The future of turbine performance tests
Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy (SGRE) recently approved ZX Lidars’ Lidar ZX TM for the purpose of Power Performance Testing on Siemens Gamesa wind turbines. This is a significant milestone, as it replaces the need for expensive met masts and anemometers, both onshore and offshore.
In connection with a power curve campaign, Siemens Gamesa has tested a new technology together with ZX Lidars. Based on the positive results achieved, both on the medium range and long range measurements, Siemens Gamesa approves the use of the nacelle based, continuous wave scanning Lidar ZX TM from ZX Lidars for Power Performance Testing. Importantly and in addition to this, operational rotor equivalent power curves can also be measured with ZX TM’s unique 50 points around the full rotor swept area, particularly important for turbines with larger rotor diameters offshore and on onshore sites with complex veer or shear profiles.
This specific Lidar – ZX TM – allows the power curve of Siemens Gamesa’s wind turbines to be measured and verified as a function of the Hub Height wind speed and may be, when agreed with the customer, used instead of the procedure described in the IEC61400-12-1:2017 (ed. 1/ed. 2) using a meteorological mast and anemometry installation.