Name: Laguiab, Jamil Mansor M.

Yr/Crs/Sec: 4BSABE-A Date: May 23, 2022

ABE 422

Renewable Energy for AB Materials

LABORATORY REPORT No. 5

Weibull Coefficient

1. Significance of Weibull Coefficients in relation to wind speed measurements.

The Weibull distribution is a continuous probability distribution that fits many

different distribution shapes. The Weibull distribution, like the normal distribution,

describes the probabilities of continuous data. It can, however, model skewed data,

unlike the normal distribution. Its extreme flexibility allows it to model data that is both

left and right skewed.

Because it can fit a variety of shapes, this probability distribution is unusually

versatile. It can even approximate other distributions like the normal distribution.

Analysts use it in a variety of settings, including quality control, capability analysis,

medical studies, and engineering, because of its versatility. It's frequently used to

assess time to failure for systems and parts in life data, reliability analysis, and warranty

analysis.

The wind's speed varies constantly, as it should. The ability to describe the

variation in wind speeds is critical for the wind industry. To accurately predict the output

of a wind turbine, it is necessary to know how frequently and how strongly the wind

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Name: Laguiab, Jamil Mansor M.
Yr/Crs/Sec: 4BSABE-A Date: May 23, 2022

blows. Turbine designers require this data in order to optimize their turbine designs and

reduce generating costs. Normally, the wind is measured with an anemometer every 10

minutes, and the mean wind speed is recorded. This data can be sorted into 1 m/s wind

speed classes. This frequency distribution can then be used to express the energy

contained in the wind at a specific location.

Wind speed distributions are frequently approximated using the Weibull

distribution. The wind speed distribution is skewed, that is, it is not symmetrical. High

wind speeds do occur occasionally, but they are extremely rare. That is why wind speed

measurements benefit from using the Weibull distribution, which can be applied to

skewed data.

2. Identify the three calculation methods of Weibull distribution coefficients.

A Weibull distribution is commonly used to approximate the wind speed

distribution. The three methods for estimating the coefficients of the cumulative Weibull

distribution function (the scale factor A and the shape factor k) (equation 1) will be

identified below.

(Equation 1)

The methods can be compared in a variety of situations, but there is no single

best method. A good match at the high wind speed bins is important when using the

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Name: Laguiab, Jamil Mansor M.
Yr/Crs/Sec: 4BSABE-A Date: May 23, 2022

Weibull coefficients to estimate the extreme wind. The best method for estimating a

wind turbine's annual energy production using Weibull coefficients is the one that

produces a predicted energy production that is closer to the one calculated directly from

the measured distribution. In this case, a good fit for the wind speed bins that

corresponds to the slope of the wind turbine power curve is essential.

The first method that will be shown is the method 1: 1st and 2nd moments. This

method uses two parameters calculated from the data set:

The 1st moment is the average wind speed while the 2 nd moment is the variance

of the mean wind speed.

These two numbers can be calculated from the Weibull coefficients through

equation 2 and 3.

The first moment:

(Equation 2)

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Name: Laguiab, Jamil Mansor M.
Yr/Crs/Sec: 4BSABE-A Date: May 23, 2022

The second central moment:

(Equation 3)

  An equation in k is obtained by squaring the first equation and dividing by the

second (equation 4). Equation 4 can be solved with a zero-finding function to yield k. A

is then calculated using equation 2.

(Equation 4)

Method 2: WAsP is the second of the three methods for calculating Weibull

distribution coefficients. The average wind speed is the first moment (eq. 2), and the

average of the cubed wind speed measures is the third moment, which is calculated

from the data set (eq. 5). The wind speed is lower than the average wind speed in the

cumulative wind speed distribution F.

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Name: Laguiab, Jamil Mansor M.
Yr/Crs/Sec: 4BSABE-A Date: May 23, 2022

The third moment:

(Equation 5)

Combining equations 1 and 5 yields an equation with only k unknowns (equation

6). A zero-finding algorithm will return k if you solve that equation. A is then calculated

using equation 2.

(Equation 6)

Finally, there is the Log-log method, which is the third method. The values of

the probability distribution of wind speed (F) are used in this method, resulting in a value

for each wind speed bin. Using equations to plot a graph:

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Name: Laguiab, Jamil Mansor M.
Yr/Crs/Sec: 4BSABE-A Date: May 23, 2022

(Equation 7)

A nearly straight line should be achieved. The Weibull coefficients can then be

calculated by fitting a straight line with a least-squared method (for example, the "lm"

function of R) and calculating the slope (m) and intersect to the ordinate axis (y0).

(Equation 8)

Because the wind turbine does not work for wind speeds lower than cut-in and

higher than cut-out, those wind speed bins can be discarded in the fitting process when

the wind speed distribution described by Weibull coefficients is used to calculate energy

production. Also, at wind speeds between rated and cut-out, good fitting is less

important because the wind turbine will be operating at full power output. A fitting

algorithm that weights the error using the specific power curve and optimizes for the

minimum would be a good improvement to this method.