International Journal of Computation and Applied Sciences IJOCAAS, Volume3, Issue 1, August 2017, ISSN: 2399-4509 Wind Resource Assessment for nine locations in Oman using weather data Hussein A Kazem, Miqdam T Chaichan, Ali H A Al-Waeli, Jabar H. Yousif, Karrar H A Al-Waeli Abstract— the wind can be used to rotate wind turbines and Renewable energy provides a clean, environmentally friendly, generate electrical energy, in a clean and environment-friendly and alternative health unlike powers generated from the form. The wind energy characteristic varies from region to burning of fossil fuels and nuclear power [6]. Alternative another. It is important to select the suitable site to install wind energies can be used to reduce dependence on fossil fuels on turbine and farm, which is called sitting, where the average wind producing electricity [7]. Wind power is a clean energy that speed must be measured and evaluated for an extended period. does not generate any pollutants. Wind power can contribute Oman has a great topographic diversity, with the mountains, to meeting the needs of electricity, and are significantly hills, valleys, plains, land and water. In this study, the wind resource assessment of nine selected Omani cities was conducted. assisted by its priority on several levels, such as climate The mean wind speed was measured in plain cities like Adam, Al- change, national energy security, and environmental Amerat, and Sohar, hills cities such as Mudhaibi, Bahla, Nizwa, sustainability [8]. Improve the energy situation of any country and Samail. Also, two mountain locations were measured, Jabal means getting the best economic growth. The wind turbine is a Shams and Saiq. rapidly growing technology and its promises to take a Different criteria were considered, including wind profile, significant portion of the production of energy resources and probability density, wind speed variation, and estimation of wind techniques in the world in the future [9]. power. It is found that, for suitable wind speed that can be used Wind power can play a fundamental role in the near future. It to generate electricity, there are four suitable locations: Adam, could provide more than 40 times the global annual electricity Al-Mudhebi, Jebel Shams, and Nizwa cities. The results of the consumption if all its resources in the world advantage were available power at 10 m height above ground showed that Adam, Al-Mudhebi, Jabal Shams, and Nizwa are suitable locations to taken into account. The generation of electricity from wind employ wind power to generate electricity. energy continues to increase and the average annual rate of about 30% around the world over the past decade [10] The Wind can be felt anywhere in the world, but the wind Index Terms— wind speed; wind power potential; topographic speed varies from one place to another, and from one minute diversity; wind resource assessment. to another [11]. In order to enable the researchers to evaluate wind resources given to one particular site, one must I. INTRODUCTION determine wind speed and frequency [12, 13]. Also, the possibility of producing electric power from them must be limate change effects the entire globe; it is a realistic determined [14]. The wind speed in many areas may be result of human activities of the past two centuries [1]. suitable to produce electricity using wind turbines, especially CThe CO2 concentrations have doubled with an amount 44 in remote locations from the power grid [15]. % during the period from 1971 to 2010 as a result of the emitted pollutants from the energy production sector [2 & 3]. The electricity consumption at the individual level or the II. LITERATURE SURVEY community is steadily increasing in an elevated figure, in Several studies were conducted on the wind energy resource particular, in developing countries [4]. Despite this upsurge assessment [16]-[25]. Mentis [16] studied wind energy across consumption, a significant proportion of up to about 25% of the African continent, so as to provide the theory and the areas of these countries are deprived of the national grid technique estimations about the geographical basis for every [5]. state and the available possibilities for the use of wind energy technology and potential. The study developed maps for wind energy potential at the height of 80 meters from the surface of Corresponding Author: Dr. Hussein A Kazem, Associate Professor, the land, which is suitable for long axes of modern wind Faculty of Engineering, Sohar University, Sultanate of Oman. E-mail: turbines. The study also developed criteria to determine wind [email protected] farms and related social, economic, and geographic Miqdam T Chaichan, University of Technology, Baghdad, Iraq. E- restrictions. mail: [email protected] Ali H A Al-Waeli, Solar Energy Research