Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
(Figure 14-8). In theory, this could be far less expensive than a fixed platform, and
it could also be deployed in much deeper water with fewer permitting hurdles. Like
mobile lidars on land, a floating lidar could be moved around for site prospecting and
spot-checks of the resource, and it could be deployed for performance measurements
at operating wind projects. When coupled with likely advancements in lidar technol-
ogy and industry acceptance, the floating lidar concept could greatly benefit offshore
resource assessment.
Several companies are exploring floating lidars, and a few systems are commercially
available. However, given the challenges associated with this technology (including
motion compensation or correction, power supply integration, and overall system reli-
ability), it is likely that these systems will require considerable validation and testing
before they can be fully accepted as equivalent to tower-based measurements.
Side-Scanning Lidar. A side-scanning lidar operates on the same physical prin-
ciples as a vertical profiling lidar, but as the name suggests, the laser beam can be
pointed sideways as well, enabling it to scan over a hemisphere. The potential advan-
tage of this technology for offshore resource assessment is that a side-scanning lidar
with enough range could be deployed on land or on a convenient offshore structure
Figure 14-8. The WindSentinel floating lidar system consisting of a Vindicator lidar
from Catch the Wind, mounted on a NOMAD buoy developed by AXYS Technologies.
Source: AXYS Technologies.
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