Prospects of optimization of energy production by LIDAR assisted control of wind turbines

Abstract

In the presented work two approaches to increase the energy production of wind turbines are studied assuming the usage of a wind speed measurement provided by a nacelle based LIDAR system: The first approach uses the knowledge of the incoming wind speed to assist variable speed control. The second approach uses the wind direction information measured by a LIDAR system for yaw control. From this first analysis only marginal benefit can be gained by the LIDAR assisted speed control, but an increase of energy production by a couple of percent can be expected by LIDAR assisted yaw control.