AXYS Technologies Inc. and Boulder Environmental Sciences & Technology (BEST) are working on the design of a buoy-based microwave profiling radiometer on a floating platform, the FLiDAR WindSentinel.
Funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, the BEST marine profiling radiometer (MPR) is the world’s first microwave profiling radiometer specifically designed for deployment on a buoy, according to the companies.
Once completed, the system will enable users to measure vertical profiles of temperature and humidity within the atmospheric boundary layer and up to 10 kilometers above the floating platform (in addition to wind profiles, provided by the LiDAR, up to 200 meters).
The partners say these measurements will improve weather forecasting and lead to better site evaluation and energy production of offshore wind farms.
“This is a significant first step towards the commercialization of the MPR,” says Marian Klein, CEO of BEST. “Once we have completed this work, we will be ready to deploy the prototype and commence system testing.”
