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The concept of wind farms with clustered wind turbines at a given site seems to offer an attractive means for extracting wind power on a large scale. Techniques for minimizing the effect of upstream wind-turbine wakes on downstream wind turbines are needed to optimize overall performance of the wind-turbine array. A numerical model for prediction of the interaction of the wind turbine with the prevailing wind flow is described. The model is based on a numerical solution of the three-dimensional Navier-Stokes equations for the planetary boundary layer with the hydrostatic approximation. Three different hypothetical wind-turbine configurations are analyzed to demonstrate the utility of this model. Model predictions from the present study compare favorably with the basic characteristics of measured wind-turbine wakes. Nomenclature a = axial interference factor D = turbine blade diameter / = Coriolis parameter k = von Karman constant K M = turbulent diffusion coefficient K M -dK M /dz, gradient of turbulent diffusion coefficient L = Monin-Obukov length P = atmospheric pressure t =time U = characteristic wind speed u = velocity component in x direction u r = velocity at reference height z r u* = friction velocity v = velocity component in y direction w = velocity component in z direction x,y,z = orthogonal Cartesian coordinates Z 0 = aerodynamic surface roughness Z = height of the inversion base A = incremental change p = atmospheric density 6,\I/ = dimensionless functions Subscripts = geostrophic wind component g = grid layer index = far upstream of the wind turbine = immediately upstream of the wind turbine = immediately downstream of the wind turbine Superscript n -time step index

A mathematical model of atmospheric optics was developed to predict the nighttime sky-glow impacts of a proposed nuclear waste repository in a national park. The prediction performance of the Night-Sky-Glow Model was evaluated to the extent possible with existing data. The model was applied to the proposed facility from several viewpoints within the park and the potential for normal perception of the calculated night glow and the potential of the night glow to obscure starlight were estimated.

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