Titan Technologies Corporation has ordered two Fraunhofer IWES LiDAR measuring buoys for the surveying of the Zhangpu and Changle offshore wind farms planned for off the coast of China’s Fujian province. This will be the first time a floating LiDAR system will be used for offshore wind measurements in China. The buoys will be used to precisely measure the wind conditions in the designated locations so as to allow precise calculation of the wind farm’s electricity yield. China Three Gorges Corporation (CTG) owns the projected wind farms.
Many business hubs are close to the coast in China. This, coupled with the state’s expansion targets, is stimulating the constant growth of the offshore wind energy sector in China. CTG received the contract to build two wind farms with a capacity of 4 GW altogether and wants to obtain precise measurements of the conditions on-site using Fraunhofer IWES LiDAR buoy technology. Titan Technologies Corporation has been engaged by CTG to perform the measurements. The company will also be completing the installation work, servicing, and data evaluation.
“We have been working with Fraunhofer for years and appreciate their proven, highly deployable solutions for complex operational conditions. Paving the way for CTG’s vision of reliable offshore wind energy for China is an exciting and honorable assignment to which we contribute years of wind energy experience,” said John Feng, chairman, Titan Technologies Corporation.
By providing comprehensive feedback on the buoy’s performance under the specific operation conditions found in China, Titan contributes to Fraunhofer’s sound understanding of the requirements of varying environmental loads, e.g. typhoons.
“We welcome the order from Titan Technologies Corp. and believe that CTG’s decision to use two Fraunhofer IWES LiDAR buoys could set an example in China,” said Bernhard Lange, head of Wind Farm Planning and Operation at Fraunhofer.
The Fraunhofer IWES LiDAR buoy has already been used multiple times for offshore measuring, most recently off the Scottish coast for the projected Firth of Forth wind farm. It measures wind speed up to 200 meters above the surface of the water. The buoy not only passed the Carbon Trust tests for floating LiDAR devices, but surpassed the requirements for accuracy and availability. The buoy’s durability is evident in its robust build with double-encapsulated LiDAR and redundant power supply.
Fraunhofer IWES researchers developed not only the design but also the correction algorithm, which eliminates buoy movements from the measurements. This algorithm guarantees an extremely precise measurement, even in strong seas, delivering data that are as reliable as those collected with a fixed met mast.
Fraunhofer is the leading organization for applied research in Europe. It encompasses 66 institutes and research facilities in locations throughout Germany. It employs almost 24,000 people and has an annual research budget of 2 billion euros. Industry contracts and public research projects account for 70 percent of Fraunhofer’s budget. Fraunhofer has branches in Europe, North America, and South America pursuing international projects. Titan Technologies Co., Ltd., incorporated in 2009, is a system integrator, solution provider, and smart manufacturer. The company is principally engaged in smart manufacturing through products, services, and technology that enables its customers to conduct manufacturing in a cleaner, safer, more reliable, and efficient way.
Source: Fraunhofer IWES
For more information, go to www.iwes.fraunhofer.de/en.html
