Influence of the Determination Methods of K and C Parameters on the Ability of Weibull Distribution to Suitably Estimate Wind Potential and Electric Energy

DOI: https://doi.org/10.14710/ijred.3.2.145-154

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Article Info
Published: 15-07-2014
Section: Original Research Article
In Vol 3, No 2 (2014): July 2014
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The modeling of the wind speed distribution is of great importance for the assessment of wind energy potential and the performance of wind energy conversion system. In this paper, the choice of two determination methods of Weibull parameters shows theirs influences on the Weibull distribution performances. Because of important calm winds on the site of Ngaoundere airport, we characterize the wind potential using the approach of Weibull distribution with parameters which are determined by the modified maximum likelihood method. This approach is compared to the Weibull distribution with parameters which are determined by the maximum likelihood method and the hybrid distribution which is recommended for wind potential assessment of sites having nonzero probability of calm. Using data provided by the ASECNA Weather Service (Agency for the Safety of Air Navigation in Africa and Madagascar), we evaluate the goodness of fit of the various fitted distributions to the wind speed data using the Q – Q plots, the Pearson’s coefficient of correlation, the mean wind speed, the mean square error, the energy density and its relative error. It appears from the results that the accuracy of the Weibull distribution with parameters which are determined by the modified maximum likelihood method is higher than others. Then, this approach is used to estimate the monthly and annual energy productions of the site of the Ngaoundere airport. The most energy contribution is made in March with 255.7 MWh. It also appears from the results that a wind turbine generator installed on this particular site could not work for at least a half of the time because of higher frequency of calm. For this kind of sites, the modified maximum likelihood method proposed by Seguro and Lambert in 2000 is one of the best methods which can be used to determinate the Weibull parameters.

Keywords

frequency of calm; Weibull parameters; wind energy; wind modeling; wind potential

  1. Ruben M. Mouangue 
    Department of Energetic Engineering, UIT, UN, PO Box 455 Ngaoundere, Cameroon, Cameroon
  2. Myrin Y. Kazet 
    Department of GEEA, PAI, ENSAI, University of Ngaoundere, Cameroon
  3. Alexis Kuitche 
    Department of GEEA, PAI, ENSAI, University of Ngaoundere, Cameroon
  4. Jean-Marie Ndjaka 
    Department of Physics, Faculty of Sciences, University of Yaounde I, Cameroon
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