Optimistic / Normal / Pessimistic Limits of Urban Wind Speed in Armidale NSW, Australia

Abstract

Wind has a very intermittent nature, its behaviour and speed are directly affected by several factors, specifically the nature of the environment and the height that wind blows at. Wind behaviour at urban large city areas and urban suburban areas is completely different than such behaviour at open terrain and flat unobstructed areas, wind turns to be more disturbed and turbulent and wind speed is reduced due to the existence of several obstructions, mostly buildings either single storey or medium rise or high rise buildings in addition to trees. As well, the height at which wind is blowing, the lower height the more disturbed wind the less wind speed, such effect is maximised in urban areas and near to the ground level. In this study, typical reference years of urban wind speed for Armidale town in New South Wales in Australia are generated from the daily meteorological wind speed data measured for 23 years from two weather stations in Armidale which are Armidale Airport Automatic Weather Stations and Armidale Tree Group Nursery Manual Weather Station, utilising the Finkelstein-Schafer statistical method. The study outcome is a database of the daily optimistic, normal and pessimistic limits all over the year of the urban wind speed in Armidale NSW. The said database limits would be a real help for wind energy generation systems' designers in this region for all building applications varying between residential, educational, administrative and commercial for sizing and maximising efficiency of such systems by using the tabular TYR outcome for the each day of the year for various heights (10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5 & 4) meters.