The digital terrain model in the computational modelling of the flow over the Perdigao site: the appropriate grid size

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2020

Authors

José Laginha Palma (Author) FEUP; Silva, CAM (Author) Other; Gomes, VC (Author) Other; Lopes, AS (Author) Other; Simoes, T (Author) Other; Costa, P (Author) Other; Batista, VTP (Author) Other

Journal

Title: Wind Energy Science

Vol. 5

Pages: 1469-1485

ISSN: 2366-7443

Publisher: Copernicus

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 4 Citations

Scopus - 0 Citations

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-00R-T2F

DOI: 10.5194/wes-5-1469-2020

Abstract (EN): The digital terrain model (DTM), the representation of earth's surface at regularly spaced intervals, is the first input in the computational modelling of atmospheric flows. The ability of computational meshes based on high- (2 m; airborne laser scanning, ASL), medium- (10 m; military maps, Mil) and low-resolution (30 m; Shuttle Radar Topography Mission, SRTM) DTMs to replicate the Perdigao experiment site was appraised in two ways: by their ability to replicate the two main terrain attributes, elevation and slope, and by their effect on the wind flow computational results. The effect on the flow modelling was evaluated by comparing the wind speed, wind direction and turbulent kinetic energy using VENTOS (R)/2 at three locations, representative of the wind flow in the region. It was found that the SRTM was not an accurate representation of the Perdigao site. A 40m mesh based on the highest-resolution data yielded an elevation error of less than 1.4m and an RMSE of less than 2.5m at five reference points compared to 5.0m in the case of military maps and 7.6m in the case of the SRTM. Mesh refinement beyond 40m yielded no or insignificant changes on the flow field variables, wind speed, wind direction and turbulent kinetic energy. At least 40m horizontal resolution - threshold resolution based on topography available from aerial surveys is recommended in computational modelling of the flow over Perdigao.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 17