Wind Power Assessment Along the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts of the United States.

A methodology is developed for producing detailed wind power surveys. It is applied in areas of the U.S. Atlantic and Gulf coastal zones. The initial steps in estimating the amount and areal distribution of wind power are climatological. First, hourly data from meteorological stations, are analyzed for mean and frequency distribution statistics. This wind climatology is then the basis for identifying wind regions. The second climatological step is to determine the frequency of occurrence of defined wind regimes within each region and to select from the meteorological records specific days which typify the wind regimes most often occurring. The following two steps involve numerical computations and require the designation of a mesoscale area ((TURNEQ) 10('5) km('2)) within the detailed assessment is of interest. A numerical model of the atmosphere which treats explicitly the physical processes occurring within the boundary layer is conditioned to represent the geophysical aspects of the designated area. Full-day simulations are accomplished for each of the predominant wind regimes using the meteorological data from the selected typical days as initialization. The second computational step is the combination of the model predictions for each regime according to the fraction of the year that each represents. The final step is an estimation of the accuracy of the model-generated information based on data. Application of this methodology to the U.S. coastal zone from Maine to Texas results in the identification of five wind regions, 3 windy and 2 less windy. Five wind regimes are identified, using essentially the classical mid-latitude cyclone concept, and, by region, the length of each wind season is determined along with the composition of each season in terms of the frequency of occurrence of each regime. The three season-regime situations occurring most frequently are identified and typical cases of each are selected from meterological records. Mesoscale areas are designated for study by numerical simulations. In each area a mesoscale numerical model of the atmosphere is used to produce hourly spatial distribution of wind power at various levels within the atmospheric boundary layer for the three dominant season-regime situations. . . . (Author's abstract exceeds stipulated maximum length. Discontinued here with permission of school.) UMI.