Large-eddy simulation of an atmospheric bore and associated gravity wave effects on wind farm performance in the southern Great Plains
<p>Gravity waves are a common occurrence in the atmosphere, with a variety of generation mechanisms. Their impact on wind farms has only recently gained attention, with most studies focused on wind farm-induced gravity waves. In this study, the interaction between a wind farm and gravity waves...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Copernicus Publications
2025-06-01
|
| Series: | Wind Energy Science |
| Online Access: | https://wes.copernicus.org/articles/10/1007/2025/wes-10-1007-2025.pdf |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1850255961389793280 |
|---|---|
| author | A. S. Wise A. S. Wise R. S. Arthur A. Abraham S. Wharton R. Krishnamurthy R. Newsom B. Hirth J. Schroeder P. Moriarty F. K. Chow |
| author_facet | A. S. Wise A. S. Wise R. S. Arthur A. Abraham S. Wharton R. Krishnamurthy R. Newsom B. Hirth J. Schroeder P. Moriarty F. K. Chow |
| author_sort | A. S. Wise |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <p>Gravity waves are a common occurrence in the atmosphere, with a variety of generation mechanisms. Their impact on wind farms has only recently gained attention, with most studies focused on wind farm-induced gravity waves. In this study, the interaction between a wind farm and gravity waves generated by an atmospheric bore event is assessed using multiscale large-eddy simulations. The atmospheric bore is created by a thunderstorm downdraft from a nocturnal mesoscale convective system (MCS). The associated gravity waves impact the wind resource and power production at a nearby wind farm during the American Wake Experiment (AWAKEN) in the US southern Great Plains. A two-domain nested setup (<span class="inline-formula">Δ<i>x</i>=300</span> and 20 m) is used in the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model, forced with data from the High-Resolution Rapid Refresh model, to capture both the formation of the bore and its interaction with individual wind turbines. The MCS is resolved on the large outer domain, where the structure of the bore and the associated gravity waves are found to be especially sensitive to parameterized microphysics processes. On the finer inner domain, gravity wave interactions with individual wind turbines are resolved; wake dynamics are captured using a generalized actuator disk parameterization in WRF. The gravity waves are found to have a strong effect on the atmosphere above the wind farm; however, the effect of the waves is more nuanced closer to the surface where there is additional turbulence, both ambient and wake-generated. Notably, the gravity waves modulate the mesoscale environment by weakening and dissipating the preexisting low-level jet, which reduces hub-height wind speed and hence the simulated power output, which is confirmed by the observed supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) power data. Additionally, the gravity waves induce local wind direction variations correlated with fluctuations in pressure, which lead to fluctuations in the simulated power output as various turbines within the farm are subjected to waking from nearby turbines.</p> |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-7f8fc693dfd64beda96355c49bc59512 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2366-7443 2366-7451 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | Copernicus Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Wind Energy Science |
| spelling | doaj-art-7f8fc693dfd64beda96355c49bc595122025-08-20T01:56:45ZengCopernicus PublicationsWind Energy Science2366-74432366-74512025-06-01101007103210.5194/wes-10-1007-2025Large-eddy simulation of an atmospheric bore and associated gravity wave effects on wind farm performance in the southern Great PlainsA. S. Wise0A. S. Wise1R. S. Arthur2A. Abraham3S. Wharton4R. Krishnamurthy5R. Newsom6B. Hirth7J. Schroeder8P. Moriarty9F. K. Chow10Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, California, USALawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California, USALawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California, USANational Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado, USALawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California, USAPacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington, USAPacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington, USANational Wind Institute, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas, USADepartment of Geosciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas, USANational Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado, USADepartment of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA<p>Gravity waves are a common occurrence in the atmosphere, with a variety of generation