Does Rotor-Equivalent Wind Speed Differ From Hub-Height Wind Speed? Observations From Complex Terrain During WFIP2

Graduate Thesis Or Dissertation

Citations

Citeable URL: https://scholar.colorado.edu/concern/graduate_thesis_or_dissertations/t148fj883

Abstract

A rotor-equivalent wind speed (REWS) may provide a more accurate estimate for wind power forecasting and wind resource assessment compared to the hub-height wind speed (HHWS) that has historically been used to represent the momentum entering a wind turbine’s rotor disk. Using LiDAR data from the Second Wind Forecast Improvement Project (WFIP2), we examine differences between three REWS variants and HHWS.

LiDAR-measured HHWS and REWS were closely matched (R² of 0.994 to 0.999). Statistical outliers were grouped into events based on temporal persistence. Diurnal and seasonal preference of outlier events above cut-in speed (3 m s^-1) differed by site and REWS variant. The impact of REWS on annual energy production (AEP) was site- and variant-dependent. For sites within the Columbia Basin, AEP values calculated from REWS ranged from -1.1% to +7% relative to those calculated with HHWS.

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