Standardization of raw wind speed data under complex terrain conditions : A data-driven scheme

Direct usage of raw wind data without modification of topographic and/or terrain effects may result in remarkable errors. Thus, standardization of raw wind datasets is of great importance to remove these influences. But, the existing standardization methods are mainly applicable for flat terrains, which may become inappropriate under complex terrain conditions. This paper presents a data-driven standardization scheme which can be applied for different terrains including complex terrains. Although this scheme is established based on wind profile records at a reference station equipped with both an anemometer at a near-ground height and a Doppler radar profiler system, it can be used for the standardization of surface winds not only at the reference station but also at other surrounding stations with only surface observation instruments. Thus, the proposed data-driven scheme is efficient and economic. As applications of this scheme, correction factors to convert raw wind speeds at about 50 weather stations in Hong Kong to those over a reference terrain are estimated. To verify the effectiveness of the proposed standardization scheme, a wind tunnel testing involved the topographic model of a weather station has been conducted. The standardization results via the proposed scheme and the wind tunnel testing are in good agreement. The proposed methodology and relevant results can be used for the analysis of topographic effects on wind speeds over complex terrains. © 2014 Elsevier Ltd.