Institute, UKM, Malaysia. Bilal [17] assessed the feasibility of generating electricity E-mail: [email protected] from the wind in five locations along the northwest coast of Jabar H. Yousif, Assistant Professor Faculty of Computing and Senegal. The study evaluated the power generation using Information Technology, Sohar University, Sultanate of Oman. E- fifteen types of wind turbines available in the market to mail: [email protected] choose the appropriate technique. The study analyzed the wind Karrar H A Al-Waeli, Faculty of Engineering, Sohar University, specifications and the potential for electricity, using wind Sultanate of Oman. E-mail: [email protected] speed data collected for one year for each site. The study was 185 International Journal of Computation and Applied Sciences IJOCAAS, Volume3, Issue 1, August 2017, ISSN: 2399-4509 conducted on wind speed at heights of 12 m and 7 m above the Ras Alhad possess high wind speeds that are sufficient for the ground. The results showed that the average wind speed found potential of power generation. Besides, the Qayroon Hyriti is was between 4.49 m/s (at 12:00 from the top) and 3.10 m/s (at the most appropriate location between the twenty-nine studied 19:00 from the top) and the resulting energy of these velocities sites to generate electricity from the wind. density is between 91.65 W/m2 and 30.05 W/m2 respectively. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation & Meteorology Ghitas [18] studied statistical data, of wind speed for two (DGCAM) [21] studied the wind energy resources in Oman. years, of the city of Helwan, in Cairo, Egypt. The study aimed Hourly wind speed data for twenty-one stations in 2005 has to assess the energy resources of this region. Measurements been used in this study. The wind speed has been measured at were conducted by using a weather station installed over the 10 m height and predictable at 80 m above ground level to building in Helwan and was compared to meteorological data. represent a hub height of a modern large wind turbine as This study objective is to detect the possibility of using wind shown in Fig. 2. The highest wind speeds for four stations energy technology to produce electricity on a large scale. The were identified and the energy content is shown in Fig. 3. The study showed that wind energy potential along the southern power is specified as kWh per year through a vertical area of desert of Helwan / Cairo-Egypt is a very promising potential one m2, kWh/year/m2. The maximum expected energy is at to provide high-density wind power ranging from 122-254 Thumrat with around 4.5 kWh/m2/year. W/m2 at an altitude of 15 m above the ground. Wind energy sources assessment in Oman have been investigated widely [19] as shown in Figure 1, and it is found that wind power represents a promising source for electricity generation, in particular on the southern parts and coastal of Oman. Suleiman [19] analyzed wind data from four stations in Oman at a height equal to (18 m) above sea level. The researchers used the Weibull distribution function in their study that aimed to calculate the average wind speed and the variation in the general distribution. The study showed that the overall wind speed was higher during the summer months, specifically the Figure 2. Annual mean wind speed at 10 m and at 80 m above ground level at five meteorological stations months of June, July, and August, and less during the winter season in October and November. Also, the average monthly wind power density ranges from 9.71 W/m2 to 520.85 W/m2. The study showed that the regions of Sour and Masirah have real potential for wind energy. Figure 3. Energy content in the wind at 80 m above ground level at five meteorological stations in Oman The study aims to determine the possibility of the use of appropriate sites and wind resources based on some selection criteria. The choice based on general estimates, the geographical and technical potential for wind power in each of these locations to determine wind farms to promote greater participation rate of wind energy in Oman's energy system. Figure 1. The CoE of wind energy systems for 25 locations in Oman III. MATERIALS AND METHODS Yahya [20] analyzed the data for twenty-nine weather stations for the wind speed of five years. The study aimed to identify The current study was based on data supplied by the Omani the possible sites for wind energy applications in Oman. The Meteorological Organization. The wind turbine system is 3– paper examined the different parameters such as the theory phase wind turbine with the power of 1.8 MW, which is taken wind speed and the energy density to determine the site's as simulation example, where it is connected to the grid potential. Also, the study showed the seasonal wind movement through a controller.