Catch the Wind Technical Presentation - March 2011

8/7/2019 Catch the Wind Technical Presentation - March 2011

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Tech Brief

October 2010

Catch the Wind

VINDICATOR LASER WIND SENSORThe Future of Wind Sensing Technology

CTW TECHNICAL PRESENTATION 2011 CATCH THE WIND INC.


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Genesis of Catch the Wind

Optical Air Data Systems

(OADS) Established in 1990

Based in Washington, DCarea

Industry leader in fiber-optic

pulsed LDV technology

R&D for aerospaceapplications

Catch the Wind, Inc.

(CTW) Spin-off of OADS

Listed on Toronto VentureExchange (TSX-V: CTW)

Experienced management

team

CEO: Philip Rogers

Former Special Projects

Director at Lockheed Skunk

Works

Co-founder of OADS

2010 Catch the Wind Inc.


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The Ideal Wind Sensor

Measures wind speed and direction at multiple distances ahead of the

sensor location

Can be remotely located from the measurement volume

Measures a volume of air rather than a point measurement

Provides real time measurement of shear, veer, and turbulence

Easily interfaces with turbine controllers and data loggers

Is not sensitive to the operating environment


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Unlike gas and hydro turbines, wind turbines

cannot expect a laminar and controlled inflow.

Traditional anemometers such as cups,

wind vanes, and sonics are point

measurement devices.

Their location on a turbine nacelle results

in the measurement of disturbed and

turbulent airflow.

How Can Wind Turbines Optimally Respond

to the Changing Inflow?

Wind Sensing: The Traditional Approach


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Current Method is Sub-Optimal for Turbine Control

Current Turbine Control Methods Are Reactive

Standard anemometry mounted at rear of nacelle measures wind speed and

direction, after wind has passed through the rotor plane.

This old wind information is fed into the turbine PLC for control.

Since the nacelle anemometry is located in a disturbed flow field, the data often has

to be significantly averaged.

Typical transfer functions (used in some turbine PLCs) cannot account for a non-

laminar uncontrolled in-flow of wind at all times, especially on a complex terrain.

Often, data from stress and strain measuring devices is used to trigger turbine

response to off-axis loading and gusts.

Turbine response to the incoming flow field is almost always REACTIVE.


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Increased Efficiency

andReduced Stress

Control

System

2010 Catch

Catch the Winds Solution

Proactive Turbine Control with VindicatorLaser Wind Sensor (LWS)

Measure wind speed and directionin front of the wind turbine blades

More accurate wind data from undisturbed air

Smart control system adjusts turbine proactively

Intelligent yaw and pitch control


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We simultaneously sense the color change atdifferent distances ahead of the turbine and

calculate wind speed and direction

1

3

4

Three laser beams pulse multiple times

per second

Vindicator LWS provides accurate look-ahead wind data for optimal

turbine alignment and blade pitch

2Lasers reflect off dust particles in wind and

change color

2

How We See the WindLaser Doppler Velocimetry (LDV)


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The Advantage of a Look-Ahead SensorVindicatorLWS vs. Turbine-Mounted Anemometer

Wind Direction (relative to nacelle centerline)

Degrees

Jun. 30, 2010, North-American Wind Farm | Wind speeds: 4.5 to 10.5 m/s; Avg. 7.5 m/sSonic Anemometer: After-market Ultrasonic device, MEASNET-calibrated, IEC-certified

0:10am 1:10am 2:10am 3:10am

Measurements Differ By Up to 20 Degrees


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Laser and Sonic Anemometer Data Comparison20 Second Averages

Wind Direction, 20s-average, 20 minutes

Degrees

Time

-40

-30

-20

-10

0

10

20

30

00:10:00 00:15:00 00:20:00 00:25:00 00:30:00

Laser Anemometer

Jun. 30, 2010, Wind Farm B | Wind speed: 4.5 to 10.5 m/s; Avg. 7.5 m/s

Sonic Anemometer: after-market ultrasonic device, MEASNET-calibrated, IEC-certified


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Difference in Wind Direction Measurements

(Sonic Anemometer vs. Vindicator LWS)

EXAMPLE # 1: Wind Farm in North America

Advantage of Measuring the InflowVindicatorLWS vs. Turbine-Mounted Anemometer

Nacelle Centerline


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Difference in Wind Direction Measurements

