INFLUÊNCIA DE CIRCULAÇÕES LOCAIS EM ÁREAS DE APROVEITAMENTO DE POTENCIAL EÓLICO NA REGIÃO DO LAGO DE SOBRADINHO

Abstract

In this work local circulation patterns are investigated for the year of 2010 in the Sobradinho Lake region, at the 25 m and 50 m levels. The hodographs illustrate the local wind variation in the four quadrants of the wind rose, in the majority of the months. The local time (LT) and magnitude of the maxima and minima intensities depend on the time of the year. A negative vertical shear in the local wind during the late night-early morning (night) is more evident in the period from May to September (October to February). The local wind, at times of maximum intensity, represents up to 60% of the observed wind speed and, in the remaining of the twenty four hours of the day, between 10 and 30%. This ratio decreases with height in the twelve months of 2010, and is more evident in the periods 4-6 LT and 17-20 LT, with exception of March and June, respectively. The local circulations may be associated with coupling between the land (lake) breeze and the catabatic (anabatic) winds during the late night-early morning (late afternoon-early night). The months of June, July and August show less variability in wind direction, favoring a better use of the wind turbines.