sowento Validates Motion Compensation Software for Floating Lidar
For the offshore wind industry, accurate Wind Resource Assessment (WRA) is fundamental to project bankability. While floating lidar systems are a cost-effective solution, their inherent motion – especially roll and pitch – can corrupt data, leading to significant errors in turbulence intensity (TI). Inaccurate TI data can result in sub-optimal turbine selection and miscalculations of fatigue loads, impacting project risk and operational lifespan.
sowento is pleased to announce the successful completion of the NEOWIND project. This project has developed and, most importantly, validated a new software solution that effectively removes platform-induced errors, delivering “best practice” accuracy for floating lidar measurements.
The Validation Campaign
The project’s objective was to develop and validate a “Second-Level-Motion-Compensation” software, named “puffin”. This software works in quasi-real-time to correct the raw Line-of-Sight (LOS) velocity data before it is processed into wind field data.
Following initial verification on a test rig, the sowento software was deployed on an EOLOS floating lidar buoy. The system was installed offshore at Blyth, UK, alongside the fixed National Offshore Anemometry Hub (NOAH) measurement mast, which provided a static reference for data validation.
Key Achievements: Delivering Reliable Turbulence Data
The offshore test campaign confirmed the reliability and effectiveness of the puffin software. The primary achievements were:
- Corrected Wind Direction: The software successfully compensated for the buoy’s yawing motion, converting unusable raw wind direction data into a precise measurement.
- Validated Turbulence Intensity (TI): This was the project’s critical achievement. While uncompensated systems consistently overestimated turbulence, the sowento-compensated data showed excellent alignment with the static reference lidar on the fixed-platform.
Critically, the Mean Bias Error (MBE) of the compensated TI measurements was almost continuously within the ±1% “best practice” recommendation across all measured heights and wind speeds.
A Validated Product for the Offshore Wind Industry
The successful conclusion of the NEOWIND project serves as the final validation for sowento’s puffin software. This is not just a research finding; it is a solution that directly addresses a core industry challenge.
- For Wind Farm Developers: Access to “best practice” turbulence data reduces uncertainty in load calculations. This de-risks the project, supports optimized turbine selection, and contributes to a lower Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE).
- For Floating Lidar Developers: The software is available as a robust solution to be integrated into new or existing systems, significantly enhancing the accuracy and value of their measurement hardware.
The NEOWIND project confirms sowento’s position as a leading expert in advanced lidar data processing. Our validated software solutions are ready to support the next generation of offshore wind development.