Seeing the Wind that is Coming
Catch the Wind, Inc. was founded in 2008 to manufacture laser wind sensors for the renewable wind energy industry. The challenges facing the rapidly growing wind power generation industry reveal a need for more timely and accurate wind flow information to optimise power output as well as reduce wear and damage caused by asymmetric loading and unexpected gusts on large wind turbine generators. To address those challenges, Catch the Wind will manufacture a 3D fibre-optic laser system called the Vindicatorä that will enable a wind turbine control system to detect and anticipate changing wind flows in advance of the turbine blades. For the first time, the wind industry will have a practical wind sensor that provides a precise look-ahead capability to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of wind power generation.By Bill Fetzer, Catch the Wind, Inc., USA