GE approves nacelle-mounted Lidar for performance testing

GE Renewable Energy has approved the use of the nacelle-based continuous wave scanning Lidar ZX TM from Lidar OEM ZX Lidars for power performance testing.

Within the last twelve months, the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) released the standard IEC 61400-50-3 for the use of nacelle-mounted lidars for wind measurements.

In anticipation of and response to this new standard, GE Renewable Energy studied the use of these devices for power performance measurements.

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This specific Lidar - ZX TM - allows the power curve of GE onshore wind turbines to be measured and verified as a function of the hub height wind speed and may be used instead of the procedure described in the IEC61400-12-1:2017 (ed. 1/ed. 2) using a meteorological mast and anemometry installation.

In addition to hub height measurements specifically used for power performance tests, operational rotor equivalent power curves can also be measured with ZX TM’s 50 points around the full rotor swept area, providing full veer and shear information.

These measurements help to inform operational strategies relating to turbine performance outside of warranted conditions, and may be particularly important for turbines with larger rotor diameters offshore and on sites with complex veer or shear profiles onshore.

ZX Lidars provides wind lidar products for wind energy and meteorological applications. These Lidars deliver wind measurements in both onshore and offshore applications at measurement heights / ranges across the full swept area of the blades of modern wind turbines, and beyond.