On the Effect of Offshore Wind Farms on the Atmosphere and Ocean Dynamics

177 Pages·2015·17.957 MB·English

by  Elke Ludewig (auth.)

International Max Planck Research School for Maritime Affairs 1
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at the University of Hamburg

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On the Effect of
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International Max Planck Research School (IMPRS)
for Maritime Affairs
at the University of Hamburg
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Hamburg Studies on Maritime Affairs
Volume 31
Editedby
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Elke Ludewig
On the Effect of Offshore
Wind Farms on the
Atmosphere and Ocean
Dynamics
ElkeLudewig
TheoreticalOceanography
InstituteofOceanography
Hamburg
Germany
Dissertation Zur Erlangung der Doktorwürde an der Fakultät für Mathematik, Informatik
undNaturwissenschaften
Fachbereich Geowissenschaften derUniversität Hamburg
Vorgelegt von: ElkeLudewig
Erstgutachter: PD Dr. ThomasPohlmann
Zweitgutachter: Prof. Dr.Heinke Schlünzen
TagderDisputation:17. Januar2014
ISSN1614-2462 ISSN1867-9587(electronic)
ISBN978-3-319-08640-8 ISBN978-3-319-08641-5(eBook)
DOI10.1007/978-3-319-08641-5
SpringerChamHeidelbergNewYorkDordrechtLondon
LibraryofCongressControlNumber:2014955145
©SpringerInternationalPublishingSwitzerland2015
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“Die Welle beugt sich jedem Winde gern.”
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Faust II,
Vers7853/Thales
ThiSisaFMBlankPage
Preamble
Thestudyoftheeffectsofrenewableenergiesontheearthsystemisquitenewand
asksforanalysis.EspeciallytherenewableenergywindplaysakeyroleinEurope,
andsoIwasverygladtoworkwithinthatfieldofresearchduringmydissertation.
This book comprises the results of my dissertation, which was created and
supported at the University of Hamburg and by the International Max Planck
ResearchforMaritimeAffairs(IMPRS-MA).
Atthispoint,Iwanttousethechancetoregistersomeattendantssupportingme
andmyworkinthe32monthsofmydissertation’sprogress.
Primarily, Ihave tothankmyfirstadviserandtutorPDDr.ThomasPohlmann
forhiscollaboration,forhisofferofthescholarshipattheInternationalMaxPlanck
ResearchSchoolforMaritimeAffairs,andespeciallyforhisprofessionalsupport.
Ihavetothankmysecondadviser,Prof.Dr.Schlu¨nzen,andthemembersofmy
examination committee, Prof. Dr. Gajewski, Prof. Dr. Backhaus, and Prof.
Dr.Burchard,fortheirexpenditureoftimeformypromotionproceeding.
Particularly,IhavetomentionM.Linde.Thankyouforawellcollaborationand
expenditureoftimebysimulations,data,andquestionsregardingMETRAS.
To the BSH, the WEGA cruise, and A. Schneehorst, a big thank you for an
interesting cruise to alpha ventus and the measurement campaign that ends in a
reallywonderfulrevealingdatasetandafriendlycollaboration.
A thank you is to be addressed to the TO work group, which provides a nice
workingatmosphere,andthankyoutotheIMPRS-MAforprovidinganinsightinto
thelawsideofthemaritimeaffairsandforsupportingthisbook.
A thank goes also to the department of Informatics Scientific Computing of
Hamburg University, especially H. Lenhart, for their interest in my work. I am
really curious andlookingforwardtothesimulations considering the OWFeffect
ontheNorthSea’secosystem.
vii
viii Preamble
Last but not least, I want to mention my family and want to thank them for
supportingmyacademicstudies,myconference,andsummerschooltrips,andyou
arealwaysopentome.
Hamburg,Germany ElkeLudewig
May2014
Abstract
Nowadays, renewable energy resources play a key role in the energy supply
discussion,andespeciallyaheightenedinterestinwindenergyinducesintensified
installation of wind farms. In the course of a larger demand of renewable energy,
offshore windfarms(OWFs)gainincreasinglyinpopularitysinceover-seayields
are larger and more reliable than over land. In this context, Germany adopts the
positionofapioneeringnationduetoitsnationalinterurbanoffshorewindenergy
program comprising an intensified construction of wind turbines inthe Baltic Sea
and,mainly,NorthSea.Againstthisbackground,itbecomesparticularlyurgentto
inquire whether and to what extent such OWF expansion affects our oceans and
localclimates.
OWFs excite wind speed reduction downstream of wind farms, the so-called
wake effect, which impacts the atmosphere’s boundary layer; locally disturbs the
wind characteristics; and in turn affects ocean dynamics. To study the whole
complex in more detail, investigations comprise model simulations and measure-
ments. Used models are the atmosphere model METRAS (MEsoscale TRAnsport
andStreammodel)andtheoceanmodelHAMSOM(HAMburgShelfOceanModel).
METRASsimulationsweregeneratedincollaborationwithandbycourtesyofthe
Institute for Meteorological of the University of Hamburg. These METRAS data
represent the meteorological forcing for simulations of the ocean. Measurements
were taken aroundGerman test windfarmalpha ventussupported by the German
FederalMaritimeService(BSH).
Analysis regarding OWF effect on the atmosphere and ocean comprises two
main studies to determine possible OWF effects and their physical appearance in
theoryandtoestimatepossiblefutureintegratedchangesoftheNorthSea’smarine
system based on the offshore construction plan for 2030. Investigations consider
differentamountsofwindturbines,windspeedsanddirections,oceandepths,and
forcing assumptions. Model results and measurements show a reasonable agree-
mentsupportingtheprinciplevalidityoftheusedmodelapproach.
Mainresultsofthisstudyshowsignificantdynamicalchanges,includingawind
speed reduction downstream of OWF up to 70 % over an area being 100 times
larger than OWF itself, an evolving dipole structure of the sea surface elevation
ix