Application of LES technique to diagnosis of wind farm by using high resolution elevation data

We are developing the numerical model called the RIAM-COMPACT (Research Institute for Applied Mechanics, Kyushu University, Computational Prediction of Airflow over Complex Terrain). The object domain of this numerical model is from several m to several km, and can predict the airflow and the gas diffusion over complex terrain with high precision. The RIAM-COMPACT has already been marketed by certain tie-up companies. The estimation of the annual electrical power output is also possible now based on the field observation data. In the present study, wind simulation of an actual wind farm was executed using the high resolution elevation data. As a result, an appropriate point and an inappropriate point for locating a wind turbine generator were shown based on the numerical results obtained. This cause was found to be a topographical irregularity in front of the wind turbine generator.