Nergica Adds a 3D Lidar to Its Research Infrastructure

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Nergica recently acquired a Windcube 200S 3D LIDAR system manufactured by Vaisala/Leosphere. Laser remote sensing, or LIDAR (an acronym for “light detection and ranging”), is a remote measurement technique based on the analysis of the properties of a light beam reflected back to its transmitter.

In practical terms, a lidar emits several infrared beams that bounce off aerosols in the air, such as water droplets, dust, pollution, etc. It detects the returning light and, by detecting the Doppler effect, calculates the speed at which the aerosols are moving.

Installed at its research site, Nergica’s 3D lidar has a range of 6 km and can measure radial wind speeds over a 360-degree arc and at elevations ranging from -10 to 90 degrees. Our team of experts will use it specifically in three projects carried out as part of the Opten research program, applying it in the following three ways:

• Applications for Microgrids

Lidar collects forecasts—such as wind speed, direction, and intensity—on a very short-term basis, i.e., by the minute. It optimizes the management of energy storage systems in microgrids, such as flywheels. It anticipates wind gusts (rising or falling wind ramps) that could affect the output of wind turbines connected to the microgrid. Lidar also helps improve the operational management of diesel generators and, by extension, the resilience of the microgrid by limiting frequency fluctuations.

•  Applications for Wind Farms

 3D lidar makes it possible to study the mechanical loads across the entire wind turbine rotor, not just along a specific vertical axis. In other words, we can determine the wind force across the entire rotor disc, with a resolution of 1 m. It also allows us to analyze vortices—that is, the air swirls created behind the wind turbine.

• Weather Apps

 Thanks to the additional capabilities we’ve gained through specialized software (Wind Aerosol Lidar Software), we can measure numerous typical parameters of the atmospheric layer, detect aerosols in a specific direction, or establish correlations with the readings from our weather masts.

The renewable energy industry can also benefit from the capabilities of this state-of-the-art equipment. Would your organization like to take advantage of it? Contact the Nergica team. We’ll configure the equipment to meet your needs.

It should be noted that the purchase of the 3D lidar was funded by the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) and the Quebec Ministry of Economy and Innovation.