The wind profile power law is a relationship between the wind speeds at one height, and those at another.
The wind profile power law relationship is
| u | |
| ur |
=(
| z | |
| zr |
)\alpha
where
u
z
ur
zr
\alpha
\alpha
In order to estimate the wind speed at a certain height z, the relationship would be rearranged to
u=
| u | ||||
|
)\alpha
The value of 1/7 for α is commonly assumed to be constant in wind resource assessments, because the differences between the two levels are not usually so great as to introduce substantial errors into the estimates (usually < 50 m). However, when a constant exponent is used, it does not account for the roughness of the surface, the displacement of calm winds from the surface due to the presence of obstacles (i.e., zero-plane displacement), or the stability of the atmosphere.[1] [2] In places where trees or structures impede the near-surface wind, the use of a constant 1/7 exponent may yield quite erroneous estimates, and the log wind profile is preferred. Even under neutral stability conditions, an exponent of 0.11 is more appropriate over open water (e.g., for offshore wind farms), than 0.143,[3] which is more applicable over open land surfaces.
The wind profile of the atmospheric boundary layer (surface to around 2000 metres) is generally logarithmic in nature and is best approximated using the log wind profile equation that accounts for surface roughness and atmospheric stability. The relationships between surface power and wind are often used as an alternative to logarithmic wind features when surface roughness or stability information is not available.
The power law is often used in wind power assessments[4] [5] where wind speeds at the height of a turbine (
\ge
Estimates of wind power density are presented as wind class, ranging from 1 to 7. The speeds are average wind speeds over the course of a year,[8] although the frequency distribution of wind speed can provide different power densities for the same average wind speed.[9]
| Class | 10 m (33 ft) | 30 m (98 ft) | 50 m (164 ft) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wind power density (W/m2) | Speed m/s (mph) | Wind power density (W/m2) | Speed m/s (mph) | Wind power density (W/m2) | Speed m/s (mph) | ||
| 1 | 0 - 100 | 0 - 4.4 (0 - 9.8) | 0 - 160 | 0 - 5.1 (0 - 11.4) | 0 - 200 | 0 - 5.6 (0 - 12.5) | |
| 2 | 100 - 150 | 4.4 - 5.1 (9.8 - 11.5) | 160 - 240 | 5.1 - 5.9 (11.4 - 13.2) | 200 - 300 | 5.6 - 6.4 (12.5 - 14.3) | |
| 3 | 150 - 200 | 5.1 - 5.6 (11.5 - 12.5) | 240 - 320 | 5.9 - 6.5 (13.2 - 14.6) | 300 - 400 | 6.4 - 7.0 (14.3 - 15.7) | |
| 4 | 200 - 250 | 5.6 - 6.0 (12.5 - 13.4) | 320 - 400 | 6.5 - 7.0 (14.6 - 15.7) | 400 - 500 | 7.0 - 7.5 (15.7 - 16.8) | |
| 5 | 250 - 300 | 6.0 - 6.4 (13.4 - 14.3) | 400 - 480 | 7.0 - 7.4 (15.7 - 16.6) | 500 - 600 | 7.5 - 8.0 (16.8 - 17.9) | |
| 6 | 300 - 400 | 6.4 - 7.0 (14.3 - 15.7) | 480 - 640 | 7.4 - 8.2 (16.6 - 18.3) | 600 - 800 | 8.0 - 8.8 (17.9 - 19.7) | |
| 7 | 400 - 1000 | 7.0 - 9.4 (15.7 - 21.1) | 640 - 1600 | 8.2 - 11.0 (18.3 - 24.7) | 800 - 2000 | 8.8 - 11.9 (19.7 - 26.6) | |