relatively coarse horizontal resolution (75 km). The second set of simulations consisted of two and three-dimensional experiments initialized in a horizontally homogeneous environment having a relatively fine horizontal resolution (2 km) and explicit microphysics. The results from these experiments indicate the importance of convectively -induced gravity waves on the MCS structure, propagation, longevity, and severe surface wind development. The sensitivity of the simulated convection and gravity waves to variations in the vertical wind shear and moisture profiles are described. Detailed Doppler radar analyses and 3-D simulations of a severe, bow echo squall line are presented which reveal the unique 3-D circulation features which accompany these mesoscale convective systems. We illustrate how the mesoscale and convective-scale flow fields within the bow echo establish the severe surface wind maximum. (Abstract shortened with permission of author.).

Hurricane Wind Field Measurements with Scanning Airborne Doppler Lidar During CAMEX-3

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rothermel, Jeffry; Cutten, D. R.; Howell, J. N.; Darby, L. S.; Hardesty, R. M.; Traff, D. M.; Menzies, R. T.

2000-01-01

During the 1998 Convection and Moisture Experiment (CAMEX-3), the first hurricane wind field measurements with Doppler lidar were achieved. Wind fields were mapped within the eye, along the eyewall, in the central dense overcast, and in the marine boundary layer encompassing the inflow region. Spatial coverage was determined primarily by cloud distribution and opacity. Within optically-thin cirrus slant range of 20- 25 km was achieved, whereas no propagation was obtained during penetration of dense cloud. Measurements were obtained with the Multi-center Airborne Coherent Atmospheric Wind Sensor (MACAWS) on the NASA DC-8 research aircraft. MACAWS was developed and operated cooperatively by the atmospheric lidar remote sensing groups of NOAA Environmental Technology Laboratory, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, and Jet Propulsion Laboratory. A pseudo-dual Doppler technique ("co-planar scanning") is used to map the horizontal component of the wind at several vertical levels. Pulses from the laser are directed out the left side of the aircraft in the desired directions using computer-controlled rotating prisms. Upon exiting the aircraft, the beam is completely eyesafe. Aircraft attitude and speed are taken into account during real-time signal processing, resulting in determination of the ground-relative wind to an accuracy of about 1 m/s magnitude and about 10 deg direction. Beam pointing angle errors are about 0.1 deg, equivalent to about 17 m at 10 km. Horizontal resolution is about 1 km (along-track) for typical signal processor and scanner settings; vertical resolution varies with range. Results from CAMEX-3 suggest that scanning Doppler wind lidar can complement airborne Doppler radar by providing wind field measurements in regions that are devoid of hydrometeors. At present MACAWS observations are being assimilated into experimental forecast models and satellite Doppler wind lidar simulations to evaluate the relative impact.

Measurements of vertical motions by the Saskatoon MF radar (1983-1985): Relationships with horizontal winds and gravity waves

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Manson, A. H.; Meek, C. E.

1989-01-01

The continuing series of horizontal wind measurements by the spaced-antenna real time winds (RTW) method was supplemented by a phase coherent system for two years. Vertical motions are inferred from the complex autocorrelation functions, and an RTW system provides 5 min samples from 60 to 110 km. Comparisons with full interferometric 3-D velocity measurements confirm the validity of this approach. Following comparisons and corrections with the horizontal winds, mean summer and winter (24 h) days of vertical motions are shown. Tidal fluctuations are evident. In summer the motions are downward, consistent with data from Poker Flat, and the suggestion of Coy et al. (1986) that these represent Eulerian motions. The expected upward Lagrangian motion then results from adding up upward Stokes' drift. The winter motions are more complex, and are discussed in the context of gravity wave fluxes and possible meridional cells. The divergence of the vertical flux of zonal momentum is also calculated and found to be similar to the coriolis torque due to the meridional winds.

Modified shape of the Eiffel Tower determined for an atmospheric boundary-layer wind profile

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weidman, P. D.

2009-06-01

The design and construction of the Eiffel Tower was based, in part, on a uniform horizontal wind model giving 300 kg m-2 kinematic pressure acting on the surface of the tower. Eiffel received a patent for his method of construction that eliminates the need for diagonal trellis bars used to resist the moment of an oncoming wind. At the end of the 19th century boundary-layer theory, laminar or turbulent, was nonexistent. Now, however, models for atmospheric flow over rough landscapes are available, the simplest being a power-law distribution of velocity with height. In this paper we deduce the shape of the tower had Eiffel incorporated this information into the design and construction of his world famous tower. Moreover, we prove Eiffel's observation that the tower profile conforms to the moment distribution wrought by the wind.

A control-oriented dynamic wind farm flow model: “WFSim”

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boersma, S.; Gebraad, P. M. O.; Vali, M.; Doekemeijer, B. M.; van Wingerden, J. W.

2016-09-01

In this paper, we present and extend the dynamic medium fidelity control-oriented Wind Farm Simulator (WFSim) model. WFSim resolves flow fields in wind farms in a horizontal, two dimensional plane. It is based on the spatially and temporally discretised two dimensional Navier-Stokes equations and the continuity equation and solves for a predefined grid and wind farm topology. The force on the flow field generated by turbines is modelled using actuator disk theory. Sparsity in system matrices is exploited in WFSim, which enables a relatively fast flow field computation. The extensions to WFSim we present in this paper are the inclusion of a wake redirection model, a turbulence model and a linearisation of the nonlinear WFSim model equations. The first is important because it allows us to carry out wake redirection control and simulate situations with an inflow that is misaligned with the rotor plane. The wake redirection model is validated against a theoretical wake centreline known from literature. The second extension makes WFSim more realistic because it accounts for wake recovery. The amount of recovery is validated using a high fidelity simulation model Simulator fOr Wind Farm Applications (SOWFA) for a two turbine test case. Finally, a linearisation is important since it allows the application of more standard analysis, observer and control techniques.

Dynamics of skimming flow in the wake of a vegetation patch

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mayaud, Jerome R.; Wiggs, Giles F. S.; Bailey, Richard M.

2016-09-01

Dryland vegetation is often spatially patchy, and so affects wind flow in complex ways. Theoretical models and wind tunnel testing have shown that skimming flow develops above vegetation patches at high plant densities, resulting in little or no wind erosion in these zones. Understanding the dynamics of skimming flow is therefore important for predicting sediment transport and bedform development in dryland areas. However, no field-based data are available describing turbulent airflow dynamics in the wake of vegetation patches. In this study, turbulent wind flow was examined using high-frequency (10 Hz) sonic anemometry at four measurement heights (0.30 m, 0.55 m, 1.10 m and 1.65 m) along a transect in the lee of an extensive patch of shrubs (z = 1.10 m height) in Namibia. Spatial variations in mean wind velocity, horizontal Reynolds stresses and coherent turbulent structures were analysed. We found that wind velocity in the wake of the patch effectively recovered over ∼12 patch heights (h) downwind, which is 2-5 h longer than previously reported recovery lengths for individual vegetation elements and two-dimensional wind fences. This longer recovery can be attributed to a lack of flow moving around the obstacle in the patch case. The step-change in roughness between the patch canopy and the bare surface in its wake resulted in an initial peak in resultant horizontal shear stress (τr) followed by significant decrease downwind. In contrast to τr , horizontal normal Reynolds stress (u‧2 ‾) progressively increased along the patch wake. A separation of the upper shear layer at the leeside edge of the patch was observed, and a convergence of τr curves implies the formation of a constant stress layer by ∼20 h downwind. The use of τr at multiple heights is found to be a useful tool for identifying flow equilibration in complex aerodynamic regimes. Quadrant analysis revealed elevated frequencies of Q2 (ejection) and Q4 (sweep) events in the immediate lee of the patch, which contributed to the observed high levels of shear stress. The increasing downwind contribution of Q1 (outward interaction) events, which coincides with greater u‧2 ‾ and wind velocity, suggests that sediment transport potential increases with greater distance from the patch edge. Determining realistic, field-derived constraints on turbulent airflow dynamics in the wakes of vegetation patches is crucial for accurately parameterising sediment transport potential in larger-scale dryland landscape models. This will help to improve our understanding of how semi-vegetated desert surfaces might react to future environmental and anthropogenic stresses.

Numerical simulation of thermally induced near-surface flows over Martian terrain

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parish, T. R.; Howard, A. D.

1993-01-01

Numerical simulations of the Martian near-surface wind regime using a mesoscale atmospheric model have shown that the thermally induced near-surface winds are analogous to terrestrial circulations. In particular, katabatic wind displays a striking similarity to flow observed over Antarctica. Introduction of solar radiation strongly perturbs the slope flows; anabatic conditions develop in middle to high latitudes during the daytime hours due to the solar heating of the sloping terrain. There appears to be a rapid transition from the katabatic to the anabatic flow regimes, emphasizing the primary importance of radiative exchanges at the surface in specifying the horizontal pressure gradient force.

Project Fog Drops 5. Task 1: A numerical model of advection fog. Task 2: Recommendations for simplified individual zero-gravity cloud physics experiments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rogers, C. W.; Eadie, W. J.; Katz, U.; Kocmond, W. C.

1975-01-01

A two-dimensional numerical model was used to investigate the formation of marine advection fog. The model predicts the evolution of potential temperature, horizontal wind, water vapor content, and liquid water content in a vertical cross section of the atmosphere as determined by vertical turbulent transfer and horizontal advection, as well as radiative cooling and drop sedimentation. The model is designed to simulate the formation, development, or dissipation of advection fog in response to transfer of heat and moisture between the atmosphere and the surface as driven by advection over horizontal discontinuities in the surface temperature. Results from numerical simulations of advection fog formation are discussed with reference to observations of marine fog. A survey of candidate fog or cloud microphysics experiments which might be performed in the low gravity environment of a shuttle-type spacecraft in presented. Recommendations are given for relatively simple experiments which are relevent to fog modification problems.

Field measurements of horizontal forward motion velocities of terrestrial dust devils: Towards a proxy for ambient winds on Mars and Earth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Balme, M. R.; Pathare, A.; Metzger, S. M.; Towner, M. C.; Lewis, S. R.; Spiga, A.; Fenton, L. K.; Renno, N. O.; Elliott, H. M.; Saca, F. A.; Michaels, T. I.; Russell, P.; Verdasca, J.

2012-11-01

Dust devils - convective vortices made visible by the dust and debris they entrain - are common in arid environments and have been observed on Earth and Mars. Martian dust devils have been identified both in images taken at the surface and in remote sensing observations from orbiting spacecraft. Observations from landing craft and orbiting instruments have allowed the dust devil translational forward motion (ground velocity) to be calculated, but it is unclear how these velocities relate to the local ambient wind conditions, for (i) only model wind speeds are generally available for Mars, and (ii) on Earth only anecdotal evidence exists that compares dust devil ground velocity with ambient wind velocity. If dust devil ground velocity can be reliably correlated to the ambient wind regime, observations of dust devils could provide a proxy for wind speed and direction measurements on Mars. Hence, dust devil ground velocities could be used to probe the circulation of the martian boundary layer and help constrain climate models or assess the safety of future landing sites. We present results from a field study of terrestrial dust devils performed in the southwest USA in which we measured dust devil horizontal velocity as a function of ambient wind velocity. We acquired stereo images of more than a 100 active dust devils and recorded multiple size and position measurements for each dust devil. We used these data to calculate dust devil translational velocity. The dust devils were within a study area bounded by 10 m high meteorology towers such that dust devil speed and direction could be correlated with the local ambient wind speed and direction measurements. Daily (10:00-16:00 local time) and 2-h averaged dust devil ground speeds correlate well with ambient wind speeds averaged over the same period. Unsurprisingly, individual measurements of dust devil ground speed match instantaneous measurements of ambient wind speed more poorly; a 20-min smoothing window applied to the ambient wind speed data improves the correlation. In general, dust devils travel 10-20% faster than ambient wind speed measured at 10 m height, suggesting that their ground speeds are representative of the boundary layer winds a few tens of meters above ground level. Dust devil ground motion direction closely matches the measured ambient wind direction. The link between ambient winds and dust devil ground velocity demonstrated here suggests that a similar one should apply on Mars. Determining the details of the martian relationship between dust devil ground velocity and ambient wind velocity might require new in situ or modelling studies but, if completed successfully, would provide a quantitative means of measuring wind velocities on Mars that would otherwise be impossible to obtain.

Design and Computational Fluid Dynamics Investigation of a Personal, High Flow Inhalable Sampler

PubMed Central

Anthony, T. Renée; Landázuri, Andrea C.; Van Dyke, Mike; Volckens, John

2016-01-01

The objective of this research was to develop an inlet to meet the inhalable sampling criterion at 10 l min−1 flow using the standard, 37-mm cassette. We designed a porous head for this cassette and evaluated its performance using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling. Particle aspiration efficiency was simulated in a wind tunnel environment at 0.4 m s−1 freestream velocity for a facing-the-wind orientation, with sampler oriented at both 0° (horizontal) and 30° down angles. The porous high-flow sampler oriented 30° downward showed reasonable agreement with published mannequin wind tunnel studies and humanoid CFD investigations for solid particle aspiration into the mouth, whereas the horizontal orientation resulted in oversampling. Liquid particles were under-aspirated in all cases, however, with 41–84% lower aspiration efficiencies relative to solid particles. A sampler with a single central 15-mm pore at 10 l min−1 was also investigated and was found to match the porous sampler’s aspiration efficiency for solid particles; the single-pore sampler is expected to be more suitable for liquid particle use. PMID:20418278

The T-REX valley wind intercomparison project

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Schmidli, J; Billings, B J; Burton, R

2008-08-07

An accurate simulation of the evolution of the atmospheric boundary layer is very important, as the evolution of the boundary layer sets the stage for many weather phenomena, such as deep convection. Over mountain areas the evolution of the boundary layer is particularly complex, due to the nonlinear interaction between boundary layer turbulence and thermally-induced mesoscale wind systems, such as the slope and valley winds. As the horizontal resolution of operational forecasts progresses to finer and finer resolution, more and more of the thermally-induced mesoscale wind systems can be explicitly resolved, and it is very timely to document the currentmore » state-of-the-art of mesoscale models at simulating the coupled evolution of the mountain boundary layer and the valley wind system. In this paper we present an intercomparison of valley wind simulations for an idealized valley-plain configuration using eight state-of-the-art mesoscale models with a grid spacing of 1 km. Different sets of three-dimensional simulations are used to explore the effects of varying model dynamical cores and physical parameterizations. This intercomparison project was conducted as part of the Terrain-induced Rotor Experiment (T-REX; Grubisic et al., 2008).« less

Mooring line damping estimation for a floating wind turbine.

PubMed

Qiao, Dongsheng; Ou, Jinping

2014-01-01

The dynamic responses of mooring line serve important functions in the station keeping of a floating wind turbine (FWT). Mooring line damping significantly influences the global motions of a FWT. This study investigates the estimation of mooring line damping on the basis of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory 5 MW offshore wind turbine model that is mounted on the ITI Energy barge. A numerical estimation method is derived from the energy absorption of a mooring line resulting from FWT motion. The method is validated by performing a 1/80 scale model test. Different parameter changes are analyzed for mooring line damping induced by horizontal and vertical motions. These parameters include excitation amplitude, excitation period, and drag coefficient. Results suggest that mooring line damping must be carefully considered in the FWT design.

Mooring Line Damping Estimation for a Floating Wind Turbine

PubMed Central

Qiao, Dongsheng; Ou, Jinping

2014-01-01

The dynamic responses of mooring line serve important functions in the station keeping of a floating wind turbine (FWT). Mooring line damping significantly influences the global motions of a FWT. This study investigates the estimation of mooring line damping on the basis of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory 5 MW offshore wind turbine model that is mounted on the ITI Energy barge. A numerical estimation method is derived from the energy absorption of a mooring line resulting from FWT motion. The method is validated by performing a 1/80 scale model test. Different parameter changes are analyzed for mooring line damping induced by horizontal and vertical motions. These parameters include excitation amplitude, excitation period, and drag coefficient. Results suggest that mooring line damping must be carefully considered in the FWT design. PMID:25243231

Resolving vorticity-driven lateral fire spread using the WRF-Fire coupled atmosphere-fire numerical model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Simpson, C. C.; Sharples, J. J.; Evans, J. P.

2014-09-01

Vorticity-driven lateral fire spread (VLS) is a form of dynamic fire behaviour, during which a wildland fire spreads rapidly across a steep leeward slope in a direction approximately transverse to the background winds. VLS is often accompanied by a downwind extension of the active flaming region and intense pyro-convection. In this study, the WRF-Fire (WRF stands for Weather Research and Forecasting) coupled atmosphere-fire model is used to examine the sensitivity of resolving VLS to both the horizontal and vertical grid spacing, and the fire-to-atmosphere coupling from within the model framework. The atmospheric horizontal and vertical grid spacing are varied between 25 and 90 m, and the fire-to-atmosphere coupling is either enabled or disabled. At high spatial resolutions, the inclusion of fire-to-atmosphere coupling increases the upslope and lateral rate of spread by factors of up to 2.7 and 9.5, respectively. This increase in the upslope and lateral rate of spread diminishes at coarser spatial resolutions, and VLS is not modelled for a horizontal and vertical grid spacing of 90 m. The lateral fire spread is driven by fire whirls formed due to an interaction between the background winds and the vertical circulation generated at the flank of the fire front as part of the pyro-convective updraft. The laterally advancing fire fronts become the dominant contributors to the extreme pyro-convection. The results presented in this study demonstrate that both high spatial resolution and two-way atmosphere-fire coupling are required to model VLS with WRF-Fire.

Structural optimization procedure of a composite wind turbine blade for reducing both material cost and blade weight

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Weifei; Park, Dohyun; Choi, DongHoon

2013-12-01

A composite blade structure for a 2 MW horizontal axis wind turbine is optimally designed. Design requirements are simultaneously minimizing material cost and blade weight while satisfying the constraints on stress ratio, tip deflection, fatigue life and laminate layup requirements. The stress ratio and tip deflection under extreme gust loads and the fatigue life under a stochastic normal wind load are evaluated. A blade element wind load model is proposed to explain the wind pressure difference due to blade height change during rotor rotation. For fatigue life evaluation, the stress result of an implicit nonlinear dynamic analysis under a time-varying fluctuating wind is converted to the histograms of mean and amplitude of maximum stress ratio using the rainflow counting algorithm Miner's rule is employed to predict the fatigue life. After integrating and automating the whole analysis procedure an evolutionary algorithm is used to solve the discrete optimization problem.

Root architecture and wind-firmness of mature Pinus pinaster.

PubMed

Danjon, Frédéric; Fourcaud, Thierry; Bert, Didier

2005-11-01

This study aims to link three-dimensional coarse root architecture to tree stability in mature timber trees with an average of 1-m rooting depth. Undamaged and uprooted trees were sampled in a stand damaged by a storm. Root architecture was measured by three-dimensional (3-D) digitizing. The distribution of root volume by root type and in wind-oriented sectors was analysed. Mature Pinus pinaster root systems were organized in a rigid 'cage' composed of a taproot, the zone of rapid taper of horizontal surface roots and numerous sinkers and deep roots, imprisoning a large mass of soil and guyed by long horizontal surface roots. Key compartments for stability exhibited strong selective leeward or windward reinforcement. Uprooted trees showed a lower cage volume, a larger proportion of oblique and intermediate depth horizontal roots and less wind-oriented root reinforcement. Pinus pinaster stability on moderately deep soils is optimized through a typical rooting pattern and a considerable structural adaptation to the prevailing wind and soil profile.

Resolving Tropical Cyclone Intensity in Models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davis, C. A.

2018-02-01

In recent years, global weather forecast models and global climate models have begun to depict intense tropical cyclones, even up to category 5 on the Saffir-Simpson scale. In light of the limitation of horizontal resolution in such models, the author performs calculations, using the extended Best Track data for Atlantic tropical cyclones, to estimate the ability of models with differing grid spacing to represent Atlantic tropical cyclone intensity statistically. Results indicate that, under optimistic assumptions, models with horizontal grid spacing of one fourth degree or coarser should not produce a realistic number of category 4 and 5 storms unless there are errors in spatial attributes of the wind field. Furthermore, the case of Irma (2017) is used to demonstrate the importance of a realistic depiction of angular momentum and to motivate the use of angular momentum in model evaluation.

Simplified aeroelastic modeling of horizontal axis wind turbines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wendell, J. H.

1982-01-01

Certain aspects of the aeroelastic modeling and behavior of the horizontal axis wind turbine (HAWT) are examined. Two simple three degree of freedom models are described in this report, and tools are developed which allow other simple models to be derived. The first simple model developed is an equivalent hinge model to study the flap-lag-torsion aeroelastic stability of an isolated rotor blade. The model includes nonlinear effects, preconing, and noncoincident elastic axis, center of gravity, and aerodynamic center. A stability study is presented which examines the influence of key parameters on aeroelastic stability. Next, two general tools are developed to study the aeroelastic stability and response of a teetering rotor coupled to a flexible tower. The first of these tools is an aeroelastic model of a two-bladed rotor on a general flexible support. The second general tool is a harmonic balance solution method for the resulting second order system with periodic coefficients. The second simple model developed is a rotor-tower model which serves to demonstrate the general tools. This model includes nacelle yawing, nacelle pitching, and rotor teetering. Transient response time histories are calculated and compared to a similar model in the literature. Agreement between the two is very good, especially considering how few harmonics are used. Finally, a stability study is presented which examines the effects of support stiffness and damping, inflow angle, and preconing.

Secretary of The Navy Professor

DTIC Science & Technology

1999-09-30

goal of this research is to develop a predictive capability for the upper ocean circulation and atmospheric interactions using numerical models...assimilation techniques to be used in these models. In addition, we are continuing the task of preparing long-term global surface fluxes for use in ocean...NASA, NSF, and NOAA. APPROACH We are using a suite of models forced with estimates of real winds, with very fine horizontal resolution and realistic

Aerodynamic Characteristics of a 0.5-Scale Model of the Fairchild XSAM-N-2 Lark Missile at High Subsonic Speeds

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Martin, Andrew; Hunter, Harlo A.

1949-01-01

An investigation was conducted to determine the longitudinal- and lateral-stability characteristics of a 0.5-scale moue1 of the Fairchild Lark missile, The model was tested with 0 deg and with 22.5 deg of roll. Three horizontal wings having NACA 16-009, 16-209, and 64A-209 sections were tested. Pressures were measured on both pointed and blunt noses. The wind-tunnel-test data indicate that rolling the missile 22.5 deg. had no serious effect on the static longitudinal stability. The desired maneuvering acceleration could not be attained with any of the horizontal wings tested, even with the horizontal wing flaps deflected 50 deg. The flaps on the 64A-209 wing (with small trailing-edge angles and flat sides) were effective at all flap deflections, while the flaps on the 16-series wings (with large trailing-edge angles) lost effectiveness at small flap deflections. The data showed that rolling moment existed when the vertical wing flaps were deflected with the model at other than zero angle of attack. A similar rolling moment probably would be found . with the horizontal wing flaps deflected and the model yawed.

Thermospheric winds and exospheric temperatures from incoherent scatter radar measurements in four seasons

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Antoniadis, D. A.

1976-01-01

The time-dependent equations of neutral air motion are solved subject to three constraints: two of them are the usual upper and lower boundary conditions and the third is the value of the wind-induced ion drift at any given height. Using incoherent radar data, this procedure leads to a fast, direct numerical integration of the two coupled differential equations describing the horizontal wind components and yields time dependent wind profiles and meridional exospheric neutral temperature gradients. The diurnal behavior of the neutral wind system and of the exospheric temperature is presented for two solstice and two equinox days. The data used were obtained by the St. Santin and the Millstone Hill incoherent scatter radars. The derived geographic distributions of the exospheric temperatures are compared with those predicted by the OGO-6 empirical thermospheric model.

Investigation of space shuttle vehicle 140C configuration orbiter (model 16-0) wheel well pressure loads in the Rockwell International 7.75 x 11 foot wind tunnel (OA143)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mennell, R. C.

1975-01-01

Experimental aerodynamic investigations were conducted on a sting mounted .0405-scale representation of the 140C outer mold line space shuttle orbiter configuration in the Rockwell International 7.75 x 11.00 foot low speed wind tunnel. The primary test objectives were to define the orbiter wheel well pressure loading and its effects on landing gear thermal insulation and to investigate the pressure environment experienced by both the horizontal flight nose probe and air vent door probes. Steady state and dynamic pressure values were recorded in the orbiter nose gear well, left main landing gear well, horizontal flight nose probe, and both left and right air vent door probe. All steady state pressure levels were measured by Statham differential pressure transducers while dynamic pressure levels were recorded by Kulite high frequency response pressure sensors.

Assessment of wind energy potential in Poland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Starosta, Katarzyna; Linkowska, Joanna; Mazur, Andrzej

2014-05-01

The aim of the presentation is to show the suitability of using numerical model wind speed forecasts for the wind power industry applications in Poland. In accordance with the guidelines of the European Union, the consumption of wind energy in Poland is rapidly increasing. According to the report of Energy Regulatory Office from 30 March 2013, the installed capacity of wind power in Poland was 2807MW from 765 wind power stations. Wind energy is strongly dependent on the meteorological conditions. Based on the climatological wind speed data, potential energy zones within the area of Poland have been developed (H. Lorenc). They are the first criterion for assessing the location of the wind farm. However, for exact monitoring of a given wind farm location the prognostic data from numerical model forecasts are necessary. For the practical interpretation and further post-processing, the verification of the model data is very important. Polish Institute Meteorology and Water Management - National Research Institute (IMWM-NRI) runs an operational model COSMO (Consortium for Small-scale Modelling, version 4.8) using two nested domains at horizontal resolutions of 7 km and 2.8 km. The model produces 36 hour and 78 hour forecasts from 00 UTC, for 2.8 km and 7 km domain resolutions respectively. Numerical forecasts were compared with the observation of 60 SYNOP and 3 TEMP stations in Poland, using VERSUS2 (Unified System Verification Survey 2) and R package. For every zone the set of statistical indices (ME, MAE, RMSE) was calculated. Forecast errors for aerological profiles are shown for Polish TEMP stations at Wrocław, Legionowo and Łeba. The current studies are connected with a topic of the COST ES1002 WIRE-Weather Intelligence for Renewable Energies.

Idealized models of the joint probability distribution of wind speeds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Monahan, Adam H.

2018-05-01

The joint probability distribution of wind speeds at two separate locations in space or points in time completely characterizes the statistical dependence of these two quantities, providing more information than linear measures such as correlation. In this study, we consider two models of the joint distribution of wind speeds obtained from idealized models of the dependence structure of the horizontal wind velocity components. The bivariate Rice distribution follows from assuming that the wind components have Gaussian and isotropic fluctuations. The bivariate Weibull distribution arises from power law transformations of wind speeds corresponding to vector components with Gaussian, isotropic, mean-zero variability. Maximum likelihood estimates of these distributions are compared using wind speed data from the mid-troposphere, from different altitudes at the Cabauw tower in the Netherlands, and from scatterometer observations over the sea surface. While the bivariate Rice distribution is more flexible and can represent a broader class of dependence structures, the bivariate Weibull distribution is mathematically simpler and may be more convenient in many applications. The complexity of the mathematical expressions obtained for the joint distributions suggests that the development of explicit functional forms for multivariate speed distributions from distributions of the components will not be practical for more complicated dependence structure or more than two speed variables.

Small-Scale Gravity Waves in ER-2 MMS/MTP Wind and Temperature Measurements during CRYSTAL-FACE

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wang, L.; Alexander, M. J.; Bui, T. P.; Mahoney, M. J.

2006-01-01

Lower stratospheric wind and temperature measurements made from NASA's high-altitude ER-2 research aircraft during the CRYSTAL-FACE campaign in July 2002 were analyzed to retrieve information on small scale gravity waves (GWs) at the aircraft's flight level (typically approximately 20 km altitude). For a given flight segment, the S-transform (a Gaussian wavelet transform) was used to search for and identify small horizontal scale GW events, and to estimate their apparent horizontal wavelengths. The horizontal propagation directions of the events were determined using the Stokes parameter method combined with the cross S-transform analysis. The vertical temperature gradient was used to determine the vertical wavelengths of the events. GW momentum fluxes were calculated from the cross S-transform. Other wave parameters such as intrinsic frequencies were calculated using the GW dispersion relation. More than 100GW events were identified. They were generally high frequency waves with vertical wavelength of approximately 5 km and horizontal wavelength generally shorter than 20 km. Their intrinsic propagation directions were predominantly toward the east, whereas their ground-based propagation directions were primarily toward the west. Among the events, approximately 20% of them had very short horizontal wavelength, very high intrinsic frequency, and relatively small momentum fluxes, and thus they were likely trapped in the lower stratosphere. Using the estimated GW parameters and the background winds and stabilities from the NCAR/NCEP reanalysis data, we were able to trace the sources of the events using a simple reverse ray-tracing. More than 70% of the events were traced back to convective sources in the troposphere, and the sources were generally located upstream of the locations of the events observed at the aircraft level. Finally, a probability density function of the reversible cooling rate due to GWs was obtained in this study, which may be useful for cirrus cloud models.

Wind-tunnel investigation of a large-scale VTOL aircraft model with wing root and wing thrust augmentors. [Ames 40 by 80 foot wind tunnel

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Aoyagi, K.; Aiken, T. N.

1979-01-01

Tests were conducted in the Ames 40 by 80 foot wind tunnel to determine the aerodynamic characteristics of a large-scale V/STOL aircraft model with thrust augmentors. The model had a double-delta wing of aspect ratio 1.65 with augmentors located in the wing root and the wing trailing edge. The supply air for the augmentor primary nozzles was provided by the YJ-97 turbojet engine. The airflow was apportioned approximately 74 percent to the wing root augmentor and 24 percent to wing augmentor. Results were obtained at several trailing-edge flap deflections with the nozzle jet-momentum coefficients ranging from 0 to 7.9. Three-component longitudinal data are presented with the agumentor operating with and without the horizontal tail. A limited amount of six component data are also presented.

Stability of large horizontal-axis axisymmetric wind turbines. Ph.D. Thesis - Delaware Univ.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hirschbein, M. S.; Young, M. I.

1980-01-01

The stability of large horizontal axis, axi-symmetric, power producing wind turbines was examined. The analytical model used included the dynamic coupling of the rotor, tower and power generating system. The aerodynamic loading was derived from blade element theory. Each rotor blade was permitted tow principal elastic bending degrees of freedom, one degree of freedom in torsion and controlled pitch as a rigid body. The rotor hub was mounted in a rigid nacelle which may yaw freely or in a controlled manner. The tower can bend in two principal directions and may twist. Also, the rotor speed can vary and may induce perturbation reactions within the power generating equipment. Stability was determined by the eigenvalues of a set of linearized constant coefficient differential equations. All results presented are based on a 3 bladed, 300 ft. diameter, 2.5 megawatt wind turbine. Some of the parameters varied were; wind speed, rotor speed structural stiffness and damping, the effective stiffness and damping of the power generating system and the principal bending directions of the rotor blades. Unstable or weakly stable behavior can be caused by aerodynamic forces due to motion of the rotor blades and tower in the plane of rotation or by mechanical coupling between the rotor system and the tower.

Observing System Simulation Experiment (OSSE) for a future Doppler Wind Lidar satellite in Japan:

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baron, Philippe; Ishii, Shoken; Okamoto, Kozo

2017-04-01

A feasibility study of tropospheric wind measurements by a coherent Doppler lidar aboard a super-low-altitude satellite is being conducted in Japan. We consider a coherent lidar with a laser light source at 2.05 μm whose characteristics correspond to an existing ground-based instrument (power=3.75 W, PRF=30 Hz and pulse width=200 ns). An Observing System Simulation Experiment (OSSE) has been implemented based on the Sensitivity Observing System experiment (SOSE) developed at the Japanese Meteorological-Research-Institute using the Japan Meteorological Agency global Numerical Weather Prediction model. The measurement simulator uses wind, aerosol and cloud 3-d global fields from the OSSE speudo-truth and the aerosol model MASINGAR. In this presentation, we will first discuss the measurement performances. Considering measurement horizontal resolutions of 100 km along the orbit track, we found that below 3 km, the median horizontal wind error is between 0.8-1 m/s for a vertical resolution of 0.5 km, and that near 50% of the data are valid measurements. Decreasing the vertical resolution to 1 km allows us to maintain similar performances up to 8 km almost over most latitudes. Above, the performances significantly fall down but a relatively good percentage of valid measurements (20-40%) are still found near the tropics where cirrus clouds frequently occur. The potential of the instrument to improve weather prediction models will be discussed using the OSSE results obtained for both polar and low inclination orbit satellites. The first results show positive improvements of short-term forecasts (<48 hours), in particular, on the wind speed at 850 hPa and 250 hPa. S. Ishii, K. Okamoto, P. Baron, T. Kubota, Y. Satoh, D. Sakaizawa, T. Ishibashi, T. Y. Tanaka, K. Yamashita, S. Ochiai, K. Gamo, M. Yasui, R. Oki, M. Satoh, and T. Iwasaki, "Measurement performance assessment of future space-borne Doppler wind lidar", SOLA, vol. 12, pp. 55-59, 2016. S. Ishii et al., "Feasibility study for future space-borne coherent Doppler wind lidar, Part 1: Instrumental Overview for Global Wind Profile Observation", submitted to J. Meteor. Soc. Japan, 2016 P. Baron et al., "Feasibility study for future space-borne coherent Doppler wind lidar, Part 2: Measurement simulation algorithms and retrieval error characterization", submitted to J. Meteor. Soc. Japan, 2016.

Dynamics modeling and periodic control of horizontal-axis wind turbines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stol, Karl Alexander

2001-07-01

The development of large multi-megawatt wind turbines has increased the need for active feedback control to meet multiple performance objectives. Power regulation is still of prime concern but there is an increasing interest in mitigating loads for these very large, dynamically soft and highly integrated power systems. This work explores the opportunities for utilizing state space modeling, modal analysis, and multi-objective controllers in advanced horizontal-axis wind turbines. A linear state-space representation of a generic, multiple degree-of-freedom wind turbine is developed to test various control methods and paradigms. The structural model, SymDyn, provides for limited flexibility in the tower, drive train and blades assuming a rigid component architecture with joint springs and dampers. Equations of motion are derived symbolically, verified by numerical simulation, and implemented in the Matlab with Simulink computational environment. AeroDyn, an industry-standard aerodynamics package for wind turbines, provides the aerodynamic load data through interfaced subroutines. Linearization of the structural model produces state equations with periodic coefficients due to the interaction of rotating and non-rotating components. Floquet theory is used to extract the necessary modal properties and several parametric studies identify the damping levels and dominant dynamic coupling influences. Two separate issues of control design are investigated: full-state feedback and state estimation. Periodic gains are developed using time-varying LQR techniques and many different time-invariant control designs are constructed, including a classical PID controller. Disturbance accommodating control (DAC) allows the estimation of wind speed for minimization of the disturbance effects on the system. Controllers are tested in simulation for multiple objectives using measurement of rotor position and rotor speed only and actuation of independent blade pitch. It is found that periodic control is capable of reducing cyclic blade bending moments while regulating speed but that optimal performance requires additional sensor information. Periodic control is also the only design found that could successfully control the yaw alignment although blade loads are increased as a consequence. When speed regulation is the only performance objective then a time-invariant state-space design or PID is appropriate.

Supporting data for hydrologic studies in San Francisco Bay, California : meteorological measurements at the Port of Redwood City during 1998-2001

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schemel, Laurence E.

2002-01-01

Meteorological data were collected during 1998-2001 at the Port of Redwood City, California, to support hydrologic studies in South San Francisco Bay. The measured meteorological variables were air temperature, atmospheric pressure, quantum flux (insolation), and four parameters of wind speed and direction: scalar mean horizontal wind speed, (vector) resultant horizontal wind speed, resultant wind direction, and standard deviation of the wind direction. Hourly mean values based on measurements at five-minute intervals were logged at the site. Daily mean values were computed for temperature, infolation, pressure, and scalar wind speed. Daily mean values for 1998-2001 are described in this report, and a short record of hourly mean values is compared to data from another near-by station. Data (hourly and daily mean) from the entire period of record (starting in April 1992) and reports describing data prior to 1998 are provided.

Early Student Support for a Process Study of Oceanic Responses to Typhoons

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-06-21

responses to tropical cyclone forcing are surface waves, wind-driven currents, shear and turbulence, and inertial currents. Quantifying the effect ...Cd is estimated assuming a balance between the time rate change of the depth-integrated horizontal momentum, Coriolis force, and the wind stress. This...negligible pressure gradient effect . Most of the observed horizontal kinetic energy is within the upper 100 m. The available potential energy and

Wind Tunnel Tests Conducted to Develop an Icing Flight Simulator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ratvasky, Thomas P.

2001-01-01

As part of NASA's Aviation Safety Program goals to reduce aviation accidents due to icing, NASA Glenn Research Center is leading a flight simulator development activity to improve pilot training for the adverse flying characteristics due to icing. Developing flight simulators that incorporate the aerodynamic effects of icing will provide a critical element in pilot training programs by giving pilots a pre-exposure of icing-related hazards, such as ice-contaminated roll upset or tailplane stall. Integrating these effects into training flight simulators will provide an accurate representation of scenarios to develop pilot skills in unusual attitudes and loss-of-control events that may result from airframe icing. In order to achieve a high level of fidelity in the flight simulation, a series of wind tunnel tests have been conducted on a 6.5-percent-scale Twin Otter aircraft model. These wind tunnel tests were conducted at the Wichita State University 7- by 10-ft wind tunnel and Bihrle Applied Research's Large Amplitude Multiple Purpose Facility in Neuburg, Germany. The Twin Otter model was tested without ice (baseline), and with two ice configurations: 1) Ice on the horizontal tail only; 2) Ice on the wing, horizontal tail, and vertical tail. These wind tunnel tests resulted in data bases of aerodynamic forces and moments as functions of angle of attack; sideslip; control surface deflections; forced oscillations in the pitch, roll, and yaw axes; and various rotational speeds. A limited amount of wing and tail surface pressure data were also measured for comparison with data taken at Wichita State and with flight data. The data bases from these tests will be the foundation for a PC-based Icing Flight Simulator to be delivered to Glenn in fiscal year 2001.

Estimating the Instantaneous Drag-Wind Relationship for a Horizontally Homogeneous Canopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pan, Ying; Chamecki, Marcelo; Nepf, Heidi M.

2016-07-01

The mean drag-wind relationship is usually investigated assuming that field data are representative of spatially-averaged metrics of statistically stationary flow within and above a horizontally homogeneous canopy. Even if these conditions are satisfied, large-eddy simulation (LES) data suggest two major issues in the analysis of observational data. Firstly, the streamwise mean pressure gradient is usually neglected in the analysis of data from terrestrial canopies, which compromises the estimates of mean canopy drag and provides misleading information for the dependence of local mean drag coefficients on local velocity scales. Secondly, no standard approach has been proposed to investigate the instantaneous drag-wind relationship, a critical component of canopy representation in LES. Here, a practical approach is proposed to fit the streamwise mean pressure gradient using observed profiles of the mean vertical momentum flux within the canopy. Inclusion of the fitted mean pressure gradient enables reliable estimates of the mean drag-wind relationship. LES data show that a local mean drag coefficient that characterizes the relationship between mean canopy drag and the velocity scale associated with total kinetic energy can be used to identify the dependence of the local instantaneous drag coefficient on instantaneous velocity. Iterative approaches are proposed to fit specific models of velocity-dependent instantaneous drag coefficients that represent the effects of viscous drag and the reconfiguration of flexible canopy elements. LES data are used to verify the assumptions and algorithms employed by these new approaches. The relationship between mean canopy drag and mean velocity, which is needed in models based on the Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equations, is parametrized to account for both the dependence on velocity and the contribution from velocity variances. Finally, velocity-dependent drag coefficients lead to significant variations of the calculated displacement height and roughness length with wind speed.

Calculation of wind-driven surface currents in the North Atlantic Ocean

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rees, T. H.; Turner, R. E.

1976-01-01

Calculations to simulate the wind driven near surface currents of the North Atlantic Ocean are described. The primitive equations were integrated on a finite difference grid with a horizontal resolution of 2.5 deg in longitude and latitude. The model ocean was homogeneous with a uniform depth of 100 m and with five levels in the vertical direction. A form of the rigid-lid approximation was applied. Generally, the computed surface current patterns agreed with observed currents. The development of a subsurface equatorial countercurrent was observed.

Predicting Noise From Wind Turbines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Grosveld, Ferdinand W.

1990-01-01

Computer program WINDY predicts broadband noise spectra of horizontal-axis wind-turbine generators. Enables adequate assessment of impact of broadband wind-turbine noise. Effects of turbulence, trailing-edge wakes, and bluntness taken into account. Program has practical application in design and siting of wind-turbine machines acceptable to community. Written in GW-Basic.

F-region neutral winds from ionosonde measurements of h/sub mF2/ at low-latitude magnetic conjugate regions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bittencourt, J.A.

1977-08-01

The behavior of the F2-peak height difference, delta h/sub F2/, between low-latitude magnetic conjugate points, is known to be governed by thermospheric winds blowing along the magnetic meridian. Ground-based ionosonde measurement of h/sub m F2/, at two pairs of magnetic conjugate stations, were analyzed in conjunction with the results of a realistic dynamic computer model of the tropical ionospheric F-region, to determine thermospheric wind velocities. The behavior of monthly average values of the sun, at conjugate points, of the thermospheric horizontal wind velocity component in the magnetic meridian, at low latitudes, is inferred for months of solstice and equinox, asmore » well as for periods of low and high solar activity.« less

Wind-Tunnel Investigation at Low Speed of the Effects of Chordwise Wing Fences and Horizontal-Tail Position on the Static Longitudinal Stability Characteristics of an Airplane Model with a 35 Degree Sweptback Wing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Queijo, M J; Jaquet, Byron M; Wolhart, Walter D

1954-01-01

Low-speed tests of a model with a wing swept back 35 degrees at the 0.33-chord line and a horizontal tail located well above the extended wing-chord plane indicated static longitudinal instability at moderate angles of attack for all configurations tested. An investigation therefore was made to determine whether the longitudinal stability could be improved by the use of chordwise wing fences, by lowering the horizontal tail, or by a combination of both. The results of the investigation showed that the longitudinal stability characteristics of the model with slats retracted could be improved at moderate angles of attack by placing chordwise wing fences at a spanwise station of about 73 percent of the wing semispan from the plane of symmetry provided the nose of the fence extended slightly beyond or around the wing leading edge.

Blade pitch optimization methods for vertical-axis wind turbines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kozak, Peter

Vertical-axis wind turbines (VAWTs) offer an inherently simpler design than horizontal-axis machines, while their lower blade speed mitigates safety and noise concerns, potentially allowing for installation closer to populated and ecologically sensitive areas. While VAWTs do offer significant operational advantages, development has been hampered by the difficulty of modeling the aerodynamics involved, further complicated by their rotating geometry. This thesis presents results from a simulation of a baseline VAWT computed using Star-CCM+, a commercial finite-volume (FVM) code. VAWT aerodynamics are shown to be dominated at low tip-speed ratios by dynamic stall phenomena and at high tip-speed ratios by wake-blade interactions. Several optimization techniques have been developed for the adjustment of blade pitch based on finite-volume simulations and streamtube models. The effectiveness of the optimization procedure is evaluated and the basic architecture for a feedback control system is proposed. Implementation of variable blade pitch is shown to increase a baseline turbine's power output between 40%-100%, depending on the optimization technique, improving the turbine's competitiveness when compared with a commercially-available horizontal-axis turbine.

A field investigation and numerical simulation of coastal fog

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mack, E. J.; Eadie, W. J.; Rogers, C. W.; Kocmond, W. C.; Pilie, R. J.

1973-01-01

A field investigation of the microphysical and micrometeorological features of fogs occurring near Los Angeles and Vandenberg, California was conducted. Observations of wind speed and direction, temperature, dew point, vertical wind velocity, dew deposition, drop-size distribution, liquid water content, and haze and cloud nucleus concentration were obtained. These observations were initiated in late evening prior to fog formation and continued until the time of dissipation in both advection and radiation fogs. Data were also acquired in one valley fog and several dense haze situations. The behavior of these parameters prior to and during fog are discussed in detail. A two-dimensional numerical model was developed to investigate the formation and dissipation of advection fogs under the influence of horizontal variations in surface temperature. The model predicts the evolution of potential temperature, water vapor content, and liquid water content in a vertical plane as determined by vertical turbulent transfer and horizontal advection. Results are discussed from preliminary numerical experiments on the formation of warm-air advection fog and dissipation by natural and artificial heating from the surface.

