By: Steven M. ZollarsBy: Steven M. Zollars

Dr. Jason RoneyDr. Jason Roney

COMPUTATIONAL FLUID COMPUTATIONAL FLUID FLOW OVER COMPLEX FLOW OVER COMPLEX

TOPOGRAPHYTOPOGRAPHY

OVERVIEW

• Problem Statement/Relevance

• Methodology

• My Progress/Setbacks

• Summary

• Questions

PROBLEM STATEMENT

Implementing Computational Fluid Dynamics to Investigate Flow Over Complex

Topography with Applications to Wind Turbine Sitings and Wind Energy

Predictions

RELEVANCE

• Wind Power is one of the most promising and cost effective renewable energy technologies available today

• Environmental issues negligible compared to current energy sources (I.e. coal, nuclear, gas,..)

• By 2005: Wind Power Costs = $0.02 per kWh

• Colorado Potential: 481 billion kWh per year from wind

METHODOLOGY

1st Determine a site– Alamont Pass, California (East of San Francisco)– Tehachapi, California (Kern County)– San Gorgonio Pass (North of Palm Springs)– Ponnequin Wind Facility, Colorado (N.E. Colorado)

METHODOLOGY

2nd Download that sites .dem file

(Digital Elevation Map)

METHODOLOGY

3rd Convert the .dem to a .vrt & .cel format using FORTRAN (or other

operating mode)

- Reformats the given information

- allows us to plot a grid of points

METHODOLOGY

4th Import the data into StarCD

- Creates a surface shell Mesh Grid

METHODOLOGY

5th Determine Boundary/Initial Conditions

& run StarCD program

METHODOLOGY

6th Read output of StarCD and determine highest areas of wind velocity

for future wind turbine sitings.

METHODOLOGY

7th Create a program that will determine the energy output from a wind turbine

using MATLAB

8th Read output of StarCD into MATLAB to determine energy output of

turbines located at different sites.

SUMMARY

• Problem Statement/Relevance

• Methodology

• My Progress/Setbacks

QUESTIONS?