skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Field Test Results from Lidar Measured Yaw Control for Improved Yaw Alignment with the NREL Controls Advanced Research Turbine: Preprint

Conference ·
OSTI ID:1166673

This paper describes field tests of a light detection and ranging (lidar) device placed forward looking on the nacelle of a wind turbine and used as a wind direction measurement to directly control the yaw position of a wind turbine. Conventionally, a wind turbine controls its yaw direction using a nacelle-mounted wind vane. If there is a bias in the measurement from the nacelle-mounted wind vane, a reduction in power production will be observed. This bias could be caused by a number of issues such as: poor calibration, electromagnetic interference, rotor wake, or other effects. With a lidar mounted on the nacelle, a measurement of the wind could be made upstream of the wind turbine where the wind is not being influenced by the rotor's wake or induction zone. Field tests were conducted with the lidar measured yaw system and the nacelle wind vane measured yaw system. Results show that a lidar can be used to effectively measure the yaw error of the wind turbine, and for this experiment, they also showed an improvement in power capture because of reduced yaw misalignment when compared to the nacelle wind vane measured yaw system.

Research Organization:
National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Wind Power Technologies Office
DOE Contract Number:
AC36-08GO28308
OSTI ID:
1166673
Report Number(s):
NREL/CP-5000-63202
Resource Relation:
Conference: To be presented at the AIAA Science and Technology Forum and Exposition 2015, 5-9 January 2015, Kissimmee, Florida
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

Similar Records

Lidar measurements of yawed-wind-turbine wakes: characterization and validation of analytical models
Journal Article · Thu Oct 08 00:00:00 EDT 2020 · Wind Energy Science (Online) · OSTI ID:1166673

Analysis of Control-Oriented Wake Modeling Tools Using Lidar Field Results
Journal Article · Thu Feb 08 00:00:00 EST 2018 · Wind Energy Science Discussions · OSTI ID:1166673

Analysis of control-oriented wake modeling tools using lidar field results
Journal Article · Thu Nov 01 00:00:00 EDT 2018 · Wind Energy Science (Online) · OSTI ID:1166673