Structural Health Monitoring challenges on the 10-MW offshore wind turbine model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Di Lorenzo, E.; Kosova, G.; Musella, U.; Manzato, S.; Peeters, B.; Marulo, F.; Desmet, W.

2015-07-01

The real-time structural damage detection on large slender structures has one of its main application on offshore Horizontal Axis Wind Turbines (HAWT). The renewable energy market is continuously pushing the wind turbine sizes and performances. This is the reason why nowadays offshore wind turbines concepts are going toward a 10 MW reference wind turbine model. The aim of the work is to perform operational analyses on the 10-MW reference wind turbine finite element model using an aeroelastic code in order to obtain long-time-low- cost simulations. The aeroelastic code allows simulating the damages in several ways: by reducing the edgewise/flapwise blades stiffness, by adding lumped masses or considering a progressive mass addiction (i.e. ice on the blades). The damage detection is then performed by means of Operational Modal Analysis (OMA) techniques. Virtual accelerometers are placed in order to simulate real measurements and to estimate the modal parameters. The feasibility of a robust damage detection on the model has been performed on the HAWT model in parked conditions. The situation is much more complicated in case of operating wind turbines because the time periodicity of the structure need to be taken into account. Several algorithms have been implemented and tested in the simulation environment. They are needed in order to carry on a damage detection simulation campaign and develop a feasible real-time damage detection method. In addition to these algorithms, harmonic removal tools are needed in order to dispose of the harmonics due to the rotation.

Theoretical and experimental power from large horizontal-axis wind turbines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Viterna, L. A.; Janetzke, D. C.

1982-01-01

A method for calculating the output power from large horizontal-axis wind turbines is presented. Modifications to the airfoil characteristics and the momentum portion of classical blade element-momentum theory are given that improve correlation with measured data. Improvement is particularly evident at low tip-speed ratios where aerodynamic stall can occur as the blade experiences high angles of attack. Output power calculated using the modified theory is compared with measured data for several large wind turbines. These wind turbines range in size from the DOE/NASA 100 kW Mod-0 (38 m rotor diameter) to the 2000 kW Mod-1 (61 m rotor diameter). The calculated results are in good agreement with measured data from these machines.

Characterization of wind velocities in the wake of a full scale wind turbine using three ground-based synchronized WindScanners

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yazicioglu, Hasan; Angelou, Nikolas; Mikkelsen, Torben; José Trujillo, Juan

2016-09-01

The wind energy community is in need of detailed full-field measurements in the wake of wind turbines. Here, three dimensional(3D) wind vector field measurements obtained in the near-wake region behind a full-scale test turbine are presented. Specifically, the wake of a NEG Nordtank turbine, installed at Risoe test field, has been measured from 0 to 2 diameters downstream. For this, three ground-based synchronised short-range WindScanners and a spinner lidar have been used. The 3D wind velocity field has been reconstructed in horizontal and vertical planes crossing the hub. The 10-min mean values of the three wind components reveal detailed information regarding the wake properties while propagating downwind over flat terrain. Furthermore, the wake centre is tracked from the measurements and its meander is investigated as function of yaw misalignment of the turbine. The centre-line wake deficit is calculated both in a Nacelle and Moving Frame of Reference. The results can be used in quantitative validation of numerical wake models.

Field Measurements and Modeling of Dust Transport and Deposition on a Hawaiian Volcano

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Douglas, M.; Stock, J. D.; Cerovski-Darriau, C.; Bishaw, K.; Bedford, D.

2017-12-01

The western slopes of Hawaii's Mauna Kea volcano are mantled by fine-grained soils that record volcanic airfall and eolian deposition. Where exposed, strong winds transport this sediment across west Hawaii, affecting tourism and local communities by decreasing air and water quality. Operations on US Army's Ke'amuku Maneuver Area (KMA) have the potential to increase dust flux from these deposits. To understand regional dust transport and composition, the USGS established 18 ground monitoring sites and sampling locations surrounding KMA. For over three years, each station measured vertical and horizontal dust flux while co-located anemometers measured wind speed and direction. We use these datasets to develop a model for dust supply and transport to assess whether KMA is a net dust sink or source. We find that horizontal dust flux rates are most highly correlated with entrainment threshold wind speeds of 8 m/s. Using a dust model that partitions measured horizontal dust flux into inward- and outward-directed components, we predict that KMA is currently a net dust sink. Geochemical analysis of dust samples illustrates that organics and pedogenic carbonate make up to 70% of their mass. Measured vertical dust deposition rates of 0.005 mm/m2/yr are similar to deposition rates of 0.004 mm/m2/yr predicted from the divergence of dust across KMA's boundary. These rates are low compared to pre-historic rates of 0.2-0.3 mm/yr estimated from radiocarbon dating of buried soils. Therefore, KMA's soils record persistent deposition both over past millennia and at present at rates that imply infrequent, large dust storms. Such events led to soil-mantled topography in an otherwise rocky Pleistocene volcanic landscape. A substantial portion of fine-grained soils in other leeward Hawaiian Island landscapes may have formed from similar eolian deposition, and not direct weathering of parent rock.

Wind turbine generator interaction with conventional diesel generators on Block Island, Rhode Island. Volume 2: Data analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilreker, V. F.; Stiller, P. H.; Scott, G. W.; Kruse, V. J.; Smith, R. F.

1984-01-01

Assessing the performance of a MOD-OA horizontal axis wind turbine connected to an isolated diesel utility, a comprehensive data measurement program was conducted on the Block Island Power Company installation on Block Island, Rhode Island. The detailed results of that program focusing on three principal areas of (1) fuel displacement (savings), (2) dynamic interaction between the diesel utility and the wind turbine, (3) effects of three models of wind turbine reactive power control are presented. The approximate two month duration of the data acquisition program conducted in the winter months (February into April 1982) revealed performance during periods of highest wind energy penetration and hence severity of operation. Even under such conditions fuel savings were significant resulting in a fuel reduction of 6.7% while the MOD-OA was generating 10.7% of the total electrical energy. Also, electrical disturbance and interactive effects were of an acceptable level.

Turbulent Flow and Sand Dune Dynamics: Identifying Controls on Aeolian Sediment Transport

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weaver, C. M.; Wiggs, G.

2007-12-01

Sediment transport models are founded on cubic power relationships between the transport rate and time averaged flow parameters. These models have achieved limited success and recent aeolian and fluvial research has focused on the modelling and measurement of sediment transport by temporally varying flow conditions. Studies have recognised turbulence as a driving force in sediment transport and have highlighted the importance of coherent flow structures in sediment transport systems. However, the exact mechanisms are still unclear. Furthermore, research in the fluvial environment has identified the significance of turbulent structures for bedform morphology and spacing. However, equivalent research in the aeolian domain is absent. This paper reports the findings of research carried out to characterise the importance of turbulent flow parameters in aeolian sediment transport and determine how turbulent energy and turbulent structures change in response to dune morphology. The relative importance of mean and turbulent wind parameters on aeolian sediment flux was examined in the Skeleton Coast, Namibia. Measurements of wind velocity (using sonic anemometers) and sand transport (using grain impact sensors) at a sampling frequency of 10 Hz were made across a flat surface and along transects on a 9 m high barchan dune. Mean wind parameters and mass sand flux were measured using cup anemometers and wedge-shaped sand traps respectively. Vertical profile data from the sonic anemometers were used to compute turbulence and turbulent stress (Reynolds stress; instantaneous horizontal and vertical fluctuations; coherent flow structures) and their relationship with respect to sand transport and evolving dune morphology. On the flat surface time-averaged parameters generally fail to characterise sand transport dynamics, particularly as the averaging interval is reduced. However, horizontal wind speed correlates well with sand transport even with short averaging times. Quadrant analysis revealed that turbulent events with a positive horizontal component, such as sweeps and outward interactions, were responsible for the majority of sand transport. On the dune surface results demonstrate the development and modification of turbulence and sediment flux in key regions: toe, crest and brink. Analysis suggests that these modifications are directly controlled by streamline curvature and flow acceleration. Conflicting models of dune development, morphology and stability arise when based upon either the dynamics of measured turbulent flow or mean flow.

Simple model of cable-stayed bridge deck subjected to static wind loading

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kang, Yi-Lung; Wang, Yang Cheng

1997-05-01

Cable-stayed bridges have been known since 18th century with aesthetics design. The structural system and the structural behavior are significantly different from those of continuous bridges. Compared to continuous bridge, cable- stayed bridges have more flexure bridge deck than those of continuous bridges.On the other hand, cable-stayed bridges have less stiffness to resist wind loading especially for lateral loads. The first considering of bridge engineering is safety. In 1940's, Tacoma Narrows Suspension Bridge destroyed by wind loading is a good example even though it is not a cable-stayed bridge. After the bridge was destroyed, a lot of research articles have been published regarding cable supported bridge subjected to wind loading. In recent days, high strength materials have been served. The bridge engineers use the advantages to expand the span length of cable-stayed bridges. Due to the span length increased and the use of high strength materials, cable- stayed bridges have more significant nonlinear behavior subjected to wind loading. In this paper, a slice bridge deck of cable-stayed bridge connected to internal support cables is considered. The deck has been considered to be subjected to lateral static wind loading. Since cables can not take compressive force, the deck has strongly nonlinear behavior even though the materials are linear elastic. Several primary load combinations have ben considered in this paper such as the bridge deck supposed to be moved horizontally without rotation or the bridge deck supposed to be moved horizontally with rotational deformation. The mathematical formulas and the numerical solutions are found and represented in graphical forms. The results can be provided to bridge designers and researchers for further study of this type of structure subjected to wind loading.

Threshold wind velocity dynamics as a driver of aeolian sediment mas flux

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Horizontal (saltation) mass flux is a key driver of aeolian dust emission. Estimates of the horizontal mass flux underpin assessments of the global dust budget and influence our understanding of the dust cycle and its interactions. Current equations for predicting horizontal mass flux are based on l...

Transport of a Power Plant Tracer Plume over Grand Canyon National Park.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Jun; Bornstein, Robert; Lindsey, Charles G.

1999-08-01

Meteorological and air-quality data, as well as surface tracer concentration values, were collected during 1990 to assess the impacts of Navajo Generating Station (NGS) emissions on Grand Canyon National Park (GCNP) air quality. These data have been used in the present investigation to determine between direct and indirect transport routes taken by the NGS plume to produce measured high-tracer concentration events at GCNP.The meteorological data were used as input into a three-dimensional mass-consistent wind model, whose output was used as input into a horizontal forward-trajectory model. Calculated polluted air locations were compared with observed surface-tracer concentration values.Results show that complex-terrain features affect local wind-flow patterns during winter in the Grand Canyon area. Local channeling, decoupled canyon winds, and slope and valley flows dominate in the region when synoptic systems are weak. Direct NGS plume transport to GCNP occurs with northeasterly plume-height winds, while indirect transport to the park is caused by wind direction shifts associated with passing synoptic systems. Calculated polluted airmass positions along the modeled streak lines match measured surface-tracer observations in both space and time.

Numerical simulation of the 6 day wave effects on the ionosphere: Dynamo modulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gan, Quan; Wang, Wenbing; Yue, Jia; Liu, Hanli; Chang, Loren C.; Zhang, Shaodong; Burns, Alan; Du, Jian

2016-10-01

The Thermosphere-Ionosphere-Mesosphere Electrodynamics General Circulation Model (TIME-GCM) is used to theoretically study the 6 day wave effects on the ionosphere. By introducing a 6 day perturbation with zonal wave number 1 at the model lower boundary, the TIME-GCM reasonably reproduces the 6 day wave in temperature and horizontal winds in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere region during the vernal equinox. The E region wind dynamo exhibits a prominent 6 day oscillation that is directly modulated by the 6 day wave. Meanwhile, significant local time variability (diurnal and semidiurnal) is also seen in wind dynamo as a result of altered tides due to the nonlinear interaction between the 6 day wave and migrating tides. More importantly, the perturbations in the E region neutral winds (both the 6 day oscillation and tidal-induced short-term variability) modulate the polarization electric fields, thus leading to the perturbations in vertical ion drifts and ionospheric F2 region peak electron density (NmF2). Our modeling work shows that the 6 day wave couples with the ionosphere via both the direct neutral wind modulation and the interaction with atmospheric tides.

Influence of Complex Terrain on Wind Fields in the Mojave Desert, Southwestern US

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clow, G. D.; Reynolds, R. L.; Urban, F. E.; Bogle, R.; Vogel, J. M.

2009-12-01

The complex terrain of southern California has important effects on the winds in this dust-producing region. We use the Weather Research and Forecasting Model (WRF) to investigate the influences of rugged topography on the wind field in the Mojave Desert at a variety of scales. For this study, the WRF model was used in a retrospective mode over the time period 2000-to-present, with horizontal resolutions as fine as 1-km in specific areas of interest (i.e., known dust-source areas). At a regional scale, the juxtaposition of California's Central Valley with the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range often generates a band of strong winds extending eastward from the southern end of the Sierra Nevada and Tehachapi Mountains across the Mojave Desert and into Arizona. At finer scales, WRF-derived winds within this band reveal terrain deflection, focusing, channeling, and rapid direction change over short distances. These effects are important for assessing the capacity of wind to produce dust at potential dust-source areas during specific events, and for determining dust-transport pathways. Comparison of the WRF results during strong wind events with data from meteorological stations having dust emission instruments (saltation sensors and/or wind-triggered time-lapse cameras) help elucidate landscape conditions that influence dust emission and patterns of dust transport.

Four-Dimensional Data Assimilation Using the Adjoint Method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bao, Jian-Wen

The calculus of variations is used to confirm that variational four-dimensional data assimilation (FDDA) using the adjoint method can be implemented when the numerical model equations have a finite number of first-order discontinuous points. These points represent the on/off switches associated with physical processes, for which the Jacobian matrix of the model equation does not exist. Numerical evidence suggests that, in some situations when the adjoint method is used for FDDA, the temperature field retrieved using horizontal wind data is numerically not unique. A physical interpretation of this type of non-uniqueness of the retrieval is proposed in terms of energetics. The adjoint equations of a numerical model can also be used for model-parameter estimation. A general computational procedure is developed to determine the size and distribution of any internal model parameter. The procedure is then applied to a one-dimensional shallow -fluid model in the context of analysis-nudging FDDA: the weighting coefficients used by the Newtonian nudging technique are determined. The sensitivity of these nudging coefficients to the optimal objectives and constraints is investigated. Experiments of FDDA using the adjoint method are conducted using the dry version of the hydrostatic Penn State/NCAR mesoscale model (MM4) and its adjoint. The minimization procedure converges and the initialization experiment is successful. Temperature-retrieval experiments involving an assimilation of the horizontal wind are also carried out using the adjoint of MM4.

Modelling Local Sea-Breeze Flow and Associated Dispersion Patterns Over a Coastal Area in North-East Spain: A Case Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soler, M. R.; Arasa, R.; Merino, M.; Olid, M.; Ortega, S.

2011-07-01

The structure and evolution of the sea breeze in the north-west part of the Mediterranean (Catalonia, north-east Spain) is studied both experimentally and, predominantly, using numerical models to increase understanding of sea-breeze structure and three-dimensional (3D) pollution distributions in coastal environments. Sea-breeze components are modelled and analyzed using the fifth-generation Pennsylvania State University-National Centre for Atmospheric Research Mesoscale Model (MM5). The results show that the growth and structure of the sea-breeze circulation is modulated by the synoptic flow and especially by the complex topography of the area. 3D pollution transport in a sea breeze is modelled by coupling the MM5 to the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model, with results indicating that topography and synoptic flow are the main factors modulating horizontal and vertical pollutant transport in sea-breeze episodes. In this way, horizontal dispersion is limited by the complex topography of the area, whilst the sea-breeze flow is intensified by anabatic upslope winds that contribute to vertical pollutant transport. The numerical model results also indicate that the sea-breeze circulation with a weak return flow at upper levels grows due to a synoptic onshore wind component. However, such a sea-breeze circulation is capable of transporting pollutants towards the coast.

Seismic analysis of offshore wind turbines on bottom-fixed support structures.

PubMed

Alati, Natale; Failla, Giuseppe; Arena, Felice

2015-02-28

This study investigates the seismic response of a horizontal axis wind turbine on two bottom-fixed support structures for transitional water depths (30-60 m), a tripod and a jacket, both resting on pile foundations. Fully coupled, nonlinear time-domain simulations on full system models are carried out under combined wind-wave-earthquake loadings, for different load cases, considering fixed and flexible foundation models. It is shown that earthquake loading may cause a significant increase of stress resultant demands, even for moderate peak ground accelerations, and that fully coupled nonlinear time-domain simulations on full system models are essential to capture relevant information on the moment demand in the rotor blades, which cannot be predicted by analyses on simplified models allowed by existing standards. A comparison with some typical design load cases substantiates the need for an accurate seismic assessment in sites at risk from earthquakes. © 2015 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.

A model study of the response of hypoxia to upwelling-favorable wind on the northern Gulf of Mexico shelf

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feng, Yang; Fennel, Katja; Jackson, George A.; DiMarco, Steven F.; Hetland, Robert D.

2014-03-01

The hypoxic region in the northern Gulf of Mexico, one of the largest man-made hypoxic zones in the world, has received extensive scientific study and management interest. A previous statistical study has concluded that in addition to anthropogenic nitrogen loading, the observed hypoxic extent is correlated to the duration of upwelling favorable (westerly) wind without elucidating the underlying mechanism. In this study, we use a three-dimensional, coupled hydrological-biogeochemical model to mechanistically examine how variations of the hypoxic area are related to the duration of upwelling-favorable wind. We performed scenario experiments with different durations of upwelling-favorable wind using realistic winds from summer 2002 (when upwelling-favorable winds were present only for about 1 month) and summer 2009 (when upwelling-favorable conditions started early and persisted for about 2 months). While the maximum simulated hypoxic area is approximately 15,000 km2 in both cases, the evolutions of the hypoxic area and the dates when its maximum extent are reached are different. With an early start of persistently upwelling-favorable wind in 2009, the hypoxic area reached its maximum in early summer and decreased afterwards. By contrast, the hypoxic area was small in early summer of 2002 and peaked during the short period of upwelling-favorable wind in late summer. The model revealed that the wind influences the evolution of the hypoxic area by changing the vertical and horizontal distributions of the low salinity, high chlorophyll water on the shelf.

Development and testing of vortex generators for small horizontal axis wind turbines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gyatt, G. W.

1986-01-01

Vortex generators (VGs) for a small (32 ft diameter) horizontal axis wind turbine, the Carter Model 25, have been developed and tested. Arrays of VGs in a counterrotating arrangement were tested on the inbound half-span, outboard half-span, and on the entire blade. VG pairs had their centerlines spaced at a distance of 15% of blade chord, with a spanwise width of 10% of blade chord. Each VG had a length/height ratio of 4, with a height of between 0.5% and 1.0% of the blade chord. Tests were made with roughness strips to determine whether VGs alleviated the sensitivity of some turbines to an accumulation of bugs and dirt on the leading edge. Field test data showed that VGs increased power output up to 20% at wind speeds above 10 m/s with only a small (less than 4%) performance penalty at lower speeds. The VGs on the outboard span of the blade were more effective than those on inner sections. For the case of full span coverage, the energy yearly output increased almost 6% at a site with a mean wind speed of 16 mph. The VGs did reduce the performance loss caused by leading edge roughness. An increase in blade pitch angle has an effect on the power curve similar to the addition of VGs. VGs alleviate the sensitivity of wind turbine rotors to leading edge roughness caused by bugs and drift.

Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine Experiments at Full-Scale Reynolds Numbers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miller, Mark; Kiefer, Janik; Nealon, Tara; Westergaard, Carsten; Hultmark, Marcus

2017-11-01

Achieving high Reynolds numbers on a wind turbine model remains a major challenge for experimentalists. Since Reynolds number effects need to be captured accurately, matching this parameter is of great importance. The challenge stems from the large scale ratio between model and full-size, typically on the order of 1:100. Traditional wind tunnels are limited due to finite tunnel size, with velocity as the only free-parameter available for increasing the Reynolds number. Unfortunately, increasing the velocity 100 times is untenable because it violates Mach number matching with the full-scale and results in unfeasible rotation rates. Present work in Princeton University's high pressure wind tunnel makes it possible to evaluate the Reynolds number sensitivity with regard to wind turbine aerodynamics. This facility, which uses compressed air as the working fluid, allows for adjustment of the Reynolds number, via the fluid density, independent of the Tip Speed Ratio (TSR) and Mach number. Power and thrust coefficients will be shown as a function of Reynolds number and TSR for a model wind turbine. The Reynolds number range investigated exceeds 10 ×106 based on diameter and free-stream conditions or 3 ×106 based on the tip chord, matching those of the full-scale. National Science Foundation and Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment.

The prediction of sea-surface temperature variations by means of an advective mixed-layer ocean model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Atlas, R. M.

1976-01-01

An advective mixed layer ocean model was developed by eliminating the assumption of horizontal homogeneity in an already existing mixed layer model, and then superimposing a mean and anomalous wind driven current field. This model is based on the principle of conservation of heat and mechanical energy and utilizes a box grid for the advective part of the calculation. Three phases of experiments were conducted: evaluation of the model's ability to account for climatological sea surface temperature (SST) variations in the cooling and heating seasons, sensitivity tests in which the effect of hypothetical anomalous winds was evaluated, and a thirty-day synoptic calculation using the model. For the case studied, the accuracy of the predictions was improved by the inclusion of advection, although nonadvective effects appear to have dominated.

Experimental apparatus for optimization of flap position for a three-element airfoil model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Landman, Drew

1993-01-01

It is proposed to design and build a wind tunnel model comprising a Douglas Aircraft Company three-element high-lift airfoil with internal actuators to move the flap vertically and horizontally under computer control. The model will be used to find the optimum flap location for a fixed angle of attack, slat position and flap deflection angle. The model will span the full tunnel width and lift will be measured by integration of pressure readings taken from midspan taps. It is proposed to conduct experiments in the NASA Langley EFPB 2' x 3' low speed wind tunnel. This report serves as a project overview and a review of work completed to date through funding by the 1993 NASA/ASEE Summer Faculty Fellowship Program.

WAVECALC: an Excel-VBA spreadsheet to model the characteristics of fully developed waves and their influence on bottom sediments in different water depths

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Le Roux, Jacobus P.; Demirbilek, Zeki; Brodalka, Marysia; Flemming, Burghard W.

2010-10-01

The generation and growth of waves in deep water is controlled by winds blowing over the sea surface. In fully developed sea states, where winds and waves are in equilibrium, wave parameters may be calculated directly from the wind velocity. We provide an Excel spreadsheet to compute the wave period, length, height and celerity, as well as horizontal and vertical particle velocities for any water depth, bottom slope, and distance below the reference water level. The wave profile and propagation can also be visualized for any water depth, modeling the sea surface change from sinusoidal to trochoidal and finally cnoidal profiles into shallow water. Bedload entrainment is estimated under both the wave crest and the trough, using the horizontal water particle velocity at the top of the boundary layer. The calculations are programmed in an Excel file called WAVECALC, which is available online to authorized users. Although many of the recently published formulas are based on theoretical arguments, the values agree well with several existing theories and limited field and laboratory observations. WAVECALC is a user-friendly program intended for sedimentologists, coastal engineers and oceanographers, as well as marine ecologists and biologists. It provides a rapid means to calculate many wave characteristics required in coastal and shallow marine studies, and can also serve as an educational tool.

Tests of high-resolution simulations over a region of complex terrain in Southeast coast of Brazil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chou, Sin Chan; Luís Gomes, Jorge; Ristic, Ivan; Mesinger, Fedor; Sueiro, Gustavo; Andrade, Diego; Lima-e-Silva, Pedro Paulo

2013-04-01

The Eta Model is used operationally by INPE at the Centre for Weather Forecasts and Climate Studies (CPTEC) to produce weather forecasts over South America since 1997. The model has gone through upgrades along these years. In order to prepare the model for operational higher resolution forecasts, the model is configured and tested over a region of complex topography located near the coast of Southeast Brazil. The model domain includes the two Brazilians cities, Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, urban areas, preserved tropical forest, pasture fields, and complex terrain where it can rise from sea level up to about 1000 m. Accurate near-surface wind direction and magnitude are needed for the power plant emergency plan. Besides, the region suffers from frequent events of floods and landslides, therefore accurate local forecasts are required for disaster warnings. The objective of this work is to carry out a series of numerical experiments to test and evaluate high resolution simulations in this complex area. Verification of model runs uses observations taken from the nuclear power plant and higher resolution reanalyses data. The runs were tested in a period when flow was predominately forced by local conditions and in a period forced by frontal passage. The Eta Model was configured initially with 2-km horizontal resolution and 50 layers. The Eta-2km is a second nesting, it is driven by Eta-15km, which in its turn is driven by Era-Interim reanalyses. The series of experiments consists of replacing surface layer stability function, adjusting cloud microphysics scheme parameters, further increasing vertical and horizontal resolutions. By replacing the stability function for the stable conditions substantially increased the katabatic winds and verified better against the tower wind data. Precipitation produced by the model was excessive in the region. Increasing vertical resolution to 60 layers caused a further increase in precipitation production. This excessive precipitation was reduced by adjusting some parameters in the cloud microphysics scheme. Precipitation overestimate still occurs and further tests are still necessary. The increase of horizontal resolution to 1 km required adjusting model diffusion parameters and refining divergence calculations. Available observations in the region for a thorough evaluation is a major constraint.

Does the 'old bag' make a good 'wind bag'?: Comparison of four fabrics commonly used as exclusion bags in studies of pollination and reproductive biology.

PubMed

Neal, Paul R; Anderson, Gregory J

2004-05-01

Fabrics used in pollination bags may exclude pollen carried by biotic vectors, but have varying degrees of permeability to wind-borne pollen. The permeability of bags to wind-borne pollen may have important consequences in studies of pollination and reproductive biology. The permeability of four fabrics commonly used in the construction of pollination bags was examined. Deposition of wind-borne pollen on horizontally and vertically oriented microscope slides was assessed on slides enclosed in pollination bags, as well as on control slides. It was found that the permeability of fabrics to wind-borne pollen, as measured by deposition on both horizontally and vertically oriented slides, decreased with pore size. However, deposition on horizontal slides was always greater than on vertical slides for a given fabric; this could manifest itself as differential success of pollination of flowers in bags-dependent on flower orientation. Obviously, bags with mesh size smaller than most pollen grains are impermeable to pollen. However, material for such bags is very expensive. In addition, it was also observed that bags with even moderately small pore size, such as pores (approx. 200 microm) in twisted fibre cotton muslin, offered highly significant barriers to passage of wind-borne pollen. Such bags are sufficiently effective in most large-sample-size reproductive biology studies.

The Østerild Balconies Experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karagali, I.; Mann, J.; Dellwik, E.; Simon, E.; Vasiljevic, N.; Larsen, G. C.

2017-12-01

The New European Wind Atlas (NEWA) is a joint effort of research agencies from eight European countries, co-funded under the ERANET Plus Program. The project is structured around two areas of work: development of dynamical downscaling methodologies and measurement campaigns to validate these methodologies, leading to the creation and publication of a European wind atlas in electronic form. One of the main objectives of the NEWA project is to carry out large-scale field experiments at a high spatial and temporal resolution, and provide a significant upgrade to the experimental databases currently available. The Østerild balconies experiment obtained high resolution measurements over an extended horizontal plane to quantify the effect of unevenly forested terrain on the mean wind field. The experiment was performed, between April 12 and August 12 2016, at the Østerild test station for large wind turbines, where DTU Wind Energy operates two 250 m tall meteorological towers, located in northern Denmark. During the first stage of the measurement campaign, a simple balcony-type structure was installed at a height of 50 m above local ground level (AGL), in each of the towers. A wind scanning lidar was placed on each of the balconies, thus the two instruments were simultaneously scanning an area thereby making it possible to reconstruct the wind field and quantify the wind speed variability in a horizontal plane. During the second phase of the experiment, the balconies were raised at the height of 200 m AGL, in order to verify and study the weaker imprint of surface heterogeneity on mean winds but also to study the large-scale spatial and temporal statistics of winds. The aim of the present study is to present the analyses of the measurements to obtain the horizontal wind field reconstruction and the preliminary results of the average wind flow patterns in relation to the terrain characteristics, during the period of available measurements.

Mesospheric momentum fluxes observed by the MST radar at Poker Flat, Alaska

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wang, Ding-Yi; Fritts, David C.

1990-01-01

An analysis of the wave motions observed with the Poker Flat MST radar during the winter, summer, and fall of 1986 is presented. Monthly and daily mean winds, momentum fluxes, and velocity variances are investigated in detail. While several features are in agreement with previous measurements, some significant differences also are found to exist in the observations. Monthly mean horizontal winds between 82 and 89 km have amplitudes of 20-40 m/s westward and 10-25 m/s southward in July and August. In fall and winter, the horizontal winds between 58 and 75 km are weaker and essentially eastward.

Low-speed wind tunnel investigation of the static stability and control characteristics of an advanced turboprop configuration with the propellers placed over the tail. M.S. Thesis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rhodes, Graham Scott

1990-01-01

An exploratory wind tunnel investigation was performed in the 30 x 60 foot wind tunnel to determine the low speed static stability and control characteristics into the deep stall regime of an advanced turboprop aircraft with the propellers located over the horizontal tail. By this arrangement, the horizontal tail could potentially provide acoustic shielding to reduce the high community noise caused by the propeller blades. The current configuration was a generic turboprop model equipped with 1 foot diameter single rotating eight bladed propellers that were designed for efficient cruise operation at a Mach number of 0.8. The data presented is static force data. The effects of power on the configuration characteristics were generally favorable. An arrangement with the propellers rotating with the outboard blades moving down was found to have significantly higher installed thrust than an arrangement with the propellers rotating with the inboard blades moving down. The primary unfavorable effect was a large pitch trim change which occurred with power, but the trim change could be minimized with a proper configuration design.

Climatology of Neutral vertical winds in the midlatitude thermosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kerr, R.; Kapali, S.; Riccobono, J.; Migliozzi, M. A.; Noto, J.; Brum, C. G. M.; Garcia, R.

2017-12-01

More than one thousand measurements of neutral vertical winds, relative to an assumed average of 0 m/s during a nighttime period, have been made at Arecibo Observatory and the Millstone Hill Optical Facility since 2012, using imaging Fabry-Perot interferometers. These instruments, tuned to the 630 nm OI emission, are carefully calibrated for instrumental frequency drift using frequency stabilized lasers, allowing isolation of Doppler motion in the zenith with 1-2 m/s accuracy. As one example of the results, relative vertical winds at Arecibo during quiet geomagnetic conditions near winter solstice 2016, range ±70 m/s and have a one standard deviation statistical variability of ±34 m/s. This compares with a ±53 m/s deviation from the average meridional wind, and a ±56 m/s deviation from the average zonal wind measured during the same period. Vertical neutral wind velocities for all periods range from roughly 30% - 60% of the horizontal velocity domain at Arecibo. At Millstone Hill, the vertical velocities relative to horizontal velocities are similar, but slightly smaller. The midnight temperature maximum at Arecibo is usually correlated with a surge in the upward wind, and vertical wind excursions of more than 80 m/s are common during magnetic storms at both sites. Until this compilation of vertical wind climatology, vertical motions of the neutral atmosphere outside of the auroral zone have generally been assumed to be very small compared to horizontal transport. In fact, excursions from small vertical velocities in the mid-latitude thermosphere near the F2 ionospheric peak are common, and are not isolated events associated with unsettled geomagnetic conditions or other special dynamic conditions.

Lidar arc scan uncertainty reduction through scanning geometry optimization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, H.; Barthelmie, R. J.; Pryor, S. C.; Brown, G.

2015-10-01

Doppler lidars are frequently operated in a mode referred to as arc scans, wherein the lidar beam scans across a sector with a fixed elevation angle and the resulting measurements are used to derive an estimate of the n minute horizontal mean wind velocity (speed and direction). Previous studies have shown that the uncertainty in the measured wind speed originates from turbulent wind fluctuations and depends on the scan geometry (the arc span and the arc orientation). This paper is designed to provide guidance on optimal scan geometries for two key applications in the wind energy industry: wind turbine power performance analysis and annual energy production. We present a quantitative analysis of the retrieved wind speed uncertainty derived using a theoretical model with the assumption of isotropic and frozen turbulence, and observations from three sites that are onshore with flat terrain, onshore with complex terrain and offshore, respectively. The results from both the theoretical model and observations show that the uncertainty is scaled with the turbulence intensity such that the relative standard error on the 10 min mean wind speed is about 30 % of the turbulence intensity. The uncertainty in both retrieved wind speeds and derived wind energy production estimates can be reduced by aligning lidar beams with the dominant wind direction, increasing the arc span and lowering the number of beams per arc scan. Large arc spans should be used at sites with high turbulence intensity and/or large wind direction variation when arc scans are used for wind resource assessment.

Adaptive Control of a Utility-Scale Wind Turbine Operating in Region 3

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Frost, Susan A.; Balas, Mark J.; Wright, Alan D.

2009-01-01

Adaptive control techniques are well suited to nonlinear applications, such as wind turbines, which are difficult to accurately model and which have effects from poorly known operating environments. The turbulent and unpredictable conditions in which wind turbines operate create many challenges for their operation. In this paper, we design an adaptive collective pitch controller for a high-fidelity simulation of a utility scale, variable-speed horizontal axis wind turbine. The objective of the adaptive pitch controller in Region 3 is to regulate generator speed and reject step disturbances. The control objective is accomplished by collectively pitching the turbine blades. We use an extension of the Direct Model Reference Adaptive Control (DMRAC) approach to track a reference point and to reject persistent disturbances. The turbine simulation models the Controls Advanced Research Turbine (CART) of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colorado. The CART is a utility-scale wind turbine which has a well-developed and extensively verified simulator. The adaptive collective pitch controller for Region 3 was compared in simulations with a bas celliansesical Proportional Integrator (PI) collective pitch controller. In the simulations, the adaptive pitch controller showed improved speed regulation in Region 3 when compared with the baseline PI pitch controller and it demonstrated robustness to modeling errors.

Comparison of horizontal winds from the LIMS satellite instrument with rocket measurements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, A. K.; Bailey, P. L.

1985-01-01

Statistical results are given for a comparison between horizontal geostrophic winds computed from satellite height data and all available in situ rocket wind soundings during a 7-month period. The satellite data are the daily mapped fields from the Nimbus 7 Limb Infrared Monitor of the Stratosphere (LIMS) instrument, which extend from 100 to 0.1 mbar. Results indicate that in both the tropics and the extratropical Northern Hemisphere, the average zonal and meridional wind speeds agree to within 2-4 m/s throughout the stratosphere. The rms differences are much larger, with values of 5-10 m/s in the lower stratosphere, increasing to 20-40 m/s in the lower mesosphere. Time series show that LIMS and rocketsonde zonal wind speeds show coherent variations with temporal periods of 1-2 weeks and more, and both exhibit irregular variations on time scales of less than one week.

Wake Flow Simulation of a Vertical Axis Wind Turbine Under the Influence of Wind Shear

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mendoza, Victor; Goude, Anders

2017-05-01

The current trend of the wind energy industry aims for large scale turbines installed in wind farms. This brings a renewed interest in vertical axis wind turbines (VAWTs) since they have several advantages over the traditional Horizontal Axis Wind Tubines (HAWTs) for mitigating the new challenges. However, operating VAWTs are characterized by complex aerodynamics phenomena, presenting considerable challenges for modeling tools. An accurate and reliable simulation tool for predicting the interaction between the obtained wake of an operating VAWT and the flow in atmospheric open sites is fundamental for optimizing the design and location of wind energy facility projects. The present work studies the wake produced by a VAWT and how it is affected by the surface roughness of the terrain, without considering the effects of the ambient turbulence intensity. This study was carried out using an actuator line model (ALM), and it was implemented using the open-source CFD library OpenFOAM to solve the governing equations and to compute the resulting flow fields. An operational H-shaped VAWT model was tested, for which experimental activity has been performed at an open site north of Uppsala-Sweden. Different terrains with similar inflow velocities have been evaluated. Simulated velocity and vorticity of representative sections have been analyzed. Numerical results were validated using normal forces measurements, showing reasonable agreement.

Numerical Modeling and Experimental Analysis of Scale Horizontal Axis Marine Hydrokinetic (MHK) Turbines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Javaherchi, Teymour; Stelzenmuller, Nick; Seydel, Joseph; Aliseda, Alberto

2013-11-01

We investigate, through a combination of scale model experiments and numerical simulations, the evolution of the flow field around the rotor and in the wake of Marine Hydrokinetic (MHK) turbines. Understanding the dynamics of this flow field is the key to optimizing the energy conversion of single devices and the arrangement of turbines in commercially viable arrays. This work presents a comparison between numerical and experimental results from two different case studies of scaled horizontal axis MHK turbines (45:1 scale). In the first case study, we investigate the effect of Reynolds number (Re = 40,000 to 100,000) and Tip Speed Ratio (TSR = 5 to 12) variation on the performance and wake structure of a single turbine. In the second case, we study the effect of the turbine downstream spacing (5d to 14d) on the performance and wake development in a coaxial configuration of two turbines. These results provide insights into the dynamics of Horizontal Axis Hydrokinetic Turbines, and by extension to Horizontal Axis Wind Turbines in close proximity to each other, and highlight the capabilities and limitations of the numerical models. Once validated at laboratory scale, the numerical model can be used to address other aspects of MHK turbines at full scale. Supported by DOE through the National Northwest Marine Renewable Energy Center.

1:50 Scale Testing of Three Floating Wind Turbines at MARIN and Numerical Model Validation Against Test Data

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dagher, Habib; Viselli, Anthony; Goupee, Andrew

The primary goal of the basin model test program discussed herein is to properly scale and accurately capture physical data of the rigid body motions, accelerations and loads for different floating wind turbine platform technologies. The intended use for this data is for performing comparisons with predictions from various aero-hydro-servo-elastic floating wind turbine simulators for calibration and validation. Of particular interest is validating the floating offshore wind turbine simulation capabilities of NREL’s FAST open-source simulation tool. Once the validation process is complete, coupled simulators such as FAST can be used with a much greater degree of confidence in design processesmore » for commercial development of floating offshore wind turbines. The test program subsequently described in this report was performed at MARIN (Maritime Research Institute Netherlands) in Wageningen, the Netherlands. The models considered consisted of the horizontal axis, NREL 5 MW Reference Wind Turbine (Jonkman et al., 2009) with a flexible tower affixed atop three distinct platforms: a tension leg platform (TLP), a spar-buoy modeled after the OC3 Hywind (Jonkman, 2010) and a semi-submersible. The three generic platform designs were intended to cover the spectrum of currently investigated concepts, each based on proven floating offshore structure technology. The models were tested under Froude scale wind and wave loads. The high-quality wind environments, unique to these tests, were realized in the offshore basin via a novel wind machine which exhibits negligible swirl and low turbulence intensity in the flow field. Recorded data from the floating wind turbine models included rotor torque and position, tower top and base forces and moments, mooring line tensions, six-axis platform motions and accelerations at key locations on the nacelle, tower, and platform. A large number of tests were performed ranging from simple free-decay tests to complex operating conditions with irregular sea states and dynamic winds.« less

MESOI Version 2. 0: an interactive mesoscale Lagrangian puff dispersion model with deposition and decay

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ramsdell, J.V.; Athey, G.F.; Glantz, C.S.

1983-11-01

MESOI Version 2.0 is an interactive Lagrangian puff model for estimating the transport, diffusion, deposition and decay of effluents released to the atmosphere. The model is capable of treating simultaneous releases from as many as four release points, which may be elevated or at ground-level. The puffs are advected by a horizontal wind field that is defined in three dimensions. The wind field may be adjusted for expected topographic effects. The concentration distribution within the puffs is initially assumed to be Gaussian in the horizontal and vertical. However, the vertical concentration distribution is modified by assuming reflection at the groundmore » and the top of the atmospheric mixing layer. Material is deposited on the surface using a source depletion, dry deposition model and a washout coefficient model. The model also treats the decay of a primary effluent species and the ingrowth and decay of a single daughter species using a first order decay process. This report is divided into two parts. The first part discusses the theoretical and mathematical bases upon which MESOI Version 2.0 is based. The second part contains the MESOI computer code. The programs were written in the ANSI standard FORTRAN 77 and were developed on a VAX 11/780 computer. 43 references, 14 figures, 13 tables.« less

Employing the Hilbert-Huang Transform to analyze observed natural complex signals: Calm wind meandering cases

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martins, Luis Gustavo Nogueira; Stefanello, Michel Baptistella; Degrazia, Gervásio Annes; Acevedo, Otávio Costa; Puhales, Franciano Scremin; Demarco, Giuliano; Mortarini, Luca; Anfossi, Domenico; Roberti, Débora Regina; Costa, Felipe Denardin; Maldaner, Silvana

2016-11-01

In this study we analyze natural complex signals employing the Hilbert-Huang spectral analysis. Specifically, low wind meandering meteorological data are decomposed into turbulent and non turbulent components. These non turbulent movements, responsible for the absence of a preferential direction of the horizontal wind, provoke negative lobes in the meandering autocorrelation functions. The meandering characteristic time scales (meandering periods) are determined from the spectral peak provided by the Hilbert-Huang marginal spectrum. The magnitudes of the temperature and horizontal wind meandering period obtained agree with the results found from the best fit of the heuristic meandering autocorrelation functions. Therefore, the new method represents a new procedure to evaluate meandering periods that does not employ mathematical expressions to represent observed meandering autocorrelation functions.

Numerical simulation of a mistral wind event occuring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guenard, V.; Caccia, J. L.; Tedeschi, G.

2003-04-01

The experimental network of the ESCOMPTE field experiment (june-july 2001) is turned into account to investigate the Mistral wind affecting the Marseille area (South of France). Mistral wind is a northerly flow blowing across the Rhône valley and toward the Mediterranean sea resulting from the dynamical low pressure generated in the wake of the Alps ridge. It brings cold, dry air masses and clear sky conditions over the south-eastern part of France. Up to now, few scientific studies have been carried out on the Mistral wind especially the evolution of its 3-D structure so that its mesoscale numerical simulation is still relevant. Non-hydrostatic RAMS model is performed to better investigate this mesoscale phenomena. Simulations at a 12 km horizontal resolution are compared to boundary layer wind profilers and ground measurements. Preliminary results suit quite well with the Mistral statistical studies carried out by the operational service of Météo-France and observed wind profiles are correctly reproduced by the numerical model RAMS which appears to be an efficient tool for its understanding of Mistral. Owing to the absence of diabatic effect in Mistral events which complicates numerical simulations, the present work is the first step for the validation of RAMS model in that area. Further works will consist on the study of the interaction of Mistral wind with land-sea breeze. Also, RAMS simulations will be combined with aerosol production and ocean circulation models to supply chemists and oceanographers with some answers for their studies.

Field-wind Distribution and Eruption Columns: Colima Volcano, México.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fonseca, R.; Martin, A. L.; Perez, I.

2006-12-01

Colima Volcano (19º51'N 103º62'W) is characterized by explosive behaviour. Recently this volcano has shown an increase in explosive activity suggesting the possibility of a subplinian event in the next future like the ones occurred in 1818 and 1913. They were characterized by eruptive columns higher than 20 Km. Considering the possibility of a new explosive event we carried out a wind study based on the radiosonde balloon data set (1980-1995) with 15 atmospheric levels. This data set was collected by Global Gridded Upper Air Statistics (GGUAS) of the European Centre for Médium Range Weather Forecast (ECMRWF). The data was processed with a cinematic model for the study of global atmospheric wind circulation. In this model the current function (vorticity) and a potential function (convergency and/or divergency) was calculated with the Poison equation, utilizing a spectral numeric model. Dominant wind direction in January-May and October-December is toward the East with variations to the East/South East. On the contrary during July-September the dominant wind direction is toward the West, South-West, North-East; East and North-East. The fluctuations related to anticyclonic circulation occur in May, July, September and November at the altitude between 5 and 18 Km. The wind model allows identification of the wind horizontal circulation during the whole year at different atmospheric levels. Moreover, the perturbations of the normal circulation have also been identified. These results are applied to an a ash fall map for ash-fall hazard zonification.

