Experimental and computational analysis of microscale wind environmental conditions in the Port of Rotterdam

Knowledge of microscale wind conditions is important for maneuvering and mooring of ships and for optimizing the harbor design. The aim of this study is to translate the macroscale wind conditions measured at a near shore reference station to the local (microscale) wind conditions in the harbor docks. In the first part of the project, an extensive experimental campaign has been performed, which consisted of wind velocity measurements with 2D and 3D ultrasonic anemometers during a period of 6 months. These point measurements confirm the unique relation between the macroscale and microscale wind conditions during periods of strong winds. As the measurements only provide information at a number of discrete positions, the second part of the study consists of numerical simulations with Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) to map the wind environmental conditions over the entire study area. The measurements and simulations both show very large gradients in mean wind speed over the harbor area, with differences up to 100%. The numerical simulations are currently in progress and will be validated by comparison with the on-site measurements.