Tuesday, 27 September 2016
14:30 - 16:00 LIDARs - the zapping competition
Resource assessment  
          

In this highly interactive quick-fire session, participants will scan through 14 LIDAR-related presentations and vote to select the three contributions they would like to hear in full. Presentations will cover a wide range of possible LIDAR applications, both offshore and onshore, such as power-curve validation, resource assessment in complex terrain, turbulence intensity measurements, and more.

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Learning objectives

Get a wide overview of the latest research and field work involving LIDARs, both onshore and offshore.

 

This session will be chaired by:
Co-chair(s):

Julia Gottschall Fraunhofer IWES, Germany
Co-authors:
Julia Gottschall (1) ^F Andrew Clifton (2) Brian Gribben (3) Jonathan Hughes (4) Detlef Stein (5) Ines Wuerth (6) David Schlipf (6) Hans Verhoef (7)
(1) Fraunhofer IWES, Bremerhaven, Germany (2) NREL, Golden, United States (3) Frazer Nash Consultancy, Bristol, United Kingdom (4) ORE Catapult, Blyth, United Kingdom (5) DNV GL, Hamburg, Germany (6) University of Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany (7) ECN, Petten, The Netherlands

Floating LIDAR systems: current technology status and requirements for improved maturity

Introduction

Floating Lidar Systems (FLS – i.e. lidars integrated or placed on top of a floating platform or buoy) were recently introduced as a cost-effective alternative to offshore met masts. Today there are several system suppliers on the market, and a considerable number of the developed systems have already reached the ‘pre-commercial’ maturity stage. The first offshore wind projects have been planned on the basis of floating lidar data. Despite this fast integration into current practice, not all challenges related to the application of FLS are fully identified and resolved yet. So-called gaps on the technology’s road to full maturity relate to e.g. a complete understanding of the measurement uncertainties from FLS, detailed guidance on the system deployment or a classification of different sea climates to the expected system performance.

Approach

The floating lidar technology and its application for the offshore wind industry has been one of the focus topics within the IEA Wind Task 32 initiative since 2012, with a state-of-the-art report including a large set of recommended practices as a major outcome to the end of the initiative’s first phase in 2015. The second phase of Task 32 was started with a dedicated two-day workshop on the current status and future challenges of the floating lidar technology in February 2016 hosted by ORE Catapult in Blyth, UK. With two different pre-workshop surveys, invited presentations from users, consultants and OEMs, and different activities during the workshop, the technology status was reviewed and strategy roadmaps were developed that reflect how to tackle the identified gaps and respective requirements for a further improved maturity of the floating lidar technology in the near future. This contribution gives a summary of the main results and conclusions of the workshop.

Main body of abstract

The workshop was planned to follow up on the activities of Phase 1 of IEA Wind Task 32 and from other expert working groups as in the Carbon Trust OWA (Offshore Wind Accelerator) programme, and to investigate the needs for further actions. In advance to the workshop, an online survey was prepared in order to investigate the participants’ view on the technology and its present maturity. In addition to this, different stakeholders were invited to present their views and to formulate the gaps they see for the technology as it is today. The result was a comprehensive list of gaps that need to be tackled in order to improve the system’s maturity. A technology review from the results of a second pre-workshop questionnaire and presentations of six different FLS providers completed the overview. All in all, the basis for very active and fruitful discussion was prepared. The pre-defined goal of the workshop, i.e. the formulation of a roadmap for the improvement of the technology’s maturity, was particularly realized on Day 2 of the workshop. In smaller groups the participants discussed selected gaps, such as an uncertainty framework for FLS measurements, the lack of investors’ confidence or how to measure turbulence with FLS, and identified the next steps to go for corresponding solutions.

Conclusion

Floating Lidar Systems have reached the status of an at least ‘pre-commercial’ technology and first commercial applications were already realized successfully in the last few years. To further advance this development, the identification of technology gaps and a strategy to overcome them is of high importance. The contribution summarizes the results of an IEA Wind workshop that was initiated to reflect on this task and develop a roadmap for the required future activities.


Learning objectives
- To get an overview of the current status of floating lidar technology
- To assess what is needed for the technology to reach full maturity (in terms of its future application in commercial projects)