Objective:
The overall objective of the project is to develop new, validated procedures for wind turbine power curve measurement and load assessment that can be universally applied anywhere, both in mountains and offshore. Instead of using a met mast in the free wind, a nacelle mounted lidar will be used to measure the wind in the inflow field of the wind turbine. By measuring close to the rotor instead of far upstream, it will no longer be necessary to account for the effect of the terrain on the approaching flow. On the other hand, the near rotor inflow is influenced by the turbine rotor and by the wind conditions. This project aims at obtaining a deep understanding of these effects in order to define a method for power and loads characterisation that is independent of the turbine location. Measurement uncertainty will also be reduced by employing new lidar designs, so-called profiling nacelle lidars, able to capture the flow over the entire rotor diameter as opposed to only at hub-height.
Outcome:
Ultimately the objective of the project is to form a sound scientific basis for the next generation of international standards for wind turbine power measurement and loads assessment. These standard procedures will reduce the measurement uncertainties and consequently result in cheaper wind turbine testing.
The project began on January 2014 and will run for 4 years.