High-fidelity simulation study of real typhoon event in Taiwan using WRF-LES coupled model
Journal
Journal of Marine Science and Technology
ISSN
0948-4280
1437-8213
Date Issued
2025
Author(s)
Min-You Ko
Abstract
Taiwan, frequently impacted by typhoons, faces significant risks to offshore wind turbines from extreme winds. Accurate prediction of typhoon boundary layer characteristics is crucial for offshore wind energy development. This study employed a coupled Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model and large-eddy simulations (LES) to investigate the effects of atmospheric parameters (e.g., temperature and pressure) on typhoon characteristics during a historical event (Typhoon Nesat, 2017). High-resolution wind fields near an offshore wind farm were generated and validated by on-site meteorological mast data, with the evaluated peak mean wind speed of 31.8 m/s, only 0.3 m/s higher than the observed value. The results showed that on-site wind speeds were highly sensitive to deviations in the WRF-simulated typhoon track. In addition, the LES-generated turbulence underestimated the actual conditions, especially in the period following the primary extreme wind impact. Moreover, direct assimilation of mesoscale wind data into the microscale model overstated turbulence in the typhoon wake, with turbulent kinetic energy 2–4 times higher than those with indirect assimilation. Overall, however, the proposed WRF-LES model provides a powerful approach for simulating typhoon with moderate accuracy. The high-resolution wind fields generated can be utilized for wind turbine simulations, benefiting wind energy development in Taiwan.
Subjects
Offshore wind energy
Typhoon boundary layers
Wind field simulation
WRF-LES coupled model
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Type
journal article