Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) provider Meteodyn and wind lidar company ZephIR Lidar have collaborated to produce a packaged “white box” solution, where the different stages of processing are clearly visible to the user. This addresses the challenge of taking lidar wind measurements in complex terrain.
Data from lidars are now widely considered as being bankable for use in wind resource assessment campaigns. In strongly non-uniform flow, for example in complex terrain, measurements are often not the same across the scanned area and wind speeds measured by remote sensors will not necessarily be comparable to that experienced by traditional anemometry at the scan centre. A similar effect would be seen if comparing two met masts spaced some small distance apart in complex terrain – they are simply measuring different conditions that depends on their precise location.
Meteodyn and ZephIR Lidar have conducted a validation study lasting more than 18 months utilising multiple years of data in order to deliver a white box solution when taking measurements in complex terrain.
By using meteodyn WT in complex terrain, a set of ‘factors’ can be computed that enable the conversion of measurements from a bankable ZephIR 300 wind lidar into comparable point measurements similar to those from conventional anemometry. This auditable white box process enables the traceability required by consultants for continued project financing based on data from ZephIR 300 alone by reducing the uncertainty between remote sensors and traditional anemometry in complex terrain.
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