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Wind Energy and Wind Modeling Expertise
Hybrid Wind Model Applications
CFD Applications
Quasi-CFD Applications
Micrometeorological Modeling
Statistical Wind Models
Renewable Energy is becoming an increasingly important source of energy for the world as fossil fuels become scarcer and are subject to world supply and demand. Wind Energy is one of many renewable energy sources. Modeling the locations where this is a viable energy alternative is how we can contribute to this growing field by using our expertise in atmospheric sciences, fluid dynamics, and mechanical engineering.
Likewise, wind modeling is important in urban and rural dispersion in contaminant transport and we can model atmospheric conditions for these types or problems as well.
Hybrid Wind Models
Computers running under the LINUX and Windows platform have been used to run a hybrid wind energy model. The models are in the process of being improved and validated. Some sample results are shown above using the Eta Model and CALMET. In addition, the initial models were coupled to CFD models for more detailed examination of the wind sites.
Statistical Wind ANALYSIS
An analysis of observational wind above 60,000 ft was investigated for the purpose of near-space applications. The observations were fit with Weibull distributions and a statistical model formed for two North American sites corresponding to White Sands, NM, and Akron, OH. In a collaborative effort these wind models were used to determine the energy requirements of a station-keeping notional airship operating above 60,000 ft using solar panels for energy. Though these methods were applied for near-space applications, the same methods are used commonly to establish climatology and wind-speed distribution for wind turbine siting.
CFD Analysis of Local Winds
Improvements to wind predictions are also being investigated using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) by producing winds at 90 m resolution. Dr. Roney has experience using STAR-CD, ANSYS Fluent and OpenFOAM for these types of applications.
Quasi-CFD
As a research scientist at ITT Corporation, Dr. Roney has worked extensively with a fast running computational fluid dynamics model known as RUSTIC which was designed for urban transport and dispersion. Dr. Roney has worked at further aiding in development and validation of the models used for RUSTIC. These types of models could also be potentially used as the 3rd-level of detail in a hybrid modeling system used for wind energy predictions and micrositing in complex terrain and urban environments and would provide an analysis in much quicker time frames.
Micrometeorological Models
As a research scientist at ITT Corporation, Dr. Roney has developed a rural micrometeorological model and atmospheric turbulence model know as RMAT. This model was developed to provide atmospheric boundary conditions such as sensible heat fluxes and boundary layer heights for more sophisticated CFD-like atmospheric models and to provide an estimation of wind fields and turbulence in the atmosphere for rural transport and dispersion problems. The model uses standard atmospheric observations to predict and model the atmospheric conditions based on atmospheric parameterizations.
Dr. Roney is also quite knowledgeable about the micrometeorology used in the CALMET and AERMOD models.
Publications and Technical Reports
J.A. Roney, D.A, Burrows, C. Tobin, “RUSTIC/MESO, a rapid transport and dispersion modeling system”, Proceedings of the Fifth International Symposium on Computational Wind Engineering (CWE2010) Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA May 23-27, 2010.
D. Burrows, C. Tobin, J. Roney, and S. Diehl, “Improving RUSTIC for Coastal, Ocean and Rolling/Rough Terrain Areas”, ITT Report A-07-066U(R) for Army Research Office (ARO) Contract W911NF-06-C-0136, 2007.
J.A. Roney, “Statistical wind analysis for near-space applications”, Journal of Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics, 69, 1485-1501, 2007.
Presentations
J. Roney, D. Burrows, and C. Tobin, “RUSTIC/MESO transport and dispersion modeling”, Presented at 14th Annual George Mason University Conference on “Atmospheric Transport and Dispersion Modeling”, July 13-15, 2010.
J.A. Roney, D.A, Burrows, C. Tobin, “RUSTIC/MESO, a rapid transport and dispersion modeling system”, Presented at the Fifth International Symposium on Computational Wind Engineering (CWE2010) Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA May 23-27, 2010
J.A. Roney, “Hybrid Numerical Wind Models for Wind Energy Prediction”, Poster #129 at CU/NREL Research Symposium, October 3, 2006.
S. Zollars, and J.A. Roney, “Implementing Computational Fluid Dynamics to Investigate Flow Over Complex Topography with Application to Wind Turbine Siting and Wind Energy Predictions”, The Journal of the Colorado-Wyoming Academy of Science, Volume XXXV, April 2003.
M.S./M.E. Thesis Creative Investigations Students at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs (UCCS):
Jeff Fine, M.S. Mechanical Engineering, Thesis Student, graduated, June 2007, “Using the Eta and CALMET Meteorological Models for Wind Resource Estimation and Wind Energy Prediction”
Adam Yingling, M.E., Engineering Management, Creative Investigation, graduate, December 2004, Creative Investigation Title, “Determination of Target Wind Turbine Location with 100 Square Meter Resolution”.
Steve Zollars, M.S. Mechanical Engineering, Creative Investigation, graduated, December, 2003, Creative Investigation Title, “Power and Siting Predictions for Wind Turbines".
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