Wind Effects on Flow Patterns and Net Fluxes in Density-Driven High-Latitude Channel Flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huntley, Helga S.; Ryan, Patricia

2018-01-01

A semianalytic two-dimensional model is used to analyze the interplay between the different forces acting on density-driven flow in high-latitude channels. In particular, the balance between wind stress, viscous forces, baroclinicity, and sea surface slope adjustments under specified flux conditions is examined. Weak winds are found not to change flow patterns appreciably, with minimal (<7%) adjustments to horizontal velocity maxima. In low-viscosity regimes, strong winds change the flow significantly, especially at the surface, by either strengthening the dual-jet pattern, established without wind, by a factor of 2-3 or initiating return flow at the surface. A nonzero flux does not result in the addition of a uniform velocity throughout the channel cross section, but modifies both along-channel and cross-channel velocities to become more symmetric, dominated by a down-channel jet centered in the domain and counter-clockwise lateral flow. We also consider formulations of the model that allow adjustments of the net flux in response to the wind. Flow patterns change, beyond uniform intensification or weakening, only for strong winds and high Ekman number. Comparisons of the model results to observational data collected in Nares Strait in the Canadian Archipelago in the summer of 2007 show rough agreement, but the model misses the upstream surface jet on the east side of the strait and propagates bathymetric effects too strongly in the vertical for this moderately high eddy viscosity. Nonetheless, the broad strokes of the observed high-latitude flow are reproduced.

The Modelling Analysis of the Response of Convective Transport of Energy and Water to Multiscale Surface Heterogeneity over Tibetan Plateau

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

SUN, G.; Hu, Z.; Ma, Y.; Ma, W.

2017-12-01

The land-atmospheric interactions over a heterogeneous surface is a tricky issue for accurately understanding the energy-water exchanges between land surface and atmosphere. We investigate the vertical transport of energy and water over a heterogeneous land surface in Tibetan Plateau during the evolution of the convective boundary layer using large eddy simulation (WRF_LES). The surface heterogeneity is created according to remote sensing images from high spatial resolution LandSat ETM+ images. The PBL characteristics over a heterogeneous surface are analyzed in terms of secondary circulations under different background wind conditions based on the horizontal and vertical distribution and evolution of wind. The characteristics of vertical transport of energy and heat over a heterogeneous surface are analyzed in terms of the horizontal distribution as well as temporal evolution of sensible and latent heat fluxes at different heights under different wind conditions on basis of the simulated results from WRF_LES. The characteristics of the heat and water transported into the free atmosphere from surface are also analyzed and quantified according to the simulated results from WRF_LES. The convective transport of energy and water are analyzed according to horizontal and vertical distributions of potential temperature and vapor under different background wind conditions. With the analysis based on the WRF_LES simulation, the performance of PBL schemes of mesoscale simulation (WRF_meso) is evaluated. The comparison between horizontal distribution of vertical fluxes and domain-averaged vertical fluxes of the energy and water in the free atmosphere is used to evaluate the performance of PBL schemes of WRF_meso in the simulation of vertical exchange of energy and water. This is an important variable because only the energy and water transported into free atmosphere is able to influence the regional and even global climate. This work would will be of great significance not only for understanding the land atmosphere interactions over a heterogeneous surface by evaluating and improving the performance PBL schemes in WRF-meso, but also for the understanding the profound effect of Tibetan Plateau on the regional and global climate.

International Data | Geospatial Data Science | NREL

Science.gov Websites

International Data International Data These datasets detail solar and wind resources for select Annual.xml India 10-km Monthly Direct Normal and Global Horizontal Zip 4.68 MB 04/25/2013 Monthly.xml Wind Data 50-m Wind Data These 50-m hub-height datasets have been validated by NREL and wind energy

Mesoscale atmospheric modelling technology as a tool for the long-term meteorological dataset development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Platonov, Vladimir; Kislov, Alexander; Rivin, Gdaly; Varentsov, Mikhail; Rozinkina, Inna; Nikitin, Mikhail; Chumakov, Mikhail

2017-04-01

The detailed hydrodynamic modelling of meteorological parameters during the last 30 years (1985 - 2014) was performed for the Okhotsk Sea and the Sakhalin island regions. The regional non-hydrostatic atmospheric model COSMO-CLM used for this long-term simulation with 13.2, 6.6 and 2.2 km horizontal resolutions. The main objective of creation this dataset was the outlook of the investigation of statistical characteristics and the physical mechanisms of extreme weather events (primarily, wind speed extremes) on the small spatio-temporal scales. COSMO-CLM is the climate version of the well-known mesoscale COSMO model, including some modifications and extensions adapting to the long-term numerical experiments. The downscaling technique was realized and developed for the long-term simulations with three consequent nesting domains. ERA-Interim reanalysis ( 0.75 degrees resolution) used as global forcing data for the starting domain ( 13.2 km horizontal resolution), then these simulation data used as initial and boundary conditions for the next model runs over the domain with 6.6 km resolution, and similarly, for the next step to 2.2 km domain. Besides, the COSMO-CLM model configuration for 13.2 km run included the spectral nudging technique, i.e. an additional assimilation of reanalysis data not only at boundaries, but also inside the whole domain. Practically, this computational scheme realized on the SGI Altix 4700 supercomputer system in the Main Computer Center of Roshydromet and used 2,400 hours of CPU time total. According to modelling results, the verification of the obtained dataset was performed on the observation data. Estimations showed the mean error -0.5 0C, up to 2 - 3 0C RMSE in temperature, and overestimation in wind speed (RMSE is up to 2 m/s). Overall, analysis showed that the used downscaling technique with applying the COSMO-CLM model reproduced the meteorological conditions, spatial distribution, seasonal and synoptic variability of temperature and wind speed for the study area adequately. The dependences between reproduction quality of mesoscale atmospheric circulation features and the horizontal resolution of the model were revealed. In particular, it is shown that the use of 6 km resolution does not give any significant improvement comparing to 13 km resolution, whereas 2.2 km resolution provides an appreciable quality enhancement. Detailed synoptic analysis of extreme wind speed situations identified the main types of favorable to their genesis, associated with developing of cyclones over the Japan Islands or the Primorsky Kray of Russia, and penetration of intensified cyclones from Pacific Ocean through the Kamchatka peninsula, Kuril or Japan Islands. The obtained dataset will continue to be used for a full and comprehensive analysis of the reproduction quality of hydrometeorological fields, their statistical estimates, climatological trends and many other objectives.

Gusts and Shear in an Idealized LES-modeled Hurricane

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Worsnop, R.; Lundquist, J. K.; Bryan, G. H.; Damiani, R.; Musial, W.

2016-12-01

Tropical cyclone winds can cause extreme loading and damage to coastal structures such as buildings and energy infrastructure. Offshore wind energy development is underway along the US East Coast where hurricanes pose a substantial risk. Understanding wind gusts, gust factor, shear, and veer in the hurricane boundary layer (HBL) can help manufacturers assess risk and design wind turbines to better withstand these extreme wind conditions. Because of the paucity of observational data at low-levels (200 m and below), we use the Cloud Model Version I (CM1) large-eddy simulation numerical model to simulate high spatial- (10 m) and temporal- (0.1 s) resolution data. This unique dataset is used to answer the following questions: do severe mean wind speeds and gusts that exceed current design limits occur?; how does the gust factor vary with distance from the eye?; and lastly, how does wind direction vary horizontally and with height? We find that mean winds and gusts near the eyewall can exceed current turbine design thresholds of 50 m s-1 and 70 m s-1, respectively. Gust factors are greatest at the eye-eyewall interface just inward of the peak gust location and can exceed the 1.4 value used to convert a 50 m s-1 reference wind speed to a 50-year 3-second gust. Strong veer (15-30 degrees) across a 120 m-layer suggests that veer should be assessed against standard design prescriptions. Lastly, wind directions can shift 10-25 degrees in durations shorter than 10 minutes, which can challenge structures designed to endure winds from a consistent direction for periods longer than 10 minutes, including wind turbines.

Spatial-temporal analysis of coherent offshore wind field structures measured by scanning Doppler-lidar

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Valldecabres, L.; Friedrichs, W.; von Bremen, L.; Kühn, M.

2016-09-01

An analysis of the spatial and temporal power fluctuations of a simplified wind farm model is conducted on four offshore wind fields data sets, two from lidar measurements and two from LES under unstable and neutral atmospheric conditions. The integral length scales of the horizontal wind speed computed in the streamwise and the cross-stream direction revealed the elongation of the structures in the direction of the mean flow. To analyse the effect of the structures on the power output of a wind turbine, the aggregated equivalent power of two wind turbines with different turbine spacing in the streamwise and cross-stream direction is analysed at different time scales under 10 minutes. The fact of considering the summation of the power of two wind turbines smooths out the fluctuations of the power output of a single wind turbine. This effect, which is stronger with increasing spacing between turbines, can be seen in the aggregation of the power of two wind turbines in the streamwise direction. Due to the anti-correlation of the coherent structures in the cross-stream direction, this smoothing effect is stronger when the aggregated power is computed with two wind turbines aligned orthogonally to the mean flow direction.

Constructing a Plastic Bottle Wind Turbine as a Practical Aid for Learning about Using Wind Energy to Generate Electricity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Appleyard, S. J.

2009-01-01

A simple horizontal axis wind turbine can be easily constructed using a 1.5 l PET plastic bottle, a compact disc and a small dynamo. The turbine operates effectively at low wind speeds and has a rotational speed of 500 rpm at a wind speed of about 14 km h[superscript -1]. The wind turbine can be used to demonstrate the relationship between open…

Measurement and prediction of broadband noise from large horizontal axis wind turbine generators

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Grosveld, F. W.; Shepherd, K. P.; Hubbard, H. H.

1995-01-01

A method is presented for predicting the broadband noise spectra of large wind turbine generators. It includes contributions from such noise sources as the inflow turbulence to the rotor, the interactions between the turbulent boundary layers on the blade surfaces with their trailing edges and the wake due to a blunt trailing edge. The method is partly empirical and is based on acoustic measurements of large wind turbines and airfoil models. Spectra are predicted for several large machines including the proposed MOD-5B. Measured data are presented for the MOD-2, the WTS-4, the MOD-OA, and the U.S. Windpower Inc. machines. Good agreement is shown between the predicted and measured far field noise spectra.

Lidar arc scan uncertainty reduction through scanning geometry optimization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Hui; Barthelmie, Rebecca J.; Pryor, Sara C.; Brown, Gareth.

2016-04-01

Doppler lidars are frequently operated in a mode referred to as arc scans, wherein the lidar beam scans across a sector with a fixed elevation angle and the resulting measurements are used to derive an estimate of the n minute horizontal mean wind velocity (speed and direction). Previous studies have shown that the uncertainty in the measured wind speed originates from turbulent wind fluctuations and depends on the scan geometry (the arc span and the arc orientation). This paper is designed to provide guidance on optimal scan geometries for two key applications in the wind energy industry: wind turbine power performance analysis and annual energy production prediction. We present a quantitative analysis of the retrieved wind speed uncertainty derived using a theoretical model with the assumption of isotropic and frozen turbulence, and observations from three sites that are onshore with flat terrain, onshore with complex terrain and offshore, respectively. The results from both the theoretical model and observations show that the uncertainty is scaled with the turbulence intensity such that the relative standard error on the 10 min mean wind speed is about 30 % of the turbulence intensity. The uncertainty in both retrieved wind speeds and derived wind energy production estimates can be reduced by aligning lidar beams with the dominant wind direction, increasing the arc span and lowering the number of beams per arc scan. Large arc spans should be used at sites with high turbulence intensity and/or large wind direction variation.

Fatigue impact on Mod-1 wind turbine design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stahle, C. V., Jr.

1978-01-01

Fatigue is a key consideration in the design of a long-life Wind Turbine Generator (WTG) system. This paper discusses the fatigue aspects of the large Mod-1 horizontal-axis WTG design starting with the characterization of the environment and proceeding through the design. Major sources of fatigue loading are discussed and methods of limiting fatigue loading are described. NASTRAN finite element models are used to determine dynamic loading and internal cyclic stresses. Recent developments in determining the allowable fatigue stress consistent with present construction codes are discussed relative to their application to WTG structural design.

Tracking near-surface atmospheric conditions using an infrasound network.

PubMed

Marcillo, O; Johnson, J B

2010-07-01

Continuous volcanic infrasound signal was recorded on a three-microphone network at Kilauea in July 2008 and inverted for near-surface horizontal winds. Inter-station phase delays, determined by signal cross-correlation, vary by up to 4% and are attributable to variable atmospheric conditions. The results suggest two predominant weather regimes during the study period: (1) 6-9 m/s easterly trade winds and (2) lower-intensity 2-5 m/s mountain breezes from Mauna Loa. The results demonstrate the potential of using infrasound for tracking local averaged meteorological conditions, which has implications for modeling plume dispersal and quantifying gas flux.

The influence of periodic wind turbine noise on infrasound array measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pilger, Christoph; Ceranna, Lars

2017-02-01

Aerodynamic noise emissions from the continuously growing number of wind turbines in Germany are creating increasing problems for infrasound recording systems. These systems are equipped with highly sensitive micro pressure sensors accurately measuring acoustic signals in a frequency range inaudible to the human ear. Ten years of data (2006-2015) from the infrasound array IGADE in Northern Germany are analysed to quantify the influence of wind turbine noise on infrasound recordings. Furthermore, a theoretical model is derived and validated by a field experiment with mobile micro-barometer stations. Fieldwork was carried out 2004 to measure the infrasonic pressure level of a single horizontal-axis wind turbine and to extrapolate the sound effect for a larger number of nearby wind turbines. The model estimates the generated sound pressure level of wind turbines and thus enables for specifying the minimum allowable distance between wind turbines and infrasound stations for undisturbed recording. This aspect is particularly important to guarantee the monitoring performance of the German infrasound stations I26DE in the Bavarian Forest and I27DE in Antarctica. These stations are part of the International Monitoring System (IMS) verifying compliance with the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), and thus have to meet stringent specifications with respect to infrasonic background noise.

Euro-Atlantic winter storminess and precipitation extremes under 1.5 °C vs. 2 °C warming scenarios

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barcikowska, Monika J.; Weaver, Scott J.; Feser, Frauke; Russo, Simone; Schenk, Frederik; Stone, Dáithí A.; Wehner, Michael F.; Zahn, Matthias

2018-06-01

Severe winter storms in combination with precipitation extremes pose a serious threat to Europe. Located at the southeastern exit of the North Atlantic's storm track, European coastlines are directly exposed to impacts by high wind speeds, storm floods and coastal erosion. In this study we analyze potential changes in simulated winter storminess and extreme precipitation, which may occur under 1.5 or 2 °C warming scenarios. Here we focus on a first simulation suite of the atmospheric model CAM5 performed within the HAPPI project and evaluate how changes of the horizontal model resolution impact the results regarding atmospheric pressure, storm tracks, wind speed and precipitation extremes. The comparison of CAM5 simulations with different resolutions indicates that an increased horizontal resolution to 0.25° not only refines regional-scale information but also improves large-scale atmospheric circulation features over the Euro-Atlantic region. The zonal bias in monthly pressure at mean sea level and wind fields, which is typically found in low-resolution models, is considerably reduced. This allows us to analyze potential changes in regional- to local-scale extreme wind speeds and precipitation in a more realistic way. Our analysis of the future response for the 2 °C warming scenario generally confirms previous model simulations suggesting a poleward shift and intensification of the meridional circulation in the Euro-Atlantic region. Additional analysis suggests that this shift occurs mainly after exceeding the 1.5 °C global warming level, when the midlatitude jet stream manifests a strengthening northeastward. At the same time, this northeastern shift of the storm tracks allows an intensification and northeastern expansion of the Azores high, leading to a tendency of less precipitation across the Bay of Biscay and North Sea. Regions impacted by the strengthening of the midlatitude jet, such as the northwestern coasts of the British Isles, Scandinavia and the Norwegian Sea, and over the North Atlantic east of Newfoundland, experience an increase in the mean as well as daily and sub-daily precipitation, wind extremes and storminess, suggesting an important influence of increasing storm activity in these regions in response to global warming.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Brown, M. J.; Khalsa, H. S.; Nelson, M. A.

As part of the larger Joint URBAN 2003 tracer field experiment performed in Oklahoma City from June 29 to July 30, 2003, a collaborative team of government and university researchers instrumented a downtown street canyon with a high density of wind sensor instrumentation (Brown et al., 2003). The goal of the Park Avenue street canyon experiment was to garner flow field information in order to better understand the transport and dispersion of tracers released in the street canyon and to test and improve the next generation of urban dispersion models. In this paper, we focus on describing the mean flowmore » patterns that developed in the street canyon in a horizontal plane near the surface. We look at the patterns that develop over entire Intensive Operating Periods (IOP's) lasting from 6-9 hours in length, and as a function of inflow wind direction. Most prior street canyon experiments have generally focused on the vertical structure of the flow; this work contributes to the understanding of the horizontal nature of the flow.« less

Comparison of measured and calculated sound pressure levels around a large horizontal axis wind turbine generator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shepherd, Kevin P.; Willshire, William L., Jr.; Hubbard, Harvey H.

1989-01-01

Results are reported from a large number of simultaneous acoustic measurements around a large horizontal axis downwind configuration wind turbine generator. In addition, comparisons are made between measurements and calculations of both the discrete frequency rotational harmonics and the broad band noise components. Sound pressure time histories and noise radiation patterns as well as narrow band and broadband noise spectra are presented for a range of operating conditions. The data are useful for purposes of environmental impact assessment.

Exploring the calibration of a wind forecast ensemble for energy applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heppelmann, Tobias; Ben Bouallegue, Zied; Theis, Susanne

2015-04-01

In the German research project EWeLiNE, Deutscher Wetterdienst (DWD) and Fraunhofer Institute for Wind Energy and Energy System Technology (IWES) are collaborating with three German Transmission System Operators (TSO) in order to provide the TSOs with improved probabilistic power forecasts. Probabilistic power forecasts are derived from probabilistic weather forecasts, themselves derived from ensemble prediction systems (EPS). Since the considered raw ensemble wind forecasts suffer from underdispersiveness and bias, calibration methods are developed for the correction of the model bias and the ensemble spread bias. The overall aim is to improve the ensemble forecasts such that the uncertainty of the possible weather deployment is depicted by the ensemble spread from the first forecast hours. Additionally, the ensemble members after calibration should remain physically consistent scenarios. We focus on probabilistic hourly wind forecasts with horizon of 21 h delivered by the convection permitting high-resolution ensemble system COSMO-DE-EPS which has become operational in 2012 at DWD. The ensemble consists of 20 ensemble members driven by four different global models. The model area includes whole Germany and parts of Central Europe with a horizontal resolution of 2.8 km and a vertical resolution of 50 model levels. For verification we use wind mast measurements around 100 m height that corresponds to the hub height of wind energy plants that belong to wind farms within the model area. Calibration of the ensemble forecasts can be performed by different statistical methods applied to the raw ensemble output. Here, we explore local bivariate Ensemble Model Output Statistics at individual sites and quantile regression with different predictors. Applying different methods, we already show an improvement of ensemble wind forecasts from COSMO-DE-EPS for energy applications. In addition, an ensemble copula coupling approach transfers the time-dependencies of the raw ensemble to the calibrated ensemble. The calibrated wind forecasts are evaluated first with univariate probabilistic scores and additionally with diagnostics of wind ramps in order to assess the time-consistency of the calibrated ensemble members.

Two-dimensional microclimate distribution within and above a crop canopy in an arid environment: Modeling and observational studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Naot, O.; Mahrer, Y.

1991-08-01

A numerical two-dimensional model based on higher-order closure assumptions is developed to simulate the horizontal microclimate distribution over an irrigated field in arid surroundings. The model considers heat, mass, momentum, and radiative fluxes in the soil-plant-atmosphere system. Its vertical domain extends through the whole planetary boundary layer. The model requires temporal solar and atmospheric radiation data, as well as temporal boundary conditions for wind-speed, air temperature, and humidity. These boundary conditions are specified by an auxiliary mesoscale model and are incorporated in the microscale model by a nudging method. Vegetation parameters (canopy height, leaf-angle orientation distribution, leaf-area index, photometric properties, root-density distribution), soil texture, and soil-hydraulic and photometric properties are considered. The model is tested using meteorological data obtained in a drip-irrigated cotton field located in an extremely arid area, where strong fetch effects are expected. Four masts located 50 m before the leading edge of the field and 10, 30, and 100 m inward from the leading edge are used to measure various meteorological parameters and their horizontal and vertical gradients. Calculated values of air and soil temperatures, wind-speed, net radiation and soil, latent, and sensible heat fluxes agreed well with measurements. Large horizontal gradients of air temperature are both observed and measured within the canopy in the first 40 m of the leading edge. Rate of evapotranspiration at both the upwind and the downwind edges of the field are higher by more than 15% of the midfield value. Model calculations show that a stable thermal stratification is maintained above the whole field for 24 h. The aerodynamic and thermal internal boundary layer (IBL) growth is proportional to the square root of the fetch. This is also the observed rate of growth of the thermal IBL over a cool sea surface.

Pressure-Sensitive Paint Measurements on the NASA Common Research Model in the NASA 11-ft Transonic Wind Tunnel

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bell, James H.

2011-01-01

The luminescence lifetime technique was used to make pressure-sensitive paint (PSP) measurements on a 2.7% Common Research Model in the NASA Ames 11ft Transonic Wind Tunnel. PSP data were obtained on the upper and lower surfaces of the wing and horizontal tail, as well as one side of the fuselage. Data were taken for several model attitudes of interest at Mach numbers between 0.70 and 0.87. Image data were mapped onto a three-dimensional surface grid suitable both for comparison with CFD and for integration of pressures to determine loads. Luminescence lifetime measurements were made using strobed LED (light-emitting diode) lamps to illuminate the PSP and fast-framing interline transfer cameras to acquire the PSP emission.

Simulating wind energy resources with mesoscale models: Intercomparison of state-of-the-art models over Northern Europe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hahmann, A. N.

2015-12-01

Mesoscale models are increasingly being used to estimate wind conditions to identify perspective areas and sites where to develop wind farm projects. Mesoscale models are useful because they give information over extensive areas with various terrain complexities where measurements are scarce and measurement campaigns costly. Various mesoscale models and families of mesoscale models are being used, with thousands of setup options. Since long-term integrations are expensive and tedious to carry out, only limited comparisons exist. We have carried out a blind benchmarking study to evaluate the capabilities of mesoscale models used in wind energy to estimate site wind conditions: to highlight common issues on mesoscale modeling of wind conditions on sites with different characteristics, and to identify gaps and strengths of models and understand the root conditions for further evaluating uncertainties. Three experimental sites with tall mast measurements were selected: FINO3 (offshore), Høvsøre (coastal), and Cabauw (land-based). The participants were asked to provide hourly time series of wind speed and direction, temperature, etc., at various heights for 2011. The methods used were left to the choice of the participants, but they were asked for a detailed description of their model and many other parameters (e.g., horizontal and vertical resolution, model parameterizations, surface roughness length) that could be used to group the models and interpret the results of the intercomparison. The analysis of the time series includes comparison to observations, summarized with well-known measures such as biases, RMSE, correlations, and of sector-wise statistics, and the temporal spectra. The statistics were grouped by the models, their spatial resolution, forcing data, various integration methods, etc. The results show high fidelity of the various entries in simulating the wind climate at the offshore and coastal site. Over land and the statistics of other derived fields (e.g. wind shear distributions) show much less similarities among the models and with the observations. Cloud computing now allows the use of mesoscale models by non-experts for site assessment. This tool is very useful and powerful, but users must be aware of the different issues that might be encountered in working with different setups.

Modeling and measuring the nocturnal drainage flow in a high-elevation, subalpine forest with complex terrain

USGS Publications Warehouse

Yi, C.; Monson, Russell K.; Zhai, Z.; Anderson, D.E.; Lamb, B.; Allwine, G.; Turnipseed, A.A.; Burns, Sean P.

2005-01-01

The nocturnal drainage flow of air causes significant uncertainty in ecosystem CO2, H2O, and energy budgets determined with the eddy covariance measurement approach. In this study, we examined the magnitude, nature, and dynamics of the nocturnal drainage flow in a subalpine forest ecosystem with complex terrain. We used an experimental approach involving four towers, each with vertical profiling of wind speed to measure the magnitude of drainage flows and dynamics in their occurrence. We developed an analytical drainage flow model, constrained with measurements of canopy structure and SF6 diffusion, to help us interpret the tower profile results. Model predictions were in good agreement with observed profiles of wind speed, leaf area density, and wind drag coefficient. Using theory, we showed that this one-dimensional model is reduced to the widely used exponential wind profile model under conditions where vertical leaf area density and drag coefficient are uniformly distributed. We used the model for stability analysis, which predicted the presence of a very stable layer near the height of maximum leaf area density. This stable layer acts as a flow impediment, minimizing vertical dispersion between the subcanopy air space and the atmosphere above the canopy. The prediction is consistent with the results of SF6 diffusion observations that showed minimal vertical dispersion of nighttime, subcanopy drainage flows. The stable within-canopy air layer coincided with the height of maximum wake-to-shear production ratio. We concluded that nighttime drainage flows are restricted to a relatively shallow layer of air beneath the canopy, with little vertical mixing across a relatively long horizontal fetch. Insight into the horizontal and vertical structure of the drainage flow is crucial for understanding the magnitude and dynamics of the mean advective CO2 flux that becomes significant during stable nighttime conditions and are typically missed during measurement of the turbulent CO2 flux. The model and interpretation provided in this study should lead to research strategies for the measurement of these advective fluxes and their inclusion in the overall mass balance for CO2 at this site with complex terrain. Copyright 2005 by the American Geophysical Union.

Modeling and measuring the nocturnal drainage flow in a high-elevation, subalpine forest with complex terrain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yi, Chuixiang; Monson, Russell K.; Zhai, Zhiqiang; Anderson, Dean E.; Lamb, Brian; Allwine, Gene; Turnipseed, Andrew A.; Burns, Sean P.

2005-11-01

The nocturnal drainage flow of air causes significant uncertainty in ecosystem CO2, H2O, and energy budgets determined with the eddy covariance measurement approach. In this study, we examined the magnitude, nature, and dynamics of the nocturnal drainage flow in a subalpine forest ecosystem with complex terrain. We used an experimental approach involving four towers, each with vertical profiling of wind speed to measure the magnitude of drainage flows and dynamics in their occurrence. We developed an analytical drainage flow model, constrained with measurements of canopy structure and SF6 diffusion, to help us interpret the tower profile results. Model predictions were in good agreement with observed profiles of wind speed, leaf area density, and wind drag coefficient. Using theory, we showed that this one-dimensional model is reduced to the widely used exponential wind profile model under conditions where vertical leaf area density and drag coefficient are uniformly distributed. We used the model for stability analysis, which predicted the presence of a very stable layer near the height of maximum leaf area density. This stable layer acts as a flow impediment, minimizing vertical dispersion between the subcanopy air space and the atmosphere above the canopy. The prediction is consistent with the results of SF6 diffusion observations that showed minimal vertical dispersion of nighttime, subcanopy drainage flows. The stable within-canopy air layer coincided with the height of maximum wake-to-shear production ratio. We concluded that nighttime drainage flows are restricted to a relatively shallow layer of air beneath the canopy, with little vertical mixing across a relatively long horizontal fetch. Insight into the horizontal and vertical structure of the drainage flow is crucial for understanding the magnitude and dynamics of the mean advective CO2 flux that becomes significant during stable nighttime conditions and are typically missed during measurement of the turbulent CO2 flux. The model and interpretation provided in this study should lead to research strategies for the measurement of these advective fluxes and their inclusion in the overall mass balance for CO2 at this site with complex terrain.

A continuously weighing, high frequency sand trap: Wind tunnel and field evaluations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Fan; Yang, XingHua; Huo, Wen; Ali, Mamtimin; Zheng, XinQian; Zhou, ChengLong; He, Qing

2017-09-01

A new continuously weighing, high frequency sand trap (CWHF) has been designed. Its sampling efficiency is evaluated in a wind tunnel and the potential of the new trap has been demonstrated in field trials. The newly designed sand trap allows fully automated and high frequency measurement of sediment fluxes over extensive periods. We show that it can capture the variations and structures of wind-driven sand transport processes and horizontal sediment flux, and reveal the relationships between sand transport and meteorological parameters. Its maximum sampling frequency can reach 10 Hz. Wind tunnel tests indicated that the sampling efficiency of the CWHF sand trap varies between 39.2 to 64.3%, with an average of 52.5%. It achieved a maximum sampling efficiency of 64.3% at a wind speed of 10 m s- 1. This is largely achieved by the inclusion of a vent hole which leads to a higher sampling efficiency than that of a step-like sand trap at high wind speeds. In field experiments, we show a good agreement between the mass of sediment from the CWHF sand trap, the wind speed at 2 m and the number of saltating particles at 5 cm above the ground surface. According to analysis of the horizontal sediment flux at four heights from the CWHF sand trap (25, 35, 50, and 100 cm), the vertical distribution of the horizontal sediment flux up to a height of 100 cm above the sand surface follows an exponential function. Our field experiments show that the new instrument can capture more detailed information on sediment transport with much reduced labor requirement. Therefore, it has great potential for application in wind-blown sand monitoring and process studies.

Surface wind, pressure and temperature fields near tornadic and non-tornadic narrow cold-frontal rainbands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clark, Matthew; Parker, Douglas

2014-05-01

Narrow cold frontal rainbands (NCFRs) occur frequently in the UK and other parts of northwest Europe. At the surface, the passage of an NCFR is often marked by a sharp wind veer, abrupt pressure increase and a rapid temperature decrease. Tornadoes and other instances of localised wind damage sometimes occur in association with meso-gamma-scale vortices (sometimes called misocyclones) that form along the zone of abrupt horizontal wind veer (and associated vertical vorticity) at the leading edge of the NCFR. Using one-minute-resolution data from a mesoscale network of automatic weather stations, surface pressure, wind and temperature fields in the vicinity of 12 NCFRs (five of which were tornadic) have been investigated. High-resolution surface analyses were obtained by mapping temporal variations in the observed parameters to equivalent spatial variations, using a system velocity determined by analysis of the radar-observed movement of NCFR precipitation segments. Substantial differences were found in the structure of surface wind and pressure fields close to tornadic and non-tornadic NCFRs. Tornadic NCFRs exhibited a large wind veer (near 90°) and strong pre- and post-frontal winds. These attributes were associated with large vertical vorticity and horizontal convergence across the front. Tornadoes typically occurred where vertical vorticity and horizontal convergence were increasing. Here, we present surface analyses from selected cases, and draw comparisons between the tornadic and non-tornadic NCFRs. Some Doppler radar observations will be presented, illustrating the development of misocyclones along parts of the NCFR that exhibit strong, and increasing, vertical vorticity stretching. The influence of the stability of the pre-frontal air on the likelihood of tornadoes will also be discussed.

Wind Turbine Wake Variability in a Large Wind Farm, Observed by Scanning Lidar

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lundquist, J. K.; Xiaoxia, G.; Aitken, M.; Quelet, P. T.; Rana, J.; Rhodes, M. E.; St Martin, C. M.; Tay, K.; Worsnop, R.; Irvin, S.; Rajewski, D. A.; Takle, E. S.

2014-12-01

Although wind turbine wake modeling is critical for accurate wind resource assessment, operational forecasting, and wind plant optimization, verification of such simulations is currently constrained by sparse datasets taken in limited atmospheric conditions, often of single turbines in isolation. To address this knowledge gap, our team deployed a WINDCUBE 200S scanning lidar in a 300-MW operating wind farm as part of the CWEX-13 field experiment. The lidar was deployed ~2000 m from a row of four turbines, such that wakes from multiple turbines could be sampled with horizontal scans. Twenty minutes of every hour were devoted to horizontal scans at ½ degree resolution at six different elevation angles. Twenty-five days of data were collected, with wind speeds at hub height ranging from quiescent to 14 m/s, and atmospheric stability varying from unstable to strongly stable. The example scan in Fig. 1a shows wakes from a row of four turbines propagating to the northwest. This extensive wake dataset is analyzed based on the quantitative approach of Aitken et al. (J. Atmos. Ocean. Technol. 2014), who developed an automated wake detection algorithm to characterize wind turbine wakes from scanning lidar data. We have extended the Aitken et al. (2014) method to consider multiple turbines in a single scan in order to classify the large numbers of wakes observed in the CWEX-13 dataset (Fig. 1b) during southerly flow conditions. The presentation will explore the variability of wake characteristics such as the velocity deficit and the wake width. These characteristics vary with atmospheric stability, atmospheric turbulence, and inflow wind speed. We find that the strongest and most persistent wakes occur at low to moderate wind speeds (region 2 of the turbine power curve) in stable conditions. We also present evidence that, in stable conditions with strong changes of wind direction with height, wakes propagate in different directions at different elevations above the surface. Finally, we compare characteristics of wakes at the outside of the row of turbines to wakes from turbines in the interior of the row, quantifying how wakes from outer turbines erode faster than those from interior.

Effect of horizontal resolution on meteorology and air-quality prediction with a regional scale model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Varghese, Saji; Langmann, Baerbel; Ceburnis, Darius; O'Dowd, Colin D.

2011-08-01

Horizontal resolution sensitivity can significantly contribute to the uncertainty in predictions of meteorology and air-quality from a regional climate model. In the study presented here, a state-of-the-art regional scale atmospheric climate-chemistry-aerosol model REMOTE is used to understand the influence of spatial model resolutions of 1.0°, 0.5° and 0.25° on predicted meteorological and aerosol parameters for June 2003 for the European domain comprising North-east Atlantic and Western Europe. Model precipitation appears to improve with resolution while wind speed has shown best results for 0.25° resolution for most of the stations compared with ECAD data. Low root mean square error and spatial bias for surface pressure, precipitation and surface temperature show that the model is very reliable. Spatial and temporal variation in black carbon, primary organic carbon, sea-salt and sulphate concentrations and their burden are presented. In most cases, chemical species concentrations at the surface show no particular trend or improvement with increase in resolution. There has been a pronounced influence of horizontal resolution on the vertical distribution pattern of some aerosol species. Some of these effects are due to the improvement in topographical details, flow characteristics and associated vertical and horizontal dynamic processes. The different sink processes have contributed very differently to the various aerosol species in terms of deposition (wet and dry) and sedimentation which are strongly linked to the meteorological processes. Overall, considering the performance of meteorological parameters and chemical species concentrations, a horizontal model resolution of 0.5° is suggested to achieve reasonable results within the limitations of this model.

Upper Thermosphere Winds and Temperatures in the Geomagnetic Polar Cap: Solar Cycle, Geomagnetic Activity, and Interplanetary Magnetic Field Dependencies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Killeen, T. L.; Won, Y.-I.; Niciejewski, R. J.; Burns, A. G.

1995-01-01

Ground-based Fabry-Perot interferometers located at Thule, Greenland (76.5 deg. N, 69.0 deg. W, lambda = 86 deg.) and at Sondre Stromfjord, Greenland (67.0 deg. N, 50.9 deg. W, lambda = 74 deg.) have monitored the upper thermospheric (approx. 240-km altitude) neutral wind and temperature over the northern hemisphere geomagnetic polar cap since 1983 and 1985, respectively. The thermospheric observations are obtained by determining the Doppler characteristics of the (OI) 15,867-K (630.0-nm) emission of atomic oxygen. The instruments operate on a routine, automatic, (mostly) untended basis during the winter observing seasons, with data coverage limited only by cloud cover and (occasional) instrument failures. This unique database of geomagnetic polar cap measurements now extends over the complete range of solar activity. We present an analysis of the measurements made between 1985 (near solar minimum) and 1991 (near solar maximum), as part of a long-term study of geomagnetic polar cap thermospheric climatology. The measurements from a total of 902 nights of observations are compared with the predictions of two semiempirical models: the Vector Spherical Harmonic (VSH) model of Killeen et al. (1987) and the Horizontal Wind Model (HWM) of Hedin et al. (1991). The results are also analyzed using calculations of thermospheric momentum forcing terms from the Thermosphere-ionosphere General Circulation Model TGCM) of the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR). The experimental results show that upper thermospheric winds in the geomagnetic polar cap have a fundamental diurnal character, with typical wind speeds of about 200 m/s at solar minimum, rising to up to about 800 m/s at solar maximum, depending on geomagnetic activity level. These winds generally blow in the antisunward direction, but are interrupted by episodes of modified wind velocity and altered direction often associated with changes in the orientation of the Interplanetary Magnetic Field (IMF). The central polar cap (greater than approx. 80 magnetic latitude) antisunward wind speed is found to be a strong function of both solar and geomagnetic activity. The polar cap temperatures show variations in both solar and geomagnetic activity, with temperatures near 800 K for low K(sub p) and F(sub 10.7) and greater than about 2000 K for high K(sub p) and F(sub 10.7). The observed temperatures are significantly greater than those predicted by the mass spectrometer/incoherent scatter model for high activity conditions. Theoretical analysis based on the NCAR TIGCM indicates that the antisunward upper thermospheric winds, driven by upstream ion drag, basically 'coast' across the polar cap. The relatively small changes in wind velocity and direction within the polar cap are induced by a combination of forcing terms of commensurate magnitude, including the nonlinear advection term, the Coriolis term, and the pressure gradient force term. The polar cap thennospheric thermal balance is dominated by horizontal advection, and adiabatic and thermal conduction terms.

Wind-Tunnel Investigation at Subsonic and Supersonic Speeds of a Fighter Model Employing a Low-Aspect-Ratio Unswept Wing and a Horizontal Tail Mounted Well Above the Wing Plane - Longitudinal Stability and Control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, Williard G.

1954-01-01

Experimental results showing the static longitudinal-stability and control characteristics of a model of a fighter airplane employing a low-aspect-ratio unswept wing and an all-movable horizontal tail are presented. The investigation was made over a Mach number range from 0.60 to 0.90 and from 1.35 to 1.90 at a constant Reynolds number of 2.40 million, based on the wing mean aerodynamic chord. Because of the location of the horizontal tail at the tip of the vertical tail, interference was noted between the vertical tail and the horizontal tail and between the wing and the horizontal tail. This interference produced a positive pitching-moment coefficient at zero lift throughout the Mach number range of the tests, reduced the change in stability with increasing lift coefficient of the wing at moderate lift coefficients in the subsonic speed range, and reduced the stability at low lift coefficients at high supersonic speeds. The lift and pitching-moment effectiveness of the all movable tail was unaffected by the interference effects and was constant throughout the lift-coefficient range of the tests at each Mach number except 1.90.

Atmospheric model development in support of SEASAT. Volume 2: Analysis models

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Langland, R. A.

1977-01-01

As part of the SEASAT program of NASA, two sets of analysis programs were developed for the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. One set of programs produce 63 x 63 horizontal mesh analyses on a polar stereographic grid. The other set produces 187 x 187 third mesh analyses. The parameters analyzed include sea surface temperature, sea level pressure and twelve levels of upper air temperature, height and wind analyses. The analysis output is used to initialize the primitive equation forecast models.

An FEM-based AI approach to model parameter identification for low vibration modes of wind turbine composite rotor blades

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Navadeh, N.; Goroshko, I. O.; Zhuk, Y. A.; Fallah, A. S.

2017-11-01

An approach to construction of a beam-type simplified model of a horizontal axis wind turbine composite blade based on the finite element method is proposed. The model allows effective and accurate description of low vibration bending modes taking into account the effects of coupling between flapwise and lead-lag modes of vibration transpiring due to the non-uniform distribution of twist angle in the blade geometry along its length. The identification of model parameters is carried out on the basis of modal data obtained by more detailed finite element simulations and subsequent adoption of the 'DIRECT' optimisation algorithm. Stable identification results were obtained using absolute deviations in frequencies and in modal displacements in the objective function and additional a priori information (boundedness and monotony) on the solution properties.

The role of the meridional sea surface temperature gradient in controlling the Caribbean low-level jet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maldonado, Tito; Rutgersson, Anna; Caballero, Rodrigo; Pausata, Francesco S. R.; Alfaro, Eric; Amador, Jorge

2017-06-01

The Caribbean low-level jet (CLLJ) is an important modulator of regional climate, especially precipitation, in the Caribbean and Central America. Previous work has inferred, due to their semiannual cycle, an association between CLLJ strength and meridional sea surface temperature (SST) gradients in the Caribbean Sea, suggesting that the SST gradients may control the intensity and vertical shear of the CLLJ. In addition, both the horizontal and vertical structure of the jet have been related to topographic effects via interaction with the mountains in Northern South America (NSA), including funneling effects and changes in the meridional geopotential gradient. Here we test these hypotheses, using an atmospheric general circulation model to perform a set of sensitivity experiments to examine the impact of both SST gradients and topography on the CLLJ. In one sensitivity experiment, we remove the meridional SST gradient over the Caribbean Sea and in the other, we flatten the mountains over NSA. Our results show that the SST gradient and topography have little or no impact on the jet intensity, vertical, and horizontal wind shears, contrary to previous works. However, our findings do not discount a possible one-way coupling between the SST and the wind over the Caribbean Sea through friction force. We also examined an alternative approach based on barotropic instability to understand the CLLJ intensity, vertical, and horizontal wind shears. Our results show that the current hypothesis about the CLLJ must be reviewed in order to fully understand the atmospheric dynamics governing the Caribbean region.

The Gaussian atmospheric transport model and its sensitivity to the joint frequency distribution and parametric variability.

PubMed

Hamby, D M

2002-01-01

Reconstructed meteorological data are often used in some form of long-term wind trajectory models for estimating the historical impacts of atmospheric emissions. Meteorological data for the straight-line Gaussian plume model are put into a joint frequency distribution, a three-dimensional array describing atmospheric wind direction, speed, and stability. Methods using the Gaussian model and joint frequency distribution inputs provide reasonable estimates of downwind concentration and have been shown to be accurate to within a factor of four. We have used multiple joint frequency distributions and probabilistic techniques to assess the Gaussian plume model and determine concentration-estimate uncertainty and model sensitivity. We examine the straight-line Gaussian model while calculating both sector-averaged and annual-averaged relative concentrations at various downwind distances. The sector-average concentration model was found to be most sensitive to wind speed, followed by horizontal dispersion (sigmaZ), the importance of which increases as stability increases. The Gaussian model is not sensitive to stack height uncertainty. Precision of the frequency data appears to be most important to meteorological inputs when calculations are made for near-field receptors, increasing as stack height increases.

Utility-sized Madaras wind plants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Whitford, D. H.; Minardi, J. E.

1981-01-01

An analysis and technological updating were conducted for the Madaras Rotor Power Plant concept, to determine its ability to compete both technically and economically with horizontal axis wind turbine generators currently under development. The Madaras system uses large cylinders rotating vertically atop each regularly spaced flatcar of a train to propel them, by means of Magnus-effect interaction with the wind, along a circular or oval track. Alternators geared to the wheels of each car generate electrical power, which is transmitted to a power station by a trolley system. The study, consisting of electromechanical design, wind tunnel testing, and performance and cost analyses, shows that utility-sized plants greater than 228 MW in capacity and producing 975,000 kWh/year are feasible. Energy costs for such plants are projected to be between 22% lower and 12% higher than horizontal axis turbine plants of comparable output.

Gravity Waves in the Presence of Shear during DEEPWAVE

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Doyle, J. D.; Jiang, Q.; Reinecke, P. A.; Reynolds, C. A.; Eckermann, S. D.; Fritts, D. C.; Smith, R. B.; Taylor, M. J.; Dörnbrack, A.

2016-12-01

The DEEP propagating gravity WAVE program (DEEPWAVE) is a comprehensive, airborne and ground-based measurement and modeling program centered on New Zealand and focused on providing a new understanding of gravity wave dynamics and impacts from the troposphere through the mesosphere and lower thermosphere. This program employed the NSF/NCAR GV (NGV) research aircraft from a base in New Zealand in a 6-week field measurement campaign in June-July 2014. During the field phase, the NGV was equipped with new Rayleigh and sodium resonance lidars and an advanced mesospheric temperature mapper (AMTM), a microwave temperature profiler (MTP), as well as dropwindsondes and flight level instruments providing measurements spanning altitudes from immediately above the NGV flight altitude ( 13 km) to 100 km. In this study, we utilize the DEEPWAVE observations and the nonhydrostatic COAMPS configured at high resolution (2 km) with a deep domain (60-80 km) to explore the effects of horizontal wind shear on gravity wave propagation and wave characteristics. Real-data simulations have been conducted for several DEEPWAVE cases. The results suggest that horizontal shear associated with the stratospheric polar night jet refracts the gravity waves and leads to propagation of waves significantly downwind of the South Island. These waves have been referred to as "trailing gravity waves", since they are found predominantly downwind of the orography of the South Island and the wave crests rotate nearly normal to the mountain crest. Observations from the G-V, remote sensing instruments, and the AIRS satellite confirm the presence of gravity waves downwind of the orography in numerous events. The horizontal propagation in the stratosphere can be explained by group velocity arguments for gravity waves in which the wave energy is advected downwind by the component of the flow normal to the horizontal wavevector. We explore the impact of the shear on gravity wave propagation in COAMPS configured in an idealized mode initialized with a zonally balanced stratospheric jet. The idealized results confirm the importance of horizontal wind shear for the refraction of the waves. The zonal momentum flux minimum is shown to bend or refract into the jet in the stratosphere as a consequence of the wind shear.

