Modelling Directional Distributions of Wind Data in the UAE

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to model wind direction in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with respect to different elevations and various time periods. Two case studies are considered. The first case study uses hourly simulated data at five heights (10m, 50m, 80m, 100m and 120 m) in the Al Badyiah mountainous area for 10 years in the city of Fujairah. The second case study uses hourly observed data at Abu Dhabi International Airport (ADIA) from 1982 to 2010. Finite mixtures of Von Mises (FMVM) distributions are used to model wind directions in the two sites. The parameters of the FMVM distribution are estimated using the least square method. The goodness of fit is measured by using the coefficient of determination . The results of the research show that the FMVM approach outperforms other distributions commonly used to model wind direction, in the case of the UAE. Wind directions are found to shift towards the north with increase in height at Al Badiyah. Two main directions characterize wind at Al Badyiah. The first is the northwestern direction, and the second, less pronounced in the northeastern direction. The dominant wind direction at ADIA is the northwestern direction. It has also second mean direction points to southeast, but with less concentration parameter. Temporal changes in wind direction in Al Badyiah and ADIA are also studied in this research. The results of the present work can be useful for the design of wind farms in the studied locations in order to maximize wind energy production.

Date of Award	May 2015
Original language	American English
Supervisor	Taha B. M. J. Ouarda (Supervisor)