Skip to main content
Log in

Estimation of sector roughness lengths and the effect on prediction of the vertical wind speed profile

  • Published:
Boundary-Layer Meteorology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

An estimate of roughness length is required by some atmospheric models and is also used in the logarithmic profile to determine the increase of wind speed with height under neutral conditions. The choice of technique for determining roughness lengths is generally constrained by the available input data. Here, we compare sets of roughness lengths derived by different methods for the same site and evaluate their impact on the prediction of the vertical wind speed profile.

Wind speed and direction data have been collected at four heights over a three-year period at the North Norfolk Wind Monitoring Site. Wind speed profiles were used to generate sector roughness lengths based on the logarithmic profile formula. This is the only direct way of determining roughness lengths. The simplest and cheapest method is to use maps with published tables giving roughness length estimates for different terrain types. Alternatively Wieringa (1976, 1986) and Beljaars (1987) give formulae for determining roughness lengths from wind speed gusts or standard deviations.

The four sets of estimated roughness lengths vary considerably. They were used to estimate 34 m wind speeds from 12.7 m observations. The profile-derived roughnesses are used simply as a check on the prediction of the wind speed profiles. The terrain-derived roughness lengths give reasonable results. Gust-derived and standard deviation roughnesses both predict wind speeds which are lower than the observed ones. The error is greater in the case of standard deviation roughnesses. If stability corrections are applied in the prediction of the vertical wind speed profile, the results are considerably improved.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Adams, R. J.: 1984, ‘Summary of Theory of Wieringa's ‘Exposure Correction Factor’, Unpublished UK Met. Office Report, 9 pp.

  • Barthelmie R. J.: 1991, ‘Predicting On- and Off-Shore Wind Speeds for Wind Energy Applications. PhD thesis, University of East Anglia, UK.

    Google Scholar 

  • Beljaars, A. C. M.: 1987, ‘The Measurement of Gustiness at Routine Wind Stations — a Review’, Scientific Report WR87-11. KNMI, de Bilt, Netherlands.

    Google Scholar 

  • Beljaars, A. C. M., Holtslag, A. A. M. and van Westrhenen, R. M.: 1989, ‘Description of a Software Library for the Calculation of Surface Fluxes’, Technical Report TR-112. KNMI, De Bilt, Netherlands.

    Google Scholar 

  • Davenport, A. G.: 1960, “Rationale for Determining Design Wind Velocities’,J. Structural Division, Proc. American Society of Civil Engineers 5, 39–67.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gill, G. C.: 1967, ‘On the Dynamic Response of Meteorological Sensors and Recorders’,Proc. First Canadian Conference on Micrometeorology, Toronto, 1965, 1, pp. 1–27.

  • Holtslag, A. A. M.: 1984, ‘Estimates of Diabatic Wind Speed Profiles from Near-Surface Weather Observations’,Boundary-Layer Meteorol. 29(3), 225–50.

    Google Scholar 

  • Holtslag, A. A. M. and De Bruin, H. A. R.: 1988, ‘Applied Modelling of the Nighttime Surface Energy Balance over Land’,J. Appl. Meteorol. 27(6), 689–704.

    Google Scholar 

  • Holtslag, A. A. M. and Van Ulden, A. P.: 1982, ‘Simple Estimates of Nighttime Surface Fluxes from Routine Weather Data’, Koninklijk Nederlands Meteorological Instituut Wetenschappelijk Rapport, WR-82-4, De Bilt.

  • Holtslag, A. A. M. and Van Ulden, A. P.: 1983, ‘A Simple Scheme for Daytime Estimates of the Surface Fluxes from Routine Weather Data’,J. Climatol. and Appl. Meteorol. 22(4), 517–29.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lumley, J. L. and Panofsky, H. A.: 1964,The Structure of Atmospheric Turbulence, Interscience, London.

    Google Scholar 

  • Oke, T. R.: 1978,Boundary Layer Climates, Methuen Press, London, 372 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Palutikof, J. P., Bass, J. H., Halliday, J. A. and Davies, T. D.: 1989a, ‘Assessment of Wind Potential at Prospective Wind Energy Convertor Sites’, Final Report to the Department of Energy, Volume 6: Site Prediction Methodology, UKAEA Ref. No. E/5A/CON/5056/1467, Department of Energy, London.

    Google Scholar 

  • Palutikof, J. P., Watkins, C. P., Bass, J., Halliday, J. A. and Davies, T. D.: 1989b. ‘Assessment of Wind Potential at Prospective Wind Energy Convertor Sites’, Final Report to the Department of Energy, Volume 2: Data Network, UKAEA Ref. No. E/5A/CON/5056/1467, Department of Energy, London.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stull, R. B.: 1988,An Introduction to Boundary Layer Meteorology, pp. 666. ISBN 90-277-2768-6, Kluwer Publications Ltd, Dordrecht, The Netherlands.

    Google Scholar 

  • Van Wijk, A. J. M., Beljaars, A. C. M., Holtslag, A. A. M. and Turkenburg, W. C.: 1990, ‘Diabatic Wind Speed Profiles in Coastal Regions: Comparison of an Internal Boundary Layer (IBL) Model with Observations’,Boundary-Layer Meteorol. 51, 49–75.

    Google Scholar 

  • Van Wijk, A. J. M., Holtslag, A. A. M. and Turkenburg, W. C.: 1984, ‘Wind Profile Stability Corrections: Their Influence on Wind Energy Assessment Studies’, in:Proc. European Wind Energy Conference 1984, Hamburg, 22–26 October 1984, pp. 96–101, H. S. Stephens and Associates, Bedford, UK.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wieringa, J.: 1973, ‘Gust Factors over Open Water and Built Up Country’,Boundary-Layer Meteorol. 3, 424–41.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wieringa, J.: 1976, ‘An Objective Exposure Correction Method for Average Wind Speeds Measured at a Sheltered Location’,Quart. J. Royal Meteorol. Soc. 102, 241–53.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wieringa, J.: 1983, ‘Description Requirements for Assessment of Non-Ideal Wind Stations — for Example Aachen’,J. Wind Engineering and Industrial Aerodynamics 11(1983), 121–31.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wieringa, J.: 1986, ‘Roughness-Dependent Geographical Interpolation of Surface Wind Speed Averages’,Quart. J. Royal Meteorol. Soc. 112(473), 867–89.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wieringa, J.: 1989, ‘A Classifying Review of Experimentally-Determined Aerodynamic Roughness for Various Terrain Types’, Presented at IAMAP Symposium of Boundary-Layer Parameterisation and Larger-scale Models, Reading, UK, 10 August 1989.

  • Wieringa, J.: 1992, ‘Updating the Davenport Roughness Clarification’, Presented at the Eighth International Conference on Wind Engineering, London, Ontario, Canada, July 1991.J. Wind Engineering and Industrial Aerodynamics 41, 357–68.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wieringa, J.: 1993, ‘Representative Roughness Parameters for Homogeneous Terrain’,Boundary-Layer Meteorol. (in press).

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Barthelmie, R.J., Palutikof, J.P. & Davies, T.D. Estimation of sector roughness lengths and the effect on prediction of the vertical wind speed profile. Boundary-Layer Meteorol 66, 19–47 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00705458

Download citation

  • Revised:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00705458

Keywords

Navigation