Surface winds over West Antarctica

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bromwich, David

1993-07-01

Five winter months (April-August 1988) of thermal infrared satellite images were examined to investigate the occurrence of dark (warm) signatures across the Ross Ice Shelf in the Antarctic continent. These features are inferred to be generated by katabatic winds that descend from southern Marie Byrd Land and then blow horizontally across the ice shelf. Significant mass is added to this airstream by katabatic winds blowing from the major glaciers that flow through the Transantarctic Mountains from East Antarctica. These negatively buoyant katabatic winds can reach the northwestern edge of the shelf - a horizontal propagation distance of up to 1,000 km - 14 percent of the time. Where the airstream crosses from the ice shelf to the ice-covered Ross Sea, a prominent coastal polynya is formed. Because the downslope buoyancy force is near zero over the Ross Ice Shelf, the northwestward propagation of the katabatic air mass requires pressure gradient support. The study shows that the extended horizontal propagation of this atmospheric density current occurred in conjunction with the passage of synoptic cyclones over the southern Amundsen Sea. These cyclones can strengthen the pressure gradient in the interior of West Antarctica and make the pressure field favorable for northwestward movement of the katabatic winds from West Antarctica across the ice shelf in a geostrophic direction. The glacier winds from East Antarctica are further accelerated by the synoptic pressure gradient, usually undergo abrupt adjustment beyond the exit to the glacier valley, and merge into the mountain-parallel katabatic air mass.

Reflected Charged Particle Populations around Dipolar Lunar Magnetic Anomalies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deca, Jan; Divin, Andrey

2016-10-01

In this work we analyze and compare the reflected particle populations for both a horizontal and a vertical dipole model embedded in the lunar surface, representing the solar wind interaction with two different lunar magnetic anomaly (LMA) structures. Using the 3D full-kinetic electromagnetic code iPic3D, in combination with a test-particle approach to generate particle trajectories, we focus on the ion and electron dynamics. Whereas the vertical model electrostatically reflects ions upward under both near-parallel and near-perpendicular angles with respect to the lunar surface, the horizontal model only has a significant shallow component. Characterizing the electron dynamics, we find that the interplay of the mini-magnetosphere electric and magnetic fields is capable of temporarily trapping low-energy electrons and possibly ejecting them upstream. Our results are in agreement with recent high-resolution observations. Low- to medium-altitude ion and electron observations might be excellent indicators to complement orbital magnetic field measurements and better uncover the underlying magnetic field structure. The latter is of particular importance in defining the correlation between LMAs and lunar swirls, and further testing the solar wind shielding hypothesis for albedo markings due to space weathering. Observing more reflected ions does not necessarily point to the existence of a mini-magnetosphere.

REFLECTED CHARGED PARTICLE POPULATIONS AROUND DIPOLAR LUNAR MAGNETIC ANOMALIES

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Deca, Jan; Divin, Andrey

2016-10-01

In this work we analyze and compare the reflected particle populations for both a horizontal and a vertical dipole model embedded in the lunar surface, representing the solar wind interaction with two different lunar magnetic anomaly (LMA) structures. Using the 3D full-kinetic electromagnetic code iPic3D, in combination with a test-particle approach to generate particle trajectories, we focus on the ion and electron dynamics. Whereas the vertical model electrostatically reflects ions upward under both near-parallel and near-perpendicular angles with respect to the lunar surface, the horizontal model only has a significant shallow component. Characterizing the electron dynamics, we find that themore » interplay of the mini-magnetosphere electric and magnetic fields is capable of temporarily trapping low-energy electrons and possibly ejecting them upstream. Our results are in agreement with recent high-resolution observations. Low- to medium-altitude ion and electron observations might be excellent indicators to complement orbital magnetic field measurements and better uncover the underlying magnetic field structure. The latter is of particular importance in defining the correlation between LMAs and lunar swirls, and further testing the solar wind shielding hypothesis for albedo markings due to space weathering. Observing more reflected ions does not necessarily point to the existence of a mini-magnetosphere.« less

A case study using kinematic quantities derived from a triangle of VHF Doppler wind profilers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carlson, Catherine A.; Forbes, Gregory S.

1989-01-01

Horizontal divergence, relative vorticity, kinematic vertical velocity, and geostrophic and ageostrophic winds are computed from Colorado profiler network data to investigate an upslope snowstorm in northeastern Colorado. Horizontal divergence and relative vorticity are computed using the Gauss and Stokes theorems, respectively. Kinematic vertical velocities are obtained from the surface to 9 km by vertically integrating the continuity equation. The geostrophic and ageostrophic winds are computed by applying a finite differencing technique to evaluate the derivatives in the horizontal equations of motion. Comparison of the synoptic-scale data with the profiler network data reveals that the two datasets are generally consistent. Also, the profiler-derived quantities exhibit coherent vertical and temporal patterns consistent with conceptual and theoretical flow fields of various meteorological phenomena. It is suggested that the profiler-derived quantities are of potential use to weather forecasters in that they enable the dynamic and kinematic interpretation of weather system structure to be made and thus have nowcasting and short-term forecasting value.

Effects of line-of-sight velocity on spaced-antenna measurements, part 3.5A

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Royrvik, O.

1984-01-01

Horizontal wind velocities in the upper atmosphere, particularly the mesosphere, have been measured using a multitude of different techniques. Most techniques are based on stated or unstated assumptions about the wind field that may or may not be true. Some problems with the spaced antenna drifts (SAD) technique that usually appear to be overlooked are investigated. These problems are not unique to the SAD technique; very similar considerations apply to measurement of horizontal wind using multiple-beam Doppler radars as well. Simply stated, the SAD technique relies on scattering from multiple scatterers within an antenna beam of fairly large beam width. The combination of signals with random phase gives rise to an interference pattern on the ground. This pattern will drift across the ground with a velocity twice that of the ionospheric irregularities from which the radar signals are scattered. By using spaced receivers and measuring time delays of the signal fading in different antennas, it is possible to estimate the horizontal drift velocities.

Estimating vertical velocity and radial flow from Doppler radar observations of tropical cyclones

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, J. L.; Lee, W. C.; MacDonald, A. E.

2006-01-01

The mesoscale vorticity method (MVM) is used in conjunction with the ground-based velocity track display (GBVTD) to derive the inner-core vertical velocity from Doppler radar observations of tropical cyclone (TC) Danny (1997). MVM derives the vertical velocity from vorticity variations in space and in time based on the mesoscale vorticity equation. The use of MVM and GBVTD allows us to derive good correlations among the eye-wall maximum wind, bow-shaped updraught and echo east of the eye-wall in Danny. Furthermore, we demonstrate the dynamically consistent radial flow can be derived from the vertical velocity obtained from MVM using the wind decomposition technique that solves the Poisson equations over a limited-area domain. With the wind decomposition, we combine the rotational wind which is obtained from Doppler radar wind observations and the divergent wind which is inferred dynamically from the rotational wind to form the balanced horizontal wind in TC inner cores, where rotational wind dominates the divergent wind. In this study, we show a realistic horizontal and vertical structure of the vertical velocity and the induced radial flow in Danny's inner core. In the horizontal, the main eye-wall updraught draws in significant surrounding air, converging at the strongest echo where the maximum updraught is located. In the vertical, the main updraught tilts vertically outwards, corresponding very well with the outward-tilting eye-wall. The maximum updraught is located at the inner edge of the eye-wall clouds, while downward motions are found at the outer edge. This study demonstrates that the mesoscale vorticity method can use high-temporal-resolution data observed by Doppler radars to derive realistic vertical velocity and the radial flow of TCs. The vorticity temporal variations crucial to the accuracy of the vorticity method have to be derived from a high-temporal-frequency observing system such as state-of-the-art Doppler radars.

Mature thunderstorm cloud top structure - Three-dimensional numerical simulation versus satellite observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schlesinger, R. E.

1982-01-01

Preliminary results of four runs with a three-dimensional model of the effects of vertical wind shear on cloud top height/temperature structure and the internal properties of isolate midlatitude thunderstorms are reported. The model is being developed as an aid to analyses of GEO remote sensing satellite data. The grid is a 27 x 27 x 20 mesh with 2 km horizontal resolution and 0.9 vertical resolution. The total grid is 54 km on a side and 18 km deep. A second-order Crowley scheme for advecting momentum is extended with a third-order correction for spatial truncation error, and the earth-relative horizontal surface wind components are decreased to 50 percent of their values at 0.45 km. A temperature increase with height is included, together with an initial impulse consisting of a nonrotating cylindrical weak buoyant updraft 10 km in radius. The results of the runs are discussed in terms of the time variation of the vertical velocity extrema, the effects of strong and weak shear on a storm, the cloud top height, the Lagrangian dynamics of a thermal couplet, and data from a real storm.

Computational studies of the effects of active and passive circulation enhancement concepts on wind turbine performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tongchitpakdee, Chanin

With the advantage of modern high speed computers, there has been an increased interest in the use of first-principles based computational approaches for the aerodynamic modeling of horizontal axis wind turbine (HAWT). Since these approaches are based on the laws of conservation (mass, momentum, and energy), they can capture much of the physics in great detail. The ability to accurately predict the airloads and power output can greatly aid the designers in tailoring the aerodynamic and aeroelastic features of the configuration. First-principles based analyses are also valuable for developing active means (e.g., circulation control), and passive means (e.g., Gurney flaps) of reducing unsteady blade loads, mitigating stall, and for efficient capture of wind energy leading to more electrical power generation. In this present study, the aerodynamic performance of a wind turbine rotor equipped with circulation enhancement technology (trailing edge blowing or Gurney flaps) is investigated using a three-dimensional unsteady viscous flow analysis. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) Phase VI horizontal axis wind turbine is chosen as the baseline configuration. Prior to its use in exploring these concepts, the flow solver is validated with the experimental data for the baseline case under yawed flow conditions. Results presented include radial distribution of normal and tangential forces, shaft torque, root flap moment, surface pressure distributions at selected radial locations, and power output. Results show that good agreement has been for a range of wind speeds and yaw angles, where the flow is attached. At high wind speeds, however, where the flow is fully separated, it was found that the fundamental assumptions behind this present methodology breaks down for the baseline turbulence model (Spalart-Allmaras model), giving less accurate results. With the implementation of advanced turbulence model, Spalart-Allmaras Detached Eddy Simulation (SA-DES), the accuracy of the results at high wind speeds are improved. Results of circulation enhancement concepts show that, at low wind speed (attached flow) conditions, a Coanda jet at the trailing edge of the rotor blade is effective at increasing circulation resulting in an increase of lift and the chordwise thrust force. This leads to an increased amount of net power generation compared to the baseline configuration for moderate blowing coefficients. The effects of jet slot height and pulsed jet are also investigated in this study. A passive Gurney flap was found to increase the bound circulation and produce increased power in a manner similar to the Coanda jet. At high wind speed where the flow is separated, both the Coanda jet and Gurney flap become ineffective. Results of leading edge blowing indicate that a leading edge blowing jet is found to be beneficial in increasing power generation at high wind speeds. The effect of Gurney flap angle is also studied. Gurney flap angle has significant influence in power generation. Higher power output is obtained at higher flap angles.

Benefits of an ultra large and multiresolution ensemble for estimating available wind power

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berndt, Jonas; Hoppe, Charlotte; Elbern, Hendrik

2016-04-01

In this study we investigate the benefits of an ultra large ensemble with up to 1000 members including multiple nesting with a target horizontal resolution of 1 km. The ensemble shall be used as a basis to detect events of extreme errors in wind power forecasting. Forecast value is the wind vector at wind turbine hub height (~ 100 m) in the short range (1 to 24 hour). Current wind power forecast systems rest already on NWP ensemble models. However, only calibrated ensembles from meteorological institutions serve as input so far, with limited spatial resolution (˜10 - 80 km) and member number (˜ 50). Perturbations related to the specific merits of wind power production are yet missing. Thus, single extreme error events which are not detected by such ensemble power forecasts occur infrequently. The numerical forecast model used in this study is the Weather Research and Forecasting Model (WRF). Model uncertainties are represented by stochastic parametrization of sub-grid processes via stochastically perturbed parametrization tendencies and in conjunction via the complementary stochastic kinetic-energy backscatter scheme already provided by WRF. We perform continuous ensemble updates by comparing each ensemble member with available observations using a sequential importance resampling filter to improve the model accuracy while maintaining ensemble spread. Additionally, we use different ensemble systems from global models (ECMWF and GFS) as input and boundary conditions to capture different synoptic conditions. Critical weather situations which are connected to extreme error events are located and corresponding perturbation techniques are applied. The demanding computational effort is overcome by utilising the supercomputer JUQUEEN at the Forschungszentrum Juelich.

The Sensitivity of Numerical Simulations of Cloud-Topped Boundary Layers to Cross-Grid Flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wyant, Matthew C.; Bretherton, Christopher S.; Blossey, Peter N.

2018-02-01

In mesoscale and global atmospheric simulations with large horizontal domains, strong horizontal flow across the grid is often unavoidable, but its effects on cloud-topped boundary layers have received comparatively little study. Here the effects of cross-grid flow on large-eddy simulations of stratocumulus and trade-cumulus marine boundary layers are studied across a range of grid resolutions (horizontal × vertical) between 500 m × 20 m and 35 m × 5 m. Three cases are simulated: DYCOMS nocturnal stratocumulus, BOMEX trade cumulus, and a GCSS stratocumulus-to-trade cumulus case. Simulations are performed with a stationary grid (with 4-8 m s-1 horizontal winds blowing through the cyclic domain) and a moving grid (equivalent to subtracting off a fixed vertically uniform horizontal wind) approximately matching the mean boundary-layer wind speed. For stratocumulus clouds, cross-grid flow produces two primary effects on stratocumulus clouds: a filtering of fine-scale resolved turbulent eddies, which reduces stratocumulus cloud-top entrainment, and a vertical broadening of the stratocumulus-top inversion which enhances cloud-top entrainment. With a coarse (20 m) vertical grid, the former effect dominates and leads to strong increases in cloud cover and LWP, especially as horizontal resolution is coarsened. With a finer (5 m) vertical grid, the latter effect is stronger and leads to small reductions in cloud cover and LWP. For the BOMEX trade cumulus case, cross-grid flow tends to produce fewer and larger clouds with higher LWP, especially for coarser vertical grid spacing. The results presented are robust to choice of scalar advection scheme and Courant number.

Impact of Neutral Boundary-Layer Turbulence on Wind-Turbine Wakes: A Numerical Modelling Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Englberger, Antonia; Dörnbrack, Andreas

2017-03-01

The wake characteristics of a wind turbine in a turbulent boundary layer under neutral stratification are investigated systematically by means of large-eddy simulations. A methodology to maintain the turbulence of the background flow for simulations with open horizontal boundaries, without the necessity of the permanent import of turbulence data from a precursor simulation, was implemented in the geophysical flow solver EULAG. These requirements are fulfilled by applying the spectral energy distribution of a neutral boundary layer in the wind-turbine simulations. A detailed analysis of the wake response towards different turbulence levels of the background flow results in a more rapid recovery of the wake for a higher level of turbulence. A modified version of the Rankine-Froude actuator disc model and the blade element momentum method are tested as wind-turbine parametrizations resulting in a strong dependence of the near-wake wind field on the parametrization, whereas the far-wake flow is fairly insensitive to it. The wake characteristics are influenced by the two considered airfoils in the blade element momentum method up to a streamwise distance of 14 D ( D = rotor diameter). In addition, the swirl induced by the rotation has an impact on the velocity field of the wind turbine even in the far wake. Further, a wake response study reveals a considerable effect of different subgrid-scale closure models on the streamwise turbulent intensity.

The importance of dynamic stall in aerodynamic modeling of the Darrieus rotor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fraunie, P.; Beguier, C.; Paraschivoiu, I.

The CAARDEX program is defined for analyzing the behavior of Darrieus wind turbines in terms of the Reynolds number, the geometrical characteristics of the wind turbine and the spreading of the stream tubes traversing the rotor volume. It is demonstrated that the maximum power conversion efficiency of the Darrieus rotor is 0.4, with the energy capture being divided at a 4:1 ratio upstream to downstream rotor. The model shows that the velocity induced on the rotor is a function of the specific velocity and solidity, and that previous stream tube theories are valid only at low values of these parameters. CARDAAX treats the rotor disk in terms of horizontal slices of stream tubes modeled separately for the upstream and downstream segments. Account is taken of the velocity profile in the atmospheric boundary layer, which can vary significantly in the case of large wind turbines, i.e., several hundred feet high. When applied to predicting the performance of a 1 kW, 2.6 m diam prototype Darrieus wind turbine in a 10 mps flow, fair agreement is obtained for power capture/wind velocity and cyclic aerodynamic forces. Additional flow visualization data is provided to illustrate the production of turbulence in the form of vortices shed between the blades.

Coupled simulations and comparison with multi-lidar measurements of the wind flow over a double-ridge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Veiga Rodrigues, C.; Palma, JMLM; Vasiljević, N.; Courtney, M.; Mann, J.

2016-09-01

The wind flow over a double-ridge site has been numerically simulated with a nested model- chain coupling, down to horizontal resolutions of 40 m. The results were compared with field measurements attained using a triple-lidar instrument, the long-range WindScanner system, which allowed measurements up to 500 m height and the mapping of the wind speed onto a two-dimensional transect crossing the valley. The site, known as Serra do Perdigão, is located in central Portugal and consists of two parallel ridges 1.4 km apart with height differences of 200 m in between, being characterized by rough terrain and forested areas. The analysis was restricted to June 10th 2015, for which measurements and simulations both predicted gravity wave activity, the later showing formation of rotors in the lee of both ridges and some events of wave breaking above the ridge top.

Preliminary analysis of dynamic stall effects on a 91-meter wind turbine rotor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilson, Robert E.

1995-01-01

Analytical investigation of dynamic stall on HAWT (horizontal-axis wind turbines) rotor loads was conducted. Dynamic stall was modeled using the Gormont approach on the MOD-2 rotor, treating the blade as a rigid body teetering about a fixed axis. Blade flapwise bending moments at station 370 were determined with and without dynamic stall for spatial variations in local wind speed due to wind shear and yaw. The predicted mean flapwise bending moments were found to be in good agreement with test results. Results obtained with and without dynamic stall showed no significant difference for the mean flapwise bending moment. The cyclic bending moments calculated with and without dynamic stall effects were substantially the same. None of the calculated cyclic loads reached the level of the cyclic loads measured on the MOD-2 using the Boeing five-minute-average technique.

Design of horizontal-axis wind turbine using blade element momentum method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bobonea, Andreea; Pricop, Mihai Victor

2013-10-01

The study of mathematical models applied to wind turbine design in recent years, principally in electrical energy generation, has become significant due to the increasing use of renewable energy sources with low environmental impact. Thus, this paper shows an alternative mathematical scheme for the wind turbine design, based on the Blade Element Momentum (BEM) Theory. The results from the BEM method are greatly dependent on the precision of the lift and drag coefficients. The basic of BEM method assumes the blade can be analyzed as a number of independent element in spanwise direction. The induced velocity at each element is determined by performing the momentum balance for a control volume containing the blade element. The aerodynamic forces on the element are calculated using the lift and drag coefficient from the empirical two-dimensional wind tunnel test data at the geometric angle of attack (AOA) of the blade element relative to the local flow velocity.

An Experimental High-Resolution Forecast System During the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mailhot, J.; Milbrandt, J. A.; Giguère, A.; McTaggart-Cowan, R.; Erfani, A.; Denis, B.; Glazer, A.; Vallée, M.

2014-01-01

Environment Canada ran an experimental numerical weather prediction (NWP) system during the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games, consisting of nested high-resolution (down to 1-km horizontal grid-spacing) configurations of the GEM-LAM model, with improved geophysical fields, cloud microphysics and radiative transfer schemes, and several new diagnostic products such as density of falling snow, visibility, and peak wind gust strength. The performance of this experimental NWP system has been evaluated in these winter conditions over complex terrain using the enhanced mesoscale observing network in place during the Olympics. As compared to the forecasts from the operational regional 15-km GEM model, objective verification generally indicated significant added value of the higher-resolution models for near-surface meteorological variables (wind speed, air temperature, and dewpoint temperature) with the 1-km model providing the best forecast accuracy. Appreciable errors were noted in all models for the forecasts of wind direction and humidity near the surface. Subjective assessment of several cases also indicated that the experimental Olympic system was skillful at forecasting meteorological phenomena at high-resolution, both spatially and temporally, and provided enhanced guidance to the Olympic forecasters in terms of better timing of precipitation phase change, squall line passage, wind flow channeling, and visibility reduction due to fog and snow.

Simulation of Ground Winds Time Series for the NASA Crew Launch Vehicle (CLV)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Adelfang, Stanley I.

2008-01-01

Simulation of wind time series based on power spectrum density (PSD) and spectral coherence models for ground wind turbulence is described. The wind models, originally developed for the Shuttle program, are based on wind measurements at the NASA 150-m meteorological tower at Cape Canaveral, FL. The current application is for the design and/or protection of the CLV from wind effects during on-pad exposure during periods from as long as days prior to launch, to seconds or minutes just prior to launch and seconds after launch. The evaluation of vehicle response to wind will influence the design and operation of constraint systems for support of the on-pad vehicle. Longitudinal and lateral wind component time series are simulated at critical vehicle locations. The PSD model for wind turbulence is a function of mean wind speed, elevation and temporal frequency. Integration of the PSD equation over a selected frequency range yields the variance of the time series to be simulated. The square root of the PSD defines a low-pass filter that is applied to adjust the components of the Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) of Gaussian white noise. The first simulated time series near the top of the launch vehicle is the inverse transform of the adjusted FFT. Simulation of the wind component time series at the nearest adjacent location (and all other succeeding next nearest locations) is based on a model for the coherence between winds at two locations as a function of frequency and separation distance, where the adjacent locations are separated vertically and/or horizontally. The coherence function is used to calculate a coherence weighted FFT of the wind at the next nearest location, given the FFT of the simulated time series at the previous location and the essentially incoherent FFT of the wind at the selected location derived a priori from the PSD model. The simulated time series at each adjacent location is the inverse Fourier transform of the coherence weighted FFT. For a selected design case, the equations, the process and the simulated time series at multiple vehicle stations are presented.

Dust transport over Iraq and northwest Iran associated with winter Shamal: A case study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abdi Vishkaee, Farhad; Flamant, Cyrille; Cuesta, Juan; Oolman, Larry; Flamant, Pierre; Khalesifard, Hamid R.

2012-02-01

Dynamical processes leading to dust emission over Syria and Iraq, in response to a strong winter Shamal event as well as the subsequent transport of dust over Iraq and northwest Iran, are analyzed on the basis of a case study (22-23 February 2010) using a suite of ground-based and spaceborne remote sensing platforms together with modeling tools. Surface measurements on 22 February show a sharp reduction in horizontal visibility over Iraq occurring shortly after the passage of a cold front (behind which the northwesterly Shamal winds were blowing) and that visibilities could be as low as 1 km on average for 1-2 days in the wake of the front. The impact of the southwesterly Kaus winds blowing ahead (east) of the Shamal winds on dust emission over Iraq is also highlighted. Unlike what is observed over Iraq, low near-surface horizontal visibilities (<1 km) over northwest Iran are observed well after the passage of the cold front on 23 February, generally in the hours following sunrise. Ground-based lidar measurements acquired in Zanjan show that, in the wake of the front, dust from Syria/Iraq was transported in an elevated 1 to 1.5 km thick plume separated from the surface during the night/morning of 23 February. After sunrise, strong turbulence in the developing convective boundary layer led to mixing of the dust into the boundary layer and in turn to a sharp reduction of the horizontal visibility in Zanjan. The timing of the reduction of surface horizontal visibility in other stations over northwest Iran (Tabriz, Qom, and Tehran) is consistent with the downward mixing of dust in the planetary boundary layer just after sunset, as evidenced in Zanjan. This study sheds new light on the processes responsible for dust emission and transport over Iraq and northwest Iran in connection with winter Shamal events. Enhanced knowledge of these processes is key for improving dust forecasts in this region.

Observation of dust emission and transport over Iraq and northwest Iran associated with winter Shamal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Flamant, C.; Abdi Vishkaee, F.; Cuesta, J.; Khalesifard, H.; Oolman, L.; Flamant, P.

2012-04-01

Dynamical processes leading to dust emission over Syria and Iraq, in response to a strong winter Shamal event as well as the subsequent transport of dust over Iraq and northwest Iran, are analyzed on the basis of a case study (22-23 February 2010) using a suite of ground-based and space-borne remote sensing platforms together with modeling tools. Surface measurements on 22 February show a sharp reduction in horizontal visibility over Iraq occurring shortly after the passage of a cold front (behind which the northwesterly Shamal winds were blowing) and that visibilities could be as low as 1 km on average for one to two days in the wake of the front. The impact of the southwesterly Kaus winds blowing ahead (east) of the Shamal winds on dust emission over Iraq is also highlighted. Unlike what is observed over Iraq, low near-surface horizontal visibilities (less than 1 km) over northwest Iran are observed well after the passage of the cold front on 23 February, generally in the hours following sunrise. Ground-based lidar measurements acquired in Zanjan show that, in the wake of the front, dust from Syria/Iraq was transported in an elevated 1 to 1.5 km thick plume separated from the surface during the night/morning of February. After sunrise, strong turbulence in the developing convective boundary layer led to mixing of the dust into the boundary layer and in turn to a sharp reduction of the horizontal visibility in Zanjan. The timing of the reduction of surface horizontal visibility in other stations over northwest Iran (Tabriz, Qom and Tehran) is consistent with the downward mixing of dust in the PBL just after sunset, as evidenced in Zanjan. This study shades new light on the processes responsible for dust emission and transport over Iraq and northwest Iran in connection with winter Shamal events. Enhanced knowledge of these processes is key for improving dust forecasts in this region.

Aerodynamic Effects and Modeling of Damage to Transport Aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shah, Gautam H.

2008-01-01

A wind tunnel investigation was conducted to measure the aerodynamic effects of damage to lifting and stability/control surfaces of a commercial transport aircraft configuration. The modeling of such effects is necessary for the development of flight control systems to recover aircraft from adverse, damage-related loss-of-control events, as well as for the estimation of aerodynamic characteristics from flight data under such conditions. Damage in the form of partial or total loss of area was applied to the wing, horizontal tail, and vertical tail. Aerodynamic stability and control implications of damage to each surface are presented, to aid in the identification of potential boundaries in recoverable stability or control degradation. The aerodynamic modeling issues raised by the wind tunnel results are discussed, particularly the additional modeling requirements necessitated by asymmetries due to damage, and the potential benefits of such expanded modeling.

Dust Emission Modeling Incorporating Land Cover Parameterizations in the Chihuahuan Desert and Dissemination of Data Suites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Olgin, J. G.; Pennington, D. D.; Webb, N.

2017-12-01

A variety of models have been developed to better understand dust emissions - from initial erosive event to entrainment to transport through the atmosphere. Many of these models have been used to analyze dust emissions by representing atmospheric and surface variables, such as wind and soil moisture respectively, in a numerical model to determine the resulting dust emissions. Pertinent to modeling these variables, there are three important factors influencing emissions: 1) Friction velocity threshold based on wind interactions with dust, 2) horizontal flux (saltation) of dust and 3) vertical dust flux. While all of the existing models incorporate these processes, additional improvements are needed to yield results reflective of recorded data of dust events. Our investigation focuses on explicitly identifying specific land cover (LC) elements unique to the Chihuahan desert that contribute to aerodynamic roughness length (Zo); a main component to dust emission and key to provide results more representative of known dust events in semi-arid regions. These elements will be formulated into computer model inputs by conducting analysis (e.g. geostatistics) on field and satellite data to ascertain core LC characteristics responsible for affecting wind velocities (e.g. wind shadowing effects), which are conducive to dust emissions. This inputs will be used in a modified program using the Weather and Research Forecast model (WRF) to replicate previously recorded dust events. Results from this study will be presented here.

Large Wind Turbine Design Characteristics and R and D Requirements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lieblein, S. (Editor)

1979-01-01

Detailed technical presentations on large wind turbine research and development activities sponsored by public and private organizations are presented. Both horizontal and vertical axis machines are considered with emphasis on their structural design.

Apparatus and process for making a superconducting magnet for particle accelerators

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jarabak, A.J.; Sunderman, W.H.; Mendola, E.G.

1992-03-10

This patent describes an apparatus for manufacturing a coil of superconducting material. It comprises a horizontally disposed winding mandrel; an adjustable support for receiving a spool of superconducting material, the spool having a vertical axis; means for translating the spool of superconducting material in a generally oval path around the winding mandrel so that the superconducting material is de-reeled from the spool, in order to wind a predetermined amount of superconducting material onto the mandrel, such that a coil of superconducting material is formed; means for guiding the superconducting material from the spool so as to deliver the superconducting materialmore » to the winding mandrel on a plane perpendicular to the vertical axis of the spool and parallel with a winding plane on the winding mandrel; means for imparting a tensioning force on the superconducting material as it is guided from the spool; means for rotating the winding mandrel about the horizontal axis thereof; means for clamping the superconducting material against the winding mandrel as the wire is wound thereon; means for securing the coil to the winding mandrel for lifting mandrel with the coil thereon; and means for curing the coil of superconducting material whereby a finished coil of superconducting material is formed.« less

Multi-Scale Observation and Modelling of Energy and Matter Exchange in the Atmospheric Boundary-Layer (ScaleX Campaigns)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zeeman, M. J.; Wolz, K.; Adler, B.; Brenner, C.; De Roo, F.; Emeis, S.; Kalthoff, N.; Mauder, M.; Schäfer, K.; Wohlfahrt, G.; Zhao, P.

2016-12-01

We investigated biosphere-atmosphere exchange processes in relation to the atmospheric boundary-layer (ABL) flow in a shallow valley. Land-use heterogeneity and topography can force local atmospheric flow patterns, including local circulations. Such flow patterns can impair current techniques for the quantification and source attribution of surface-exchange fluxes due to flux-divergence, advection and decoupling. Wind field, temperature and humidity structures in the ABL were observed in high resolution with spatially distributed observations in a 1 km3 experimental domain. Remote-sensing observations of wind, temperature and particles in the ABL (Raman-lidar; RASS; ceilometer; microwave radiometer; 3D Doppler-lidar) were combined with a high-resolution network of in-situ observations that included vertical and horizontal profiles of wind, temperature, carbon dioxide, methane and water vapor concentrations. The experiments were co-located with the long-term eddy covariance (EC) observatory Fendt (DE-Fen; ICOS, TERENO) and were part of international cooperative efforts in 2015 and 2016 (the ScaleX campaigns). The gathered experimental data offers a scale-transcending insight in local flow patterns in mountainous terrain and their influence on surface-exchange fluxes of energy and matter as observed by EC and flux-gradient methodology. In addition, the data is used for validation of Large-Eddy Simulations in complex terrain using PALM-LES. Within this modelling framework, virtual measurements are conducted to further assess the importance of three-dimensional advective and horizontal turbulent transport terms.

Influence of glacial ice sheets on the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation through surface wind change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sherriff-Tadano, Sam; Abe-Ouchi, Ayako; Yoshimori, Masakazu; Oka, Akira; Chan, Wing-Le

2018-04-01

Coupled modeling studies have recently shown that the existence of the glacial ice sheets intensifies the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC). However, most models show a strong AMOC in their simulations of the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), which is biased compared to reconstructions that indicate both a weaker and stronger AMOC during the LGM. Therefore, a detailed investigation of the mechanism behind this intensification of the AMOC is important for a better understanding of the glacial climate and the LGM AMOC. Here, various numerical simulations are conducted to focus on the effect of wind changes due to glacial ice sheets on the AMOC and the crucial region where the wind modifies the AMOC. First, from atmospheric general circulation model experiments, the effect of glacial ice sheets on the surface wind is evaluated. Second, from ocean general circulation model experiments, the influence of the wind stress change on the AMOC is evaluated by applying wind stress anomalies regionally or at different magnitudes as a boundary condition. These experiments demonstrate that glacial ice sheets intensify the AMOC through an increase in the wind stress at the North Atlantic mid-latitudes, which is induced by the North American ice sheet. This intensification of the AMOC is caused by the increased oceanic horizontal and vertical transport of salt, while the change in sea ice transport has an opposite, though minor, effect. Experiments further show that the Eurasian ice sheet intensifies the AMOC by directly affecting the deep-water formation in the Norwegian Sea.

Wind Turbine Structural Dynamics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miller, D. R. (Editor)

1978-01-01

A workshop on wind turbine structural dynamics was held to review and document current United States work on the dynamic behavior of large wind turbines, primarily of the horizontal-axis type, and to identify and discuss other wind turbine configurations that may have lower cost and weight. Information was exchanged on the following topics: (1) Methods for calculating dynamic loads; (2) Aeroelasticity stability (3) Wind loads, both steady and transient; (4) Critical design conditions; (5) Drive train dynamics; and (6) Behavior of operating wind turbines.

Senstitivity analysis of horizontal heat and vapor transfer coefficients for a cloud-topped marine boundary layer during cold-air outbreaks. M.S. Thesis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chang, Y. V.

1986-01-01

The effects of external parameters on the surface heat and vapor fluxes into the marine atmospheric boundary layer (MABL) during cold-air outbreaks are investigated using the numerical model of Stage and Businger (1981a). These fluxes are nondimensionalized using the horizontal heat (g1) and vapor (g2) transfer coefficient method first suggested by Chou and Atlas (1982) and further formulated by Stage (1983a). In order to simplify the problem, the boundary layer is assumed to be well mixed and horizontally homogeneous, and to have linear shoreline soundings of equivalent potential temperature and mixing ratio. Modifications of initial surface flux estimates, time step limitation, and termination conditions are made to the MABL model to obtain accurate computations. The dependence of g1 and g2 in the cloud topped boundary layer on the external parameters (wind speed, divergence, sea surface temperature, radiative sky temperature, cloud top radiation cooling, and initial shoreline soundings of temperature, and mixing ratio) is studied by a sensitivity analysis, which shows that the uncertainties of horizontal transfer coefficients caused by changes in the parameters are reasonably small.

Thermospheric density and wind retrieval from Swarm observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Visser, Pieter; Doornbos, Eelco; van den IJssel, Jose; Teixeira da Encarnação, João

2013-11-01

The three-satellite ESA Swarm mission aims at mapping the Earth's global geomagnetic field at unprecedented spatial and temporal resolution and precision. Swarm also aims at observing thermospheric density and possibly horizontal winds. Precise orbit determination (POD) and Thermospheric Density and Wind (TDW) chains form part of the Swarm Constellation and Application Facility (SCARF), which will provide the so-called Level 2 products. The POD and TDW chains generate the orbit, accelerometer calibration, and thermospheric density and wind Level 2 products. The POD and TDW chains have been tested with data from the CHAMP and GRACE missions, indicating that a 3D orbit precision of about 10 cm can be reached. In addition, POD allows to determine daily accelerometer bias and scale factor values with a precision of around 10-15 nm/s2 and 0.01-0.02, respectively, for the flight direction. With these accelerometer calibration parameter values, derived thermospheric density is consistent at the 9-11% level (standard deviation) with values predicted by models (taking into account that model values are 20-30% higher). The retrieval of crosswinds forms part of the processing chain, but will be challenging. The Swarm observations will be used for further developing and improving density and wind retrieval algorithms.

Near-inertial kinetic energy budget of the mixed layer and shear evolution in the transition layer in the Arabian Sea during the monsoons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Majumder, Sudip; Tandon, Amit; Rudnick, Daniel L.; Thomas Farrar, J.

2015-09-01

We present the horizontal kinetic energy (KE) balance of near-inertial currents in the mixed layer and explain shear evolution in the transition layer using observations from a mooring at 15.26° N in the Arabian Sea during the southwest monsoon. The highly sheared and stratified transition layer at the mixed-layer base varies between 5 m and 35 m and correlates negatively with the wind stress. Results from the mixed layer near-inertial KE (NIKE) balance suggest that wind energy at times can energize the transition layer and at other times is fully utilized within the mixed layer. A simple two layer model is utilized to study the shear evolution in the transition layer and shown to match well with observations. The shear production in this model arises from alignment of wind stress and shear. Although the winds are unidirectional during the monsoon, the shear in the transition layer is predominantly near-inertial. The near-inertial shear bursts in the observations show the same phasing and magnitude at near-inertial frequencies as the wind-shear alignment term.

A Case Study of the Weather Research and Forecasting Model Applied to the Joint Urban 2003 Tracer Field Experiment. Part 1. Wind and Turbulence

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nelson, Matthew A.; Brown, Michael J.; Halverson, Scot A.

We found that numerical-weather-prediction models are often used to supply the mean wind and turbulence fields for atmospheric transport and dispersion plume models as they provide dense horizontally- and vertically-resolved geographic coverage in comparison to typically sparse monitoring networks. Here, the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model was run over the month-long period of the Joint Urban 2003 field campaign conducted in Oklahoma City and the simulated fields important to transport and dispersion models were compared to measurements from a number of sodars, tower-based sonic anemometers, and balloon soundings located in the greater metropolitan area. Time histories of computed windmore » speed, wind direction, turbulent kinetic energy (e), friction velocity (u* ), and reciprocal Obukhov length (1 / L) were compared to measurements over the 1-month field campaign. Vertical profiles of wind speed, potential temperature (θ ), and e were compared during short intensive operating periods. The WRF model was typically able to replicate the measured diurnal variation of the wind fields, but with an average absolute wind direction and speed difference of 35° and 1.9 m s -1 , respectively. Then, using the Mellor-Yamada-Janjic (MYJ) surface-layer scheme, the WRF model was found to generally underpredict surface-layer TKE but overpredict u* that was observed above a suburban region of Oklahoma City. The TKE-threshold method used by the WRF model’s MYJ surface-layer scheme to compute the boundary-layer height (h) consistently overestimated h derived from a θ gradient method whether using observed or modelled θ profiles.« less

A Case Study of the Weather Research and Forecasting Model Applied to the Joint Urban 2003 Tracer Field Experiment. Part 1. Wind and Turbulence

DOE PAGES

Nelson, Matthew A.; Brown, Michael J.; Halverson, Scot A.; ...

2015-09-25

We found that numerical-weather-prediction models are often used to supply the mean wind and turbulence fields for atmospheric transport and dispersion plume models as they provide dense horizontally- and vertically-resolved geographic coverage in comparison to typically sparse monitoring networks. Here, the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model was run over the month-long period of the Joint Urban 2003 field campaign conducted in Oklahoma City and the simulated fields important to transport and dispersion models were compared to measurements from a number of sodars, tower-based sonic anemometers, and balloon soundings located in the greater metropolitan area. Time histories of computed windmore » speed, wind direction, turbulent kinetic energy (e), friction velocity (u* ), and reciprocal Obukhov length (1 / L) were compared to measurements over the 1-month field campaign. Vertical profiles of wind speed, potential temperature (θ ), and e were compared during short intensive operating periods. The WRF model was typically able to replicate the measured diurnal variation of the wind fields, but with an average absolute wind direction and speed difference of 35° and 1.9 m s -1 , respectively. Then, using the Mellor-Yamada-Janjic (MYJ) surface-layer scheme, the WRF model was found to generally underpredict surface-layer TKE but overpredict u* that was observed above a suburban region of Oklahoma City. The TKE-threshold method used by the WRF model’s MYJ surface-layer scheme to compute the boundary-layer height (h) consistently overestimated h derived from a θ gradient method whether using observed or modelled θ profiles.« less

Inherent Variability in Short-time Wind Turbine Statistics from Turbulence Structure in the Atmospheric Surface Layer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lavely, Adam; Vijayakumar, Ganesh; Brasseur, James; Paterson, Eric; Kinzel, Michael

2011-11-01

Using large-eddy simulation (LES) of the neutral and moderately convective atmospheric boundary layers (NBL, MCBL), we analyze the impact of coherent turbulence structure of the atmospheric surface layer on the short-time statistics that are commonly collected from wind turbines. The incoming winds are conditionally sampled with a filtering and thresholding algorithm into high/low horizontal and vertical velocity fluctuation coherent events. The time scales of these events are ~5 - 20 blade rotations and are roughly twice as long in the MCBL as the NBL. Horizontal velocity events are associated with greater variability in rotor power, lift and blade-bending moment than vertical velocity events. The variability in the industry standard 10 minute average for rotor power, sectional lift and wind velocity had a standard deviation of ~ 5% relative to the ``infinite time'' statistics for the NBL and ~10% for the MCBL. We conclude that turbulence structure associated with atmospheric stability state contributes considerable, quantifiable, variability to wind turbine statistics. Supported by NSF and DOE.

The effects of divergent and nondivergent winds on the kinetic energy budget of a mid-latitude cyclone - A case study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chen, T.-C.; Alpert, J. C.; Schlatter, T. W.

1978-01-01

The magnitude of the divergent component of the wind is relatively small compared to that of the nondivergent component in large-scale atmospheric flows; nevertheless, it plays an important role in the case of explosive cyclogenesis examined here. The kinetic energy budget for the life cycle of an intense, developing cyclone over North America is calculated. The principal kinetic energy source is the net horizontal transport across the boundaries of the region enclosing the cyclone. By investigating the relative importance of the divergent and nondivergent wind components in the kinetic energy budget, it was found, as expected, that neglecting the divergent wind component in calculating the magnitude of the kinetic energy is of little consequence, but that the horizontal flux convergence and generation of kinetic energy depend crucially upon the divergent component. Modification of the divergent wind component can result in significant changes in the kinetic energy budget of the synoptic system.

Mechanical and deformation analyses of pile foundation for supporting structure of off-shore wind turbine at Changhua coast in Taiwan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, W. C.; Lin, D. G.

2015-12-01

This study investigates the bearing capacities and mechanical behaviors of pile foundation installed on the seabed of wind farm near Chang-Hua coast of western Taiwan for the supporting structure of offshore wind turbine. A series of three-dimensional (3-D) numerical modeling of pile foundation subjected to various types of combined loading were carried out using Plaix-3D finite element program to investigate the interactive behaviors between soil and pile. In the numerical modeling, pile diameter, pile length and pile spacing were selected as design parameters to inspect their effects on the bearing capacities and deformation behaviors of the pile foundation. For a specific design parameter combination, one can obtain the corresponding loading-displacement curve, various ultimate bearing capacities, V-H (Vertical-Horizontal combined loading) ultimate bearing capacity envelope, and p-ycurve of pile foundation. Numerical results indicate that: (1) Large displacement and plastic points at ultimate state mostly distribute and concentrate in the topsoil of seabed and around pile head. (2) The soil resistance on the soil-pile interface is ascending with the increases of depth, pile diameter and pile length. (3) The vertical and horizontal bearing capacities of pile group increase significantly with the increase of pile diameter. (4) The vertical and bending moment capacities of pile group increase greatly with the increase of pile length whereas the horizontal capacity is almost insensitive to pile length. (5) The bending moment of pile is highly influenced by the pile spacing. (6) For different design parameters, the shape of ultimate bearing capacity envelopes of pile group on V-H plane is similar while the envelopes will expand as the design parameters increase. For different loading levels of bending moment, the envelopes on V-H plane will contract gradually as the bending moment loading increasing.

Validation of an Actuator Line Model Coupled to a Dynamic Stall Model for Pitching Motions Characteristic to Vertical Axis Turbines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mendoza, Victor; Bachant, Peter; Wosnik, Martin; Goude, Anders

2016-09-01

Vertical axis wind turbines (VAWT) can be used to extract renewable energy from wind flows. A simpler design, low cost of maintenance, and the ability to accept flow from all directions perpendicular to the rotor axis are some of the most important advantages over conventional horizontal axis wind turbines (HAWT). However, VAWT encounter complex and unsteady fluid dynamics, which present significant modeling challenges. One of the most relevant phenomena is dynamic stall, which is caused by the unsteady variation of angle of attack throughout the blade rotation, and is the focus of the present study. Dynamic stall is usually used as a passive control for VAWT operating conditions, hence the importance of predicting its effects. In this study, a coupled model is implemented with the open-source CFD toolbox OpenFOAM for solving the Navier-Stokes equations, where an actuator line model and dynamic stall model are used to compute the blade loading and body force. Force coefficients obtained from the model are validated with experimental data of pitching airfoil in similar operating conditions as an H-rotor type VAWT. Numerical results show reasonable agreement with experimental data for pitching motion.

