2011 International Conference on Alternative Energy in Developing Countries and Emerging Economies
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II. T
ERRAIN
C
OMPLEXITY
Sakkulathumedu falls in the high ranges of Western
Ghats in Kerala, India. Western Ghats in general, presents
a succession of cliffs, ridges and conical peaks and is of
highly irregular and rugged in topography i.e. highly
complex in nature. The elevation of the hills gradually
decreases towards west.
Fig. 2. Topography of the site (Extracted from google earth).
Sakkulathumedu is also famous for its very dense
forests on top of the plateau. Trees height can reach 10
–
25 m. The photographic view of the site is shown in
figure.3.
Fig. 3. Photographic view of Sakkulathumedu, Meenakshipuram &
Perampukettimedu.
III. T
HE
M
ODELLING
A
PPROACH
Wind flow computations were performed with the
meteodyn
WT
software with a fine resolution grid (4 m in
the vertical direction and 25 m in the horizontal
direction), for 19 wind directions (10 degrees step for the
South -West prevailing winds).
TABLE 1
C
OMPUTED SYNOPTIC DIRECTIONS AND CORRESPONDING NUMBER
OF CELLS
Computed synoptic
directions (degree)
Thermal
Stability Class
Number of cells
30
2
1657446
60
2
1706922
90
2
1710912
120
2
1706922
150
2
1531438
180
2
1710912
200
2
1729988
210
2
1714788
220
2
1672722
230
2
1689936
240
2
1531438
250
2
1399008
260
2
1466268
270
2
1703274
280
2
1658700
290
2
1729988
300
2
1714788
330
2
1531438
360
2
1703274
The directional computations were also performed for
the stable Thermal stability classes (3, 5, 7 and 8) and for
the unstable Thermal stability classes (0 and 1) allowing
us to calibrate both the thermal stability and the
roughness by comparing measured profiles with
computed profiles at the different met mast locations. The
calibration results are as shown in figure 4.
Fig. 4. Calibration of the Thermal Stability / Roughness at the met
mast Meenakshipuram (Reference mast: Perampukettimedu).
This CFD model solves the steady isotherm
uncompressible Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes
equations.
The non-linear Reynolds stress tensor is modeled by a
one-equation closure scheme (k-L model, developed by
Yamada and Arritt [1]). The turbulence closure scheme is
realized by the prognostic equation on the turbulent
