Review of atmospheric stability estimations for wind power applications

Wind energy has experienced rapid growth in the energy market over the last two decades, and this growth would not have been possible without the development of wind turbines that have wide swept areas and tall wind masts that extend beyond the surface boundary layer. Thus, power production is now affected not only by the main characteristics of wind (shear and turbulence) but also by atmospheric conditions that were previously disregarded. Moreover, at these scales, atmospheric conditions become a key factor in the wind energy industry. Atmospheric conditions can be defined in terms of atmospheric stability. In the literature, several criteria based on different parameters have been proposed to classify this stability. Understanding the atmospheric stability condition is a key factor for improving wind energy assessments, accurately estimating the vertical wind profile, producing wind power, and forecasting wind conditions, and such data are relevant in other areas, such as contaminant dispersion modeling, in which wind fields are required. This paper systematically reviews the different parameters for estimating atmospheric stability and the criteria for classifying this stability. In addition, the effect of atmospheric stability in wind power areas (wind profile, energy production, and wake) are discussed. Current research highlights that atmospheric stability will play a key role in the expansion of the wind energy industry. •A literature review of atmospheric stability estimation criteria is presented.•Atmospheric stability is gaining relevance in wind energy and other areas.•Dynamic wind parameters can improve wind power forecast and assessment.•Atmospheric boundary layer is highly related to wind velocity profile.•Impacts of atmospheric stability on power generation depend on site conditions.