ECN has opened its LiDAR Calibration Facility for quick and efficient calibrations of ground-based LiDARs, nacelle LiDARs, as well as SoDARs (Sound Detection and Ranging). The facility is situated at ECN’s wind turbine test site.
In order to secure high performance and high-quality data of remote sensing systems, it is essential to have them validated before using a system in actual field campaigns or before market entry of a new system, ECN said.
ECN reported that its Remote Sensing Calibration Facility is located in flat terrain with high yearly average wind speeds and an excellent infrastructure. Central part of the facility is an IEC compliant meteorological mast of 100m instrumented with MEASNET wind tunnel calibrated anemometers. The facility offers a stable underground, easy power supply and network connection, theft protection and time synchronization with the meteorological mast.
Ground-based sensors are directly compared against the mast on horizontal wind speed and direction, and for nacelle LiDARs a line of sight comparison is performed. Typical results of a validation campaign are: check on KPIs, an uncertainty assessment and a sensitivity assessment.