Wind Plant Visualizations

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Wind PlantVisualizations
Jason Kreiselman AWS Scientific, Inc. Albany,
NY March 12, 2004
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Objectives

• Understand the basic process of creating a wind
  plant visualization
• Explore a case study
• Identify limitations
• Look at some examples of photosimulations

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WindPro Software Package

• Produces photosimulations and animations of
  proposed wind plants
• Developed by EMD in Denmark
• 15 years of experience with developing software
  tools for wind energy projects
• Used by over 400 businesses worldwide

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Creation of the Photosimulation

• Involves two main procedures
• On-site photography
• Establishment of the photosimulation using WindPro

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On-site Photography

• High quality, well-documented photos are key
• Necessary Documentation
• Camera GPS coordinates, elevation, and height of
  lens above ground
• Camera pan angle and tilt angle
• Camera make/model and film type
• Lens focal length
• Date/time photo was taken
• Description of the location where the photo was
  taken
• GPS Error
• GPS Coordinates of reference points in the
  landscape visible through the camera viewfinder

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Establishment of the PhotosimulationDefining the
Project Site

• Insert a background map
• Define the coordinate system
• Add a digital terrain file to define the site
  elevations
• Layout the wind turbines on the map

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Establishment of the PhotosimulationThe Turbine
Model

• Define
• Turbine rotor diameter and tower height
• Turbine color
• Exact dimensions (optional)
• Tower
• Nacelle
• Nose Cone
• Blades

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Establishment of the PhotosimulationThe Camera
Model

• Input the field-collected photograph information
• Transforms points with known elevation and
  coordinates from a map to a 2D photo
• Positions 3D models of turbines in the image with
  the correct proportions

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Establishment of the PhotosimulationEnsuring
Alignment

• To verify proper positioning of turbines, use
• Wireframe terrain overlays
• Reference points

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Establishment of the PhotosimulationImage
Rendering

• Calculates proper lighting conditions for the
  photograph based on date/time and weather
  conditions
• Takes into account curvature of the Earth
• Animation Possibilities

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Photosimulationof Wind Plant
ActualWind Plant
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Establishment of the PhotosimulationConsideration
s

• Use a 50mm focal length when photographing
• Replicates the human eye
• gt50mm (telephoto)? objects seem closer/larger
  than in reality
• lt50mm (wide angle)? objects seem farther
  away/smaller than in reality
• Atmospheric refraction not taken into account
• Yields conservative results
• Wind plants can look drastically different
  depending on the date, time of day and weather
  conditions

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Other Visualization Possibilities

• Render other objects in a photosimulation in
  addition to wind turbines
• Create 3D fly-through animations
• Aerial views
• Ground-based paths

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Photosimulationof Wind Turbine
ActualWind Turbine
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