Anemometry Technology to Measure the Wind in Front of the Rotor
The ROMO Wind iSpin system uses proven ultrasonic technology to measure wind where it first hits the turbine – directly at the spinner. In this way, it is able to measure parameters at the nacelle which until now have been difficult or impossible to measure accurately. Operators gather exact information on the wind conditions in front of the rotor including wind speed, yaw alignment, flow inclination, turbulence, rotor position and temperature. This enables them to check whether their turbines are aligned for the best possible yield. At the same time, the data allows for optimised wind farm management and load reduction, which prolongs the total life of the turbines.
By Harald Hohlen, ROMO Wind Deutschland GmbH, Germany
Unfortunately, most wind turbine measurement equipment in use today is unable to properly measure the wind hitting the turbine. This industry-wide, fundamental wind measurement problem is caused by the fact that the wind turbine’s own wind measurement equipment when located on the nacelle behind the rotor is heavily affected by rotor turbulence and other unpredictable wind conditions. The problem results in inaccurate and imprecise wind speed and wind direction measurements on the wind turbine and, as a consequence, in reduced yaw alignment capabilities. ROMO Wind’s spinner anemometry technology iSpin, which was developed at DTU and improved by ROMO Wind using actual field experience, measures wind quantities like wind speed, yaw misalignment and flow inclination at the spinner in front of the wind turbine rotor, where the wind conditions are more predictable. As a result, iSpin is an ideal tool to measure yaw misalignment and further wind quantities relevant for wind turbine performance measurements.
