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ZX Lidars
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ZX Lidars Willow End Blackmore Park Rd Malvern WR13 6BD You may find it useful to use the What 3 Word codes to reach the following office locations: Willow End Reception - CABINET.ASKED.CLERICS ZX Lidars Goods In - CUSTODIAN.VOUCHER.PRIVATELY
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Horizontal Wind Lidar, turbine / nacelle-based
ZX Lidars - ZXTM

Power Performance Measurements and Testing to IEC standards including IEC 61400-50-3:2022

Accepted by all major turbine OEMs

Unique measurements of wakes and complex flow

True wind shear and wind veer measurements across the whole rotor

ZX TM Turbine Mounted Wind Lidar

Wind turbine power curve measurements and beyond, from a horizontal profiling Lidar, with unique measurements across the full rotor. Accepted by all leading wind turbine OEMs.

Turbine Mounted Wind Lidar ZX TM
We are a ‘Continuous Wave’ Lidar

All turbines, all rotor sizes, always accurate.

Validate your wind turbine performance and reach financial close with nacelle based Lidar Power Performance Testing. Optimise asset performance with operational power curve and yaw measurements. Develop wind farm Lidar control strategies with wake steering and load control.

Discover how power curve measurements from a ZX TM nacelle based wind lidar help understand a turbine’s true potential:

For an example of data reporting from a ZX TM nacelle based Lidar, download the case study below:

How it works
Design

Small form factor for easy installation and turbine integration

 
Design

Standard bespoke tripod frames available

Quality of data

Records measurements from 10-550m with high data availability at all ranges

50 wind measurement points per second optimised for Rotor Equivalent Wind Speeds, wakes and full shear and veer measurements

Laser focussed at each range for ultra high sensitivity and data recovery

Customer Care

Our Customer Care Charter defines our best-in-class support and services for our Lidar users. We focus on In-field Support, Validations & Verifications, Warranties and Training

Accepted within Turbine Supply Agreements

ZX TM is validated across multiple turbine OEM campaigns and is accepted within new and existing Turbine Supply Agreements for contractual Power Performance Measurements according to IEC61400-12-1:2017 (ed.2) and following the guidelines within IEC 61400-50-3:2022.

Wind Turbine OEMs

ZX TM used extensively by wind turbine manufacturers in the development and testing of modern wind turbine generators from certification and load assessments to prototype and upgrade validations. Bespoke integration frames are developed in coordination and under the approval of the WTG OEMs.

Lidar applications

Turbine Supply Agreement Power Curve warranty measurements

Operational power curve and Yaw performance

Turbine performance uncertainty reduction

Turbine performance degradation checks

Turbine upgrade verification

Static and Dynamic Yaw correction

Wind farm lidar control for wakes

Lidar Specifications

Configurations

3” Lidar optical head, 15 or 30 degree half-angle scan
17 horizontal ranges with configurable dwell times
15 vertical slices at each range across the rotor disk

Wind characteristics

Wind speed, shear, veer, wind yaw misalignment, turbulence, rotor equivalent wind speed (REWS), windlflow complexity

Scan & Data sample rate

Full rotor scan for REWS measurement
50Hz / 20ms measurements

Speed range

0.5 – 45 m/s (wind loading survivability up to 70 m/s)

Accuracy

Wind speed, 0.1 m/s
Wind direction, 0.5°

Measurement range

10m – 550m

Warranty / Maintenance

3 year warranty as standard
No factory maintenance or calibration required during 3 year service period

Size

LOH: 356 x 285 x 823 mm
LCU: 209 x 513 x 630 mm
Cable length: 10 m (or 15m option)

Weight

Lidar Optical Head (LOH): 20 kg
Lidar Control Unit (LCU): 29 kg
Turbine Integration Kit (TIK): 35kg

IP Rating

LOH: IP 66 LCU: IP 65
Marine atmosphere compliant
(IEC 60068-2-52)
Operating humidity 0 to 100% RH

User interface

Web-based interface via laptop, mobile or tablet

Temperature range

LOH: -30 to 50˚C
LCU: -40 to 60˚C

 
USE CASES

Tried and tested

The Use Cases presented here have been tried and tested over the last decade. Lidar users help to inform standards which in turn help to drive change. New Use Cases are being developed all of the time. Benefits are gained throughout a project lifecycle.

Wind turbine power performance testing with lidar

Understand a turbine’s true potential with a nacelle based power curve measurement.

ZX TM provides full rotor wind measurements and turbine motion-compensated true Hub Height measurement and can be used to follow IEC 61400-50-3:2022 Standard | Wind energy generation systems - Part 50-3: Use of nacelle-mounted lidars for wind measurements.

Remove uncertainties with flow distortion around nacelle anemometry by measuring ahead of the turbine in free wind flow.

Benchmark turbine-to-turbine performance testing to identify any early underperformance from blade erosion, forestry effects or other mechanical issues.

See the full rotor equivalent wind approaching the turbine to identify wakes, ground-effects and yaw misalignment.

Measurements can be made according to industry-standard procedures that are accepted by wind turbine manufacturers, when included in Turbine Supply Agreements.

