Texas Tech University researchers
will receive $1.4 million from the U.S. Department of Energy to develop a new
radar prototype that will provide better measurements of the complex flow
conditions in wind plants.
“This project is a testament to
our researchers’ commitment to better understand and harness wind energy, and
to enhance the methods this technology could have on society,” said Texas Tech
President M. Duane Nellis.
The same research team that
pioneered the use of radar technology and techniques for wind farm applications
several years ago is now focused on developing a new prototype that enhances
data availability, and provides semi-autonomous operation. Enhanced information about flow conditions
within a wind plant enables proactive controls that minimize turbine-to-turbine
interaction and maximize power generation.
John Schroeder, a professor of
atmospheric sciences and principal investigator for the project, said existing
wind farms nominally are underperforming relative to expectations.
“Wind farms are not putting out as much power
as we would expect from them,” Schroeder said. “With a better understanding of
how turbines interact with each other, we may be able to make small adjustments
that could be worth millions of dollars.”
Having the information before the
wind farm is built could make operations better from the start through
strategic turbine spacing and placement. Schroeder said the real opportunity
would be in enhancing existing wind farms, where subtle changes in the wake of
one upstream turbine could positively impact others downstream.
To fully understand turbine
behavior, careful measurements are required. Existing radar platforms have been
used extensively in meteorological applications but are problematic since they
emit electro-magnetic radiation that must bounce off an object to return data.
The team will spend 18 months
developing the new design that will be specifically designed for wind energy
research and focused on enhancing clear air sensitivity relative to the
currently available radar system. A system that does not rely on precipitation
to generate returns provides for more diverse application. Semi-autonomous
operation is also needed to enable long term deployments at varying onshore and
offshore locations around the world.
“This is an example of the
outstanding technical innovations that are being produced by Texas Tech today,”
said Robert V. Duncan, Texas Tech vice president of research. “It is exciting
to see this new radar technology emerge, that will be used to optimize wind
plant energy production based upon data that we have never had access to before
now.”
This project complements the U.S.
Department of Energy’s ongoing Atmosphere to Electrons (A2e) Initiative, which
aims to improve wind plant performance by increasing understanding of how wind
moves throughout wind farms. It also contributes to the effort to advance
innovative technologies that reduce carbon emissions and support the
President’s goal to double renewable energy again by 2020.
“Our goal is to finish the
blueprint for commercialization of this technology, and place it in the hands
of users in the industry,” Schroeder said. “If successful, it wouldn’t take
long to have a positive impact on lowering the cost of wind energy.”
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