Multi-Lidar

This project deals with the suitability of multi-lidar measurements in the area of site assessment for wind turbines and their optimal use.

In order to realize a wind farm project, it is necessary to assess the site characteristics, such as the wind potential. Traditionally, one-year measurements are carried out with a measuring mast. However, the erection of a mast is often associated with a lengthy approval procedure and the increase in the size of the turbines makes mast measurements at hub height more cost-intensive. In recent years, a new remote measurement method for wind determination has become established: Lidar measurements.

Here, the wind speed is determined using the Doppler effect, i.e. the frequency shift of laser light emitted and scattered back by aerosols in the air. There are different types of these measuring devices. Multi-lidar devices consist of several scanning lidars that have ranges of several kilometers and can direct the laser beam in different directions thanks to their flexible scanning head. With a multi-lidar system, measurements can be carried out at several points in the wind farm so that the overall uncertainty of the wind potential determination can be reduced. Particularly in more complex terrain, larger wind farm projects or in the offshore sector, multi-lidar measurements are therefore considered to have great potential for improving yield determination. A reduction in the uncertainty of wind measurement results in a better credit rating and is therefore crucial for the realization of a wind farm project.

There is currently a lack of experience and guidelines for the industrial use of the multi-lidar system. This work is intended to provide a scientific basis for the assessment of the multi-lidar system in site evaluation. To this end, the measurement uncertainties are to be quantified, multi-lidar measurements are to be assessed in comparison with other measurement systems and recommendations for an optimal measurement campaign are to be drawn up.