mechanisms. Their impact on wind farms has only recently gained attention, with most studies focused on wind farm-induced gravity waves. In this study, the interaction between a wind farm and gravity waves generated by an atmospheric bore event is assessed using multiscale large-eddy simulations. The atmospheric bore is created by a thunderstorm downdraft from a nocturnal mesoscale convective system (MCS). The associated gravity waves impact the wind resource and power production at a nearby wind farm during the American Wake Experiment (AWAKEN) in the US southern Great Plains. A two-domain nested setup (<span class="inline-formula">Δ<i>x</i>=300</span> and 20 m) is used in the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model, forced with data from the High-Resolution Rapid Refresh model, to capture both the formation of the bore and its interaction with individual wind turbines. The MCS is resolved on the large outer domain, where the structure of the bore and the associated gravity waves are found to be especially sensitive to parameterized microphysics processes. On the finer inner domain, gravity wave interactions with individual wind turbines are resolved; wake dynamics are captured using a generalized actuator disk parameterization in WRF. The gravity waves are found to have a strong effect on the atmosphere above the wind farm; however, the effect of the waves is more nuanced closer to the surface where there is additional turbulence, both ambient and wake-generated. Notably, the gravity waves modulate the mesoscale environment by weakening and dissipating the preexisting low-level jet, which reduces hub-height wind speed and hence the simulated power output, which is confirmed by the observed supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) power data. Additionally, the gravity waves induce local wind direction variations correlated with fluctuations in pressure, which lead to fluctuations in the simulated power output as various turbines within the farm are subjected to waking from nearby turbines.</p>https://wes.copernicus.org/articles/10/1007/2025/wes-10-1007-2025.pdf |
| spellingShingle | A. S. Wise A. S. Wise R. S. Arthur A. Abraham S. Wharton R. Krishnamurthy R. Newsom B. Hirth J. Schroeder P. Moriarty F. K. Chow Large-eddy simulation of an atmospheric bore and associated gravity wave effects on wind farm performance in the southern Great Plains Wind Energy Science |
| title | Large-eddy simulation of an atmospheric bore and associated gravity wave effects on wind farm performance in the southern Great Plains |
| title_full | Large-eddy simulation of an atmospheric bore and associated gravity wave effects on wind farm performance in the southern Great Plains |
| title_fullStr | Large-eddy simulation of an atmospheric bore and associated gravity wave effects on wind farm performance in the southern Great Plains |
| title_full_unstemmed | Large-eddy simulation of an atmospheric bore and associated gravity wave effects on wind farm performance in the southern Great Plains |
| title_short | Large-eddy simulation of an atmospheric bore and associated gravity wave effects on wind farm performance in the southern Great Plains |
| title_sort | large eddy simulation of an atmospheric bore and associated gravity wave effects on wind farm performance in the southern great plains |
| url | https://wes.copernicus.org/articles/10/1007/2025/wes-10-1007-2025.pdf |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT aswise largeeddysimulationofanatmosphericboreandassociatedgravitywaveeffectsonwindfarmperformanceinthesoutherngreatplains AT aswise largeeddysimulationofanatmosphericboreandassociatedgravitywaveeffectsonwindfarmperformanceinthesoutherngreatplains AT rsarthur largeeddysimulationofanatmosphericboreandassociatedgravitywaveeffectsonwindfarmperformanceinthesoutherngreatplains AT aabraham largeeddysimulationofanatmosphericboreandassociatedgravitywaveeffectsonwindfarmperformanceinthesoutherngreatplains AT swharton largeeddysimulationofanatmosphericboreandassociatedgravitywaveeffectsonwindfarmperformanceinthesoutherngreatplains AT rkrishnamurthy largeeddysimulationofanatmosphericboreandassociatedgravitywaveeffectsonwindfarmperformanceinthesoutherngreatplains AT rnewsom largeeddysimulationofanatmosphericboreandassociatedgravitywaveeffectsonwindfarmperformanceinthesoutherngreatplains AT bhirth largeeddysimulationofanatmosphericboreandassociatedgravitywaveeffectsonwindfarmperformanceinthesoutherngreatplains AT jschroeder largeeddysimulationofanatmosphericboreandassociatedgravitywaveeffectsonwindfarmperformanceinthesoutherngreatplains AT pmoriarty largeeddysimulationofanatmosphericboreandassociatedgravitywaveeffectsonwindfarmperformanceinthesoutherngreatplains AT fkchow largeeddysimulationofanatmosphericboreandassociatedgravitywaveeffectsonwindfarmperformanceinthesoutherngreatplains |