Manassas, Va.-based Catch the Wind Ltd. (CTW), the developer and manufacturer of the Vindicator laser wind sensor (LWS) and other sensor products, has signed a cooperative research and development agreement with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), the Department of Energy's primary national laboratory for renewable energy and energy efficiency research and development.
Under the terms of the research agreement, Catch the Wind will provide NREL with a test unit of the Vindicator LWS for use for up to three years. NREL will evaluate how using the Vindicator LWS for forward measurement of wind speed and direction to optimally align wind turbines and turbine blades to reduce stress loads on turbines and improve energy production output.
‘This cooperative research initiative provides us a tremendous opportunity to work with a pre-eminent wind energy research laboratory to fully develop the potential of Vindicator LWS for turbine control,’ says Phil Rogers, president and CEO of CTW.
The company expects to launch the cooperative research and development initiative in October.
SOURCE: Catch the Wind Ltd.
