Published in ERW, 23 Oct 2012
Wind farms are becoming ever more prevalent: last year, the total world power capacity of turbines went up by about 20%. Nonetheless, it is difficult to predict exactly how well new turbines will perform in different atmospheric regimes. Manufacturers provide a “power curve”, which describes how power output should vary with wind speed, but this does not take into account irregular wind patterns such as wind shear and turbulence.
At some wind farms, particularly test sites, scientists place wind instruments – LIDAR and SODAR (laser and sound versions of radar) – to accurately measure how such wind patterns affect performance. But these instruments are expensive to install, and this leaves scientists with a shortage of data. The result is that it is difficult to know where to site, and how to arrange, future wind farms for the best power generation. […]
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