Weibull and Rayleigh Distribution Functions of Wind Speeds in Kingdom of Bahrain

Abstract

This paper compares between two commonly used functions, the Weibull and Rayleigh distribution functions, for fitting a measured wind speed probability distribution at a given location over a certain period. Hourly measured wind speed data at 10 m height for the years 2003 to 2005 have been statistically analyzed for the Kingdom of Bahrain. The Weibull and Rayleigh probability distribution functions have been determined and their parameters have been identified. The average wind speed and the wind power density have been estimated using both distribution functions and compared those estimated from the measured probability distribution function. The Weibull distribution function fits the wind speed variation better than Rayleigh distribution function. The average wind speed was found to be 4.5 m/s and the average wind power density was 114.54 W/m2