Renewable energy is prized in many areas of the country and you will see wind turbines being installed on hillsides to harness the wind to create energy. In Uruguay wind turbines are being installed with a lidar system to monitor the performance of the turbines and provide the turbine owners with ways to optimize the turbines’ efficiency.
What is lidar?
A lidar system is a laser-based method used to detect, map and range-finding purposes through the use of custom lens technology. Lidar utilizes a lower-power, eye-safe pulsing laser that works in conjunction with a camera to illuminate a target. Software will calculate the amount of time it takes for the laser to reflect back from the target.
Lidar is usually used to measure the speed of a target – you will typically see it used in police speed guns. Lidar is also used with global positioning systems to help develop three dimensional topographical maps, even through foliage.
The aim of the Uruguay wind turbine owners is to measure, evaluate and quantify the performance of a specific turbine. The information gathered will help developers improve on the energy production of these turbines.
Understanding how to optimize the wind that is harnessed through the turbines will help developers know where to place them, how to measure the amount of energy that can be created and many more beneficial algorithms.
Universe Kogaku designs and manufactures optical lenses for industrial, medical, high tech and electronic applications. We also carry standard and custom lens assemblies for scanners, CCTV, CCD/CMOS, medical imaging, surveillance systems, machine vision and night vision systems.