Wind direction modelling using multiple observation points.

The prediction of wind direction is a prerequisite for the intelligent and efficient operation of wind turbines. This is a complex task, due to the intermittent behaviour of wind, its non-Gaussian and nonlinear nature, and the coupling between the wind speed and direction. To provide improved wind direction forecasting, we propose a nonlinear model with augmented information from an additional measurement point. This is further enhanced by making use of both the speed and direction components of the wind field vector. The analysis and a comprehensive set of simulations demonstrate that the proposed approach achieves improved prediction performance over the standard and persistent model. The potential of the proposed approach is justified by the fact that even relatively small improvements in the forecasts result in large gains in the produced output power.