Abstract
We propose a simple gust definition based on the theory of excursions by Rice (1944 and 1945). We discuss the relation to the distribution of extreme events and demonstrate theoretically and experimentally that the most probable extreme event is very close to being identical to the gust according to our definition. We demonstrate how it is possible to predict the gust on the basis of the measured mean wind and variance rather than rely on actually measured extreme excursions. Our gust definition also allows us to predict the average duration of a gust.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Busch, N. E., Christensen, O., Kristensen, L., Lading, L., and Larsen, S. E.: 1980, ‘Cups, Vanes, Propellers and Laser Anemometers’, in F. Dobson, L. Hasse and R. Davis (eds.), Air-Sea Interaction, Instruments and Methods, Plenum Press, New York, pp. 11–46.
Beljaars, A. C. M.: 1987, ‘The Influence of Sampling and Filtering on Measured Wind Gusts’, J. Atmos. Ocean. Technol. 4, 613–626.
Courtney, M. S.: 1987, ‘The Lammefjord Experiment’, Proceedings of the American Wind Energy Association Annual Conference, October, San Francisco. CA, pp. 124–129.
Courtney, M. S.: 1988, ‘An Atmospheric Turbulence Data Set for Wind Turbine Reseearch’, Proceedings of the 1988 British Wind Energy Association Conference, London, England, pp. 89–94.
Davenport, A. G.: 1964, ‘Note on the Distribution of the Largest Value of a Random Function with Application to Gust Loading’, Proc. Inst. Civ. Eng. (London) 28, 187–196.
Frenzen, P. and Hart, L. H.: 1983, ‘A Further Note on the Kolmogorov-von Kármán Product and the Values of the Constants’, Proc. Sixth Symp. on Turbulence and Diffusion, March 22–25, Boston, MA, pp. 24–27.
Gradshteyn, I. S. and Ryzhik, I. M.: 1965, Table of Integrals, Series, and Products. Fourth Edition. Academic Press, New York.
Gumbel, E. J.: 1958, Statistics of Extremes, Columbia University Press, New York.
Kaimal, J. C., Wyngaard, J. C., Izumi, Y. and Coté, O. R.: 1972, ‘Spectral Characteristics of Surface Layer Turbulence’, Quart. J. Roy. Meteorol. Soc. 98, 563–589.
Kristensen, L., Lenschow, D. H., Kirkegaard, P. and Courtney, M.: 1989, ‘The Spectral Velocity Tensor for Homogeneous Boundary-Layer Turbulence’, Boundary-Layer Meteorol. 47, 149–193.
Panofsky, H. A. and Dutton, J. A.: 1984, Atmospheric Turbulence, John Wiley & Sons, New York.
Rice, S. O.: 1944, 1945, ‘Mathematical Analysis of Random Noise’, Bell Syst. Tech. J. 23, 282–332, 24, 46–156.
Zhang, S. F., Oncley, P. O. and Businger, J. A.: 1988, ‘A Critical Evaluation of the von Kármán Constant from a New Atmospheric Surface Layer Experiment’, Proc. Eighth Symp. on Turbulence and Diffusion, April 25–29, San Diego, CA 148–150.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Supported by the Catalonian Research Council (CIRIT), Spain.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Kristensen, L., Casanova, M., Courtney, M.S. et al. In search of a gust definition. Boundary-Layer Meteorol 55, 91–107 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00119328
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00119328