Assessment of wind conditions at a fjord inlet by complementary use of sonic anemometers and lidars

Abstract

Wind velocity measurement devices based on the remote optical sensing, lidars, are extensively applied in wind energy research and wind farm operation. The present paper demonstrates the relevance and potential of lidar measurements for other wind- sensitive structures such as long-span bridges. In a pilot study in Lysefjord, Norway, a pulsed long-range lidar and two short-range WindScanners were installed at the bridge site, together with a long-term monitoring system based on sonic anemometers. The deployment of the two types of lidars is described in more details and the complementary value of the data from all three types of the instruments is illustrated. The emphasis is on the lidars’ potential to map the wind conditions along the whole span of a bridge in a complex terrain, as opposed to “point” measurements achievable by sonic anemometers. The challenging balance between the spatial and temporal resolution of the data is discussed.