Dynamics of an experimental two bladed horizontal axis wind turbine with blade cyclic pitch variation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hotenemser, K. H.; Swift, A. H. P.

1981-01-01

The turbine under study incorporates the combination of two features: the application of blade cyclic pitch variation; and the use of yaw angle control for rotor speed and torque regulation. Due to its emasculation by passive cyclic pitch variation the rotor can be rapidly yawed without encountering gyroscopic and aerodynamic hub moments and without noticeable out of plane excursions. The two bladed upwind rotor is vane stabilized and of very simple and rugged design. The principle was first checked out with a small scale wind tunnel model and then tested in the atmosphere with a 7.6 meter diameter experimental fully instrumented wind turbine driving a 3 phase alternator. The test results are summarized with respect to structural dynamics and yaw dynamics.

Data-driven quantification of the effect of wind on athletics performance.

PubMed

Moinat, M; Fabius, O; Emanuel, K S

2018-06-11

So far, the relationship between wind and athletics performance has been studied mainly for 100 m sprint, based on simulation of biomechanical models, requiring several assumptions. In this study, this relationship is quantified empirically for all five horizontal jump and sprint events where wind is measured, with freely available competition results. After systematic scraping several elite and sub-elite results sites, the obtained results (n = 150,169) were filtered and matched to athletes. A quadratic mixed effects model with athlete and season as random effects was applied to express the influence of wind velocity on performance in each event. Whether this effect differs with performance level was investigated by applying the model on subgroups based on performance level. In the fitted quadratic model, the linear coefficients were significant (p < .001) for all events; the quadratic coefficients were significant for all events (p < .001) except long jump (p = .138). A 2.0 m s -1 tail wind provides an average advantage of 0.125, 0.140 and 0.146-s for the 100, 200 and 100/110 m hurdles, respectively, and an advantage of 0.058 and 0.102 m for long jump and triple jump, respectively. Performance level had a significant effect on the wind influence only for 100 m (p < .001). Amateur athletes (∼13 s) benefit 69% more from a 2.0 m s -1 tail wind than elite athletes (∼10 s). Practical formulas are presented for each event. These can easily be used correct results for wind speed, allowing better talent scouting and championship selection. This study demonstrates the efficacy of answering scientific questions empirically, through freely available data.

The importance of wind-flux feedbacks during the November CINDY-DYNAMO MJO event

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Riley Dellaripa, Emily; Maloney, Eric; van den Heever, Susan

2015-04-01

High-resolution, large-domain cloud resolving model (CRM) simulations probing the importance of wind-flux feedbacks to Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) convection are performed for the November 2011 CINDY-DYNAMO MJO event. The work is motivated by observational analysis from RAMA buoys in the Indian Ocean and TRMM precipitation retrievals that show a positive correlation between MJO precipitation and wind-induced surface fluxes, especially latent heat fluxes, during and beyond the CINDY-DYNAMO time period. Simulations are done using Colorado State University's Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (RAMS). The domain setup is oceanic and spans 1000 km x 1000 km with 1.5 km horizontal resolution and 65 stretched vertical levels centered on the location of Gan Island - one of the major CINDY-DYNAMO observation points. The model is initialized with ECMWF reanalysis and Aqua MODIS sea surface temperatures. Nudging from ECMWF reanalysis is applied at the domain periphery to encourage realistic evolution of MJO convection. The control experiment is run for the entire month of November so both suppressed and active, as well as, transitional phases of the MJO are modeled. In the control experiment, wind-induced surface fluxes are activated through the surface bulk aerodynamic formula and allowed to evolve organically. Sensitivity experiments are done by restarting the control run one week into the simulation and controlling the wind-induced flux feedbacks. In one sensitivity experiment, wind-induced surface flux feedbacks are completely denied, while in another experiment the winds are kept constant at the control simulations mean surface wind speed. The evolution of convection, especially on the mesoscale, is compared between the control and sensitivity simulations.

Aeroelastic Response from Indicial Functions with a Finite Element Model of a Suspension Bridge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mikkelsen, O.; Jakobsen, J. B.

2017-12-01

The present paper describes a comprehensive analysis of the aeroelastic bridge response in time-domain, with a finite element model of the structure. The main focus is on the analysis of flutter instability, accounting for the wind forces generated by the bridge motion, including twisting as well as vertical and horizontal translation, i.e. all three global degrees of freedom. The solution is obtained by direct integration of the equations of motion for the bridge-wind system, with motion-dependent forces approximated from flutter derivatives in terms of rational functions. For the streamlined bridge box-girder investigated, the motion dependent wind forces related to the along-wind response are found to have a limited influence on the flutter velocity. The flutter mode shapes in the time-domain and the frequency domain are consistent, and composed of the three lowest symmetrical vertical modes coupled with the first torsional symmetric mode. The method applied in this study provides detailed response estimates and contributes to an increased understanding of the complex aeroelastic behaviour of long-span bridges.

On the role of the Antarctic continent in forcing large-scale circulations in the high southern latitudes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parish, Thomas R.; Bromwich, David H.; Tzeng, Ren-Yow

1994-01-01

The Antarctic topography and attendant katabatic wind regime appear to play a key role in the climate of the high southern latitudes. During the nonsummer months, persistent and often times intense katabatic winds occur in the lowest few hundred meters of the Antarctic atmosphere. These slope flows transport significant amounts of cold air northward and thereby modify the horizontal pressure field over the high southern latitudes. Three-year seasonal cycle numerical simulations using the NCAR Community Climate Model Version 1 (CCM1) with and without representation of the Antarctic orography were performed to explore the role of the elevated terrain and drainage flows on the distribution and evolution of the horizontal pressure field. The katabatic wind regime is an important part of a clearly defined mean meridional circulation in the high southern latitudes. The position and intensity of the attendant sea level low pressure belt appears to be tied to the Antarctic orography. The seasonal movement of mass in the high southern latitudes is therefore constrained by the presence of the Antarctic ice sheet. The semiannual oscillation of pressure over Antarctica and the high southern latitutdes is well depicted in the CCM1 only when the Antarctic orography is included.

Lidar arc scan uncertainty reduction through scanning geometry optimization

DOE PAGES

Wang, Hui; Barthelmie, Rebecca J.; Pryor, Sara C.; ...

2016-04-13

Doppler lidars are frequently operated in a mode referred to as arc scans, wherein the lidar beam scans across a sector with a fixed elevation angle and the resulting measurements are used to derive an estimate of the n minute horizontal mean wind velocity (speed and direction). Previous studies have shown that the uncertainty in the measured wind speed originates from turbulent wind fluctuations and depends on the scan geometry (the arc span and the arc orientation). This paper is designed to provide guidance on optimal scan geometries for two key applications in the wind energy industry: wind turbine power performance analysis and annualmore » energy production prediction. We present a quantitative analysis of the retrieved wind speed uncertainty derived using a theoretical model with the assumption of isotropic and frozen turbulence, and observations from three sites that are onshore with flat terrain, onshore with complex terrain and offshore, respectively. The results from both the theoretical model and observations show that the uncertainty is scaled with the turbulence intensity such that the relative standard error on the 10 min mean wind speed is about 30% of the turbulence intensity. The uncertainty in both retrieved wind speeds and derived wind energy production estimates can be reduced by aligning lidar beams with the dominant wind direction, increasing the arc span and lowering the number of beams per arc scan. As a result, large arc spans should be used at sites with high turbulence intensity and/or large wind direction variation.« less

Lidar arc scan uncertainty reduction through scanning geometry optimization

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wang, Hui; Barthelmie, Rebecca J.; Pryor, Sara C.

Doppler lidars are frequently operated in a mode referred to as arc scans, wherein the lidar beam scans across a sector with a fixed elevation angle and the resulting measurements are used to derive an estimate of the n minute horizontal mean wind velocity (speed and direction). Previous studies have shown that the uncertainty in the measured wind speed originates from turbulent wind fluctuations and depends on the scan geometry (the arc span and the arc orientation). This paper is designed to provide guidance on optimal scan geometries for two key applications in the wind energy industry: wind turbine power performance analysis and annualmore » energy production prediction. We present a quantitative analysis of the retrieved wind speed uncertainty derived using a theoretical model with the assumption of isotropic and frozen turbulence, and observations from three sites that are onshore with flat terrain, onshore with complex terrain and offshore, respectively. The results from both the theoretical model and observations show that the uncertainty is scaled with the turbulence intensity such that the relative standard error on the 10 min mean wind speed is about 30% of the turbulence intensity. The uncertainty in both retrieved wind speeds and derived wind energy production estimates can be reduced by aligning lidar beams with the dominant wind direction, increasing the arc span and lowering the number of beams per arc scan. As a result, large arc spans should be used at sites with high turbulence intensity and/or large wind direction variation.« less

Influence of Venus topography on the zonal wind and UV albedo at cloud top level: The role of stationary gravity waves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bertaux, Jean-Loup; Khatuntsev, I. V.; Hauchecorne, A.; Markiewicz, W. J.; Marcq, E.; Lebonnois, S.; Patsaeva, M.; Turin, A.; Fedorova, A.

2016-06-01

Based on the analysis of UV images (at 365 nm) of Venus cloud top (altitude 67 ± 2 km) collected with Venus Monitoring Camera on board Venus Express (VEX), it is found that the zonal wind speed south of the equator (from 5°S to 15°S) shows a conspicuous variation (from -101 to -83 m/s) with geographic longitude of Venus, correlated with the underlying relief of Aphrodite Terra. We interpret this pattern as the result of stationary gravity waves produced at ground level by the uplift of air when the horizontal wind encounters a mountain slope. These waves can propagate up to the cloud top level, break there, and transfer their momentum to the zonal flow. Such upward propagation of gravity waves and influence on the wind speed vertical profile was shown to play an important role in the middle atmosphere of the Earth by Lindzen (1981) but is not reproduced in the current GCM of Venus atmosphere from LMD. (Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique) In the equatorial regions, the UV albedo at 365 nm varies also with longitude. We argue that this variation may be simply explained by the divergence of the horizontal wind field. In the longitude region (from 60° to -10°) where the horizontal wind speed is increasing in magnitude (stretch), it triggers air upwelling which brings the UV absorber at cloud top level and decreases the albedo and vice versa when the wind is decreasing in magnitude (compression). This picture is fully consistent with the classical view of Venus meridional circulation, with upwelling at equator revealed by horizontal air motions away from equator: the longitude effect is only an additional but important modulation of this effect. This interpretation is comforted by a recent map of cloud top H2O, showing that near the equator the lower UV albedo longitude region is correlated with increased H2O. We argue that H2O enhancement is the sign of upwelling, suggesting that the UV absorber is also brought to cloud top by upwelling.

Observed longitude variations of zonal wind, UV albedo and H2O at Venus cloud top level: the role of stationary gravity waves generated by Venus topography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bertaux, Jean-Loup; Hauchecorne, Alain; khatuntsev, Igor; Markiewicz, Wojciech; Marcq, emmanuel; Lebonnois, Sebastien; Patsaeva, Marina; Turin, Alexander; Fedorova, Anna

2016-10-01

Based on the analysis of UV images (at 365 nm) of Venus cloud top (altitude 67±2 km) collected with VMC (Venus Monitoring Camera) on board Venus Express (VEX), it is found that the zonal wind speed south of the equator (from 5°S to 15°S) shows a conspicuous variation (from -101 to -83 m/s) with geographic longitude of Venus, correlated with the underlying relief of Aphrodite Terra. We interpret this pattern as the result of stationary gravity waves produced at ground level by the up lift of air when the horizontal wind encounters a mountain slope. These waves can propagate up to the cloud top level, break there and transfer their momentum to the zonal flow. Such upward propagation of gravity waves and influence on the wind speed vertical profile was shown to play an important role in the middle atmosphere of the Earth but is not reproduced in the current GCM of Venus atmosphere from LMD.In the equatorial regions, the UV albedo of clouds at 365 nm and the H2O mixing ratio at cloud top varies also with longitude, with an anti-correlation: the more H2O, the darker are the clouds. We argue that these variations may be simply explained by the divergence of the horizontal wind field. In the longitude region (from 60° to -10°) where the horizontal wind speed is increasing in magnitude (stretch), it triggers air upwelling which brings both the UV absorber and H2O at cloud top level and decreases the albedo, and vice-versa when the wind is decreasing in magnitude (compression). This picture is fully consistent with the classical view of Venus meridional circulation, with upwelling at equator revealed by horizontal air motions away from equator: the longitude effect is only an additional but important modulation of this effect. We argue that H2O enhancement is the sign of upwelling because the H2O mixing ratio decreases with altitude, comforting the view that the UV absorber is also brought to cloud top by upwelling.

Wintertime slope winds and its turbulent characteristics in the Yeongdong region of Korea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jeon, H. R.; Eun, S. H.; Kim, B. G.; Lee, Y. H.

2015-12-01

The Yeongdong region has various meteorological phenomenons by virtue of complicated geographical characteristics with high Taebaek Mountains running from the north to the south and an adjacent East Sea to the east. There are few studies on the slope winds and its turbulent characteristics over the complex terrain, which are critical information in mountain climbing, hiking, paragliding, even winter sports such as alpine skiing and ski jump etc. For the understanding of diverse mountain winds in the complex terrain in Yeongdong, hot-wire anemometers (Campbell Scientific) have been installed at a couple of sites since October 2014 and several automatic weather stations at several sites around the mountainous region in Yeongdong since November 2012.WRF model simulations have been also done with an ultra-fine horizontal resolution of 300 m for 10 years. Generally, model and observation show that the dominant wind is westerly, approximately more than 75%. It is quite consistent that wind fields from both model and observation agree with each other in the valley region and at the top of the mountain, but there is a significant disagreement in wind direction specifically in the slide slope. Probably this implies model's performance with even an ultra-fine resolution is still not enough for the slide slope domain of complex terrains. Despite that, the observation clearly showed up- and down slope winds for the weak synoptic conditions carefully selected such as strong insolation and a synoptic wind less than 5m/s in the 850 hPa. The up- and down slope flows are also demonstrated in the snow-covered condition as well as grass ground. Further, planar fit transformation algorithm against the coordinate tilt has been applied to raw wind data (10Hz) of the slope site for the analysis of turbulence properties. Turbulence also increases with synoptic wind strength. Detailed analysis of mechanical turbulence and buoyance will be discussed for different surface properties (grass or snow), and wind strength (weak and strong).

Comments on "The Sensitivity Study of Radiative-Convective Equilibrium in the Tropics with a Convective Resolving Model"

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tao, W.-K.; Shie, C.-L.; Simpson, J.

2000-01-01

In general, there are two broad scientific objectives when using cloud resolving models (CRMs or cloud ensemble models-CEMs) to study tropical convection. The first one is to use them as a physics resolving models to understand the dynamic and microphysical processes associated with the tropical water and energy cycles and their role in the climate system. The second approach is to use the CRMs to improve the representation of moist processes and their interaction with radiation in large-scale models. In order to improve the credibility of the CRMs and achieve the above goals, CRMs using identical initial conditions and large-scale influences need to produce very similar results. Two CRMs produced different statistical equilibrium (SE) states even though both used the same initial thermodynamic and wind conditions. Sensitivity tests to identify the major physical processes that determine the SE states for the different CRM simulations were performed. Their results indicated that atmospheric horizontal wind is treated quite differently in these two CRMs. The model that had stronger surface winds and consequently larger latent and sensible heat fluxes from the ocean produced a warmer and more humid modeled thermodynamic SE state. In addition, the domain mean thermodynamic state is more unstable for those experiments that produced a warmer and more humid SE state. Their simulated wet (warm and humid) SE states are thermally more stable in the lower troposphere (from the surface to 4-5 km in altitude). The large-scale horizontal advective effects on temperature and water vapor mixing ratio are needed when using CRMs to perform long-term integrations to study convective feedback under specified large-scale environments. In addition, it is suggested that the dry and cold SE state simulated was caused by enhanced precipitation but not enough surface evaporation. We find some problems with the interpretation of these three phenomena.

Increasing power generation in horizontal axis wind turbines using optimized flow control

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cooney, John A., Jr.

In order to effectively realize future goals for wind energy, the efficiency of wind turbines must increase beyond existing technology. One direct method for achieving increased efficiency is by improving the individual power generation characteristics of horizontal axis wind turbines. The potential for additional improvement by traditional approaches is diminishing rapidly however. As a result, a research program was undertaken to assess the potential of using distributed flow control to increase power generation. The overall objective was the development of validated aerodynamic simulations and flow control approaches to improve wind turbine power generation characteristics. BEM analysis was conducted for a general set of wind turbine models encompassing last, current, and next generation designs. This analysis indicated that rotor lift control applied in Region II of the turbine power curve would produce a notable increase in annual power generated. This was achieved by optimizing induction factors along the rotor blade for maximum power generation. In order to demonstrate this approach and other advanced concepts, the University of Notre Dame established the Laboratory for Enhanced Wind Energy Design (eWiND). This initiative includes a fully instrumented meteorological tower and two pitch-controlled wind turbines. The wind turbines are representative in their design and operation to larger multi-megawatt turbines, but of a scale that allows rotors to be easily instrumented and replaced to explore new design concepts. Baseline data detailing typical site conditions and turbine operation is presented. To realize optimized performance, lift control systems were designed and evaluated in CFD simulations coupled with shape optimization tools. These were integrated into a systematic design methodology involving BEM simulations, CFD simulations and shape optimization, and selected experimental validation. To refine and illustrate the proposed design methodology, a complete design cycle was performed for the turbine model incorporated in the wind energy lab. Enhanced power generation was obtained through passive trailing edge shaping aimed at reaching lift and lift-to-drag goals predicted to optimize performance. These targets were determined by BEM analysis to improve power generation characteristics and annual energy production (AEP) for the wind turbine. A preliminary design was validated in wind tunnel experiments on a 2D rotor section in preparation for testing in the full atmospheric environment of the eWiND Laboratory. These tests were performed for the full-scale geometry and atmospheric conditions. Upon making additional improvements to the shape optimization tools, a series of trailing edge additions were designed to optimize power generation. The trailing edge additions were predicted to increase the AEP by up to 4.2% at the White Field site. The pieces were rapid-prototyped and installed on the wind turbine in March, 2014. Field tests are ongoing.

A study of space shuttle plumes in the lower thermosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meier, R. R.; Stevens, Michael H.; Plane, John M. C.; Emmert, J. T.; Crowley, G.; Azeem, I.; Paxton, L. J.; Christensen, A. B.

2011-12-01

During the space shuttle main engine burn, some 350 t of water vapor are deposited at between 100 and 115 km. Subsequent photodissociation of water produces large plumes of atomic hydrogen that can expand rapidly and extend for thousands of kilometers. From 2002 to 2007, the Global Ultraviolet Imager (GUVI) on NASA's Thermosphere Ionosphere, Mesosphere, Energetics and Dynamics (TIMED) satellite imaged many of these hydrogen plumes at Lyman α (121.567 nm) while viewing in the nadir. The images reveal rapid plume expansion and occasional very fast transport to both north and south polar regions. Some plumes persist for up to 6 d. Near-simultaneous direct detections of water vapor were made with the Sounding of the Atmosphere with Broadband Emission Radiometry (SABER) instrument, also on TIMED. We compare the spreading of the hydrogen plume with a two-dimensional model that includes photodissociation as well as both vertical and horizontal diffusion. Molecular diffusion appears to be sufficient to account for the horizontal expansion, although wind shears and turbulent mixing may also contribute. We compare the bulk motion of the observed plumes with wind climatologies derived from satellite observations. The plumes can move much faster than predictions of wind climatologies. But dynamical processes not contained in wind climatologies, such as the quasi-two-day wave, can account for at least some of the high speed observations. The plume phenomena raise a number of important questions about lower thermospheric and mesospheric processes, ranging from dynamics and chemistry to polar mesospheric cloud formation and climatology.

Analysis of a Split-Plot Experimental Design Applied to a Low-Speed Wind Tunnel Investigation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Erickson, Gary E.

2013-01-01

A procedure to analyze a split-plot experimental design featuring two input factors, two levels of randomization, and two error structures in a low-speed wind tunnel investigation of a small-scale model of a fighter airplane configuration is described in this report. Standard commercially-available statistical software was used to analyze the test results obtained in a randomization-restricted environment often encountered in wind tunnel testing. The input factors were differential horizontal stabilizer incidence and the angle of attack. The response variables were the aerodynamic coefficients of lift, drag, and pitching moment. Using split-plot terminology, the whole plot, or difficult-to-change, factor was the differential horizontal stabilizer incidence, and the subplot, or easy-to-change, factor was the angle of attack. The whole plot and subplot factors were both tested at three levels. Degrees of freedom for the whole plot error were provided by replication in the form of three blocks, or replicates, which were intended to simulate three consecutive days of wind tunnel facility operation. The analysis was conducted in three stages, which yielded the estimated mean squares, multiple regression function coefficients, and corresponding tests of significance for all individual terms at the whole plot and subplot levels for the three aerodynamic response variables. The estimated regression functions included main effects and two-factor interaction for the lift coefficient, main effects, two-factor interaction, and quadratic effects for the drag coefficient, and only main effects for the pitching moment coefficient.

Effect of wind turbine wakes on summer-time wind profiles in the US Great Plains

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rhodes, M. E.; Lundquist, J. K.; Aitken, M.

2011-12-01

Wind energy is steadily becoming a significant source of grid electricity in the United States, and the Midwestern United States provides one of the nation's richest wind resources. This study examines the effect of wind turbine wakes on the wind profile in central Iowa. Data were collected using a coherent Doppler LiDAR system located approximately 2.5 rotor diameters north of a row of modern multi-MW wind turbine generators. The prevailing wind direction was from the South allowing the LiDAR to capture wind turbine wake properties; however, a number of periods existed where the LiDAR captured undisturbed flow. The LiDAR system reliably obtained readings up to 200 m above ground level (AGL), spanning the entire rotor disk (~40 m to 120 m AGL) which far surpasses the information provided by traditional wind resource assessment instrumentation. We extract several relevant parameters from the lidar data including: horizontal wind speed, vertical velocity, horizontal turbulence intensity, wind shear, and turbulent kinetic energy (TKE). Each time period at a particular LiDAR measurement height was labeled "wake" or "undisturbed" based on the wind direction at that height. Wake and undisturbed data were averaged separately to create a time-height cross-section averaged day for each parameter. Significant differences between wake and undisturbed data emerge. During the day, wake conditions experience larger values of TKE within the altitudes of the turbine rotor disk while TKE values above the rotor disk are similar between waked and undisturbed conditions. Furthermore, the morning transition of TKE in the atmospheric boundary layer commences earlier during wake conditions than in undisturbed conditions, and the evening decay of TKE persists longer during wake conditions. Waked wind shear is consistently greater than undisturbed periods at the edges of the wind turbine rotor disk (40m & 120m AGL), but especially so during the night where wind shear values during wake conditions are three times larger than in undisturbed conditions. Waked conditions show an increased rate of nocturnal subsidence over that of undisturbed conditions, likely due to the momentum deficit as a result of energy extraction by the turbine. Turbulent intensity shows increased levels and longevity in the waked rotor region when compared to the undisturbed conditions. The presentation will present these differences between waked and undisturbed conditions, and compare these observations to the phenomena accounted for in traditional wind turbine wake models.

Evaluation of the WRF-Urban Modeling System Coupled to Noah and Noah-MP Land Surface Models Over a Semiarid Urban Environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salamanca, Francisco; Zhang, Yizhou; Barlage, Michael; Chen, Fei; Mahalov, Alex; Miao, Shiguang

2018-03-01

We have augmented the existing capabilities of the integrated Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF)-urban modeling system by coupling three urban canopy models (UCMs) available in the WRF model with the new community Noah with multiparameterization options (Noah-MP) land surface model (LSM). The WRF-urban modeling system's performance has been evaluated by conducting six numerical experiments at high spatial resolution (1 km horizontal grid spacing) during a 15 day clear-sky summertime period for a semiarid urban environment. To assess the relative importance of representing urban surfaces, three different urban parameterizations are used with the Noah and Noah-MP LSMs, respectively, over the two major cities of Arizona: Phoenix and Tucson metropolitan areas. Our results demonstrate that Noah-MP reproduces somewhat better than Noah the daily evolution of surface skin temperature and near-surface air temperature (especially nighttime temperature) and wind speed. Concerning the urban areas, bulk urban parameterization overestimates nighttime 2 m air temperature compared to the single-layer and multilayer UCMs that reproduce more accurately the daily evolution of near-surface air temperature. Regarding near-surface wind speed, only the multilayer UCM was able to reproduce realistically the daily evolution of wind speed, although maximum winds were slightly overestimated, while both the single-layer and bulk urban parameterizations overestimated wind speed considerably. Based on these results, this paper demonstrates that the new community Noah-MP LSM coupled to an UCM is a promising physics-based predictive modeling tool for urban applications.

Wind tunnel study of natural ventilation of building integrated photovoltaics double skin façade

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hudişteanu, Sebastian Valeriu; Popovici, Cătălin George; Cherecheş, Nelu-Cristian

2018-02-01

The paper presents a wind tunnel experimental analysis of a small-scale building model (1:30). The objective of the study is to determine the wind influence on the ventilation of a double skin façade channel (DSF) and the cooling effect over integrated photovoltaic panels. The tests were achieved by conceiving and implementation of an experimental program using a wind tunnel with atmospheric boundary layer. The effect of the wind over the ventilation of the horizontal channels of double skin façades is evaluated for different incident velocities. The results are generalized for the average steady state values of the velocities analysed. The experimental results put in evidence the correlation between the reference wind velocity and the dynamics of the air movement inside the double skin façade. These values are used to determine the convective heat transfer and the cooling effect of the air streams inside the channel upon the integrated photovoltaic panels. The decrease of the photovoltaic panels temperature determines a raise of 11% in efficiency and power generated.

Comparisons of the NASA ER-2 meteorological measurement system with radar tracking and radiosonde data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gaines, Steven E.; Bowen, Stuart W.; Hipskind, R. S.; Bui, T. P.; Chan, K. R.

1992-01-01

Measurements of aircraft longitude, latitude, and velocity, and measurements of atmospheric pressure, temperature, and horizontal wind from the meteorological measurement system (MMS) on board the NASA ER-2 aircraft were compared with independent measurements of these quantities from radiosondes and radar tracking of both the ER-2 and radiosonde balloons. In general, the comparisons were good and within the expected measurement accuracy and natural variability of the meteorological parameters. Radar tracking of the ER-2 resolved the velocity and position drift of the inertial navigation system (INS). The rms errors in the horizontal velocity components of the ER-2, due to INS errors, were found to be 0.5 m/s. The magnitude of the drift in longitude and latitude depends on the sign and magnitude of the corresponding component velocity drift and can be a few hundredths of a degree. The radar altitudes of the ER-2 and radiosondes were used as the basis for comparing measurements of atmospheric pressure, temperature, and horizontal wind from these two platforms. The uncertainty in the MMS horizontal wind measurement is estimated to be +/- 2.5 m/s. The accuracy of the MMS pressure and temperature measurements were inferred to be +/- 0.3 hPa and +/- 0.3 K.

Comprehensive Analysis of Two Downburst-Related Aircraft Accidents

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shen, J.; Parks, E. K.; Bach, R. E.

1996-01-01

Although downbursts have been identified as the major cause of a number of aircraft takeoff and landing accidents, only the 1985 Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) and the more recent (July 1994) Charlotte, North Carolina, landing accidents provided sufficient onboard recorded data to perform a comprehensive analysis of the downburst phenomenon. The first step in the present analysis was the determination of the downburst wind components. Once the wind components and their gradients were determined, the degrading effect of the wind environment on the airplane's performance was calculated. This wind-shear-induced aircraft performance degradation, sometimes called the F-factor, was broken down into two components F(sub 1) and F(sub 2), representing the effect of the horizontal wind gradient and the vertical wind velocity, respectively. In both the DFW and Charlotte cases, F(sub 1) was found to be the dominant causal factor of the accident. Next, the aircraft in the two cases were mathematically modeled using the longitudinal equations of motion and the appropriate aerodynamic parameters. Based on the aircraft model and the determined winds, the aircraft response to the recorded pilot inputs showed good agreement with the onboard recordings. Finally, various landing abort strategies were studied. It was concluded that the most acceptable landing abort strategy from both an analytical and pilot's standpoint was to hold constant nose-up pitch attitude while operating at maximum engine thrust.

Modeling Potential Tephra Dispersal at Yucca Mountain, Nevada

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hooper, D.; Franklin, N.; Adams, N.; Basu, D.

2006-12-01

Quaternary basaltic volcanoes exist within 20 km [12 mi] of the potential radioactive waste repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, and future basaltic volcanism at the repository is considered a low-probability, potentially high-consequence event. If radioactive waste was entrained in the conduit of a future volcanic event, tephra and waste could be transported in the resulting eruption plume. During an eruption, basaltic tephra would be dispersed primarily according to the height of the eruption column, particle-size distribution, and structure of the winds aloft. Following an eruption, contaminated tephra-fall deposits would be affected by surface redistribution processes. The Center for Nuclear Waste Regulatory Analyses developed the computer code TEPHRA to calculate atmospheric dispersion and subsequent deposition of tephra and spent nuclear fuel from a potential eruption at Yucca Mountain and to help prepare the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission to review a potential U.S. Department of Energy license application. The TEPHRA transport code uses the Suzuki model to simulate the thermo-fluid dynamics of atmospheric tephra dispersion. TEPHRA models the transport of airborne pyroclasts based on particle diffusion from an eruption column, horizontal diffusion of particles by atmospheric and plume turbulence, horizontal advection by atmospheric circulation, and particle settling by gravity. More recently, TEPHRA was modified to calculate potential tephra deposit distributions using stratified wind fields based on upper atmosphere data from the Nevada Test Site. Wind data are binned into 1-km [0.62-mi]-high intervals with coupled distributions of wind speed and direction produced for each interval. Using this stratified wind field and discretization with respect to height, TEPHRA calculates particle fall and lateral displacement for each interval. This implementation permits modeling of split wind fields. We use a parallel version of the code to calculate expected tephra and high-level waste accumulation at specified points on a two-dimensional spatial grid, thereby simulating a three- dimensional initial deposit. To assess subsequent tephra and high-level waste redistribution and resuspension, modeling grids were devised to measure deposition in eolian and fluvial source regions. The eolian grid covers an area of 2,600 km2 [1,000 mi2] and the fluvial grid encompasses 318 km2 [123 mi2] of the southernmost portion of the Fortymile Wash catchment basin. Because each realization is independent, distributions of tephra and high-level waste reflect anticipated variations in source-term and transport characteristics. This abstract is an independent product of the Center for Nuclear Waste Regulatory Analyses and does not necessarily reflect the view or regulatory position of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Performance characteristics of a wedge nozzle installed on an F-18 propulsion wind tunnel model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Petit, J. E.; Capone, F. J.

1979-01-01

The results of two-dimensional wedge non-axisymmetric nozzle (2D-AIN) tests to determine its performance relative to the baseline axisymmetric nozzle using an F-18 jet effects wind tunnel model are presented. Configurations and test conditions simulated forward thrust-minus drag, thrust vectoring/induced lift, and thrust reversing flight conditions from Mach .6 to 1.20 and attack angles up to 10 degrees. Results of the model test program indicate that non-axisymmetric nozzles can be installed on a twin engine fighter aircraft model with equivalent thrust minus drag performance as the baseline axisymmetric nozzles. Thrust vectoring capability of the non-axisymmetric nozzles provided significant jet-induced lift on the nozzle/aftbody and horizontal tail surfaces. Thrust reversing panels deployed from the 2D-AIN centerbody wedge were very effective for static and inflight operation

High resolution simulations of orographic flow over a complex terrain on the Southeast coast of Brazil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chou, S. C.; Zolino, M. M.; Gomes, J. L.; Bustamante, J. F.; Lima-e-Silva, P. P.

2012-04-01

The Eta Model is used operationally by CPTEC to produce weather forecasts over South America since 1997. The model has gone through upgrades. In order to prepare the model for operational higher resolution forecasts, the model is configured and tested over a region of complex topography located near the coast of Southeast Brazil. The Eta Model was configured, with 2-km horizontal resolution and 50 layers. The Eta-2km is a second nesting, it is driven by Eta-15km, which in its turn is driven by Era-Interim reanalyses. The model domain includes the two Brazilians cities, Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, urban areas, preserved tropical forest, pasture fields, and complex terrain and coastline. Mountains can rise up to about 700m. The region suffers frequent events of floods and landslides. The objective of this work is to evaluate high resolution simulations of wind and temperature in this complex area. Verification of model runs uses observations taken from the nuclear power plant. Accurate near-surface wind direction and magnitude are needed for the plant emergency plan and winds are highly sensitive to model spatial resolution and atmospheric stability. Verification of two cases during summer shows that model has clear diurnal cycle signal for wind in that region. The area is characterized by weak winds which makes the simulation more difficult. The simulated wind magnitude is about 1.5m/s, which is close to observations of about 2m/s; however, the observed change of wind direction of the sea breeze is fast whereas it is slow in the simulations. Nighttime katabatic flow is captured by the simulations. Comparison against Eta-5km runs show that the valley circulation is better described in the 2-km resolution run. Simulated temperatures follow closely the observed diurnal cycle. Experiments improving some surface conditions such as the surface temperature and land cover show simulation error reduction and improved diurnal cycle.

Ionospheric reflection coefficient for television signals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

From, W. R.

1984-08-01

It has been shown that the ionospherically reflected field strength for 50 MHz signals varies (statistically) in proportion to about the 18th power of f(0)E(s) at the midpoint between transmitter and receiver. This note is to point out that this observation provides support for the theory that the horizontal structure of E(s) is due to a horizontal variation in the wind shear rather than horizontal convergence of metallic ions or a horizontal variation in the metallic column content.

The impact of Doppler lidar wind observations on a single-level meteorological analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Riishojgaard, L. P.; Atlas, R.; Emmitt, G. D.

2001-01-01

Through the use of observation operators, modern data assimilation systems have the capability to ingest observations of quantities that are not themselves model variables, but are mathematically related to those variables. An example of this are the so-called LOS (line of sight) winds that a Doppler wind Lidar can provide. The model - or data assimilation system - needs information about both components of the horizontal wind vectors, whereas the observations in this case only provide the projection of the wind vector onto a given direction. The analyzed value is then calculated essentially based on a comparison between the observation itself and the model-simulated value of the observed quantity. However, in order to assess the expected impact of such an observing system, it is important to examine the extent to which a meteorological analysis can be constrained by the LOS winds. The answer to this question depends on the fundamental character of the atmospheric flow fields that are analyzed, but more importantly it also depends on the real and assumed error covariance characteristics of these fields. A single-level wind analysis system designed to explore these issues has been built at the NASA Data Assimilation Office. In this system, simulated wind observations can be evaluated in terms of their impact on the analysis quality under various assumptions about their spatial distribution and error characteristics and about the error covariance of the background fields. The basic design of the system will be presented along with experimental results obtained with it. In particular, the value of simultaneously measuring LOS winds along two different directions for a given location will be discussed.

Effects of wind waves on horizontal array performance in shallow-water conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zavol'skii, N. A.; Malekhanov, A. I.; Raevskii, M. A.; Smirnov, A. V.

2017-09-01

We analyze the influence of statistical effects of the propagation of an acoustic signal excited by a tone source in a shallow-water channel with a rough sea surface on the efficiency of a horizontal phased array. As the array characteristics, we consider the angular function of the array response for a given direction to the source and the coefficient of amplification of the signal-to-noise ratio (array gain). Numerical simulation was conducted in to the winter hydrological conditions of the Barents Sea in a wide range of parameters determining the spatial signal coherence. The results show the main physical effects of the influence of wind waves on the array characteristics and make it possible to quantitatively predict the efficiency of a large horizontal array in realistic shallow-water channels.

Modeling of Wake-vortex Aircraft Encounters. Appendix B

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, Sonya T.

1999-01-01

There are more people passing through the world's airports today than at any other time in history. With this increase in civil transport, airports are becoming capacity limited. In order to increase capacity and thus meet the demands of the flying public, the number of runways and number of flights per runway must be increased. In response to the demand, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), in conjunction with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), airport operators, and the airline industry are taking steps to increase airport capacity without jeopardizing safety. Increasing the production per runway increases the likelihood that an aircraft will encounter the trailing wake-vortex of another aircraft. The hazard of a wake-vortex encounter is that heavy load aircraft can produce high intensity wake turbulence, through the development of its wing-tip vortices. A smaller aircraft following in the wake of the heavy load aircraft will experience redistribution of its aerodynamic load. This creates a safety hazard for the smaller aircraft. Understanding this load redistribution is of great importance, particularly during landing and take-off. In this research wake-vortex effects on an encountering 10% scale model of the B737-100 aircraft are modeled using both strip theory and vortex-lattice modeling methods. The models are then compared to wind tunnel data that was taken in the 30ft x 60ft wind tunnel at NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC). Comparisons are made to determine if the models will have acceptable accuracy when parts of the geometry are removed, such as the horizontal stabilizer and the vertical tail. A sensitivity analysis was also performed to observe how accurately the models could match the experimental data if there was a 10% error in the circulation strength. It was determined that both models show accurate results when the wing, horizontal stabilizer, and vertical tail were a part of the geometry. When the horizontal stabilizer and vertical tail were removed there were difficulties modeling the sideforce coefficient and pitching moment. With the removal of only the vertical tail unacceptable errors occurred when modeling the sideforce coefficient and yawing moment. Lift could not be modeled with either the full geometry or the reduced geometry attempts.

Variation objective analyses for cyclone studies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Achtemeier, G. L.; Kidder, S. Q.; Ochs, H. T.

1985-01-01

The objectives were to: (1) develop an objective analysis technique that will maximize the information content of data available from diverse sources, with particular emphasis on the incorporation of observations from satellites with those from more traditional immersion techniques; and (2) to develop a diagnosis of the state of the synoptic scale atmosphere on a much finer scale over a much broader region than is presently possible to permit studies of the interactions and energy transfers between global, synoptic and regional scale atmospheric processes. The variational objective analysis model consists of the two horizontal momentum equations, the hydrostatic equation, and the integrated continuity equation for a dry hydrostatic atmosphere. Preliminary tests of the model with the SESMAE I data set are underway for 12 GMT 10 April 1979. At this stage of purpose of the analysis is not the diagnosis of atmospheric structures but rather the validation of the model. Model runs for rawinsonde data and with the precision modulus weights set to force most of the adjustment of the wind field to the mass field have produced 90 to 95 percent reductions in the imbalance of the initial data after only 4-cycles through the Euler-Lagrange equations. Sensitivity tests for linear stability of the 11 Euler-Lagrange equations that make up the VASP Model 1 indicate that there will be a lower limit to the scales of motion that can be resolved by this method. Linear stability criteria are violated where there is large horizontal wind shear near the upper tropospheric jet.

Evaluation of an I-box wind tunnel model for assessment of behavioral responses of blow flies.

PubMed

Moophayak, Kittikhun; Sukontason, Kabkaew L; Kurahashi, Hiromu; Vogtsberger, Roy C; Sukontason, Kom

2013-11-01

The behavioral response of flies to olfactory cues remains the focus of many investigations, and wind tunnels have sometimes been employed for assessment of this variable in the laboratory. In this study, our aim was to design, construct, and operate a new model of I-box wind tunnel with improved efficacy, highlighting the use of a new wind tunnel model to investigate the behavioral response of the medically important blow fly, Chrysomya megacephala (Fabricius). The I-box dual-choice wind tunnel designed for this study consists of seven conjoined compartments that resulted in a linear apparatus with clear glass tunnel of 30 × 30 × 190 cm ended both sides with wooden "fan compartments" which are equipped with adjustable fans as wind source. The clear glass tunnel consisted of two "stimulus compartments" with either presence or absence (control) of bait; two "trap compartments" where flies were attracted and allowed to reside; and one central "release compartment" where flies were introduced. Wind tunnel experiments were carried out in a temperature-controlled room, with a room light as a light source and a room-ventilated fan as odor-remover from tunnel out. Evaluation of testing parameters revealed that the highest attractive index was achieved with the use of 300 g of 1-day tainted pork scrap (pork meat mixed with offal) as bait in wind tunnel settings wind speed of 0.58 m/s, during 1.00-5.00 PM with light intensity of 341.33 lux from vertical light and 135.93 lux from horizontal light for testing a group of 60 flies. In addition, no significant response of well-fed and 24 h staved flies to this bait under these conditions was found. Results of this study supported this new wind tunnel model as a suitable apparatus for investigation of behavioral response of blow flies to bait chemical cues in the laboratory.

Earth Global Reference Atmospheric Model (Earth-GRAM) GRAM Virtual Meeting

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

White, Patrick

2017-01-01

What is Earth-GRAM? Provide monthly mean and standard deviation for any point in atmosphere; Monthly, Geographic, and Altitude Variation. Earth-GRAM is a C++ software package; Currently distributed as Earth-GRAM 2016. Atmospheric variables included: pressure, density, temperature, horizontal and vertical winds, speed of sound, and atmospheric constituents. Used by engineering community because of ability to create dispersions inatmosphere at a rapid runtime; Often embedded in trajectory simulation software. Not a forecast model. Does not readily capture localized atmospheric effects.

The Initialization of the Divergent Component of the Horizontal Wind in Mesoscale Numerical Weather Prediction Models and Its Effect on Initial Precipitation Rates.

DTIC Science & Technology

1979-05-01

jets in barotropic channel and hemispheric models. He used the following initializations: (1) geostrophic, (2) mass field in balance with the fully...equation. Operating on (2.12) with V x yields I__ + V . + Vx.V4 + V .f + V Vf + + fD + D (2.16) -x az + k.VZ x -i + kV7 x - V x Fr =0 With (2.6g), (2.15) can

A multivariate variational objective analysis-assimilation method. Part 1: Development of the basic model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Achtemeier, Gary L.; Ochs, Harry T., III

1988-01-01

The variational method of undetermined multipliers is used to derive a multivariate model for objective analysis. The model is intended for the assimilation of 3-D fields of rawinsonde height, temperature and wind, and mean level temperature observed by satellite into a dynamically consistent data set. Relative measurement errors are taken into account. The dynamic equations are the two nonlinear horizontal momentum equations, the hydrostatic equation, and an integrated continuity equation. The model Euler-Lagrange equations are eleven linear and/or nonlinear partial differential and/or algebraic equations. A cyclical solution sequence is described. Other model features include a nonlinear terrain-following vertical coordinate that eliminates truncation error in the pressure gradient terms of the horizontal momentum equations and easily accommodates satellite observed mean layer temperatures in the middle and upper troposphere. A projection of the pressure gradient onto equivalent pressure surfaces removes most of the adverse impacts of the lower coordinate surface on the variational adjustment.

Buoyancy forcing and the MOC: insights from experiments, simulations and global models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

White, B. L.; Passaggia, P. Y.; Zemskova, V.

2017-12-01

The driving forces behind the Meridional Overturning Circulation (MOC) have been widely debated, with wind-driven upwelling, surface buoyancy fluxes due to heating/cooling/freshwater input, and vertical diffusion due to turbulent mixing all thought to play significant roles. To explore the specific role of buoyancy forcing we present results from experiments and simulations of Horizontal Convection (HC), where a circulation is driven by differential buoyancy forcing applied along a horizontal surface. We interpret these results using energy budgets based on the local Available Potential Energy framework introduced in [Scotti and White, J. Fluid Mech., 2014]. We first describe HC experiments driven by the diffusion of salt in water across membranes localized at the surface, at Schmidt numbers {Sc}≈ 610 and Rayleigh numbers in the range 1012 < Ra=Δ b L3/(ν κ ) < 1017, where ν is the kinematic viscosity of water, κ is the diffusion coefficient of salt, L=[.5,2,5]m is the length of the different tanks and Δ b=g(ρ salt}-ρ {fresh}/ρ_{fresh is the reduced gravity difference. We show that the scaling follows a Nu ˜ Ra1/4 type scaling recently theorized by Shishkina et; al. (2016). We then present numerical results for rotating horizontal convection with a zonally re-entrant channel to represent the Southern Ocean branch of the MOC. While the zonal wind stress profile is important to the spatial pattern of the circulation, perhaps surprisingly, the energy budget shows only a weak dependence on the magnitude of the wind input, suggesting that surface APE generation by buoyancy forcing is dominant in driving the overturning circulation.

Mid-latitude ionospheric irregularity spectral density as determined by ground-based GPS receiver networks

DOE PAGES

Lay, Erin H.; Parker, Peter A.; Light, Max; ...

