Selection of suitable sites for offshore wind farms in the Caspian Sea and choosing the most suitable wind turbine in each area

Abstract

In this article, an attempt has been made to indicate suitable sites to construct offshore wind farms in the Caspian Sea. Feasibility studies of alternative offshore wind farms are the main concern for utility companies and researchers. For this study, the data related to wind speed and wind directions are collected from different sources such as satellite maps and metrological data in Iran and Turkey using 3-h measurement period at 10-m height above the sea level. According to this study, 16 sites mostly close to the beach are nominated for constructing the wind farms in the Caspian Sea. In this article, we also demonstrate the plots related to monthly and annual average wind speed as well as dominant wind direction based on statistical analysis. Also, to determine the class of wind in each area, power density and wind energy are provided. Also, besides selecting the appropriate turbine in each area, the power and energy of 11 wind turbines suitable for offshore installations are simulated, and the power and energy of each turbine are estimated. Finally, based on the parameters, maximum power and energy, maximum capacity factor, full load hours of turbine, and the suitable turbine are nominated for each particular area. Finally, considering that the Weibull distribution function is in good agreement with the data from wind speed, wind modeling has been done by this function, and Weibull distribution charts are drawn.