Distributed array of GPS receivers for 3D wind profile determination in wind farms

Wind energy is currently one of the fastest growing sources of renewable energy. Sensing the wind profile densely, accurately, in three dimensional, and inexpensively is critical for both optimizing the installation of wind turbines on a wind farm, and predicting and optimizing the power generation. This paper presents a new method of wind profile sensing based on a distributed array of GPS receivers. In our wind sensing system, GPS receivers, wireless communication transceivers and pitot tubes are equipped in wind speed sensing payloads, which are lifted by aerostats. The 3D wind profile is determined by the wind speed sensed by each sensing payload. The Pitot tube determines the wind speed relative to the payload. Positioned at the head and tail of the payload, the GPS receivers determine not only the direction of payloads but also the true position and velocity of the payload with respect to the ground. A wind profile is then calculated from the Pitot tube and dual GPS receivers. Finally, the system is tested on a local wind farm. It has been shown that GPS provides a viable method for wind farm wind profile detection. The results of a field test conducted on a wind farm were shown to be consistent with averaged NOAA wind data during the time.