Study on the Evolution Pattern of Complex Topographic Flow Field in Typical Tableland and Hogback Ridge

Abstract

Abstract The flow field in complex mountainous wind farms is highly intricate, affecting the accuracy of wind resource assessments and the reliability of wind turbine operation. In order to study the evolving characteristics of the flow field in typical complex terrains under different inflow wind directions and wind speeds, this paper, based on the open-source software OpenFOAM, adopts a neutral atmospheric boundary layer model combined with Reynolds-averaged turbulence model to construct a high-precision flow field model for complex terrains. The research reveals that this model requires fewer computational resources and can effectively simulate the flow characteristics around complex terrains. Wind resource distribution in tableland terrains and hogback ridge terrains is more influenced by the height of the mountains, and the recovery speed of the wake behind the mountains decreases with a reduction in slope. In hogback ridge terrains, under a wind direction of 0 °, the wind acceleration effect at the top of the hogback ridge is stronger than under a wind direction of 270°, as it experiences more intense compression from the mountains. This paper can provide reference for micro-siting in complex terrain.