2018-05-22

In this paper, we present a new technique to experimentally measure the spatial spectrum of ionospheric disturbances in the spatial scale regime of 40 – 200 km. This technique produces a 2-dimensional (2-D) spectrum for each time snapshot over two dense GPS receiver networks (GEONET in Japan and PBO in the Western U.S.). Because this technique created the spectrum from an instantaneous time snapshot, no assumptions are needed about the speed of ionospheric irregularities. We examine spectra from three days: one with an intense geomagnetic storm, one with significant lightning activity, and one quiet day. Radial slices along the 2-Dmore » spectra provide 1-dimensional spectra that can be fit to a power law to quantify the steepness of the fall-off in the spatial scale sizes. Continuous data of this type in a stationary location allows monitoring the variability in the 2-D spectrum over the course of a day and comparing between days, as shown here, or even over a year or many years. We find that the spectra are highly variable over the course of a day and between the two selected regions of Japan and the Western U.S. When strong travelling ionospheric disturbances (TIDs) are present, the 2-D spectra provide information about the direction of propagation of the TIDs. We compare the TID propagation direction with horizontal wind directions from the Horizontal Wind Model. Finally, TID direction is correlated with the horizontal wind direction on all days, strongly indicating that the primary source of the TIDs measured by this technique is tropospheric.« less

Mid-latitude ionospheric irregularity spectral density as determined by ground-based GPS receiver networks

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lay, Erin H.; Parker, Peter A.; Light, Max

In this paper, we present a new technique to experimentally measure the spatial spectrum of ionospheric disturbances in the spatial scale regime of 40 – 200 km. This technique produces a 2-dimensional (2-D) spectrum for each time snapshot over two dense GPS receiver networks (GEONET in Japan and PBO in the Western U.S.). Because this technique created the spectrum from an instantaneous time snapshot, no assumptions are needed about the speed of ionospheric irregularities. We examine spectra from three days: one with an intense geomagnetic storm, one with significant lightning activity, and one quiet day. Radial slices along the 2-Dmore » spectra provide 1-dimensional spectra that can be fit to a power law to quantify the steepness of the fall-off in the spatial scale sizes. Continuous data of this type in a stationary location allows monitoring the variability in the 2-D spectrum over the course of a day and comparing between days, as shown here, or even over a year or many years. We find that the spectra are highly variable over the course of a day and between the two selected regions of Japan and the Western U.S. When strong travelling ionospheric disturbances (TIDs) are present, the 2-D spectra provide information about the direction of propagation of the TIDs. We compare the TID propagation direction with horizontal wind directions from the Horizontal Wind Model. Finally, TID direction is correlated with the horizontal wind direction on all days, strongly indicating that the primary source of the TIDs measured by this technique is tropospheric.« less

PIV and Hotwire Measurement and Analysis of Tip Vortices and Turbulent Wake Generated by a Model Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Green, D.; Tan, Y. M.; Chamorro, L. P.; Arndt, R.; Sotiropoulos, F.; Sheng, J.

2011-12-01

Understanding vortical flow structures and turbulence in the wake flow behind a Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine (HAWT) has widespread applications in efficient blade design. Moreover, the knowledge of wake-turbine interactions allows us to devise optimal operational parameters, such as the spatial allocation and control algorithms of wind turbines, for a densely populated wind farm. To understand the influence of tip vortices on energy containing mean flow and turbulence, characteristics of vortical structures and turbulence must be quantified thoroughly. In this study, we conduct phase-locked Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) measurements of the flow before and after a model HAWT, which is located in a zero-pressure gradient wind tunnel with a cross section of 1.7 × 1.7 m and a test section of 16 m in length. A three-blade model HAWT with a diameter of 605 mm and tip-speed ratio of 5 is used. PIV images are recorded by a 2048 × 2048 CCD camera and streamed at 6 Hz continuously; and phased locked with the passage of the blade at its vertical position. Each PIV measurement covers a 0.13 × 0.13 m2 sample area with the spatial resolution of 63 μm and a vector spacing of 0.5 mm. All experiments are conducted at the free-stream wind speed of 10 m/s. Flow fields at thirty consecutive downstream locations up to six rotor diameters and 144 mid chord lengths are measured. At each location, we obtain at least 10,000 instantaneous PIV realizations or 20,000 images. Three different configurations: single, dual, and trio turbines located at 5 rotor diameter upstream to each other, are examined experimentally. The flow statistics include mean wake velocity distributions, characteristics of tip vortices evolving downstream, fluctuation velocity, turbulent kinetic energy, stresses, and energy spectra. We find that tip vortices decay much faster in the wake of the upstream turbines (multiple-turbine configurations), whereas they maintain the coherence and strength behind a single turbine. The tip vortices entrain the high speed free-stream fluids and subsequently replenish the loss of momentum into the wake. Such a mechanism is greatly mitigated in the multiple-turbine scenarios. On-going analysis is to elucidate the generation, evolution and dissipation of the tip vortices in the various configurations.

Development of Wind Speed Retrieval from Cross-Polarization Chinese Gaofen-3 Synthetic Aperture Radar in Typhoons

PubMed Central

Yuan, Xinzhe; Sun, Jian; Zhou, Wei; Zhang, Qingjun

2018-01-01

The purpose of our work is to determine the feasibility and effectiveness of retrieving sea surface wind speeds from C-band cross-polarization (herein vertical-horizontal, VH) Chinese Gaofen-3 (GF-3) SAR images in typhoons. In this study, we have collected three GF-3 SAR images acquired in Global Observation (GLO) and Wide ScanSAR (WSC) mode during the summer of 2017 from the China Sea, which includes the typhoons Noru, Doksuri and Talim. These images were collocated with wind simulations at 0.12° grids from a numeric model, called the Regional Assimilation and Prediction System-Typhoon model (GRAPES-TYM). Recent research shows that GRAPES-TYM has a good performance for typhoon simulation in the China Sea. Based on the dataset, the dependence of wind speed and of radar incidence angle on normalized radar cross (NRCS) of VH-polarization GF-3 SAR have been investigated, after which an empirical algorithm for wind speed retrieval from VH-polarization GF-3 SAR was tuned. An additional four VH-polarization GF-3 SAR images in three typhoons, Noru, Hato and Talim, were investigated in order to validate the proposed algorithm. SAR-derived winds were compared with measurements from Windsat winds at 0.25° grids with wind speeds up to 40 m/s, showing a 5.5 m/s root mean square error (RMSE) of wind speed and an improved RMSE of 5.1 m/s wind speed was achieved compared with the retrieval results validated against GRAPES-TYM winds. It is concluded that the proposed algorithm is a promising potential technique for strong wind retrieval from cross-polarization GF-3 SAR images without encountering a signal saturation problem. PMID:29385068

A 20-KW Wind Energy Conversion System (WECS) at the Marine Corps Air Station, Kaneohe, Hawaii.

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-01-01

of propellers and that vertical-axis wind turbines would be more efficient. Several turbines such as the Darrieus and gyro-mill, of this type are... wind turbines , wind systems siting, alternate energy systems, remote site power generation. 20 ABSTRACT (Con!,,u,. - r r... .. do I(3 lI - d #,d e...Corps Air Station (MCAS) Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii. The wind turbine generator chosen for the evaluation was a horizontal-axis-propeller- downwind rotor

Earth Global Reference Atmospheric Model (GRAM) Overview and Updates: DOLWG Meeting

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

White, Patrick

2017-01-01

What is Earth-GRAM (Global Reference Atmospheric Model): Provides monthly mean and standard deviation for any point in atmosphere - Monthly, Geographic, and Altitude Variation; Earth-GRAM is a C++ software package - Currently distributed as Earth-GRAM 2016; Atmospheric variables included: pressure, density, temperature, horizontal and vertical winds, speed of sound, and atmospheric constituents; Used by engineering community because of ability to create dispersions in atmosphere at a rapid runtime - Often embedded in trajectory simulation software; Not a forecast model; Does not readily capture localized atmospheric effects.

Coupled mesoscale-LES modeling of a diurnal cycle during the CWEX-13 field campaign: From weather to boundary-layer eddies

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Munoz-Esparza, Domingo; Lundquist, Julie K.; Sauer, Jeremy A.

Multiscale modeling of a diurnal cycle of real-world conditions is presented for the first time, validated using data from the CWEX-13 field experiment. Dynamical downscaling from synoptic-scale down to resolved three-dimensional eddies in the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) was performed, spanning 4 orders of magnitude in horizontal grid resolution: from 111 km down to 8.2 m (30 m) in stable (convective) conditions. Computationally efficient mesoscale-to-microscale transition was made possible by the generalized cell perturbation method with time-varying parameters derived from mesoscale forcing conditions, which substantially reduced the fetch to achieve fully developed turbulence. In addition, careful design of the simulationsmore » was made to inhibit the presence of under-resolved convection at convection-resolving mesoscale resolution and to ensure proper turbulence representation in stably-stratified conditions. Comparison to in situ wind-profiling lidar and near-surface sonic anemometer measurements demonstrated the ability to reproduce the ABL structure throughout the entire diurnal cycle with a high degree of fidelity. The multiscale simulations exhibit realistic atmospheric features such as convective rolls and global intermittency. Also, the diurnal evolution of turbulence was accurately simulated, with probability density functions of resolved turbulent velocity fluctuations nearly identical to the lidar measurements. Explicit representation of turbulence in the stably-stratified ABL was found to provide the right balance with larger scales, resulting in the development of intra-hour variability as observed by the wind lidar; this variability was not captured by the mesoscale model. Furthermore, multiscale simulations improved mean ABL characteristics such as horizontal velocity, vertical wind shear, and turbulence.« less

Coupled mesoscale-LES modeling of a diurnal cycle during the CWEX-13 field campaign: From weather to boundary-layer eddies

DOE PAGES

Munoz-Esparza, Domingo; Lundquist, Julie K.; Sauer, Jeremy A.; ...

2017-04-25

Multiscale modeling of a diurnal cycle of real-world conditions is presented for the first time, validated using data from the CWEX-13 field experiment. Dynamical downscaling from synoptic-scale down to resolved three-dimensional eddies in the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) was performed, spanning 4 orders of magnitude in horizontal grid resolution: from 111 km down to 8.2 m (30 m) in stable (convective) conditions. Computationally efficient mesoscale-to-microscale transition was made possible by the generalized cell perturbation method with time-varying parameters derived from mesoscale forcing conditions, which substantially reduced the fetch to achieve fully developed turbulence. In addition, careful design of the simulationsmore » was made to inhibit the presence of under-resolved convection at convection-resolving mesoscale resolution and to ensure proper turbulence representation in stably-stratified conditions. Comparison to in situ wind-profiling lidar and near-surface sonic anemometer measurements demonstrated the ability to reproduce the ABL structure throughout the entire diurnal cycle with a high degree of fidelity. The multiscale simulations exhibit realistic atmospheric features such as convective rolls and global intermittency. Also, the diurnal evolution of turbulence was accurately simulated, with probability density functions of resolved turbulent velocity fluctuations nearly identical to the lidar measurements. Explicit representation of turbulence in the stably-stratified ABL was found to provide the right balance with larger scales, resulting in the development of intra-hour variability as observed by the wind lidar; this variability was not captured by the mesoscale model. Furthermore, multiscale simulations improved mean ABL characteristics such as horizontal velocity, vertical wind shear, and turbulence.« less

A stationary phase solution for mountain waves with application to mesospheric mountain waves generated by Auckland Island

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Broutman, Dave; Eckermann, Stephen D.; Knight, Harold; Ma, Jun

2017-01-01

A relatively general stationary phase solution is derived for mountain waves from localized topography. It applies to hydrostatic, nonhydrostatic, or anelastic dispersion relations, to arbitrary localized topography, and to arbitrary smooth vertically varying background temperature and vector wind profiles. A simple method is introduced to compute the ray Jacobian that quantifies the effects of horizontal geometrical spreading in the stationary phase solution. The stationary phase solution is applied to mesospheric mountain waves generated by Auckland Island during the Deep Propagating Gravity Wave Experiment. The results are compared to a Fourier solution. The emphasis is on interpretations involving horizontal geometrical spreading. The results show larger horizontal geometrical spreading for nonhydrostatic waves than for hydrostatic waves in the region directly above the island; the dominant effect of horizontal geometrical spreading in the lower ˜30 km of the atmosphere, compared to the effects of refraction and background density variation; and the enhanced geometrical spreading due to directional wind in the approach to a critical layer in the mesosphere.

Dynamical downscaling of wind fields for wind power applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mengelkamp, H.-T.; Huneke, S.; Geyer, J.

2010-09-01

Dynamical downscaling of wind fields for wind power applications H.-T. Mengelkamp*,**, S. Huneke**, J, Geyer** *GKSS Research Center Geesthacht GmbH **anemos Gesellschaft für Umweltmeteorologie mbH Investments in wind power require information on the long-term mean wind potential and its temporal variations on daily to annual and decadal time scales. This information is rarely available at specific wind farm sites. Short-term on-site measurements usually are only performed over a 12 months period. These data have to be set into the long-term perspective through correlation to long-term consistent wind data sets. Preliminary wind information is often asked for to select favourable wind sites over regional and country wide scales. Lack of high-quality wind measurements at weather stations was the motivation to start high resolution wind field simulations The simulations are basically a refinement of global scale reanalysis data by means of high resolution simulations with an atmospheric mesoscale model using high-resolution terrain and land-use data. The 3-dimensional representation of the atmospheric state available every six hours at 2.5 degree resolution over the globe, known as NCAR/NCEP reanalysis data, forms the boundary conditions for continuous simulations with the non-hydrostatic atmospheric mesoscale model MM5. MM5 is nested in itself down to a horizontal resolution of 5 x 5 km². The simulation is performed for different European countries and covers the period 2000 to present and is continuously updated. Model variables are stored every 10 minutes for various heights. We have analysed the wind field primarily. The wind data set is consistent in space and time and provides information on the regional distribution of the long-term mean wind potential, the temporal variability of the wind potential, the vertical variation of the wind potential, and the temperature, and pressure distribution (air density). In the context of wind power these data are used • as an initial estimate of wind and energy potential • for the long-term correlation of wind measurements and turbine production data • to provide wind potential maps on a regional to country wide scale • to provide input data sets for simulation models • to determine the spatial correlation of the wind field in portfolio calculations • to calculate the wind turbine energy loss during prescribed downtimes • to provide information on the temporal variations of the wind and wind turbine energy production The time series of wind speed and wind direction are compared to measurements at offshore and onshore locations.

Evidence for Weak Crustal Magnetic Fields over the Hellas, Chryse, and Acidalia Planitiae

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, C. O.; Mitchell, D. L.; Lillis, R.; Lin, R. P.; Reme, H.; Cloutier, P. A.; Acuna, M. H.

2003-04-01

The Electron Reflectometer (ER) onboard Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) detected a plasma boundary between the ionosphere and the solar wind as the latter is diverted around and past the planet [Mitchell et al., GRL, 27, 1871, 2000; Mitchell et al., JGR, 106, 23419, 2001]. Above this boundary the 10-1000 eV electron population is dominated by solar wind electrons, while below the boundary it is dominated by ionospheric photoelectrons. This "photoelectron boundary", or PEB, is sensitive to pressure variations and moves vertically in response to changes in the ionospheric pressure from below and the solar wind pressure from above. The PEB is also sensitive to crustal magnetic fields, which locally increase the total ionospheric pressure and positively bias the PEB altitude. We have empirically modeled and removed systematic variations in the PEB altitude associated with the solar wind interaction, thus isolating perturbations caused by crustal magnetic fields. A map of the PEB altitude perturbations closely resembles maps of the horizontal component of the crustal magnetic field measured at 400 km by the MGS Magnetometer (MAG). We find a PEB altitude bias over the Hellas basin that is consistent with a horizontal magnetic field with an intensity of several nanotesla at 400 km altitude. This is compatible with upper limits to the horizontal crustal field strength set by MGS MAG measurements. Since there is no evidence for significant crustal magnetic sources within the basin from MAG data obtained during aerobraking [Acuna et al. Science, 284, 790, 1999] or from electron reflection data obtained in the mapping orbit [Lillis et al., this conference], the most likely explanation is that the observed horizontal field originates from sources around the Hellas perimeter. No detectable PEB or magnetic signature is observed over the younger Argyre and Isidis Basins. There is also evidence for a significant enhancement (several nanoteslas) in the crustal field strength over Chryse Planitia and much of Acidalia Planitia, which are thought to contain hundreds of meters of material from the main outflow channels on Mars [Carr, Lunar Planetary Sci., 18, 155, 1987]. These fields appear to extend northward from a group of crustal magnetic sources along the dichotomy boundary that were mapped by the MGS Magnetometer.

MISTiC Winds, a Micro-Satellite Constellation Approach to High Resolution Observations of the Atmosphere Using Infrared Sounding and 3D Winds Measurements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Maschhoff, K. R.; Polizotti, J. J.; Aumann, H. H.; Susskind, J.

2016-01-01

MISTiC(TM) Winds is an approach to improve short-term weather forecasting based on a miniature high resolution, wide field, thermal emission spectrometry instrument that will provide global tropospheric vertical profiles of atmospheric temperature and humidity at high (3-4 km) horizontal and vertical ( 1 km) spatial resolution. MISTiCs extraordinarily small size, payload mass of less than 15 kg, and minimal cooling requirements can be accommodated aboard a 27U-class CubeSat or an ESPA-Class micro-satellite. Low fabrication and launch costs enable a LEO sunsynchronous sounding constellation that would collectively provide frequent IR vertical profiles and vertically resolved atmospheric motion vector wind observations in the troposphere. These observations are highly complementary to present and emerging environmental observing systems, and would provide a combination of high vertical and horizontal resolution not provided by any other environmental observing system currently in operation. The spectral measurements that would be provided by MISTiC Winds are similar to those of NASA's AIRS that was built by BAE Systems and operates aboard the AQUA satellite. These new observations, when assimilated into high resolution numerical weather models, would revolutionize short-term and severe weather forecasting, save lives, and support key economic decisions in the energy, air transport, and agriculture arenasat much lower cost than providing these observations from geostationary orbit. In addition, this observation capability would be a critical tool for the study of transport processes for water vapor, clouds, pollution, and aerosols. Key remaining technical risks are being reduced through laboratory and airborne testing under NASA's Instrument Incubator Program.

MISTiC Winds, a Micro-Satellite Constellation Approach to High Resolution Observations of the Atmosphere using Infrared Sounding and 3D Winds Measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maschhoff, K. R.; Polizotti, J. J.; Susskind, J.; Aumann, H. H.

2015-12-01

MISTiCTM Winds is an approach to improve short-term weather forecasting based on a miniature high resolution, wide field, thermal emission spectrometry instrument that will provide global tropospheric vertical profiles of atmospheric temperature and humidity at high (3-4 km) horizontal and vertical ( 1 km) spatial resolution. MISTiC's extraordinarily small size, payload mass of less than 15 kg, and minimal cooling requirements can be accommodated aboard a 27U-class CubeSat or an ESPA-Class micro-satellite. Low fabrication and launch costs enable a LEO sun-synchronous sounding constellation that would collectively provide frequent IR vertical profiles and vertically resolved atmospheric motion vector wind observations in the troposphere. These observations are highly complementary to present and emerging environmental observing systems, and would provide a combination of high vertical and horizontal resolution not provided by any other environmental observing system currently in operation. The spectral measurements that would be provided by MISTiC Winds are similar to those of NASA's Atmospheric Infrared Sounder that was built by BAE Systems and operates aboard the AQUA satellite. These new observations, when assimilated into high resolution numerical weather models, would revolutionize short-term and severe weather forecasting, save lives, and support key economic decisions in the energy, air transport, and agriculture arenas-at much lower cost than providing these observations from geostationary orbit. In addition, this observation capability would be a critical tool for the study of transport processes for water vapor, clouds, pollution, and aerosols. Key technical risks are being reduced through laboratory and airborne testing under NASA's Instrument Incubator Program.

MISTiC Winds: A micro-satellite constellation approach to high resolution observations of the atmosphere using infrared sounding and 3D winds measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maschhoff, K. R.; Polizotti, J. J.; Aumann, H. H.; Susskind, J.

2016-09-01

MISTiCTM Winds is an approach to improve short-term weather forecasting based on a miniature high resolution, wide field, thermal emission spectrometry instrument that will provide global tropospheric vertical profiles of atmospheric temperature and humidity at high (3-4 km) horizontal and vertical ( 1 km) spatial resolution. MISTiC's extraordinarily small size, payload mass of less than 15 kg, and minimal cooling requirements can be accommodated aboard a 27U-class CubeSat or an ESPA-Class micro-satellite. Low fabrication and launch costs enable a LEO sunsynchronous sounding constellation that would collectively provide frequent IR vertical profiles and vertically resolved atmospheric motion vector wind observations in the troposphere. These observations are highly complementary to present and emerging environmental observing systems, and would provide a combination of high vertical and horizontal resolution not provided by any other environmental observing system currently in operation. The spectral measurements that would be provided by MISTiC Winds are similar to those of NASA's AIRS that was built by BAE Systems and operates aboard the AQUA satellite. These new observations, when assimilated into high resolution numerical weather models, would revolutionize short-term and severe weather forecasting, save lives, and support key economic decisions in the energy, air transport, and agriculture arenas-at much lower cost than providing these observations from geostationary orbit. In addition, this observation capability would be a critical tool for the study of transport processes for water vapor, clouds, pollution, and aerosols. Key remaining technical risks are being reduced through laboratory and airborne testing under NASA's Instrument Incubator Program.

Mistic winds, a microsatellite constellation approach to high-resolution observations of the atmosphere using infrared sounding and 3d winds measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maschhoff, K. R.; Polizotti, J. J.; Aumann, H. H.; Susskind, J.

2016-10-01

MISTiC Winds is an approach to improve short-term weather forecasting based on a miniature high resolution, wide field, thermal emission spectrometry instrument that will provide global tropospheric vertical profiles of atmospheric temperature and humidity at high (3-4 km) horizontal and vertical ( 1 km) spatial resolution. MISTiC's extraordinarily small size, payload mass of less than 15 kg, and minimal cooling requirements can be accommodated aboard a 27U-class CubeSat or an ESPA-Class micro-satellite. Low fabrication and launch costs enable a LEO sunsynchronous sounding constellation that would collectively provide frequent IR vertical profiles and vertically resolved atmospheric motion vector wind observations in the troposphere. These observations are highly complementary to present and emerging environmental observing systems, and would provide a combination of high vertical and horizontal resolution not provided by any other environmental observing system currently in operation. The spectral measurements that would be provided by MISTiC Winds are similar to those of NASA's AIRS that was built by BAE Systems and operates aboard the AQUA satellite. These new observations, when assimilated into high resolution numerical weather models, would revolutionize short-term and severe weather forecasting, save lives, and support key economic decisions in the energy, air transport, and agriculture arenas-at much lower cost than providing these observations from geostationary orbit. In addition, this observation capability would be a critical tool for the study of transport processes for water vapor, clouds, pollution, and aerosols. Key remaining technical risks are being reduced through laboratory and airborne testing under NASA's Instrument Incubator Program.

Linking Horizontal And Vertical Transports of Biomass Fire Emissions to the Tropical Atlantic Ozone Paradox during the Northern Hemisphere Winter Season: II. 1998-1999.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jenkins, Gregory S.; Ryu, Jung-Hee; Thompson, Anne M.; Witte, Jacquelyn C.

2002-01-01

The horizontal and vertical transport of biomass fire emissions in West Africa during November 1998 through February 1999, are examined using all available data including wind, fire, aerosol, precipitation, lightning and outgoing longwave radiation. Ozonesonde data from the Aerosols99 Trans-Atlantic cruise are also included with rain and wind analyses. The results here support earlier studies that ozone and ozone precursors associated with biomass burning are confined to the lower troposphere primarily due to the lack of deep convection over land areas. Ozone and its precursors are horizontally transported equatorward or towards the west by winds in the 1000-700 hPa layers. However, rising adiabatic motions associated with the diurnal evolution of the West African n can transport ozone and its precursors vertically into the free troposphere above the marine boundary layer. Moreover, lightning from South America, Central Africa and mesoscale convective systems in the Gulf of Guinea can lead to elevated ozone mixing ratios in the middle and upper troposphere.

Implementation of a state of the art automated system for the production of cloud/water vapor motion winds from geostationary satellites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Velden, Christopher S.

1994-01-01

The thrust of the proposed effort under this contract is aimed at improving techniques to track water vapor data in sequences of imagery from geostationary satellites. In regards to this task, significant testing, evaluation, and progress was accomplished during this period. Sets of winds derived from Meteosat data were routinely produced during Atlantic hurricane events in the 1993 season. These wind sets were delivered via Internet in real time to the Hurricane Research Division in Miami for their evaluation in a track forecast model. For eighteen cases in which 72-hour forecasts were produced, thirteen resulted in track forecast improvements (some quite significant). In addition, quality-controlled Meteosat water vapor winds produced by NESDIS were validated against rawinsondes, yielding an 8 m/s RMS. This figure is comparable to upper-level cloud drift wind accuracies. Given the complementary horizontal coverage in cloud-free areas, we believe that water vapor vectors can supplement cloud-drift wind information to provide good full-disk coverage of the upper tropospheric flow. The impact of these winds on numerical analysis and forecasts will be tested in the next reporting period.

The Santa Barbara Channel - Santa Maria Basin Study: Wind Measurements and Modeling Resolving Coastal Mesoscale Meteorology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dorman, C. E.; Koracin, D.

2002-12-01

The importance of winds in driving the coastal ocean has long been recognized. Pre-World War II literature links wind stress and wind stress curl to coastal ocean responses. Nevertheless, direct measurements plausibly representative of a coastal area are few. Multiple observations on the scale of the simplest mesoscale atmospheric structure, such as the cross-coast variation along a linear coast, are even less frequent. The only wind measurements that we are aware of in a complicated coastal area backed by higher topography are in the MMS sponsored, Santa Barbara Channel/Santa Marina basin study. Taking place from 1994 to present, this study had an unheard of dense surface automated meteorological station array of up to 5 meteorological buoys, 4 oil platforms, 2 island stations, and 11 coastal stations within 1 km of the beach. Most of the land stations are maintained by other projects. Only a large, a well funded project with backed by an agency with the long-view could dedicate the resources and effort into filling the mesoscale "holes" and maintaining long-term, remotely located stations. The result of the MMS funded project is a sufficiently dense surface station array to resolve the along-coast and cross-coast atmospheric mesoscale wind structure. Great temporal and spatial variation is found in the wind, wind stress and the wind stress curl, during the extended summer season. The MM5 atmospheric mesoscale model with appropriate boundary layer physics and high-resolution horizontal and vertical grid structure successfully simulates the measured wind field from large scale down to the lower end of the mesoscale. Atmospheric models without appropriate resolution and boundary layer physics fail to capture significant mesoscale wind features. Satellite microwave wind measurements generally capture the offshore synoptic scale temporal and spatial scale in twice-a-day snap shots but fail in the crucial, innermost coastal waters and the diurnal scale.

Weather Sensors from Spain on Mars Rover Curiosity

NASA Image and Video Library

2010-11-30

Sensors on two finger-like mini-booms extending horizontally from the mast of NASA Mars rover Curiosity will monitor wind speed, wind direction and air temperature; image taken during installation of the instrument inside a clean room at NASA JPL.

Solar wind driven empirical forecast models of the time derivative of the ground magnetic field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wintoft, Peter; Wik, Magnus; Viljanen, Ari

2015-03-01

Empirical models are developed to provide 10-30-min forecasts of the magnitude of the time derivative of local horizontal ground geomagnetic field (|dBh/dt|) over Europe. The models are driven by ACE solar wind data. A major part of the work has been devoted to the search and selection of datasets to support the model development. To simplify the problem, but at the same time capture sudden changes, 30-min maximum values of |dBh/dt| are forecast with a cadence of 1 min. Models are tested both with and without the use of ACE SWEPAM plasma data. It is shown that the models generally capture sudden increases in |dBh/dt| that are associated with sudden impulses (SI). The SI is the dominant disturbance source for geomagnetic latitudes below 50° N and with minor contribution from substorms. However, at occasions, large disturbances can be seen associated with geomagnetic pulsations. For higher latitudes longer lasting disturbances, associated with substorms, are generally also captured. It is also shown that the models using only solar wind magnetic field as input perform in most cases equally well as models with plasma data. The models have been verified using different approaches including the extremal dependence index which is suitable for rare events.

Wind driven vertical transport in a vegetated, wetland water column with air-water gas exchange

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Poindexter, C.; Variano, E. A.

2010-12-01

Flow around arrays of cylinders at low and intermediate Reynolds numbers has been studied numerically, analytically and experimentally. Early results demonstrated that at flow around randomly oriented cylinders exhibits reduced turbulent length scales and reduced diffusivity when compared to similarly forced, unimpeded flows (Nepf 1999). While horizontal dispersion in flows through cylinder arrays has received considerable research attention, the case of vertical dispersion of reactive constituents has not. This case is relevant to the vertical transfer of dissolved gases in wetlands with emergent vegetation. We present results showing that the presence of vegetation can significantly enhance vertical transport, including gas transfer across the air-water interface. Specifically, we study a wind-sheared air-water interface in which randomly arrayed cylinders represent emergent vegetation. Wind is one of several processes that may govern physical dispersion of dissolved gases in wetlands. Wind represents the dominant force for gas transfer across the air-water interface in the ocean. Empirical relationships between wind and the gas transfer coefficient, k, have been used to estimate spatial variability of CO2 exchange across the worlds’ oceans. Because wetlands with emergent vegetation are different from oceans, different model of wind effects is needed. We investigated the vertical transport of dissolved oxygen in a scaled wetland model built inside a laboratory tank equipped with an open-ended wind tunnel. Plastic tubing immersed in water to a depth of approximately 40 cm represented emergent vegetation of cylindrical form such as hard-stem bulrush (Schoenoplectus acutus). After partially removing the oxygen from the tank water via reaction with sodium sulfite, we used an optical probe to measure dissolved oxygen at mid-depth as the tank water re-equilibrated with the air above. We used dissolved oxygen time-series for a range of mean wind speeds to estimate the gas transfer coefficient, k, for both a vegetated condition and a control condition (no cylinders). The presence of cylinders in the tank substantially increased the rate of the gas transfer. For the highest wind speed, the gas transfer coefficient was several times higher when cylinders were present compared to when they were not. The gas transfer coefficient for the vegetated condition also proved sensitive to wind speed, increasing markedly with increasing mean wind speeds. Profiles of dissolved oxygen revealed well-mixed conditions in the bulk water column following prolonged air-flow above the water surface, suggesting application of the thin-film model is appropriate. The enhanced gas exchange observed might be explained by increased turbulent kinetic energy within the water column and the anisotropy of the cylinder array, which constrains horizontal motions more than vertical motions. Improved understanding of gas exchange in vegetated water columns may be of particularly use to investigations of carbon fluxes and soil accretion in wetlands. Reference: Nepf, H. (1999), Drag, turbulence, and diffusion in flow through emergent vegetation, Water Resour. Res., 35(2), 479-489.

Propagation of gravity waves across the tropopause

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bense, Vera; Spichtinger, Peter

2015-04-01

The tropopause region is characterised by strong gradients in various atmospheric quantities that exhibit different properties in the troposphere compared to the stratosphere. The temperature lapse rate typically changes from negative to near-zero values resulting in a strong increase in stability. Accordingly, the buoyancy frequency often undergoes a jump at the tropopause. Analysis of radiosounding data also shows the existence of a strong inversion layer (tropopause inversion layer, TIL) characterised by a strong maximum in buoyancy frequency just above the tropopause, see e.g. Birner et al. (2002). Additionally, the magnitude of the vertical wind shear of the horizontal wind maximizes at the tropopause and the region also exhibits characteristical gradients of trace gases. Vertically propagating gravity waves can be excited in the troposphere by several mechanisms, e.g. by flow over topography (e.g. Durran, 1990), by jets and fronts (for a recent review: Plougonven and Zhang, 1990) or by convection (e.g. Clark et al., 1986). When these waves enter the tropopause region, their properties can be changed drastically by the changing stratification and strong wind shear. Within this work, the EULAG (Eulerian/semi-Lagrangian fluid solver, see e.g. Smolarkiewicz and Margolin, 1997) model is used to investigate the impact of the tropopause on vertically propagating gravity waves excited by flows over topography. The choice of topography (sine-shaped mountains, bell-shaped mountain) along with horizontal wind speed and tropospheric value of buoyancy frequency determine the spectrum of waves (horizontal and vertical wavelengths) that is excited in the tropsphere. In order to analyse how these spectra change for several topographies when a tropopause is present, we investigate different idealized cases in a two-dimensional domain. By varying the vertical profiles of buoyancy frequency (step-wise vs. continuos change, including TIL) and wind shear, the tropopause characteristics are changed and the impact on vertically propagating gravity waves, such as change in wavelength, partial reflection or wave trapping can be studied. References Birner, T., A. Doernbrack, and U. Schumann, 2002: How sharp is the tropopause at midlatitudes?, Geophys. Res. Lett., 29, 1700, doi:10.1029/2002GL015142. Durran, D.R., 1990: Mountain Waves and Downslope Winds, Atmospheric Processes over Complex Terrain. Meteorological Monographs, Vol 23, No. 45 Plougonven, R. and F. Zhang, 2013: Gravity Waves From Atmospheric Jets and Fronts. Rev. Geophys. doi:10.1002/2012RG000419 Clark, T., T. Hauf, and J. Kuettner, 1986: Convectively forced internal gravity waves: results from two- dimensional numerical experiments, Q.J.R. Meteorol. Soc., 112, 899-925. Smolarkiewicz, P. and L. Margolin, 1997.: On forward-in-time differencing for fluids: an Eulerian/Semi- Lagrangian non-hydrostatic model for stratified flows, Atmos.-Ocean., 35, 127-152.

Feasibility study of wind-generated electricity for rural applications in southwestern Ohio

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kohring, G. W.

The parameters associated with domestic production of wind generated electricity for direct use by small farms and rural homes in the southwestern Ohio region are discussed. The project involves direct utility interfaced electricity generation from a horizontal axis, down-wind, fixed pitch, wind powered induction generator system. Goals of the project are to determine: the ability to produce useful amounts of domestic wind generated electricity in the southwestern Ohio region; economic justification for domestic wind generated electrical production; and the potential of domestic wind generated electricity for reducing dependence on non-renewable energy resources in the southwestern Ohio region.

Dynamic analysis of horizontal axis wind turbine by thin-walled beam theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Jianhong; Qin, Datong; Lim, Teik C.

2010-08-01

A mixed flexible-rigid multi-body mathematical model is applied to predict the dynamic performance of a wind turbine system. Since the tower and rotor are both flexible thin-walled structures, a consistent expression for their deformations is applied, which employs a successive series of transformations to locate any point on the blade and tower relative to an inertial coordinate system. The kinetic and potential energy terms of each flexible body and rigid body are derived for use in the Lagrange approach to formulate the wind turbine system's governing equation. The mode shapes are then obtained from the free vibration solution, while the distributions of dynamic stress and displacement of the tower and rotor are computed from the forced vibration response analysis. Using this dynamic model, the influence of the tower's stiffness on the blade tip deformation is studied. From the analysis, it is evident that the proposed model not only inherits the simplicity of the traditional 1-D beam element, but also able to provide detailed information about the tower and rotor response due to the incorporation of the flexible thin-walled beam theory.

SPH Modelling of Sea-ice Pack Dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Staroszczyk, Ryszard

2017-12-01

The paper is concerned with the problem of sea-ice pack motion and deformation under the action of wind and water currents. Differential equations describing the dynamics of ice, with its very distinct mateFfigrial responses in converging and diverging flows, express the mass and linear momentum balances on the horizontal plane (the free surface of the ocean). These equations are solved by the fully Lagrangian method of smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH). Assuming that the ice behaviour can be approximated by a non-linearly viscous rheology, the proposed SPH model has been used to simulate the evolution of a sea-ice pack driven by wind drag stresses. The results of numerical simulations illustrate the evolution of an ice pack, including variations in ice thickness and ice area fraction in space and time. The effects of different initial ice pack configurations and of different conditions assumed at the coast-ice interface are examined. In particular, the SPH model is applied to a pack flow driven by a vortex wind to demonstrate how well the Lagrangian formulation can capture large deformations and displacements of sea ice.

Low Reynolds Number Aerodynamic Characteristics of Several Airplane Configurations Designed to Fly in the Mars Atmosphere at Subsonic Speeds

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Re, Richard J.; Pendergraft, Odis C., Jr.; Campbell, Richard L.

2006-01-01

A 1/4-scale wind tunnel model of an airplane configuration developed for short duration flight at subsonic speeds in the Martian atmosphere has been tested in the Langley Research Center Transonic Dynamics Tunnel. The tunnel was pumped down to extremely low pressures to represent Martian Mach/Reynolds number conditions. Aerodynamic data were obtained and upper and lower surface wind pressures were measured at one spanwise station on some configurations. Three unswept wings of the same planform but different airfoil sections were tested. Horizontal tail incidence was varied as was the deflection of plain and split trailing-edge flaps. One unswept wing configuration was tested with the lower part of the fuselage removed and the vertical/horizontal tail assembly inverted and mounted from beneath the fuselage. A sweptback wing was also tested. Tests were conducted at Mach numbers from 0.50 to 0.90. Wing chord Reynolds number was varied from 40,000 to 100,000 and angles of attack and sideslip were varied from -10deg to 20deg and -10deg to 10deg, respectively.

Self-similarity and turbulence characteristics of wind turbine wakes via large-eddy simulation (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xie, S.; Archer, C. L.

2013-12-01

In this study, a new large-eddy simulation code, the Wind Turbine and Turbulence Simulator (WiTTS), is developed to study the wake generated from a single wind turbine in the neutral ABL. The WiTTS formulation is based on a scale-dependent Lagrangian dynamical model of the sub-grid shear stress and uses actuator lines to simulate the effects of the rotating blades. WiTTS is first tested against wind tunnel experiments and then used to study the commonly-used assumptions of self-similarity and axis-symmetry of the wake under neutral conditions for a variety of wind speeds and turbine properties. The mean velocity deficit shows good self-similarity properties following a normal distribution in the horizontal plane at the hub-height level. Self-similarity is a less valid approximation in the vertical near the ground, due to strong wind shear and ground effects. The mean velocity deficit is strongly dependent on the thrust coefficient or induction factor. A new relationship is proposed to model the mean velocity deficit along the centerline at the hub-height level to fit the LES results piecewise throughout the wake. A logarithmic function is used in the near and intermediate wake regions whereas a power function is used in the far-wake. These two functions provide a better fit to both simulated and observed wind velocity deficits than other functions previously used in wake models such as WAsP. The wind shear and impact with the ground cause an anisotropy in the expansion of the wake such that the wake grows faster horizontally than vertically. The wake deforms upon impact with the ground and spreads laterally. WiTTS is also used to study the turbulence characteristics in the wake. Aligning with the mean wind direction, the streamwise component of turbulence intensity is the dominant among the three components and thus it is further studied. The highest turbulence intensity occurs near the top-tip level. The added turbulence intensity increases fast in the near-wake and reaches its maximum at about x/D ~ 5, then it gradually decreases further downstream. In the far-wake, the added turbulence intensity is primarily dependent on the induction factor and the ambient turbulence: it increases with the induction factor and ambient turbulence and it decays exponentially downstream. An analysis of the added TKE budget shows that production by shear and advection by the mean flow dominate throughout the wake, whereas dissipation and turbulent transport are less important. In the near-wake, TKE is entrained from the upper regions of the annular shear layer into the center of the wake. The nacelle causes a significant increase of production, advection, and dissipation in the near-wake. Wind shear and momentum fluxes are reduced in the lower part of the wake, thus TKE production is reduced at the bottom-tip level. In summary, we find that the WiTTS model, although applied to a simplified case of neutral stability with a single wind turbine, was able to offer new insights into wake properties, including non-symmetric wake growth and reduced vertical mixing near the ground.

Analysis of Tip Vortices Identified in the Instantaneous Wake of a Horizontal-Axis Model Wind Turbine Placed in a Turbulent Boundary Layer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jain, Akash; Mehdi, Faraz; Sheng, Jian

2014-11-01

The near-wake field, a short region characterized by the physical specifications of a turbine, is of particular interest for flow-structure interactions responsible for asymmetric loadings, premature structural breakdown, noise generation etc. Helical tip vortices constitute a distinctive feature of this region and are dependent not only on the turbine geometry but also on the incoming flow profile. High-spatial resolution PIV measurements are made in the wake of a horizontal-axis model wind turbine embedded in a neutrally stratified turbulent boundary layer. The data is acquired over consecutive locations up to 10 diameters downstream of the turbine but the focus here is on the tip vortices identified in the instantaneous fields. Contrary to previous studies, both top and bottom tip vortices are clearly distinguishable in either ensemble fields or instantaneous realizations. The streamwise extent of these vortices stretches from the turbine till they merge into the expanding mid-span wake. The similarities and differences in the top and bottom tip vortices are explored through the evolution of their statistics. In particular, the distributions of the loci of vortex cores and their circulations are compared. The information will improve our understanding of near wake vortical dynamics, provide data for model validation, and aid in the devise of flow control strategies.

Doppler lidar for measurement of atmospheric wind fields

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Menzies, Robert T.

1991-01-01

Measurements of wind fields in the earth's troposphere with daily global coverage is widely considered as a significant advance for forecasting and transport studies. For optimal use by NWP (Numerical Weather Prediction) models the horizontal and vertical resolutions should be approximately 100 km and 1 km, respectively. For boundary layer studies vertical resolution of a few hundred meters seems essential. Earth-orbiting Doppler lidar has a unique capability to measure global winds in the troposphere with the high vertical resolution required. The lidar approach depends on transmission of pulses with high spectral purity and backscattering from the atmospheric aerosol particles or layered clouds to provide a return signal. Recent field measurement campaigns using NASA research aircraft have resulted in collection of aerosol and cloud data which can be used to optimize the Doppler lidar instrument design and measurement strategy.

Evaporation and transport of water isotopologues from Greenland lakes: The lake size effect

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feng, Xiahong; Lauder, Alex M.; Posmentier, Eric S.; Kopec, Ben G.; Virginia, Ross A.

2016-01-01

Isotopic compositions of evaporative flux from a lake are used in many hydrological and paleoclimate studies that help constrain the water budget of a lake and/or to infer changes in climate conditions. The isotopic fluxes of evaporation from a water surface are typically computed using a zero dimensional (0-D) model originally conceptualized by Craig and Gordon (1965). Such models generally have laminar and turbulent layers, assume a steady state condition, and neglect horizontal variations. In particular, the effect of advection on isotopic variations is not considered. While this classical treatment can be used for some sections of large open surface water bodies, such as an ocean or a large lake, it may not apply to relatively small water bodies where limited fetch does not allow full equilibration between air from land and the water surface. Both horizontal and vertical gradients in water vapor concentration and isotopic ratios may develop over a lake. These gradients, in turn, affect the evaporative fluxes of water vapor and its isotopic ratios, which is not adequately predicted by a 0-D model. We observed, for the first time, the vertical as well as horizontal components of vapor and isotopic gradients as relatively dry and isotopically depleted air advected over the surfaces of several lakes up to a 5 km fetch under winds of 1-5 m/s in Kangerlussuaq, Greenland. We modeled the vapor and isotopic distribution in air above the lake using a steady state 2-D model, in which vertical diffusive transport balances horizontal advection. The model was verified by our observations, and then used to calculate evaporative fluxes of vapor and its isotopic ratios. In the special case of zero wind speed, the model reduces to 1-D. Results from this 1-D model are compared with those from the 2-D model to assess the discrepancy in isotopic fluxes between advection and no advection conditions. Since wind advection above a lake alters the concentrations, gradients, and evaporative fluxes of water isotopes, it alters the water balance and isotope ratios of the lake and the relationship between them. These effects are greatest for small lakes. If wind advection is neglected in the inference of water balance from lake isotopes, an error is thus introduced, the magnitude of which depends on lake size. We refer to this as the "lake size effect". For lakes less than 500 m in length along the wind direction, the average δ18O and δD of vapor flux are at least 2‰ lower than the corresponding flux values from the 1-D model. The magnitude of the resulting relative error in water balance calculations is much greater if using δ18O than δD in mass balance calculations; the former is about eight times the latter. This result argues that water balance calculated with δD is less sensitive to the difference in lake size and/or its change over time. The 1-D model result is also compared with that from a comparable 0-D model. Since vertical vapor and isotope gradients always exist (even under no advection conditions), one may not obtain correct flux values if the relative humidity and isotopic ratios in ambient air measured at an arbitrary height are used for the 0-D model calculation. Typically, the standard meteorological measurements at 2 or 10 m would result in an underestimate of the δ18O and δD values of the vapor flux. This work has provided the first quantification on the effect of advection on isotopic fluxes of evaporation. The method of mobile vapor analysis combined with 2-D modeling can be applied to other environmental settings, in which the size of advection effect on isotopic fluxes depends upon relationships among local meteorological and hydrological variables. Our results also suggest that incorporating isotopic vapor measurements can help constrain modeled evaporation rates, which is worth exploring further in future studies.