(Sonic Anemometer vs. Vindicator LWS)


EXAMPLE # 2: Wind Farm in Europe


Nacelle Centerline


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VindicatorLaser Wind Sensor

Class 1 eye-safe all fiber-optic pulsed Doppler laser

Full motion compensation for turbine mounting as well as offshore buoy installation

Tested under extreme conditions

Operated in harsh marine environment & arctic temperatures

Operating temperature: -40C to 55C Other technical data:

Total weight: 69 kg

External unit: 79 cm L x 43 cm D

Power requirements:

250 W (temp.>0C)

450 W (temp.


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Industry ValidationTesting and First Purchases

Technical & environmental testing

Wind Energy Institute of Canada (WEICan)

National Renewable Energy Laboratory, CRADA

Helimax (Germanischer Lloyd)

Customer validation Nebraska Public Power District

TransAlta

BP Wind Energy

enXco EDF - EN

OEM Validation

Gamesa

(Anonymous first-tier manufacturer)

Offshore buoy integration & testing

AXYS Technologies


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Technical Validation by Helimax

(Germanischer Lloyd)

Data supplied by Helimax GL, Apr. 2010


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VindicatorControl of V-82 at NPPD

Installed in July 2009

Deployed and in control for

19Months on Vestas V-82Turbine #T22 at NPPD

Began Control Algorithm

Optimization Program in

July 2010


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Field TrialsNebraska Public Power District

Average Energy IncreaseOver 11 Months Prior to Optimization

14%


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NPPD: Reduced Stress Load on Critical Components

SWANTech report

Independent third party

Test turbine went from worst to best with

Vindicator LWS control


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Preliminary Optimization Experiment Data

Over 20% Average Energy Increase


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Nordex N60 Data

11.1%Average Energy

Increase


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-40.00

-30.00

-20.00

-10.00

0.00

10.00

20.00

30.00

40.00

50.00

14:10 14:15 14:20 14:25

10min avg.

On Average, Turbines Seem Well Aligned With the Wind

Aug. 14, 2009, NPPD-Ainsworth, T22, Laser measurement

Laser Wind Direction (relative to nacelle centerline)

Degrees

Time

Most turbine controllers would not initiate yawing here


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-40.00

-30.00

-20.00

-10.00

0.00

10.00

20.00

30.00

40.00

50.00

14:10 14:15 14:20 14:25

10min avg. 3min avg.

The Picture Looks Less Favorable For Shorter Time-

Averages



Degrees

Time

Most efficiency calculations stop here


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This is How The Wind Really Behaves



Degrees

Time

-40.00

-30.00

-20.00

-10.00

0.00

10.00

20.00

30.00

40.00

50.00

14:10 14:15 14:20 14:25

10min avg. 3min avg. Observed

Optimization potential much larger than assumed by industry


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Average Integrated Yaw Error

Summary of turbine yaw misalignment at trial sites

Turbine Model Avg. Integrated Yaw Error RMS Error

Vestas V-82 15 21

Nordex N60 13 16

Vestas V-82 15 19Other 2.0 MW 15 19

Other >2.0 MW 12 17


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Yaw Error Equals Loss of Power

Source:

TF Pederson, et al, "Wind Turbine Power Performance Verification in

Complex Terrain and Wind Farms" (RISO-R-1330)


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Power Increase Translates to Cash Flow

Vestas 1.65 MW Clipper 2.5 MW 25


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Increased ROI

1. Increased Power Output

2. Decreased OperatingCosts

3. Longer Lifetime

Value Created by Vindicator LWS

PROVEN TECHNOLOGY FOR WIND FARM

OPERATORS AND TURBINE OEMS

Decreased cost

per kilowatt hour


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Summary

Existing methodologies in wind measurement dont capture real wind characteristics:

Measure from sub-optimal location

Use time-averaging and transfer functions to compensate for location of measurement

instruments in turbulent flow

Results in significant average yaw misalignment = loss of power

Future wind turbines need forward looking laser wind sensor data to increase

efficiency and reduce stress loading

Accurate and timely speed and direction of undisturbed flow

Feed forward yaw control

Proactive blade pitch regulation


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Providing the wind industry better wind information forproactive, intelligent yaw and pitch control

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Bill Fetzer

VP, Business Development

703-393-0754

[email protected]

Contact

Documents

Catch the Wind Technical Presentation - March 2011