SgurrEnergy has completed the power performance assessment (PPA) using a scanning lidar deployed on the transition piece of an Areva M5000 offshore wind turbine.
This study shows that PPAs can be conducted from the transition piece of offshore wind turbines, providing opportunity for simplified and more cost effective offshore measurement campaigns. In addition, installation on the transition piece allows reference to guidance, standards and recommended practices developed for onshore, ground-based lidar measurements. The locations of the other wind turbines in the wind farm are fixed relative to the transition piece, but change in the reference frame of the nacelle as it yaws in response to changes in wind direction. As a consequence, a device on the transition piece can test the power curves of multiple turbines. The accuracy of this method has been demonstrated by comparison with results using an offshore met mast and the campaign began in early 2013.
