Profitable exploitation of wind energy requires a good estimation of the wind's potential. This preliminary study phase represents a key factor in the implementation of a wind project. In this… Click to show full abstract
Profitable exploitation of wind energy requires a good estimation of the wind's potential. This preliminary study phase represents a key factor in the implementation of a wind project. In this perspective, this article assesses the wind energetic potential of the coastal region of Cameroon and offers a range of suitable wind turbines. The wind analysis is carried out using a Weibull model with two parameters, the form factor k and the scale factor C. The determination of the Weibull’s parameters is then carried out by the Maximum Likelihood Method (MLM), using measured wind data from the meteorological station of the multinational company COTCO-Cameroon for the period of 2009 to 2019.The study reveals that the average annual wind speed varied between 2.64 m/s in 2009 and 4.36 m/s in 2019 at 10 m from ground level. By contrast, the annual average power density varies between 35.9 W/m 2 to 195.3 W/m 2 , respectively from 10m to 100m from ground level. The range of wind turbines retained is that of small wind turbines, whose powers are included between 1kW to 100 kW, with starting speeds and nominal speeds respectively in the intervals (1.5-3m/s) and (10-12 m/s).
               
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