A successful field trial program has led to the purchase of Catch the Wind Ltd.'s Vindicator laser wind sensor (LWS) by the Nebraska Public Power District (NPPD).
Under the trial program, the LWS significantly increased power output and simultaneously reduced the off-axis stress loads of the NPPD test wind turbine, as demonstrated by third-party instrumentation provided by SWANtech's SWANwind condition monitoring system, Catch the Wind explains.
‘Compared to traditional condition monitoring, SWANtech was able to confirm a noticeable reduction in stress loads (SWE) on the wind turbine drivetrain,’ says Tony Amato, president of SWANtech. ‘Along with reductions in SWE, SWANtech was able to confirm differences in yaw position and blade pitch angle, which resulted in a noted increase in power on the turbine outfitted with the Vindicator system, when compared to the adjacent turbines on same ridge that were simultaneously monitored for the trial.’
A trial program between Catch the Wind and NPPD commenced in July. A beta production model of the company's LWS unit was integrated with the control system of a working Vestas turbine located at NPPD's Ainsworth Wind Energy Facility. The facility has 36 1.65 MW wind turbines, for a combined total of 59.4 MW.
SOURCE: Catch the Wind Ltd.