Passive cyclic pitch control for horizontal axis wind turbines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bottrell, G. W.

1981-01-01

A flexible rotor concept, called the balanced pitch rotor, is described. The system provides passive adjustment of cyclic pitch in response to unbalanced pitching moments across the rotor disk. Various applications are described and performance predictions are made for wind shear and cross wind operating conditions. Comparisons with the teetered hub are made and significant cost savings are predicted.

LAWS simulation: Sampling strategies and wind computation algorithms

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Emmitt, G. D. A.; Wood, S. A.; Houston, S. H.

1989-01-01

In general, work has continued on developing and evaluating algorithms designed to manage the Laser Atmospheric Wind Sounder (LAWS) lidar pulses and to compute the horizontal wind vectors from the line-of-sight (LOS) measurements. These efforts fall into three categories: Improvements to the shot management and multi-pair algorithms (SMA/MPA); observing system simulation experiments; and ground-based simulations of LAWS.

Measurement of Unsteady Aerodynamics Load on the Blade of Field Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kamada, Yasunari; Maeda, Takao; Naito, Keita; Ouchi, Yuu; Kozawa, Masayoshi

This paper describes an experimental field study of the rotor aerodynamics of wind turbines. The test wind turbine is a horizontal axis wind turbine, or: HAWT with a diameter of 10m. The pressure distributions on the rotating blade are measured with multi point pressure transducers. Sectional aerodynamic forces are analyzed from pressure distribution. Blade root moments are measured simultaneously by a pair of strain gauges. The inflow wind is measured by a three component sonic anemometer, the local inflow of the blade section are measured by a pair of 7 hole Pitot tubes. The relation between the aerodynamic moments on the blade root from pressure distribution and the mechanical moment from strain gauges is discussed. The aerodynamic moments are estimated from the sectional aerodynamic forces and show oscillation caused by local wind speed and direction change. The mechanical moment shows similar oscillation to the aerodynamic excepting the short period oscillation of the blade first mode frequency. The fluctuation of the sectional aerodynamic force triggers resonant blade oscillations. Where stall is present along the blade section, the blade's first mode frequency is dominant. Without stall, the rotating frequency is dominant in the blade root moment.

Next Generation Wind Turbine

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cheraghi, S. Hossein; Madden, Frank

The goal of this collaborative effort between Western New England University's College of Engineering and FloDesign Wind Turbine (FDWT) Corporation to wok on a novel areodynamic concept that could potentially lead to the next generation of wind turbines. Analytical studies and early scale model tests of FDWT's Mixer/Ejector Wind Turbine (MEWT) concept, which exploits jet-age advanced fluid dynamics, indicate that the concept has the potential to significantly reduce the cost of electricity over conventional Horizontal Axis Wind Turbines while reducing land usage. This project involved the design, fabrication, and wind tunnel testing of components of MEWT to provide the researchmore » and engineering data necessary to validate the design iterations and optimize system performance. Based on these tests, a scale model prototype called Briza was designed, fabricated, installed and tested on a portable tower to investigate and improve the design system in real world conditions. The results of these scale prototype efforts were very promising and have contributed significantly to FDWT's ongoing development of a product scale wind turbine for deployment in multiple locations around the U.S. This research was mutually beneficial to Western New England University, FDWT, and the DOE by utilizing over 30 student interns and a number of faculty in all efforts. It brought real-world wind turbine experience into the classroom to further enhance the Green Engineering Program at WNEU. It also provided on-the-job training to many students, improving their future employment opportunities, while also providing valuable information to further advance FDWT's mixer-ejector wind turbine technology, creating opportunities for future project innovation and job creation.« less

The MIGHTI Wind Retrieval Algorithm: Description and Verification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harding, Brian J.; Makela, Jonathan J.; Englert, Christoph R.; Marr, Kenneth D.; Harlander, John M.; England, Scott L.; Immel, Thomas J.

2017-10-01

We present an algorithm to retrieve thermospheric wind profiles from measurements by the Michelson Interferometer for Global High-resolution Thermospheric Imaging (MIGHTI) instrument on NASA's Ionospheric Connection Explorer (ICON) mission. MIGHTI measures interferometric limb images of the green and red atomic oxygen emissions at 557.7 nm and 630.0 nm, spanning 90-300 km. The Doppler shift of these emissions represents a remote measurement of the wind at the tangent point of the line of sight. Here we describe the algorithm which uses these images to retrieve altitude profiles of the line-of-sight wind. By combining the measurements from two MIGHTI sensors with perpendicular lines of sight, both components of the vector horizontal wind are retrieved. A comprehensive truth model simulation that is based on TIME-GCM winds and various airglow models is used to determine the accuracy and precision of the MIGHTI data product. Accuracy is limited primarily by spherical asymmetry of the atmosphere over the spatial scale of the limb observation, a fundamental limitation of space-based wind measurements. For 80% of the retrieved wind samples, the accuracy is found to be better than 5.8 m/s (green) and 3.5 m/s (red). As expected, significant errors are found near the day/night boundary and occasionally near the equatorial ionization anomaly, due to significant variations of wind and emission rate along the line of sight. The precision calculation includes pointing uncertainty and shot, read, and dark noise. For average solar minimum conditions, the expected precision meets requirements, ranging from 1.2 to 4.7 m/s.

Feasibility study of aileron and spoiler control systems for large horizontal axis wind turbines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wentz, W. H., Jr.; Snyder, M. H.; Calhoun, J. T.

1980-01-01

The feasibility of using aileron or spoiler controls as alternates to pitch control for large horizontal axis wind turbines was studied. The NASA Mod-0 100 kw machine was used as the basis for the study. Specific performance studies were conducted for 20% chord ailerons over the outboard 30% span, and for 10% chord spoilers over the same portion of the span. Both control systems utilized control deflections up to 60 deg. Results of the study show that either ailerons or spoilers can provide the control necessary to limit turbine power in high wind conditions. The aileron system, as designed, provides overspeed protection at hurricane wind speeds, low wind speed starting torque of 778 N-m (574 ft. lb) at 3.6 m/sec, and a 1.3 to 1.5% increase in annual energy compared to a fixed pitch rotor. The aileron control system preliminary design study includes aileron loads analysis and the design of a failsafe flyweight actuator for overspeed protection in the event of a hydraulic system failure.

Wind estimates from cloud motions: Preliminary results from phases 1, 2, and 3 of an in situ aircraft verification experiment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hasler, A. F.; Shenk, W. E.; Skillman, W. C.

1975-01-01

Low level aircraft equipped with Inertial Navigation Systems (INS) were used to define the vertical extent and horizontal motion of a cloud and to measure the ambient wind field. A high level aircraft, also equipped with an INS, took photographs to describe the horizontal extent of the cloud field and to measure cloud motion. The aerial photographs were also used to make a positive identification in a satellite picture of the cloud observed by the low level aircraft. The experiment was conducted over the tropical oceans in the vicinity of Florida, Puerto Rico, Panama and in the Western Gulf of Mexico. Results for tropical cumulus clouds indicate excellent agreement between the cloud motion and the wind at the cloud base. The magnitude of the vector difference between the cloud motion and the cloud base wind is less than 1.3 m/sec for 67% of the cases with track lengths of 1 hour or longer. The cirrus cloud motions agreed best with the mean wind in the cloud layer with a vector difference of about 1.6 m/sec.

An Integrated Approach to Estimate Instantaneous Near-Surface Air Temperature and Sensible Heat Flux Fields during the SEMAPHORE Experiment.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bourras, Denis; Eymard, Laurence; Liu, W. Timothy; Dupuis, Hélène

2002-03-01

A new technique was developed to retrieve near-surface instantaneous air temperatures and turbulent sensible heat fluxes using satellite data during the Structure des Echanges Mer-Atmosphere, Proprietes des Heterogeneites Oceaniques: Recherche Experimentale (SEMAPHORE) experiment, which was conducted in 1993 under mainly anticyclonic conditions. The method is based on a regional, horizontal atmospheric temperature advection model whose inputs are wind vectors, sea surface temperature fields, air temperatures around the region under study, and several constants derived from in situ measurements. The intrinsic rms error of the method is 0.7°C in terms of air temperature and 9 W m2 for the fluxes, both at 0.16° × 0.16° and 1.125° × 1.125° resolution. The retrieved air temperature and flux horizontal structures are in good agreement with fields from two operational general circulation models. The application to SEMAPHORE data involves the First European Remote Sensing Satellite (ERS-1) wind fields, Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) SST fields, and European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) air temperature boundary conditions. The rms errors obtained by comparing the estimations with research vessel measurements are 0.3°C and 5 W m2.

Passive Polarimetric Microwave Signatures Observed Over Antarctica

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

WindSat satellite-based fully polarimetric passive microwave observations, expressed in the form of the Stokes vector, were analyzed over the Antarctic ice sheet. The vertically and horizontally polarized brightness temperatures (first two Stokes components) from WindSat are shown to be consistent w...

Near-surface wind variability over the broader Adriatic region: insights from an ensemble of regional climate models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Belušić, Andreina; Prtenjak, Maja Telišman; Güttler, Ivan; Ban, Nikolina; Leutwyler, David; Schär, Christoph

2018-06-01

Over the past few decades the horizontal resolution of regional climate models (RCMs) has steadily increased, leading to a better representation of small-scale topographic features and more details in simulating dynamical aspects, especially in coastal regions and over complex terrain. Due to its complex terrain, the broader Adriatic region represents a major challenge to state-of-the-art RCMs in simulating local wind systems realistically. The objective of this study is to identify the added value in near-surface wind due to the refined grid spacing of RCMs. For this purpose, we use a multi-model ensemble composed of CORDEX regional climate simulations at 0.11° and 0.44° grid spacing, forced by the ERA-Interim reanalysis, a COSMO convection-parameterizing simulation at 0.11° and a COSMO convection-resolving simulation at 0.02° grid spacing. Surface station observations from this region and satellite QuikSCAT data over the Adriatic Sea have been compared against daily output obtained from the available simulations. Both day-to-day wind and its frequency distribution are examined. The results indicate that the 0.44° RCMs rarely outperform ERA-Interim reanalysis, while the performance of the high-resolution simulations surpasses that of ERA-Interim. We also disclose that refining the grid spacing to a few km is needed to properly capture the small-scale wind systems. Finally, we show that the simulations frequently yield the accurate angle of local wind regimes, such as for the Bora flow, but overestimate the associated wind magnitude. Finally, spectral analysis shows good agreement between measurements and simulations, indicating the correct temporal variability of the wind speed.

Horizontal wind powered reaction turbine electrical generator

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

de Geus, A.M.

1980-05-27

A horizontal wind powered electrical generator is disclosed in which a horizontal reaction turbine is disposed within an augmentor cowling which extends downwind of the turbine. First stage curved stator blades interconnect the augmentor with the turbine cowling, and secondary stator blades are spaced downwind from said primary stator blades to extend inwardly from the augmentor to terminate short of the turbine cowling. These secondary stator blades have a greater angle of departure than the primary stator blades to increase the rotational velocity of the air at the expense of its axial velocity while permitting the axial velocity of themore » air moving inwardly of the secondary stator blades to be undiminished. A venturi-structured diffusor is carried by said augmentor in a downwind position to lower the pressure generally and assist the action of the secondary stator blades.« less

Dust aerosol radiative effect and influence on urban atmospheric boundary layer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, L.; Chen, M.; Li, L.

2007-11-01

An 1.5-level-closure and 3-D non-stationary atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) model and a radiation transfer model with the output of Weather Research and Forecast (WRF) Model and lidar AML-1 are employed to simulate the dust aerosol radiative effect and its influence on ABL in Beijing for the period of 23-26 January 2002 when a dust storm occurred. The simulation shows that daytime dust aerosol radiative effect heats up the ABL at the mean rate of about 0.68 K/h. The horizontal wind speed from ground to 900 m layer is also overall increased, and the value changes about 0.01 m/s at 14:00 LT near the ground. At night, the dust aerosol radiative effect cools the ABL at the mean rate of -0.21 K/h and the wind speed lowers down at about -0.19 m/s at 02:00 LT near the ground.

Results of an experimental investigation to determine separation characteristics for the Orbiter/747 using a 0.0125-scale model (48-0 AX1318I-1 747) in the Ames Research Center 14-foot wind tunnel (CA23B)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Esparza, V.

1976-01-01

Aerodynamic separation data obtained from a wind tunnel test of an 0.0125-scale SSV Orbiter model of a VC70-000002 Configuration and a 0.0125-scale 747 model was presented. Separation data was obtained at a Mach number of 0.6 and three incidence angles of 4, 6, and 8 degrees. The orbiter angle of attack was varied from 0 to 14 degrees. Longitudinal, lateral and normal separation increments were obtained for fixed 747 angles of attack of 0, 2, and 4 degrees while varying the orbiter angle of attack. Control surface settings on the 747 carrier included rudder deflections of 0 and 10 degrees and horizontal stabilizer deflections of -1 and +5 degrees.

Low-speed wind-tunnel investigation of the longitudinal characteristics of a large-scale variable wing-sweep fighter model in the high-lift configuration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Eckert, W. T.; Maki, R. L.

1973-01-01

The low-speed characteristics of a large-scale model of the U. S. Navy/Grumman F-14A aircraft were studied in tests conducted in the Ames Research Center 40- by 80-Foot Wind Tunnel. The primary purpose of the program was the determination of lift and stability levels and landing approach attitude of the aircraft in its high-lift configuration. Tests were conducted at wing angles of attack between minus 2 deg and 30 deg with zero yaw. Data were taken at Reynolds numbers ranging from 3.48 million to 9.64 million based on a wing mean aerodynamic chord of 7.36 ft. The model configuration was changed as required to show the effects of glove slat, wing slat leading-edge radius, cold flow ducting, flap deflection, direct lift control (spoilers), horizontal tail, speed brake, landing gear and missiles.

Coyote unmanned aircraft system observations in Hurricane Edouard (2014)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cione, J. J.; Kalina, E. A.; Uhlhorn, E. W.; Farber, A. M.; Damiano, B.

2016-09-01

Horizontal wind, temperature, and moisture observations are presented from two Coyote unmanned aircraft system (UAS) flights in the boundary layer of Hurricane Edouard (2014). The first flight sampled the meteorological conditions in the eye and eyewall at altitudes from 900 to 1500 m while Edouard was a major hurricane (105 kt) on 16 September 2014. The following day, a second Coyote sampled the inflow layer outside of the storm core at 760 m altitude, when Edouard had weakened to an 80-kt hurricane. These flights represent the first deployments of a UAS from an airborne manned aircraft into a tropical cyclone. Comparisons between the Coyote data and the Lockheed WP-3D Orion (WP-3D) flight-level measurements and analyses constructed from dropsonde data are also provided. On 16 September 2014, the Coyote-measured horizontal wind speeds agree, on average, to within 1 m s-1 of the wind speeds observed by the WP-3D and reproduce the shape of the radial wind profile from the WP-3D measurements. For the inflow layer experiment on 17 September, the mean wind speeds from the Coyote and the dropsonde analysis differ by only 0.5 m s-1, while the Coyote captured increased variability (σ = 3.4 m s-1) in the horizontal wind field compared to the dropsonde analysis (σ = 2.2 m s-1). Thermodynamic data from the Coyote and dropsondes agree well for both flights, with average discrepancies of 0.4°C and 0.0°C for temperature and 0.7°C and 1.3°C for dew point temperature on 16 and 17 September, respectively

Optimizing Aircraft Trajectories with Multiple Cruise Altitudes in the Presence of Winds

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ng, Hok K.; Sridhar, Banavar; Grabbe, Shon

2014-01-01

This study develops a trajectory optimization algorithm for approximately minimizing aircraft travel time and fuel burn by combining a method for computing minimum-time routes in winds on multiple horizontal planes, and an aircraft fuel burn model for generating fuel-optimal vertical profiles. It is applied to assess the potential benefits of flying user-preferred routes for commercial cargo flights operating between Anchorage, Alaska and major airports in Asia and the contiguous United States. Flying wind optimal trajectories with a fuel-optimal vertical profile reduces average fuel burn of international flights cruising at a single altitude by 1-3 percent. The potential fuel savings of performing en-route step climbs are not significant for many shorter domestic cargo flights that have only one step climb. Wind-optimal trajectories reduce fuel burn and travel time relative to the flight plan route by up to 3 percent for the domestic cargo flights. However, for trans-oceanic traffic, the fuel burn savings could be as much as 10 percent. The actual savings in operations will vary from the simulation results due to differences in the aircraft models and user defined cost indices. In general, the savings are proportional to trip length, and depend on the en-route wind conditions and aircraft types.

Investigation of a Novel Turbulence Model and Using Leading-Edge Slots for Improving the Aerodynamic Performance of Airfoils and Wind Turbines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beyhaghi, Saman

Because of the problems associated with increase of greenhouse gases, as well as the limited supplies of fossil fuels, the transition to alternate, clean, renewable sources of energy is inevitable. Renewable sources of energy can be used to decrease our need for fossil fuels, thus reducing impact to humans, other species and their habitats. The wind is one of the cleanest forms of energy, and it can be an excellent candidate for producing electrical energy in a more sustainable manner. Vertical- and Horizontal-Axis Wind Turbines (VAWT and HAWT) are two common devices used for harvesting electrical energy from the wind. Due to the development of a thin boundary layer over the ground surface, the modern commercial wind turbines have to be relatively large to be cost-effective. Because of the high manufacturing and transportation costs of the wind turbine components, it is necessary to evaluate the design and predict the performance of the turbine prior to shipping it to the site, where it is to be installed. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) has proven to be a simple, cheap and yet relatively accurate tool for prediction of wind turbine performance, where the suitability of different designs can be evaluated at a low cost. High accuracy simulation methods such as Large Eddy Simulation (LES) and Detached Eddy Simulation (DES) are developed and utilized in the past decades. Despite their superior importance in large fluid domains, they fail to make very accurate predictions near the solid surfaces. Therefore, in the present effort, the possibility of improving near-wall predictions of CFD simulations in the near-wall region by using a modified turbulence model is also thoroughly investigated. Algebraic Stress Model (ASM) is employed in conjunction with Detached Eddy Simulation (DES) to improve Reynolds stresses components, and consequently predictions of the near-wall velocities and surface pressure distributions. The proposed model shows a slightly better performance as compared to the baseline DES. In the second part of this study, the focus is on improving the aerodynamic performance of airfoils and wind turbines in terms of lift and drag coefficients and power generation. One special type of add-on feature for wind turbines and airfoils, i.e., leading-edge slots are investigated through numerical simulation and laboratory experiments. Although similar slots are designed and employed for aircrafts, a special slot with a reversed flow direction is drilled in the leading edge of a sample wind turbine airfoil to study its influence on the aerodynamic performance. The objective is to vary the five main geometrical parameters of slot and characterize the performance improvement of the new design under different operating conditions. A number of Design of Experiment and optimization studies are conducted to determine the most suitable slot configuration to maximize the lift or lift-over-drag ratio. Results indicate that proper sizing and placement of slot can improve the lift coefficient, while it has negligible negative impact on the drag. Some recommendations for future investigation on slot are proposed at the end. The performance of a horizontal axis wind turbine blade equipped with leading-edge slot is also studied, and it is concluded that slotted blades can generate about 10% more power than solid blades, for the two operating conditions investigated. The good agreement between the CFD predictions and experimental data confirms the validity of the model and results.

Understanding the k-5/3 to k-2.4 spectral break in aircraft wind data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pinel, J.; Lovejoy, S.; Schertzer, D. J.; Tuck, A.

2010-12-01

A fundamental issue in atmospheric dynamics is to understand how the statistics of fluctuations of various fields vary with their space-time scale. The classical - and still “standard” model - dates back to Kraichnan and Charney’s work on 2-D and geostrophic (quasi 2-D) turbulence at the end of the 1960’s and early 1970’s. It postulates an isotropic 2-D turbulent regime at large scales and an isotropic 3D regime at small scales separated by a “dimensional transition” (once called a “mesoscale gap”) near the pressure scale height of ≈10 km. By the early 1980’s a quite different model emerged, the 23/9-D scaling model in which the dynamics were postulated to be dominated (over wide scale ranges) by a strongly anisotropic scale invariant cascade mechanism with structures becoming flatter and flatter at larger and larger scales in a scaling manner: the isotropy assumptions were discarded but the scaling and cascade assumptions retained. Today, thanks to the revolution in geodata and atmospheric models - both in quality and quantity - the 23/9-D model can explain the observed horizontal cascade structures in remotely sensed radiances, in meteorological “reanalyses”, in meteorological models, in high resolution drop sonde vertical analyses, of lidar vertical sections etc. All of these analyses directly contradict the standard model which predicts drastic “dimensional transitions” for scalar quantities. Indeed, until recently the only unexplained feature was a scale break in aircraft spectra of the (vector) horizontal wind somewhere between about 40 and 200 km. However - contrary to repeated claims - and thanks to a reanalysis of the historical papers - the transition that had been observed since the 1980’s was not between k^-5/3 and k^-3 but rather between k^-5/3 and k^-2.4. By 2009, the standard model was thus hanging by a thread. This was cut when careful analysis of scientific aircraft data allowed the 23/9-D model to explain the large scale k-2.4 regime as an artefact of the aircraft following a sloping trajectory: at large enough scales, the spectrum is simply dominated by vertical rather than horizontal fluctuations which have the required k^-2.4 form. Since aircraft frequently follow gently sloping isobars, this neatly explains the last obstacle to wide range anisotropic scaling models finally opening the door to an urgently needed consensus on the statistical structure of the atmosphere. However, objections remain: at large enough scales do isobaric and isoheight spectra really have different exponents? In this presentation we attempted to study this issue in more detail than before by analyzed data measured by commercial aircrafts through the Tropospheric Airborne Meteorological Data Reporting (TAMDAR) system over CONUS during year 2009. The TAMDAR system allows us to calculate the statistical properties of the wind field on constant pressure and altitude levels. Various statistical exponents were calculated (velocity increment in terms of horizontal, vertical displacement, pressure and time) and we show here what we learned and how this analysis can help with solving this question.

How birds can negate gusts and maintain heading by crabbing into the wind passively

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Quinn, Daniel; Kress, Daniel; Stein, Andrea; Wegrzynski, Michal; Hamzah, Latifah; Lentink, David

2017-11-01

Everyday observations show birds flying stably in strong lateral gusts in which aerial robots cannot operate reliably. However, the mechanisms that birds use to negate lateral gusts are unknown. Therefore, we studied the motions of lovebirds as they flew through strong gusts in a long mesh corridor. The corridor was painted to simulate a forest (vertical stripes), a lake (horizontal stripe), and a cave (dark with a small light at the end). Fan arrays outside the corridor imposed three wind conditions: still air, a uniform gust, and wind shear. We found that lovebirds consistently yaw their body into the wind direction, crabbing like a fixed-wing aircraft, while keeping their head oriented towards the landing perch, unlike aircraft. These results were the same for all three visual conditions, showing how lovebirds can even negate gusts in the dark with a faint point source as a target. Because the naive birds had never experienced gusts before, the gust mitigation behavior is innate. Motivated by these observations, we developed a physical model that shows how yaw corrections can be passive in flapping flight. Our model offers a foundation for understanding wind negation in birds and other flying animals and offers inspiration for aerial robots that are more robust to gusts. How birds can negate gusts and maintain heading by crabbing into the wind passively.

Wind Energy Conference, Boulder, Colo., April 9-11, 1980, Technical Papers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1980-03-01

Papers are presented concerning the technology, and economics of wind energy conversion systems. Specific topics include the aerodynamic analysis of the Darrieus rotor, the numerical calculation of the flow near horizontal-axis wind turbine rotors, the calculation of dynamic wind turbine rotor loads, markets for wind energy systems, an oscillating-wing windmill, wind tunnel tests of wind rotors, wind turbine generator wakes, the application of a multi-speed electrical generator to wind turbines, the feasibility of wind-powered systems for dairy farms, and wind characteristics over uniform and complex terrain. Attention is also given to performance tests of the DOE/NASA MOD-1 2000-kW wind turbine generator, the assessment of utility-related test data, offshore wind energy conversion systems, and the optimization of wind energy utilization economics through load management.

Impacts of Realistic Urban Heating. Part II: Air Quality and City Breathability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nazarian, Negin; Martilli, Alberto; Norford, Leslie; Kleissl, Jan

2018-03-01

Urban morphology and inter-building shadowing result in a non-uniform distribution of surface heating in urban areas, which can significantly modify the urban flow and thermal field. In Part I, we found that in an idealized three-dimensional urban array, the spatial distribution of the thermal field is correlated with the orientation of surface heating with respect to the wind direction (i.e. leeward or windward heating), while the dispersion field changes more strongly with the vertical temperature gradient in the street canyon. Here, we evaluate these results more closely and translate them into metrics of "city breathability," with large-eddy simulations coupled with an urban energy-balance model employed for this purpose. First, we quantify breathability by, (i) calculating the pollutant concentration at the pedestrian level (horizontal plane at z≈ 1.5 -2 m) and averaged over the canopy, and (ii) examining the air exchange rate at the horizontal and vertical ventilating faces of the canyon, such that the in-canopy pollutant advection is distinguished from the vertical removal of pollution. Next, we quantify the change in breathability metrics as a function of previously defined buoyancy parameters, horizontal and vertical Richardson numbers (Ri_h and Ri_v , respectively), which characterize realistic surface heating. We find that, unlike the analysis of airflow and thermal fields, consideration of the realistic heating distribution is not crucial in the analysis of city breathability, as the pollutant concentration is mainly correlated with the vertical temperature gradient (Ri_v ) as opposed to the horizontal (Ri_h ) or bulk (Ri_b ) thermal forcing. Additionally, we observe that, due to the formation of the primary vortex, the air exchange rate at the roof level (the horizontal ventilating faces of the building canyon) is dominated by the mean flow. Lastly, since Ri_h and Ri_v depend on the meteorological factors (ambient air temperature, wind speed, and wind direction) as well as urban design parameters (such as surface albedo), we propose a methodology for mapping overall outdoor ventilation and city breathability using this characterization method. This methodology helps identify the effects of design on urban microclimate, and ultimately informs urban designers and architects of the impact of their design on air quality, human health, and comfort.

Effectiveness enhancement of a cycloidal wind turbine by individual active control of blade motion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hwang, In Seong; Lee, Yun Han; Kim, Seung Jo

2007-04-01

In this paper, a research for the effectiveness enhancement of a Cycloidal Wind Turbine by individual active control of blade motion is described. To improve the performance of the power generation system, which consists of several straight blades rotating about axis in parallel direction, the cycloidal blade system and the individual active blade control method are adopted. It has advantages comparing with horizontal axis wind turbine or conventional vertical axis wind turbine because it maintains optimal blade pitch angles according to wind speed, wind direction and rotor rotating speed to produce high electric power at any conditions. It can do self-starting and shows good efficiency at low wind speed and complex wind condition. Optimal blade pitch angle paths are obtained through CFD analysis according to rotor rotating speed and wind speed. The individual rotor blade control system consists of sensors, actuators and microcontroller. To realize the actuating device, servo motors are installed to each rotor blade. Actuating speed and actuating force are calculated to compare with the capacities of servo motor, and some delays of blade pitch angles are corrected experimentally. Performance experiment is carried out by the wind blowing equipment and Labview system, and the rotor rotates from 50 to 100 rpm according to the electric load. From this research, it is concluded that developing new vertical axis wind turbine, Cycloidal Wind Turbine which is adopting individual active blade pitch control method can be a good model for small wind turbine in urban environment.

A review of rigid body response on sting supported models at high angles of incidence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mabey, D. G.; Welsh, B. L.; Pyne, C. R.

The new requirement to test wind tunnel models of combat aircraft at high angles of incidence and high kinetic pressures has led to a review of the factors controlling the model stability. The review suggested that dangerous motions might occur (possibly without prior warning) on models at high angles of incidence unless special preventive measures were taken. An internal tuned damper and balance bump stops were recommended to limit the responses. The bump stops would also prevent the moment limits of the strain gauge balance from being exceeded. The effectiveness of both devices was confirmed by tests on a swept wing model which experienced dangerous bending oscillations in a vertical plane at a Mach number of 0.50 in the incidence range from about 27-29° together with dangerous yawing oscillations in a horizontal plane above an incidence of about 35°. Further research is recommended to ensure the safety of other models. For sting supported models in a conventional wind tunnel, it is shown by analysis that the structural damping in the sting bending mode needs to be about 4 to 6% critical damping. In a cryogenic wind tunnel corresponding levels would need to be 7 to 10% critical damping because of the possibility of increased negative aerodynamic damping relative to ambient conditions.

Dynamics and flight control of a flapping-wing robotic insect in the presence of wind gusts.

PubMed

Chirarattananon, Pakpong; Chen, Yufeng; Helbling, E Farrell; Ma, Kevin Y; Cheng, Richard; Wood, Robert J

2017-02-06

With the goal of operating a biologically inspired robot autonomously outside of laboratory conditions, in this paper, we simulated wind disturbances in a laboratory setting and investigated the effects of gusts on the flight dynamics of a millimetre-scale flapping-wing robot. Simplified models describing the disturbance effects on the robot's dynamics are proposed, together with two disturbance rejection schemes capable of estimating and compensating for the disturbances. The proposed methods are experimentally verified. The results show that these strategies reduced the root-mean-square position errors by more than 50% when the robot was subject to 80 cm s -1 horizontal wind. The analysis of flight data suggests that modulation of wing kinematics to stabilize the flight in the presence of wind gusts may indirectly contribute an additional stabilizing effect, reducing the time-averaged aerodynamic drag experienced by the robot. A benchtop experiment was performed to provide further support for this observed phenomenon.

Assessment of Error in Synoptic-Scale Diagnostics Derived from Wind Profiler and Radiosonde Network Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mace, Gerald G.; Ackerman, Thomas P.

1996-01-01

A topic of current practical interest is the accurate characterization of the synoptic-scale atmospheric state from wind profiler and radiosonde network observations. We have examined several related and commonly applied objective analysis techniques for performing this characterization and considered their associated level of uncertainty both from a theoretical and a practical standpoint. A case study is presented where two wind profiler triangles with nearly identical centroids and no common vertices produced strikingly different results during a 43-h period. We conclude that the uncertainty in objectively analyzed quantities can easily be as large as the expected synoptic-scale signal. In order to quantify the statistical precision of the algorithms, we conducted a realistic observing system simulation experiment using output from a mesoscale model. A simple parameterization for estimating the uncertainty in horizontal gradient quantities in terms of known errors in the objectively analyzed wind components and temperature is developed from these results.

On the lower altitude limit of the Venusian ionopause

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mahajan, K. K.; Mayr, H. G.; Brace, L. H.; Cloutier, P. A.

1989-07-01

It has been observed from the plasma experiments on the Pioneer Venus Orbiter that the altitude of the upper boundary of the ionosphere decreases in response to increasing solar wind dynamic pressure. However, at pressures above about 2.5 x 10 to the -8th dynes/sq cm, the further decrease in the ionopause height is rather small. Following the model of Cloutier et al. (1969), it is suggested that during high solar wind conditions, when the ionopause is formed at lower altitudes, the solar wind induces vertical and horizontal flows which sweep away the ionospheric plasma that is produced locally by photoionization. As a result, a disturbed photodynamical ionosphere is formed which has the scale height of the ionizable neutral constituent. It is shown that such a photodynamical ionosphere is observed at the subsolar ionopause under these conditions. As a consequence of this interaction, the ionopause altitude is observed to follow the small-scale height of the ionizable species, atomic oxygen, showing only small changes with solar wind pressure.

Dynamics and flight control of a flapping-wing robotic insect in the presence of wind gusts

PubMed Central

Chen, Yufeng; Helbling, E. Farrell; Ma, Kevin Y.; Cheng, Richard; Wood, Robert J.

2017-01-01

With the goal of operating a biologically inspired robot autonomously outside of laboratory conditions, in this paper, we simulated wind disturbances in a laboratory setting and investigated the effects of gusts on the flight dynamics of a millimetre-scale flapping-wing robot. Simplified models describing the disturbance effects on the robot's dynamics are proposed, together with two disturbance rejection schemes capable of estimating and compensating for the disturbances. The proposed methods are experimentally verified. The results show that these strategies reduced the root-mean-square position errors by more than 50% when the robot was subject to 80 cm s−1 horizontal wind. The analysis of flight data suggests that modulation of wing kinematics to stabilize the flight in the presence of wind gusts may indirectly contribute an additional stabilizing effect, reducing the time-averaged aerodynamic drag experienced by the robot. A benchtop experiment was performed to provide further support for this observed phenomenon. PMID:28163872

Near-surface coherent structures explored by large eddy simulation of entire tropical cyclones.

PubMed

Ito, Junshi; Oizumi, Tsutao; Niino, Hiroshi

2017-06-19

Taking advantage of the huge computational power of a massive parallel supercomputer (K-supercomputer), this study conducts large eddy simulations of entire tropical cyclones by employing a numerical weather prediction model, and explores near-surface coherent structures. The maximum of the near-surface wind changes little from that simulated based on coarse-resolution runs. Three kinds of coherent structures appeared inside the boundary layer. The first is a Type-A roll, which is caused by an inflection-point instability of the radial flow and prevails outside the radius of maximum wind. The second is a Type-B roll that also appears to be caused by an inflection-point instability but of both radial and tangential winds. Its roll axis is almost orthogonal to the Type-A roll. The third is a Type-C roll, which occurs inside the radius of maximum wind and only near the surface. It transports horizontal momentum in an up-gradient sense and causes the largest gusts.

Study on blade surface flow around wind turbine by using LDV measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Phengpom, Tinnapob; Kamada, Yasunari; Maeda, Takao; Murata, Junsuke; Nishimura, Shogo; Matsuno, Tasuku

2015-04-01

This paper has attempted to study a mechanism of three-dimensional flow around a horizontal axis wind turbine (HAWT) rotor blade. An experimental study of the flow phenomenon in the vicinity of the wind turbine blade is a challenging endeavor. In this research, the HAWT model with 2.4 m diameter was tested in the large wind tunnel. The flow around the rotating blade surface was measured simultaneously for three velocity components, and two probes were used for the synchronized measurement of three-dimensional flow components. The local velocity was detected for the single seeding particle measured in the point where three pairs of laser beams intersected. Blade sections of interest in this study are composed of radial positions r/R = 0.3, 0.5 and 0.7. Optimum and low tip speed ratio flow characteristics were also compared. The velocity flow vector, skin friction coefficient and bound circulation were calculated from LDV measurements, and the experimental research showed reasonably and clearly the experimental results.

Statistical uncertainty of extreme wind storms over Europe derived from a probabilistic clustering technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walz, Michael; Leckebusch, Gregor C.

2016-04-01

Extratropical wind storms pose one of the most dangerous and loss intensive natural hazards for Europe. However, due to only 50 years of high quality observational data, it is difficult to assess the statistical uncertainty of these sparse events just based on observations. Over the last decade seasonal ensemble forecasts have become indispensable in quantifying the uncertainty of weather prediction on seasonal timescales. In this study seasonal forecasts are used in a climatological context: By making use of the up to 51 ensemble members, a broad and physically consistent statistical base can be created. This base can then be used to assess the statistical uncertainty of extreme wind storm occurrence more accurately. In order to determine the statistical uncertainty of storms with different paths of progression, a probabilistic clustering approach using regression mixture models is used to objectively assign storm tracks (either based on core pressure or on extreme wind speeds) to different clusters. The advantage of this technique is that the entire lifetime of a storm is considered for the clustering algorithm. Quadratic curves are found to describe the storm tracks most accurately. Three main clusters (diagonal, horizontal or vertical progression of the storm track) can be identified, each of which have their own particulate features. Basic storm features like average velocity and duration are calculated and compared for each cluster. The main benefit of this clustering technique, however, is to evaluate if the clusters show different degrees of uncertainty, e.g. more (less) spread for tracks approaching Europe horizontally (diagonally). This statistical uncertainty is compared for different seasonal forecast products.

Sastrugi Geometrical Properties and Morphometry Over Two Winter Seasons at col du Lac Blanc (french Alps, 2700 m a.s.l)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Naaim, Florence; Picard, Ghislain; Bellot, Hervé; Arnaud, Laurent; Vionnet, Vincent

2017-04-01

Some elements of snow surface roughness, such as ripple or sastrugi, are a direct manifestation of wind erosion and in turn modify the near-surface wind field and consequently the horizontal snow mass fluxes. This leads to a negative feedback between wind strength and surface roughness that must be taken into account in numerical models. Formation of sastrugi, which are elongated metric-scale ridges of wind-packed snow whose longitudinal axis is parallel to the prevailing wind at the time of their formation, is still not well-understood. The first step to provide new information about the formation and evolution of such features is to integrate meteorological data and accurate description of geometrical properties. But the complex and dynamic surface of sastrugi cannot be easily captured by manual measurements (Bellot et al., 2014), which furthermore must be frequent as the formation of new landforms can happen very quickly. That's why the potential of a low-cost time-lapse terrestrial laserscan RLS (Picard et al., 2016) has been investigated during the winter seasons 2015-2016 and 2016-2017 at Col du Lac Blanc in the French Alps. This experimental test site, dedicated to drifting snow studies, and subject to the formation of sastrugi is well-suited for such study : accurate meteorological data, including drifting snow fluxes, are available each 10 minutes. RLS covered a surface area of around 200 m2 for a spatial horizontal resolution of nearly 2 cm and monitored successfully surface roughness once a day during the whole winter seasons. Sastrugi geometrical parameters, such as the frontal area and average height of roughness elements has been extracted from the RLS data and the sastrugi morphometry has be examined over two winter seasons in link with snow fall, drifting snow occurence and intensity and wind speed.

MISTiC Winds, a Micro-Satellite Constellation Approach to High Resolution Observations of the Atmosphere using Infrared Sounding and 3D Winds Measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maschhoff, K. R.; Polizotti, J. J.; Aumann, H. H.; Susskind, J.

2017-12-01

MISTiCTM Winds is an approach to improve short-term weather forecasting based on a miniature high resolution, wide field, thermal emission spectrometry instrument that will provide global tropospheric vertical profiles of atmospheric temperature and humidity at high (3-4 km) horizontal and vertical ( 1 km) spatial resolution. MISTiC's extraordinarily small size, payload mass of less than 15 kg, and minimal cooling requirements can be accommodated aboard a ESPA-Class (50 kg) micro-satellite. Low fabrication and launch costs enable a LEO sun-synchronous sounding constellation that would provide frequent IR vertical profiles and vertically resolved atmospheric motion vector wind observations in the troposphere. These observations are highly complementary to present and emerging environmental observing systems, and would provide a combination of high vertical and horizontal resolution not provided by any other environmental observing system currently in operation. The spectral measurements that would be provided by MISTiC Winds are similar to those of NASA's Atmospheric Infrared Sounder. These new observations, when assimilated into high resolution numerical weather models, would revolutionize short-term and severe weather forecasting, save lives, and support key economic decisions in the energy, air transport, and agriculture arenas-at much lower cost than providing these observations from geostationary orbit. In addition, this observation capability would be a critical tool for the study of transport processes for water vapor, clouds, pollution, and aerosols. In this third year of a NASA Instrument incubator program, the compact infrared spectrometer has been integrated into an airborne version of the instrument for high-altitude flights on a NASA ER2. The purpose of these airborne tests is to examine the potential for improved capabilities for tracking atmospheric motion-vector wind tracer features, and determining their height using hyper-spectral sounding and imaging methods.

A kinetic energy study of the meso beta-scale storm environment during AVE-SESAME 5 (20-21 May 1979)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Printy, M. F.; Fuelberg, H. E.

1984-01-01

Kinetic energy of the near storm environment was analyzed by meso beta scale data. It was found that horizontal winds in the 400 to 150 mb layer strengthen rapidly north of the developing convection. Peak values then decrease such that the maximum disappears 6 h later. Southeast of the storms, wind speeds above 300 mb decrease nearly 50% during the 3 h period of most intense thunderstorm activity. When the convection dissipates, wind patterns return to prestorm conditions. The mesoscale storm environment of AVE-SESAME 5 is characterized by large values of cross contour generation of kinetic energy, transfers of energy to nonresolvable scales of motion, and horizontal flux divergence. These processes are maximized within the upper troposphere and are greatest during times of strongest convection. It is shown that patterns agree with observed weather features. The southeast area of the network is examined to determine causes for vertical wind variations.

Aerodynamic characteristics of a large-scale hybrid upper surface blown flap model having four engines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carros, R. J.; Boissevain, A. G.; Aoyagi, K.

1975-01-01

Data are presented from an investigation of the aerodynamic characteristics of large-scale wind tunnel aircraft model that utilized a hybrid-upper surface blown flap to augment lift. The hybrid concept of this investigation used a portion of the turbofan exhaust air for blowing over the trailing edge flap to provide boundary layer control. The model, tested in the Ames 40- by 80-foot Wind Tunnel, had a 27.5 deg swept wing of aspect ratio 8 and 4 turbofan engines mounted on the upper surface of the wing. The lift of the model was augmented by turbofan exhaust impingement on the wind upper-surface and flap system. Results were obtained for three flap deflections, for some variation of engine nozzle configuration and for jet thrust coefficients from 0 to 3.0. Six-component longitudinal and lateral data are presented with four engine operation and with the critical engine out. In addition, a limited number of cross-plots of the data are presented. All of the tests were made with a downwash rake installed instead of a horizontal tail. Some of these downwash data are also presented.

Climate projection of synoptic patterns forming extremely high wind speed over the Barents Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Surkova, Galina; Krylov, Aleksey

2017-04-01

Frequency of extreme weather events is not very high, but their consequences for the human well-being may be hazardous. These seldom events are not always well simulated by climate models directly. Sometimes it is more effective to analyze numerical projection of large-scale synoptic event generating extreme weather. For example, in mid-latitude surface wind speed depends mainly on the sea level pressure (SLP) field - its configuration and horizontal pressure gradient. This idea was implemented for analysis of extreme wind speed events over the Barents Sea. The calendar of high surface wind speed V (10 m above the surface) was prepared for events with V exceeding 99th percentile value in the central part of the Barents Sea. Analysis of probability distribution function of V was carried out on the base of ERA-Interim reanalysis data (6-hours, 0.75x0.75 degrees of latitude and longitude) for the period 1981-2010. Storm wind events number was found to be 240 days. Sea level pressure field over the sea and surrounding area was selected for each storm wind event. For the climate of the future (scenario RCP8.5), projections of SLP from CMIP5 numerical experiments were used. More than 20 climate models results of projected SLP (2006-2100) over the Barents Sea were correlated with modern storm wind SLP fields. Our calculations showed the positive tendency of annual frequency of storm SLP patterns over the Barents Sea by the end of 21st century.

Statistical characterization of wind-wave induced sediment resuspension events in shallow tidal basins

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

D'Alpaos, A.; Carniello, L.; Rinaldo, A.

2013-12-01

Wind-wave induced erosion processes play a critical role on the morphodynamic evolution of shallow tidal landscapes. Both in the horizontal and in the vertical planes, patterns of wind-induced bottom shear stresses contribute to control the morphological and biological features of the tidal landscape, through the erosion of tidal-flat surfaces and of salt-marsh margins, the disruption of the polymeric microphytobenthic biofilm, and the increase in suspended sediment concentration which affects the stability of intertidal ecosystems. Towards the goal of developing a synthetic theoretical framework to represent wind wave-induced resuspension events and account for their erosional effects on the long-term biomorphodynamic evolution of tidal systems, we have employed a complete, coupled finite element model accounting for the role of wind waves and tidal currents on the hydrodynamic circulation in shallow basins. Our analysis of the characteristics of combined current and wave-induced exceedances in bottom shear stress over a given threshold for erosion, suggest that wind wave-induced resuspension events can be modeled as a marked Poisson process. Moreover, the analysis of wind-wave induced resuspension events for different historical configurations of the Venice Lagoon shows that the interarrival times of erosion events have decreased through the last two centuries, whereas the intensities of erosion events have increased. This allows us to characterize the threatening erosion and degradation processes that the Venice Lagoon has been experiencing since the beginning of the last century.

Impacts of storms on coastal circulation in Long Bay, South Carolina

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, H.; Warner, J. C.; Voulgaris, G.; Work, P.