Power Performance Testing (PPT) compares the actual power curve of a wind turbine to the warranted power curve provided by the wind turbine manufacturer.



Wind turbine / wind farm optimisation and due diligence

Accurately measure power performance of wind turbines from the nacelle.

ZX TM has been installed on a Lidar-per-turbine basis to provide site optimisation to wind farm owners. Working in collaboration with site owners, turbine manufacturers and independent wind and economic consultants a Total Wind Farm Optimisation plan can be defined and implemented cost efficiently and with known paybacks.

Reduce uncertainty in P90, P50 and post-construction energy assessments and provide options for re-financing a wind farm with better-understood rates of return.

Feed machine-learning / condition monitoring performance analysis with more accurate wind data.

Calibrate nacelle instrumentation / transfer functions with free stream wind speed measurements and wind direction vs. yaw alignment.

More accurately apply wind sector management and optimise operational limits such as cut-out wind speeds.

Identify and quantify wake losses and provide options for better wake management throughout the wind farm.



ZXTM wind lidar provides rotor effective wind speed and rotor effective wind direction for feedforward lidar assisted pitch, torque and yaw control.

The wind is changing over space and time and conventional control reacts to the wind after the impact. The ability to preview the wind field and sensitively characterise fluctuations enables feedforward control design upgrades for improved turbine control performance, reduction of turbine loads, energy yield increases and lifetime extension potential. Starting in 2003, turbine mounted ZX CW lidars continue to be installed across major OEMs’ prototype turbines, and in operating wind farms.  A variety of configurations may be utilised, including nacelle mounted and spinner/hub solutions.

High quality and high availability wind field preview with 50 point 1Hz circular scanning sample.

Bespoke on board wind field reconstructions and lidar data processing for lidar control sensor-ready and turbine type-specific outputs and control targets.

Improved turbine control performance potential, reduction of damage equivalent loads, and turbine design and performance enhancement opportunities.  

Simulation and field test results consistently demonstrate industry leading ZX circularly scanning CW preview quality.

Design opportunities for onshore, fixed bottom offshore and floating offshore wind turbines.

 

Access to data

Your high value wind data is available through a range of communication protocols from Wi-Fi to a direct Ethernet connection and over mobile / cellular networks. On-board Lidar software helps to configure, check status and play live and recorded a timeseries.

Ancillaries

Lidar frame design for wind turbines

Our Engineering team can provide bespoke designs of Lidar frame to suit any onshore or offshore wind turbine. ZX TM is extensively used within the industry and we often have bespoke designs already available and approved by the WTG OEM for use.

Rent a horizontal profiling wind Lidar

ZX Measurement Services provide rental ZX TM wind Lidars globally working with our international team of Trusted Service Providers. This can sometimes be the best low-cost access to Lidar for quick turnaround wind measurement projects.

ZX Lidars - ZX300

Vertical Profiling Lidar onshore

ZX Lidars - ZX300M

Vertical Profiling Lidar offshore

Find The Right Lidar for you

We can help you find the right Lidar for your needs by answering a few questions

Find The Right Lidar for you

What do you need wind data for?

Image Caption 1

Site Assessment

Image Caption 2

Operational Measurements

Image Caption 3

Other

Find The Right Lidar for you

Where do you need to gather data?

Offshore

Onshore

Both onshore and offshore

Find The Right Lidar for you

How long do you need this data for?

<1

PERFECT FOR:

Small scale projects

Temporary events

Less than 1 year

1-2

PERFECT FOR:

Small scale projects

Temporary events

1-2 years

3+

PERFECT FOR:

Long term projects

Operational measurements

3 years +

5

Our Recommendation
ZX Lidars - ZX Measurement Services

Learn more
Our Recommendation
ZX Lidars - ZXTM

Validate your wind turbine performance and reach financial close with nacelle based Lidar Power Performance Testing. Optimise asset performance with operational power curve and yaw measurements. Develop wind farm Lidar control strategies with wake steering and load control.

Power Performance Measurements and Testing to IEC standards including IEC 61400-50-3:2022

Accepted by all major turbine OEMs

Unique measurements of wakes and complex flow

True wind shear and wind veer measurements across the whole rotor

Learn more
Our Recommendation
ZX Lidars - ZX300M

Reduce your offshore wind farm project and financial uncertainty by measuring wind characteristics higher than a met mast and by mobilising measurements across a whole site with wind Lidar. Integrated in to all major Floating Buoy platforms.

Wind resource assessment and measurements offshore

Responsible for 95%+ of all new offshore wind measurements globally

£150bn of finance invested in clean energy from ZX 300M data

10-300m range - the widest range available of any Lidar

Learn more
Our Recommendation
ZX Lidars - ZX300

Reduce your onshore wind project and financial uncertainty by measuring wind characteristics higher than a met mast and by mobilising measurements across a whole site with wind Lidar. Be flexible within your planning applications by using a low visual impact, low height device.

Wind resource assessment and measurements onshore

Bankable standalone wind data in simple and complex terrain

Extreme environments, proven operation for 10 years

10-300m range - the widest range available of any Lidar

Learn more

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