Assessment of wind resources in two parts of Northeast Brazil with the use of numerical models

Abstract

A study was conducted to quantify the wind resources in two locations (municipalities of Paracuru and Triunfo) with different topographical conditions (flat and complex) in the Northeast Region of Brazil (NEB). To this end, data collected in situ with anemometer towers and a simulation of the mesoscale numerical Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model were used. These served as initial conditions for simulations of the microscale numerical model from the Wind Atlas Analysis and Application Program (WAsP). The WAsP model enabled estimation of the annual wind potential and its power density, both through measured and simulated input data (WRF). Wind speed fields and the average direction of the wind, parameters of the Weibull probability density function (an estimate of the mean annual power density and wind potential), were used to compare the simulations and the observations. The results show that both locations, Paracuru and Triunfo, have a favourable annual wind potential for the implementation of wind farm projects. The power density estimated through measured and simulated data exceeded 400 W m−2 at heights of 60 and 50 m above the ground.