2006-12-01

We investigate the effects of coastal storms on the regional circulation in Long Bay, South Carolina, using a coupled ROMS (Regional Ocean Modeling System)- SWAN (Simulating WAves Nearshore) model. Meteorological observations during the South Carolina Coastal Erosion Study (October 2003 April 2004) reveal three dominant types of storms in the region warm fronts, cold fronts, and tropical storms. Each storm has a characteristic progression of wind patterns: (1) Warm fronts start with southwestward winds and change to northeastward after the front passes; (2) Cold fronts begin with northeastward winds and shift to southeastward when the front moves out; and (3) Tropical storms change wind directions from the southwest to the southeast during the storm. It is observed the coastal circulation distinctly responds to such atmospheric disturbances in either a upwelling-favorable condition to the northeastward winds or a downwelling-favorable condition to the southwestward winds. The study domain encompasses 300-km of gently arcing shoreline between Cape Romain to Cape Fear, and approximately 100-km offshore to the shelf edge. The model domain is resolved by a 300×130 mesh at 1-km intervals in the horizontal and twenty terrain-following layers in the vertical. The ROMS model is driven by tides and wind stress, and it includes wave-current interactions via dynamic coupling to the surface wave model SWAN. Salinity and temperature along the open boundaries are included by nudging to climatological values. A time period of six months is simulated from October 2003 to April 2004, concurrent with the observation study. Model results are compared to an extensive set of measurements collected at eight sites in the inner part of Long Bay, and are used to identify varying circulation response to each storm type. In addition, we investigate the significance of the Capes on the development of the alongshore pressure gradients, and examine the importance of wave-current interactions in the study region.

Utility operational experience on the NASA/DOE MOD-0A 200-kW wind turbine

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Glasgow, J. C.; Robbins, W. H.

1979-01-01

The Mod-0A 200 wind turbine was designed and fabricated as part of the Federal Wind Energy Program. Early wind turbine operation and performance data were obtained while gaining initial experience in the operation of large, horizontal axis wind turbines in typical utility environments. The Mod-0A wind turbine was turned over to the Town of Clayton Light and Water Plant, Clayton, NM, for utility operation and on December 31, 1978, the machine had completed ten months of utility operation. The machine is described and the recent operational experience at Clayton, NMis documented.

Impact of surface coupling grids on tropical cyclone extremes in high-resolution atmospheric simulations

DOE PAGES

Zarzycki, Colin M.; Reed, Kevin A.; Bacmeister, Julio T.; ...

2016-02-25

This article discusses the sensitivity of tropical cyclone climatology to surface coupling strategy in high-resolution configurations of the Community Earth System Model. Using two supported model setups, we demonstrate that the choice of grid on which the lowest model level wind stress and surface fluxes are computed may lead to differences in cyclone strength in multi-decadal climate simulations, particularly for the most intense cyclones. Using a deterministic framework, we show that when these surface quantities are calculated on an ocean grid that is coarser than the atmosphere, the computed frictional stress is misaligned with wind vectors in individual atmospheric gridmore » cells. This reduces the effective surface drag, and results in more intense cyclones when compared to a model configuration where the ocean and atmosphere are of equivalent resolution. Our results demonstrate that the choice of computation grid for atmosphere–ocean interactions is non-negligible when considering climate extremes at high horizontal resolution, especially when model components are on highly disparate grids.« less

The Relationship of High-Latitude Thermospheric Wind With Ionospheric Horizontal Current, as Observed by CHAMP Satellite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Tao; Lühr, Hermann; Wang, Hui; Xiong, Chao

2017-12-01

The relationship between high-latitude ionospheric currents (Hall current and field-aligned current) and thermospheric wind is investigated. The 2-D patterns of horizontal wind and equivalent current in the Northern Hemisphere derived from the CHAMP satellite are considered for the first time simultaneously. The equivalent currents show strong dependences on both interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) By and Bz components. However, IMF By orientation is more important in controlling the wind velocity patterns. The duskside wind vortex as well as the antisunward wind in the morning polar cap is more evident for positive By. To better understand their spatial relation in different sectors, a systematic superposed epoch analysis is applied. Our results show that in the dusk sector, the vectors of the zonal wind and equivalent current are anticorrelated, and both of them form a vortical flow pattern for different activity levels. The currents and zonal wind are intensified with the increase of merging electric field. However, on the dawnside, where the relation is less clear, antisunward zonal winds dominate. Plasma drift seems to play a less important role for the wind than neutral forces in this sector. In the noon sector, the best anticorrelation between equivalent current and wind is observed for a positive IMF By component and it is less obvious for negative By. A clear seasonal effect with current intensities increasing from winter to summer is observed in the noon sector. Different from the currents, the zonal wind intensity shows little dependence on seasons. Our results indicate that the plasma drift and the neutral forces are of comparable influence on the zonal wind at CHAMP altitude in the noon sector.

Modeling the refraction of microbaroms by the winds of a large maritime storm.

PubMed

Blom, Philip; Waxler, Roger

2017-12-01

Continuous infrasonic signals produced by the ocean surface interacting with the atmosphere, termed microbaroms, are known to be generated by a number of phenomena including large maritime storms. Storm generated microbaroms exhibit axial asymmetry when observed at locations far from the storm due to the source location being offset from the storm center. Because of this offset, a portion of the microbarom energy will radiate towards the storm center and interact with the winds in the region. Detailed here are predictions for the propagation of microbaroms through an axisymmetric, three-dimensional model storm. Geometric propagation methods have been utilized and the predicted horizontal refraction is found to produce signals that appear to emanate from a virtual source near the storm center when observed far from the storm. This virtual source near the storm center is expected to be observed only from a limited arc around the storm system with increased extent associated with more intense wind fields. This result implies that identifying the extent of the arc observing signal from the virtual source could provide a means to estimate the wind structure using infrasonic observations far from the storm system.

Barotropic instability with divergence - Theory and applications to Venus

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dobrovolskis, Anthony R.; Diner, David J.

1990-01-01

IR images of Venus reveal a curious double-lobed hot spot in the polar region. Elson (1982) has suggested that this dipole represents a barotropic instability associated with a high-latitude jet. Unfortunately, the classical theory of barotropic instability cannot predict temperature variations. This paper generalizes the theory to include horizontal divergence, vertical motions, and temperature variations, and applies it to the stratosphere of Venus. The fastest-growing barotropic instability in the nominal model matches the observed dipole in period and horizontal temperature pattern. The accompanying wind variations are comparable to the speed of the mean jet, indicating strong nonlinear effects. It is concluded that the Venus dipole may represent the self-limited stage of a barotropic instability with divergence.

Aerodynamic analysis of a horizontal axis wind turbine by use of helical vortex theory, volume 2: Computer program users manual

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Keith, T. G., Jr.; Afjeh, A. A.; Jeng, D. R.; White, J. A.

1985-01-01

A description of a computer program entitled VORTEX that may be used to determine the aerodynamic performance of horizontal axis wind turbines is given. The computer code implements a vortex method from finite span wind theory and determines the induced velocity at the rotor disk by integrating the Biot-Savart law. It is assumed that the trailing helical vortex filaments form a wake of constant diameter (the rigid wake assumption) and travel downstream at the free stream velocity. The program can handle rotors having any number of blades which may be arbitrarily shaped and twisted. Many numerical details associated with the program are presented. A complete listing of the program is provided and all program variables are defined. An example problem illustrating input and output characteristics is solved.

Static and Dynamic Analysis in Design of Exoskeleton Structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ivánkova, Ol'ga; Méri, Dávid; Vojteková, Eva

2017-10-01

This paper introduces a numerical experiment of creating the load bearing system of a high rise building. When designing the high-rise building, it is always an important task to find the right proportion between the height of the building and its perceptive width from the various angles of street view. Investigated high rise building in this article was designed according to these criteria. The load bearing structure of the analysed object consists of a reinforced core, plates and steel tubes of an exoskeleton. Eight models of the building were created using the spatial variant of FEM in Scia Engineer Software. Individual models varied in number and dimensions of diagrids in the exoskeleton. In the models, loadings due to the own weight, weight of external glass cladding, and due to the wind according to the Standard, have been considered. The building was loaded by wind load from all four main directions with respect to its shape. Wind load was calculated using the 3D wind generator, which is a part of the Scia Engineer Software. For each model the static analysis was performed. Its most important criterion was the maximum or minimum horizontal displacement (rotation) of the highest point of the building. This displacement was compared with the limit values of the displacement of the analysed high-rise building. By step-by-step adding diagrids and optimizing their dimensions the building model was obtained that complied with the criteria of the Limit Serviceability State. The last model building was assessed also for the Ultimate Limit State. This model was loaded also by seismic loads for comparison with the load due to the wind.

Flux estimation of the FIFE planetary boundary layer (PBL) with 10.6 micron Doppler lidar

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gal-Chen, Tzvi; Xu, Mei; Eberhard, Wynn

1990-01-01

A method is devised for calculating wind, momentum, and other flux parameters that characterize the planetary boundary layer (PBL) and thereby facilitate the calibration of spaceborne vs. in situ flux estimates. Single Doppler lidar data are used to estimate the variance of the mean wind and the covariance related to the vertically pointing fluxes of horizontal momentum. The skewness of the vertical velocity and the range of kinetic energy dissipation are also estimated, and the surface heat flux is determined by means of a statistical Navier-Stokes equation. The conclusion shows that the PBL structure combines both 'bottom-up' and 'top-down' processes suggesting that the relevant parameters for the atmospheric boundary layer be revised. The conclusions are of significant interest to the modeling techniques used in General Circulation Models as well as to flux estimation.

Exploratory wind tunnel investigation of the stability and control characteristics of a three-surface, forward-swept wing advanced turboprop model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Coe, Paul L., Jr.; Perkins, John N.; Owens, D. Bruce

1990-01-01

The purpose of the present investigation was to parametrically study the stability and control characteristics of a forward-swept wing three-surface turboprop model through an extended angle of attack range, including the deep-stall region. As part of a joint research program between North Carolina State University and NASA Langley Research Center, a low-speed wind tunnel investigation was conducted with a three-surface, forward-swept wing, aft-mounted, twin-pusher propeller, model, representative of an advanced turboprop configuration. The tests were conducted in the NASA Langley 12-Foot Low-Speed Wind Tunnel. The model parameters varied in the test were horizontal tail location, canard size, sweep and location, and wing position. The model was equipped with air turbines, housed within the nacelles and driven by compressed air, to model turboprop power effects. A three-surface, forward-swept wing configuration that provided satisfactory static longitudinal and lateral/directional stability was identified. The three-surface configuration was found to have greater longitudinal control and increased center of gravity range relative to a conventional (two-surface) design. The test showed that power had a large favorable effect on stability and control about all three axis in the post-stall regime.

A coronal magnetic field model with horizontal volume and sheet currents

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zhao, Xuepu; Hoeksema, J. Todd

1994-01-01

When globally mapping the observed photospheric magnetic field into the corona, the interaction of the solar wind and magnetic field has been treated either by imposing source surface boundary conditions that tacitly require volume currents outside the source surface or by limiting the interaction to thin current sheets between oppositely directed field regions. Yet observations and numerical Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) calculations suggest the presence of non-force-free volume currents throughout the corona as well as thin current sheets in the neighborhoods of the interfaces between closed and open field lines or between oppositely directed open field lines surrounding coronal helmet-streamer structures. This work presents a model including both horizontal volume currents and streamer sheet currents. The present model builds on the magnetostatic equilibria developed by Bogdan and Low and the current-sheet modeling technique developed by Schatten. The calculation uses synoptic charts of the line-of-sight component of the photospheric magnetic field measured at the Wilcox Solar Observatory. Comparison of an MHD model with the calculated model results for the case of a dipole field and comparison of eclipse observations with calculations for CR 1647 (near solar minimum) show that this horizontal current-current-sheet model reproduces polar plumes and axes of corona streamers better than the source-surface model and reproduces polar plumes and axes of corona streamers better than the source-surface model and reproduces coro nal helmet structures better than the current-sheet model.

Multifractal Analysis of Velocity Vector Fields and a Continuous In-Scale Cascade Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fitton, G.; Tchiguirinskaia, I.; Schertzer, D.; Lovejoy, S.

2012-04-01

In this study we have compared the multifractal analyses of small-scale surface-layer wind velocities from two different datasets. The first dataset consists of six-months of wind velocity and temperature measurements at the heights 22, 23 and 43m. The measurements came from 3D sonic anemometers with a 10Hz data output rate positioned on a mast in a wind farm test site subject to wake turbulence effects. The location of the test site (Corsica, France) meant the large scale structures were subject to topography effects that therefore possibly caused buoyancy effects. The second dataset (Germany) consists of 300 twenty minute samples of horizontal wind velocity magnitudes simultaneously recorded at several positions on two masts. There are eight propeller anemometers on each mast, recording velocity magnitude data at 2.5Hz. The positioning of the anemometers is such that there are effectively two grids. One grid of 3 rows by 4 columns and a second of 5 rows by 2 columns. The ranges of temporal scale over which the analyses were done were from 1 to 103 seconds for both datasets. Thus, under the universal multifractal framework we found both datasets exhibit parameters α ≈ 1.5 and C1 ≈ 0.1. The parameters α and C1, measure respectively the multifractality and mean intermittency of the scaling field. A third parameter, H, quantifies the divergence from conservation of the field (e.g. H = 0 for the turbulent energy flux density). To estimate the parameters we used the ratio of the scaling moment function of the energy flux and of the velocity increments. This method was particularly useful when estimating the parameter α over larger scales. In fact it was not possible to obtain a reasonable estimate of alpha using the usual double trace moment method. For each case the scaling behaviour of the wind was almost isotropic when the scale ranges remained close to the sphero-scale. For the Corsica dataset this could be seen by the agreement of the spectral exponents of the order of 1.5 for all three components. Given we have only the horizontal wind components over a grid for the Germany dataset the comparable probability distributions of horizontal and vertical velocity increments shows the field is isotropic. The Germany dataset allows us to compare the spatial velocity increments with that of the temporal. We briefly mentioned above that the winds in Corsica were subject to vertical forcing effects over large scales. This means the velocity field scaled as 11/5 i.e. Bolgiano-Obukhov instead of Kolmogorov's. To test this we were required to invoke Taylor's frozen turbulence hypothesis since the data was a one point measurement. Having vertical and horizontal velocity increments means we can further justify the claims of an 11/5 scaling law for vertical shears of the velocity and test the validity of the Taylor's hypothesis. We used the results to first simulate the velocity components using continuous in-scale cascades and then discuss the reconstruction of the full vector fields.

Upwelling Response to Hurricane Isaac in Geostrophic Oceanic Vortices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jaimes, B.; Shay, L. K.; Brewster, J. K.; Schuster, R.

2013-05-01

As a tropical cyclone (TC) moves over the ocean, the cyclonic curl of the wind stress produces a region of upwelling waters under the TC center that is compensated by downwelling waters at regions outside the center. Direct measurements conducted during hurricane Rita and recent numerical studies indicate that this is not necessarily the case when TCs move over geostrophic oceanic features, where its background relative vorticity impacts wind-driven horizontal current divergence and the upwelling velocity. Modulation of the upwelling response in these energetic oceanic regimes impacts vertical mixing across the oceanic mixed layer base, air-sea fluxes into the atmosphere, and ultimately storm intensity. As part of NOAA Intensity Forecasting Experiment, an experiment was conducted during the passage of TC Isaac over the energetic geostrophic eddy field in the Gulf of Mexico in August 2012. Expendable bathythermographs, current profilers, and conductivity-temperature-depth probes were deployed in Isaac from NOAA WP-3D aircraft during four in-storm flights to measure oceanic variability and its impact on TC-driven upwelling and surface fluxes of heat and momentum. During intensification to hurricane, the cyclonic curl of the wind stress of Isaac extended over a region of more than 300 km in diameter (4 to 5 times the radius of maximum winds). Isaac's center moved over a cold cyclonic feature, while its right and left sides moved over warm anticyclones. Contrasting upwelling and downwelling regimes developed inside the region of cyclonic curl of the wind stress. Both positive (upwelling) and negative (downwelling) vertical displacements of 40 and 60 m, respectively, were measured inside the region of cyclonic curl of the wind stress, which are between 3 to 4 times larger than predicted vertical displacements for a quiescent ocean based on scaling arguments. Oceanic mixed layer (OML) currents of 0.2 to 0.7 m s-1 were measured, which are about 50% smaller than the expected velocity response under quiescent oceanic conditions. Although OML currents were measured inside the core of cyclonic curl of the wind stress, their orientation is not consistent with horizontally divergent flows typically found in upwelling regimes under TC centers. Theoretical predictions that consider background relative vorticity effects on the upwelling response mimic the contrasting upwelling/downwelling regimes inside the region of cyclonic curl of the wind stress. These results point to an important modulation of the OML current and upwelling response by background oceanic flows, where the upwelling velocity is a function of the curl of wind-intensified pre-storm geostrophic currents, rather than just a function of the curl of the wind stress. Thus, properly initializing temperature and salinity fields in numerical models is needed to accurately represent these oceanic processes in coupled forecast models.

Verification of the NWP models operated at ICM, Poland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Melonek, Malgorzata

2010-05-01

Interdisciplinary Centre for Mathematical and Computational Modelling, University of Warsaw (ICM) started its activity in the field of NWP in May 1997. Since this time the numerical weather forecasts covering Central Europe have been routinely published on our publicly available website. First NWP model used in ICM was hydrostatic Unified Model developed by the UK Meteorological Office. It was a mesoscale version with horizontal resolution of 17 km and 31 levels in vertical. At present two NWP non-hydrostatic models are running in quasi-operational regime. The main new UM model with 4 km horizontal resolution, 38 levels in vertical and forecats range of 48 hours is running four times a day. Second, the COAMPS model (Coupled Ocean/Atmosphere Mesoscale Prediction System) developed by the US Naval Research Laboratory, configured with the three nested grids (with coresponding resolutions of 39km, 13km and 4.3km, 30 vertical levels) are running twice a day (for 00 and 12 UTC). The second grid covers Central Europe and has forecast range of 84 hours. Results of the both NWP models, ie. COAMPS computed on 13km mesh resolution and UM, are verified against observations from the Polish synoptic stations. Verification uses surface observations and nearest grid point forcasts. Following meteorological elements are verified: air temperature at 2m, mean sea level pressure, wind speed and wind direction at 10 m and 12 hours accumulated precipitation. There are presented different statistical indices. For continous variables Mean Error(ME), Mean Absolute Error (MAE) and Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE) in 6 hours intervals are computed. In case of precipitation the contingency tables for different thresholds are computed and some of the verification scores such as FBI, ETS, POD, FAR are graphically presented. The verification sample covers nearly one year.

Experiments on tropical stratospheric mean-wind variations in a spectral general circulation model

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hamilton, K.; Yuan, L.

1992-12-15

A 30-level version of the rhomboidal-15 GFDL spectral climate model was constructed with roughly 2-km vertical resolution. This model fails to produce a realistic quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO) in the tropical stratosphere. Several simulations were conducted in which the zonal-mean winds and temperatures in the equatorial lower and middle stratosphere were instantaneously perturbed and the model was integrated while the mean state relaxed toward its equilibrium. The time scale for the mean wind relaxation varied from over one month at 40 km to a few months in the lower stratosphere. The wind relaxations in the model also displayed the downward phasemore » propagation characteristic of QBO wind reversals, and mean wind anomalies of opposite sign to the imposed perturbation appear at higher levels. In the GCM the downward propagation is clear only above about 20 mb. Detailed investigations were made of the zonal-mean zonal momentum budget in the equatorial stratosphere. The mean flow relaxations above 20 mb were mostly driven by the vertical Eliassen-Palm flux convergence. The anomalies in the horizontal Eliassen-Palm fluxes from extratropical planetary waves were found to be the dominant effect forcing the mean flow to its equilibrium at altitudes below 20 mb. The vertical eddy momentum fluxes near the equator in the model were decomposed using space-time Fourier analysis. While total fluxes associated with easterly and westerly waves are comparable to those used in simple mechanistic models of the QBO, the GCM has its flux spread over a broad range of wavenumbers and phase speeds. The effects of vertical resolution were studied by repeating part of the control integration with a 69-level version of the model with greatly enhance vertical resolution in the lower and middle stratosphere. The results showed that there is almost no sensitivity of the simulation in the tropical stratosphere to the increased vertical resolution. 34 refs., 16 figs., 3 tabs.« less

Airborne Wind Energy: Implementation and Design for the U.S. Air Force

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-03-01

system. The spinning of the balloon causes what is known as the Magnus effect . The Magnus effect is when the spinning of the balloon causes more of...could not reach using helium alone. The Magnus effect also stabilizes the balloon and helps to keep the system naturally aligned with the wind, within...the horizontal direction, this reduces the projected rotor disk area facing into the wind. The effective area swept out by the wind- rotor is

Large Horizontal-Axis Wind Turbines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thresher, R. W. (Editor)

1982-01-01

The proceedings of a workshop held in Cleveland, July 28-30, 1981 are described. The workshop emphasized recent experience in building and testing large propeller-type wind turbines, expanding upon the proceedings of three previous DOE/NASA workshops at which design and analysis topics were considered. A total of 41 papers were presented on the following subjects: current and advanced large wind turbine systems, rotor blade design and manufacture, electric utility activities, research and supporting technology, meteorological characteristics for design and operation, and wind resources assessments for siting.

Shipborne wind measurement and motion-induced error correction by coherent doppler lidar over yellow sea in 2014

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhai, Xiaochun; Wu, Songhua; Liu, Bingyi; Song, Xiaoquan

2018-04-01

Shipborne wind observations by the Coherent Doppler Lidar (CDL) during the 2014 Yellow Sea campaign are presented to study the structure of the Marine Atmospheric Boundary Layer (MABL). This paper gives an analysis of the correction for horizontal and vertical wind measurement, demonstrating that the combination of the CDL with the attitude correction system enables the retrieval of wind profiles in the MABL during both anchored and cruising measurement with satisfied statistical uncertainties.

Sensitivity of Tropical Cyclones to Parameterized Convection in the NASA GEOS5 Model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lim, Young-Kwon; Schubert, Siegfried D.; Reale, Oreste; Lee, Myong-In; Molod, Andrea M.; Suarez, Max J.

2014-01-01

The sensitivity of tropical cyclones (TCs) to changes in parameterized convection is investigated to improve the simulation of TCs in the North Atlantic. Specifically, the impact of reducing the influence of the Relaxed Arakawa-Schubert (RAS) scheme-based parameterized convection is explored using the Goddard Earth Observing System version5 (GEOS5) model at 0.25 horizontal resolution. The years 2005 and 2006 characterized by very active and inactive hurricane seasons, respectively, are selected for simulation. A reduction in parameterized deep convection results in an increase in TC activity (e.g., TC number and longer life cycle) to more realistic levels compared to the baseline control configuration. The vertical and horizontal structure of the strongest simulated hurricane shows the maximum lower-level (850-950hPa) wind speed greater than 60 ms and the minimum sea level pressure reaching 940mb, corresponding to a category 4 hurricane - a category never achieved by the control configuration. The radius of the maximum wind of 50km, the location of the warm core exceeding 10 C, and the horizontal compactness of the hurricane center are all quite realistic without any negatively affecting the atmospheric mean state. This study reveals that an increase in the threshold of minimum entrainment suppresses parameterized deep convection by entraining more dry air into the typical plume. This leads to cooling and drying at the mid- to upper-troposphere, along with the positive latent heat flux and moistening in the lower-troposphere. The resulting increase in conditional instability provides an environment that is more conducive to TC vortex development and upward moisture flux convergence by dynamically resolved moist convection, thereby increasing TC activity.

Analyzing Martian winds and tracer concentrations using Mars Observer data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Houben, Howard C.

1993-01-01

During the courses of a day, the Mars Observer spacecraft will acquire globally distributed profiles of the martian atmosphere. It is highly desirable that this data be assembled into synoptic weather maps (complete specifications of the atmospheric pressure, temperature, and winds at a given time), which can in turn be used as starting points in the study of many meteorological phenomena. Unfortunately, the special nature of the Mars Observer data presents several challenges above and beyond the usual difficult problem of data initialization. Mars Observer atmospheric data will consist almost exclusively of asynoptic vertical profiles of temperatures (or radiances) and pressures, whereas winds are generally in balance with horizontal gradients of these quantities (which will not be observed). It will therefore be necessary to resort to dynamical models to analyze the wind fields. As a rule, data assimilation into atmospheric models can result in the generation of spurious gravity waves, so special steps must be taken to suppress these. In addition, the asynoptic nature of the data will require a four-dimensional (space and time) data assimilation scheme. The problem is to find a full set of meteorological fields (winds and temperatures) such that, when marched forward in time in the model, they achieve a best fit (in the weighted least-squares sense) to the data. The proposed solution is to develop a model especially for the Mars Observer data assimilation problem. Gravity waves are filtered from the model by eliminating all divergence terms from the prognostic divergence equation. This leaves a diagnostic gradient wind relation between the rotational wind and the temperature field. The divergent wind is diagnosed as the wind required to maintain the gradient wind balance in the presence of the diabatic heating. The primitive equations of atmospheric dynamics (with three principal dependent variables) are thus reduced to a simpler system with a single prognostic equation for temperature - the variable that will be best observed. (This balance system was apparently first derived by Charney as a first-order Rossby number expansion of the equations of motion). Experience with a full primitive equation model of the martian atmosphere indicates that a further simplification is possible: at least for short-term integrations, the model can be linearized about the zonally symmetric basic state.

Observation of Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities and gravity waves in the summer mesopause above Andenes in Northern Norway

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stober, Gunter; Sommer, Svenja; Schult, Carsten; Latteck, Ralph; Chau, Jorge L.

2018-05-01

We present observations obtained with the Middle Atmosphere Alomar Radar System (MAARSY) to investigate short-period wave-like features using polar mesospheric summer echoes (PMSEs) as a tracer for the neutral dynamics. We conducted a multibeam experiment including 67 different beam directions during a 9-day campaign in June 2013. We identified two Kelvin-Helmholtz instability (KHI) events from the signal morphology of PMSE. The MAARSY observations are complemented by collocated meteor radar wind data to determine the mesoscale gravity wave activity and the vertical structure of the wind field above the PMSE. The KHIs occurred in a strong shear flow with Richardson numbers Ri < 0.25. In addition, we observed 15 wave-like events in our MAARSY multibeam observations applying a sophisticated decomposition of the radial velocity measurements using volume velocity processing. We retrieved the horizontal wavelength, intrinsic frequency, propagation direction, and phase speed from the horizontally resolved wind variability for 15 events. These events showed horizontal wavelengths between 20 and 40 km, vertical wavelengths between 5 and 10 km, and rather high intrinsic phase speeds between 45 and 85 m s-1 with intrinsic periods of 5-10 min.

Wind-Tunnel Measurements of Effect of Dive-Recovery Flaps at Transonic Speeds on Models of a Seaplane and a Transport

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Heath, Atwood R., Jr.; Ward, Robert J.

1959-01-01

The effects of wing-lower-surface dive-recovery flaps on the aero- dynamic characteristics of a transonic seaplane model and a transonic transport model having 40 deg swept wings have been investigated in the Langley 16-foot transonic tunnel. The seaplane model had a wing with an aspect ratio of 5.26, a taper ratio of 0.333, and NACA 63A series airfoil sections streamwise. The transport model had a wing with an aspect ratio of 8, a taper ratio of 0.3, and NACA 65A series airfoil sections perpendicular to the quarter-chord line. The effects of flap deflection, flap longitudinal location, and flap sweep were generally investigated for both horizontal-tail-on and horizontal-tail-off configurations. Model force and moment measurements were made for model angles of attack from -5 deg to 14 deg in the Mach number range from 0.70 to 1.075 at Reynolds numbers of 2.95 x 10(exp 6) to 4.35 x 10(exp 6). With proper longitudinal location, wing-lower-surface dive-recovery flaps produced lift and pitching-moment increments that increased with flap deflection. For the transport model a flap located aft on the wing proved to be more effective than one located more forward., both flaps having the same span and approximately the same deflection. For the seaplane model a high horizontal tail provided added effectiveness for the deflected-flap configuration.

Turbulence spectra measured during fire front passage

Treesearch

Daisuke Seto; Craig B. Clements; Warren E. Heilman

2013-01-01

Four field experiments were conducted over various fuel and terrain to investigate turbulence generation during the passage of wildland fire fronts. Our results indicate an increase in horizontal mean winds and friction velocity, horizontal and vertical velocity variances as well as a decreased degree of anisotropy in TKE during fire front passage (FFP) due to fire-...

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kitada, Toshihiro; Okamura, Kiyoshi; Tanaka, Setsu

Japanese large cities, mostly located in coastal region, have rapidly expanded in the last three decades. People in the region now experience warmer and unpleasant thermal environment in summer season, supposedly because of the extensive urbanization. Especially, under fine weather with light synoptic-scale gradient wind, the highest temperature often appears in rather inland area. An explanation to this phenomenon is horizontal transport of heat by the sea breeze which is strongly heated during its passage over the coastal urban area. This study investigated how and how much urbanization in Nohbi Plain of central Japan influences local wind and temperature distributionmore » over the plain and its surrounding region, Nohbi Plain which faces to the Pacific Ocean and is surrounded by the Japanese Alps, and thus is in a typical topographic situation in Japan. For the study we performed numerical simulations using our meso-scale meteorological model which includes k-c model for turbulence. One of the major results obtained is to have clarified a hierarchy in natural and artificial topography of various scales on their contributions to formation of characteristic diurnal pattern of wind and temperature distributions in the plain area. The Japanese Alps, the largest topographic feature in central Japan and often called the roof of Japan, gave the most important influence on the wind, although the mountains are located quite far, around 200 km, from Nohbi Plain. The way for the influence of the high mountains was to warm air mass in upper layer but below 2 km in altitude, over the Nohbi Plain through heat transport due to a large scale circulation consisting of the {open_quotes}flows from plain to plateau in lower layer and plateau to plain in upper layer{close_quotes}. Urbanization in the coastal Nohbi Plain showed little effect on the flow pattern, but caused large temperature rises at surface level in the inland area because of horizontal heat transfer by the sea breeze.« less

A study of wind effects on collector performance

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Onur, N.; Hewitt, J.C. Jr.

1980-08-01

Convective heat transfer experiments have been run on flat-plate collectors for tilt angles ranging from the horizontal to the vertical and for five different flow velocities. Experimental data are used to evaluate the currently used models, namely, those of Jurges (1924), Drake (1948), and Sparrow et al (1970-79), and it is shown that although none of these models provides an exact fit, they do represent bounds for the present data. It is also shown that the effect of flow from the northern quadrants provides an additional heat loss reduction of 10 to 20%.

Wind-Tunnel Investigation of Effects of Unsymmetrical Horizontal-Tail Arrangements on Power-On Static Longitudinal Stability of a Single-Engine Airplane Model

DTIC Science & Technology

1947-10-01

the favorable compari s on bet,’ Teen t h e r i r:)l’t and l eft semispars of the normal tail. Lonsitudinal-Stability COl11llutations For t he fom...neC’at i ve Since the propeller contri :,lUtOd 1.1.pW8 sh on t he l eft) and. t he center lines of the model and the 8l~.1)stream ’\\-Tere ass umed to

Wind Power predictability a risk factor in the design, construction and operation of Wind Generation Turbines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thiesen, J.; Gulstad, L.; Ristic, I.; Maric, T.

2010-09-01

Summit: The wind power predictability is often a forgotten decision and planning factor for most major wind parks, both onshore and offshore. The results of the predictability are presented after having examined a number of European offshore and offshore parks power predictability by using three(3) mesoscale model IRIE_GFS and IRIE_EC and WRF. Full description: It is well known that the potential wind production is changing with latitude and complexity in terrain, but how big are the changes in the predictability and the economic impacts on a project? The concept of meteorological predictability has hitherto to some degree been neglected as a risk factor in the design, construction and operation of wind power plants. Wind power plants are generally built in places where the wind resources are high, but these are often also sites where the predictability of the wind and other weather parameters is comparatively low. This presentation addresses the question of whether higher predictability can outweigh lower average wind speeds with regard to the overall economy of a wind power project. Low predictability also tends to reduce the value of the energy produced. If it is difficult to forecast the wind on a site, it will also be difficult to predict the power production. This, in turn, leads to increased balance costs and a less reduced carbon emission from the renewable source. By investigating the output from three(3) mesoscale models IRIE and WRF, using ECMWF and GFS as boundary data over a forecasting period of 3 months for 25 offshore and onshore wind parks in Europe, the predictability are mapped. Three operational mesoscale models with two different boundary data have been chosen in order to eliminate the uncertainty with one mesoscale model. All mesoscale models are running in a 10 km horizontal resolution. The model output are converted into "day a head" wind turbine generation forecasts by using a well proven advanced physical wind power model. The power models are using a number of weather parameters like wind speed in different heights, friction velocity and DTHV. The 25 wind sites are scattered around in Europe and contains 4 offshore parks and 21 onshore parks in various terrain complexity. The "day a head" forecasts are compared with production data and predictability for the period February 2010-April 2010 are given in Mean Absolute Errors (MAE) and Root Mean Squared Errors (RMSE). The power predictability results are mapped for each turbine giving a clear picture of the predictability in Europe. . Finally a economic analysis are shown for each wind parks in different regimes of predictability will be compared with regard to the balance costs that result from errors in the wind power prediction. Analysis shows that it may very well be profitable to place wind parks in regions of lower, but more predictable wind ressource. Authors: Ivan Ristic, CTO Weather2Umberlla D.O.O Tomislav Maric, Meteorologist at Global Flow Solutions Vestas Wind Technology R&D Line Gulstad, Manager Global Flow Solutions Vestas Wind Technology R&D Jesper Thiesen, CEO ConWx ApS

Supporting data for hydrologic studies in San Francisco Bay, California; meteorological measurements at the Port of Redwood City during 1992-1994

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schemel, Laurence E.

1995-01-01

Meteorological data were collected during 1992-94 at the Port of Redwood City, California, to support hydrologic studies in southern San Francisco Bay. The meteorological variables that were measured were air temperature, atmospheric pressure, quantum flux (insolation), and four parameters of wind speed and direction: scalar mean horizontal wind speed, (vector) resultant horizontal wind speed, resultant wind direction, and standard deviation of the wind direction. Hourly mean values based on measurements at five-minute intervals were logged at the site, then transferred to a portable computer monthly. Daily mean values were computed for temperature, insolation, pressure, and scalar wind speed. Hourly- mean and daily-mean values are presented in time- series plots and daily variability and seasonal and annual cycles are described. All data are provided in ASCII files on an IBM-formatted disk. Observations of temperature and wind speed at the Port of Redwood City were compared with measurements made at the San Francisco International Airport. Most daily mean values for temperature agreed within one- to two-tenths of a degree Celsius between the two locations. Daily mean wind speeds at the Port of Redwood City were typically half the values at the San Francisco International Airport. During summers, the differences resulted from stronger wind speeds at the San Francisco International Airport occurring over longer periods of each day. A comparison of hourly wind speeds at the Palo Alto Municipal Airport with those at the Port of Redwood City showed that values were similar in magnitude.

Mixed convective/dynamic roll vortices and their effects on initial wind and temperature profiles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Haack, Tracy; Shirer, Hampton N.

1991-01-01

The onset and development of both dynamically and convectively forced boundary layer rolls are studied with linear and nonlinear analyses of a truncated spectral model of shallow Boussinesq flow. Emphasis is given here on the energetics of the dominant roll modes, on the magnitudes of the roll-induced modifications of the initial basic state wind and temperature profiles, and on the sensitivity of the linear stability results to the use of modified profiles as basic states. It is demonstrated that the roll circulations can produce substantial changes to the cross-roll component of the initial wind profile and that significant changes in orientation angle estimates can result from use of a roll-modified profile in the stability analysis. These results demonstrate that roll contributions must be removed from observed background wind profiles before using them to investigate the mechanisms underlying actual secondary flows in the boundary layer. The model is developed quite generally to accept arbitrary basic state wind profiles as dynamic forcing. An Ekman profile is chosen here merely to provide a means for easy comparison with other theoretical boundary layer studies; the ultimate application of the model is to study observed boundary layer profiles. Results of the analytic stability analysis are validated by comparing them with results from a larger linear model. For an appropriate Ekman depth, a complete set of transition curves is given in forcing parameter space for roll modes driven both thermally and dynamically. Preferred orientation angles, horizontal wavelengths and propagation frequencies, as well as energetics and wind profile modifications, are all shown to agree rather well with results from studies on Ekman layers as well as with studies on near-neutral and convective atmospheric boundary layers.

Shock-like structures in the tropical cyclone boundary layer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Williams, Gabriel J.; Taft, Richard K.; McNoldy, Brian D.; Schubert, Wayne H.

2013-06-01

This paper presents high horizontal resolution solutions of an axisymmetric, constant depth, slab boundary layer model designed to simulate the radial inflow and boundary layer pumping of a hurricane. Shock-like structures of increasing intensity appear for category 1-5 hurricanes. For example, in the category 3 case, the u>(∂u/∂r>) term in the radial equation of motion produces a shock-like structure in the radial wind, i.e., near the radius of maximum tangential wind the boundary layer radial inflow decreases from approximately 22 m s-1 to zero over a radial distance of a few kilometers. Associated with this large convergence is a spike in the radial distribution of boundary layer pumping, with updrafts larger than 22 m s-1 at a height of 1000 m. Based on these model results, it is argued that observed hurricane updrafts of this magnitude so close to the ocean surface are attributable to the dry dynamics of the frictional boundary layer rather than moist convective dynamics. The shock-like structure in the boundary layer radial wind also has important consequences for the evolution of the tangential wind and the vertical component of vorticity. On the inner side of the shock the tangential wind tendency is essentially zero, while on the outer side of the shock the tangential wind tendency is large due to the large radial inflow there. The result is the development of a U-shaped tangential wind profile and the development of a thin region of large vorticity. In many respects, the model solutions resemble the remarkable structures observed in the boundary layer of Hurricane Hugo (1989).

Large wind turbines: A utility option for the generation of electricity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Robbins, W. H.; Thomas, R. L.; Baldwin, D. H.

1980-01-01

The wind resource is such that wind energy generation has the potential to save 6-7 quads of energy nationally. Thus, the Federal Government is sponsoring and encouraging the development of cost effective and reliable wind turbines. One element of the Federal Wind Energy Programs, Large Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine Development, is managed by the NASA Lewis Research Center for the Department of Energy. There are several ongoing wind system development projects oriented primarily toward utility application within this program element. In addition, a comprehensive technology program supporting the wind turbine development projects is being conducted. An overview is presented of the NASA activities with emphasis on application of large wind turbines for generation of electricity by utility systems.

Lithic Scatters that Blow: Wind as an Agent of Secondary Deposition of Lithic Artifacts

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Artifact presence or absence is frequently the only criteria used to define the horizontal extent of archaeological sites. Artifact transport by natural agents such as water and gravity is known to move artifacts from their primary context, though experimental simulated wind conditions demonstrate t...

Aeroelastic analysis of wind energy conversion systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dugundji, J.

1978-01-01

An aeroelastic investigation of horizontal axis wind turbines is described. The study is divided into two simpler areas; (1) the aeroelastic stability of a single blade on a rigid tower; and (2) the mechanical vibrations of the rotor system on a flexible tower. Some resulting instabilities and forced vibration behavior are described.

Pavement deterioration due to horizontal hydraulic fracturing and wind farm development in Kansas : final report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-03-01

The purpose of this research was to determine the impact on pavements and roadbeds due to the : increase in truck traffic from oil and gas fracking activities, as well as from expansion of the wind energy : industry, and estimate the resulting reduct...

16 CFR 1505.6 - Performance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... horizontal. No spillage of molten material or hot liquids from containers shall occur while the toy is... breakdown for 1 minute a sinusoidal test potential applied between the high-voltage and low-voltage windings... volts plus twice the rated voltage of the high-voltage winding. The test potential shall be supplied...

Pavement deterioration due to horizontal hydraulic fracturing and wind farm development in Kansas : technical summary.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-03-01

The purpose of this research was to determine the impact on pavements and : roadbeds due to the increase in truck traffic from oil and gas fracking activities, : as well as from expansion of the wind energy industry, and estimate the resulting : redu...

Western North Pacific Tropical Cyclone Formation and Structure Change in TCS-08

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-09-30

cyclones often transition to a fast-moving and rapidly- developing extratropical cyclone that may contain gale-, storm -, or hurricane-force winds... storm begins the process of extratropical transition have revealed the role of vertical wind shear in defining structural variations related to the...horizontal wind radii as the storm starts the process of extratropical transition. Elsberry et al. (2011) have extended the analysis of the

A study of two subgrid-scale models and their effects on wake breakdown behind a wind turbine in uniform inflow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martinez, Luis; Meneveau, Charles

2014-11-01

Large Eddy Simulations (LES) of the flow past a single wind turbine with uniform inflow have been performed. A goal of the simulations is to compare two turbulence subgrid-scale models and their effects in predicting the initial breakdown, transition and evolution of the wake behind the turbine. Prior works have often observed negligible sensitivities to subgrid-scale models. The flow is modeled using an in-house LES with pseudo-spectral discretization in horizontal planes and centered finite differencing in the vertical direction. Turbines are represented using the actuator line model. We compare the standard constant-coefficient Smagorinsky subgrid-scale model with the Lagrangian Scale Dependent Dynamic model (LSDM). The LSDM model predicts faster transition to turbulence in the wake, whereas the standard Smagorinsky model predicts significantly delayed transition. The specified Smagorinsky coefficient is larger than the dynamic one on average, increasing diffusion thus delaying transition. A second goal is to compare the resulting near-blade properties such as local aerodynamic forces from the LES with Blade Element Momentum Theory. Results will also be compared with those of the SOWFA package, the wind energy CFD framework from NREL. This work is supported by NSF (IGERT and IIA-1243482) and computations use XSEDE resources, and has benefitted from interactions with Dr. M. Churchfield of NREL.

Evaluation of Extratropical Cyclone Precipitation in the North Atlantic Basin: An analysis of ERA-Interim, WRF, and two CMIP5 models.

PubMed

Booth, James F; Naud, Catherine M; Willison, Jeff

2018-03-01

The representation of extratropical cyclones (ETCs) precipitation in general circulation models (GCMs) and a weather research and forecasting (WRF) model is analyzed. This work considers the link between ETC precipitation and dynamical strength and tests if parameterized convection affects this link for ETCs in the North Atlantic Basin. Lagrangian cyclone tracks of ETCs in ERA-Interim reanalysis (ERAI), the GISS and GFDL CMIP5 models, and WRF with two horizontal resolutions are utilized in a compositing analysis. The 20-km resolution WRF model generates stronger ETCs based on surface wind speed and cyclone precipitation. The GCMs and ERAI generate similar composite means and distributions for cyclone precipitation rates, but GCMs generate weaker cyclone surface winds than ERAI. The amount of cyclone precipitation generated by the convection scheme differs significantly across the datasets, with GISS generating the most, followed by ERAI and then GFDL. The models and reanalysis generate relatively more parameterized convective precipitation when the total cyclone-averaged precipitation is smaller. This is partially due to the contribution of parameterized convective precipitation occurring more often late in the ETC life cycle. For reanalysis and models, precipitation increases with both cyclone moisture and surface wind speed, and this is true if the contribution from the parameterized convection scheme is larger or not. This work shows that these different models generate similar total ETC precipitation despite large differences in the parameterized convection, and these differences do not cause unexpected behavior in ETC precipitation sensitivity to cyclone moisture or surface wind speed.

A comparison between the dynamics of horizontal and vertical axis offshore floating wind turbines.

PubMed

Borg, M; Collu, M

2015-02-28

The need to further exploit offshore wind resources in deeper waters has led to a re-emerging interest in vertical axis wind turbines (VAWTs) for floating foundation applications. However, there has been little effort to systematically compare VAWTs to the more conventional horizontal axis wind turbine (HAWT). This article initiates this comparison based on prime principles, focusing on the turbine aerodynamic forces and their impact on the floating wind turbine static and dynamic responses. VAWTs generate substantially different aerodynamic forces on the support structure, in particular, a potentially lower inclining moment and a substantially higher torque than HAWTs. Considering the static stability requirements, the advantages of a lower inclining moment, a lower wind turbine mass and a lower centre of gravity are illustrated, all of which are exploitable to have a less costly support structure. Floating VAWTs experience increased motion in the frequency range surrounding the turbine [number of blades]×[rotational speed] frequency. For very large VAWTs with slower rotational speeds, this frequency range may significantly overlap with the range of wave excitation forces. Quantitative considerations are undertaken comparing the reference NREL 5 MW HAWT with the NOVA 5 MW VAWT. © 2015 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.