Wind speed analysis based on the logarithmic wind shear model: a case study for some brazilian cities

The wind power’ share in electricity generating capacity has increased significantly in recent years. Due to the variability in wind power generation, given the variations in wind speed and considering the increase in wind participation in the Brazilian energy matrix, a fact that reinforces the relevance of the source, this article aims to present the methods used to analyze the wind speed more used in the literature and to analyze the wind speed in several Brazilian cities. The logarithmic wind shear model was used to analyze mean wind speeds based on historical data of twelve Brazilian cities available to the public on the ESRL database for a period of eight years 2010 to 2018. The study showed that in localities such as Uruguaiana/RS, Campo Grande/MS, Uberlândia/MG, São Luiz/MA and Corumba/MS, mean wind speeds are strong in all altitudes of reference, with a gain of ± 2m/s of wind speed as the operational altitude increases. The logarithmic wind gain in high altitudes or low altitudes can be seen in z = 100 meters, where the mean wind speed found was Wn ≈ 8 m/s in Uruguaiana/RS and Campo Grande/MS, whereas in Manaus it was Wn ≈ 5 m/s. In Porto Alegre (RS), Florianópolis (SC), Curitiba/PR and Brasília/DF, the mean wind speed in altitudes ≥ 250 m becomes significant, allowing the implementation of wind farms if the technology proves to be economically feasible.