Axys to provide WindSentinel floating LiDAR systems to US DOE

Axys Technologies has been awarded a contract by the US Department of Energy’s (DOE) Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) to provide two WindSentinel floating LiDAR systems.

The PNNL will manage the systems to support research and development to help advance the US offshore wind industry.

The WindSentinel is a wind resource assessment buoy designed to accurately measure wind speed, wind direction, and turbulence offshore up to blade-tip heights of 200m, using LiDAR.

Axys sales director Graham Howe said that the company is pleased to be able to assist the DOE in their work.

"This award reflects the DOE’s commitment to the use of new technology to assist in reducing the cost of offshore wind energy in the United States," Howe added.

Till date, the system has recorded a number of world firsts, including the first commercial deployment as well as the most remote LiDAR offshore wind resource assessment ever conducted, 36 miles offshore.

To allow for real-world measurements from 30m to 200m, the system features ±20 meter range gate probe depth.

The WindSentinel also uses the Vindicator III, a simultaneous pulse LiDAR designed to measure wind accurately from a moving platform.

Telemetry options are also available for the system which includes UHF/VHF, Inmarsat IsatData Pro, Iridium, GPRS/HSPA and CDMA/EVDO.

The two-way capability also enables remote system management such as configuration and diagnostics to all onboard systems and data in real time.

In order to take measurements at six range gate, the LiDAR uses three fixed beams as well as WatchMan500 controller to integrate sensor systems.