The objectives of the TrueWind project are to upgrade the wind energy sector with the world’s most accurate wind speed measurements for wind resource assessment and power curve measurements. The economy of wind farms is based on wind resource estimates from site assessments with primarily cup anemometer measurements, and thus dependent on the accuracy of cup anemometer measurements. An industry investigation has shown that the decrease in uncertainty on predicted mean wind speed of 0.1m/s would provide estimated savings worth around £10 million per year for 25 years for a large offshore wind farm project (FP7 NORSEWIND). With the new lidar technology for wind tunnel calibration and an optimised cup anemometer, which are the main expected outcomes of this project, the measurement accuracy for cup anemometer measurements is expected to be improved with more than one percent. The achievement of the project objectives and commercialisation of the key project outcomes – optimised cup anemometer and lidic technology – will thus hold significant impact for the wind energy sector, resulting in a reduction of the Cost of Energy.
The project objectives will meet the goals of “EU TPWIND - Wind Condition activities addressing advanced measurement techniques including remote sensing” in reducing commercial risks by more accurate wind resource assessments and power performance measurements. We will achieve hitherto unprecedented accuracy in wind measurements of cup anemometry using state-of-the- art remote-sensing technology in wind tunnel and free field environments. TrueWind will contribute to three significant commercial exploitations and a technological achievement:
- Very short range wind lidar (lidic) calibration capability installed in the wind tunnels of Svend Ole Hansen ApS, and studies on tunnel boundary and turbulence influence on calibration holds potential for a substantial reduction in measurement uncertainty resulting in an increased global calibration market share, partly in Danish wind tunnels, partly in US based wind tunnels.
- Improvement of WindSensor ApS cup anemometers, will ensure world's best classification for wind resource assessment and power performance verification and will result in increased global market share.
- Commercialisation of lidic wind measurement equipment for wind tunnel applications by Dantec Dynamics A/S, will supplement a world leading LDA portfolio for wind tunnel measurement equipment and maintain global leadership in accurate wind tunnel measurement equipment.
- An open field calibration facility at DTU Risø campus, based on a short range wind scanner with 3 lidic’s, will be developed to verify and improve a cup anemometer model used in the IEC61400-12-1 standard classification, and demonstration of the free field calibration facility capabilities will maintain technological leadership in DTU lidar technology.