Multi-scale modeling and characterization of winds for onshore and offshore wind-energy applications

• Grant number: 22/04474-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctorate
• Effective date (Start): September 01, 2022
• Effective date (End): August 31, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Mechanical Engineering - Transport Phenomena
• Principal Investigator: Bruno Souza Carmo
• Grantee: William Corrêa Radünz
• Host Institution: Escola Politécnica (EP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 21/06176-0 - Numerical methods for a new generation of weather and climate models, AP.PFPMCG.JP2

Abstract

The main wind energy research centers in the world such as the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL, USA), the National Renewable Energy Center (CENER, ESP), the Fraunhoffer Institute (ALE), the Technical University of Denmark (DTU), the University of Porto (POR), among others, have been dedicating efforts to the development of new tools for simulating wind in complex terrains and offshore, including the interaction with wind turbines. These efforts have motivated major research consortia such as the New European Wind Atlas (NEWA,EUR) and Atmosphere to electrons (a2e, USA). The international consortium High-Performance Computing for Wind Energy (HPCWE), of which Prof. Bruno Carmo participated with funding from FAPESP, is an offshoot of this global effort. The objective of this project is the development of these technologies in the national scenario, using the well-known multiscale and high-resolution simulation capabilities of the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model. The proposal is divided into the themes (I) complex terrains and (II) coastal and offshore regions. In (I), the objective is a high-resolution simulation (~100 m) of the interaction between winds, topography and wind turbine wakes of a wind farm built on complex terrain (object of previous studies by the author) using Wind Farm Parameterizations (WFP) and Large-Eddy Simulation (LES). The simulations will be validated with turbine production and met mast data. In (II), the objective is the simulation at average (~1 to 3 km) and high resolutions (~100 m) and the characterization of the atmospheric boundary layer in coastal and offshore regions through validation with observations of lidars and met masts installed in two different locations on the Brazilian coast (PI and SC). There is synergy between both themes since the computational model is the same, although with different configurations that will be investigated. Both themes have the highest importance for science and the energy transition of this decade in Brazil and in the world. (AU)