Buoy Gimbal Stabilizes LiDAR Wind Sensors
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing offshore wind turbine platforms lack an integrated and effective solution for housing all necessary sensors to evaluate wind farm sites, design wind turbines, and maintain them, while also mitigating the negative effects of wave motion on remote wind sensing equipment like LiDAR devices.
Innovation Solution
A floating buoy with a wave rider type hull, equipped with a tower for mounting various sensors, an autonomous power system, and a gimbal mechanism to stabilize LiDAR wind speed measurement sensors, allowing for data collection and operation in harsh marine environments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If LiDAR wind speed measurement equipment is mounted on a floating buoy, then wind speed data can be collected at hub heights, but wave-induced motion degrades measurement precision
Solution Approach 1:
A gimbal mechanism is introduced as an intermediary between the floating buoy and the LiDAR equipment. The gimbal stabilizes the LiDAR platform by allowing it to pivot and maintain a fixed orientation despite buoy motion, effectively mediating the harmful wave-induced motion and preserving measurement precision
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs motion compensation that exceeds simple stabilization by actively tracking and counteracting buoy motion in real-time. The gimbal system performs partial compensation by stabilizing the LiDAR platform, and excessive compensation by actively correcting for predicted motion trends, ensuring measurement precision is maintained even during rough seas
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple sensors are mounted on separate platforms, then comprehensive data can be collected, but device complexity and operational difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple sensors including LiDAR, met-ocean sensors, and ecological sensors are merged onto a single floating buoy platform. This consolidation integrates data collection capabilities while reducing the number of separate platforms needed, thereby decreasing overall device complexity and operational difficulty
Solution Approach 2:
The floating buoy is designed as a universal platform that performs multiple functions: it houses LiDAR for wind speed measurement, met-ocean sensors for environmental data, and ecological sensors for wildlife monitoring. This multi-functionality allows comprehensive data collection from a single platform, eliminating the need for multiple specialized platforms
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The buoy provides comprehensive data for wind farm evaluation and turbine maintenance while effectively mitigating wave-induced motion effects on LiDAR equipment, ensuring stable and continuous data collection and operation.
Implementation Method 1
a gimbal mechanism to stabilize LiDAR wind speed measurement sensors
Implementation Method 2
A floating buoy with a wave rider type hull
Data Source
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AI summary
A floating buoy includes a buoy hull having a tower that extends outwardly from the hull. A plurality of sensors are mounted either on the buoy hull, within the buoy hull, and/or on the tower. The plurality of sensors includes at least one met-ocean sensor, at least one ecological sensor, and at least one wind speed measurement sensor. The floating buoy further includes an autonomous power system that is configured to provide electrical power to each of the plurality of sensors. The wind speed measurement sensor may be a Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) wind speed measurement sensor, a surface level wind speed sensor, an ultrasonic wind speed sensor, or SODAR.