Downscaling of Wind Fields Using NCEP-NCAR-Reanalysis Data and the Mesoscale MIUU-Model

Abstract: The profitability from the production wind power energy is related to the quality of the wind speed forecasts. All wind predicting methods needs meteorological data, for the prevailing synoptic situation, as input. High quality input is wanted for a better result. In this study a new idea of a method for estimation of high resolution wind fields is examined. The idea is to use an existing database, containing simulations of high resolution wind fields, to estimate the actual wind by combining the simulations in a way fitting actual synoptic data. The simulations in the database have been produced by the mesoscale MIUU-model, which has been developed by Leif Enger at Uppsala University. The database contains simulations characterized by different geostrophic wind speeds and directions. There is also a separation into four seasons, where values which are typical for each season is put on meteorological parameters. Reanalysis data from NCEP-NCAR, containing 850 hPa geopotential heights describing actual synoptic situations, is used to calculate geostrophic wind speeds and directions. Three different geostrophic wind calculation methods, the triangle method, the small cross-method and the large cross-method, are tested. The calculated geostrophic wind is compared between the methods. The small cross-method is chosen and the main reason for that is the large amount of reanalysis information considered by this method and the use of a small calculation area. Measurements of the wind speed and direction are available from the tower at Utgrunden. The geostrophic wind speeds and directions are therefore calculated especially for the position of Utgrunden. This is done by a linear weighting of data, from several grid points close to Utgrunden, with respect to the distance to Utgrunden. Linear weighting is also used when estimating the wind speed for Utgrunden. The wind speed is estimated by weighting together MIUU-model simulations, for different geostrophic wind speeds and directions, so that they fit the geostrophic wind values calculated for Utgrunden. The calculated wind speed, measured wind speed and calculated geostrophic wind speed, for Utgrunden, are compared. The correspondence, between the calculated and measured wind speed, turns out to be quite good for many time periods. The diurnal variations in the measured wind speed are partly captured by calculated wind speed, but the diurnal variations tend to be larger in the measured wind speed then in the calculated. There are also cases where there are large differences between the measured and estimated wind speed. Many of these cases are probably cased by unusual weather situations. By considering additional parameters, as the temperature field, it is likely that these wind estimations can be improved. With more research it may be possible to produce high resolution wind fields with enough accuracy to be useful as inputs in wind prognostic systems. The advantage with such a method would be that accurate high resolution wind fields could be produced without the use of a time consuming numerical high resolution model.