What are the benefits of lidar-assisted control in the design of a wind turbine?

This paper explores the potential benefits brought by the integration of lidar-assisted control (LAC) in the design of a wind turbine. The study identifies which design drivers can be relaxed by LAC, as well as by how much these drivers could be reduced before other conditions become the drivers. A generic LAC load-reduction model is defined and used to redesign the rotor and tower of three representative turbines, differing in terms of wind class, size, and power rating. The load reductions enabled by LAC are used to save mass, increase hub height, or extend lifetime. For the first two strategies, results suggest only modest reductions in the levelized cost of energy, with potential benefits essentially limited to the tower of a large offshore machine. On the other hand, lifetime extension appears to be the most effective way of exploiting the effects of LAC.