A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Engineering, School of Environment, Resources & Development

Thesis (M.Eng.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 1984

Upper wind data from the Meteorological Department for eleven stations in Thailand were used to assess the availability of wind energy above the surface boundary layer to a height of 2000 m. The diurnal, seasonal and geographical variations of these upper winds have been found. The Weibull distribution was found to fit most of the data well, the occurrence of calms in the upper winds being negligible. An overall mean value for the shape parameter k of 1.9 is recommended for heights 500 m to 2000 m, regardless of season and location. The values of the scale factor c at 500 m lie mostly between 4.78 m/s and 5.38 m/s. The effects of surface roughness and diurnal ground heating normally remain below 500 m, except in the southwest monsoon (May-July) when the diurnal effect extends up to 2000 m. Variations in upper wind direction are dominated by the seasonal monsoon circulation. Mean power densities at 500 m in the south of Thailand are typically in the range 200-360 w/m2, which are comparable with those of the most promising areas for surface wind energy in Europe.