Quantification of motion-induced measurement error on floating lidar systems

Floating lidar systems (FLSs) are widely used for offshore wind site assessment, and their measurements show good agreement when compared to trusted reference sources. However, some influence of motion on mean wind speed data from FLS has to be assumed but could not have been quantified with experimental methods yet because the involved uncertainties are larger than the expected impact of motion. This study describes the motion-induced bias on horizontal mean wind speed estimates from FLS with the help of simulations of the lidar sampling pattern of a continuous-wave (CW) velocity–azimuth display (VAD) scanning wind lidar. Analytic modeling is used to validate the simulations. It is found that the mean bias depends on amplitude and frequency of motion, the angle between motion and wind direction, and wind speed and strength of wind shear. The simulations are used to quantify the measurement deviation that is caused by motion for the example of the Fugro SEAWATCH Wind LiDAR Buoy (SWLB) carrying a ZX 300M profiling wind lidar. The strongest bias of −0.67 % of the measurement values was estimated for a test case with “strong” waves aligned with the inflow wind direction. Under “normal” wave conditions the bias is smaller. The reason for these low errors lies in a fortunate combination of the frequencies of lidar prism rotation and tilt motion.