Collaborative Research: Perdigao: Multiscale Flow Interactions in Complex Terrain

University Of Notre Dame, Notre Dame IN

Investigators

Abstract

Atmospheric flow through complex terrain is difficult to simulate due to the small scales of mountains and hills and the dependence of wind on a variety of factors, such as the temperature structure of the air near the ground. This award will allow a group of researchers the opportunity to join a large field campaign in Portugal and to supplement the experiment by deploying a large number of instruments. The project should result in a data set that will be used by numerical modelers for many years to come, with impacts on understanding boundary layer flows important to wind energy, air pollution, aviation, contaminant dispersion and alpine warfare. In addition, a number of students will have the opportunity to participate in the campaign and interact with international colleagues. The Perdigao field campaign is part of a large European effort to improve the efficiency of wind energy production. This award will bring a basic research component to the effort, with a focus on studying interactions between flows of different scales, effects of topographic and diurnal thermal forcing, valley/slope boundary layers and turbine wakes. Instrumentation provided by this project will include multiple Lidars, a Tethered Lifting System, ceilometer, radiosonde system, anemometers, and the OU CLAMPS integrated mobile profiling system.