26 October 2020: Independent expert study on Remote Sensing Devices confirms ZX 300 wind Lidar accuracy in all classes of complex terrain
The Consortium for the Advancement of Remote Sensing (CFARS) has released its survey of Remote Sensing Devices operating in complex flow including the WindCube (Leosphere, a Vaisala company), Triton Sonic Wind Profiler (Vaisala) and ZX 300 (ZX Lidars).
Ground-based Lidars and Sodars employ a variety of beam probing or scan patterns by which the horizontal wind speed, vertical wind speed and wind direction are derived – all assume homogeneous flow conditions within the scan / beam volume. In contrast, traditional meteorological masts equipped with cup anemometers provide a single measurement at the installation point of the sensor. In complex flow, often caused by terrain and fixed objects, the assumption of homogeneous flow conditions within the measurement volume introduces differences between lidar and cup anemometer. In situations like this a flow conversion technique can be applied.
CFARS have compared the various techniques adopted when using a WindCube, Triton and ZX 300 remote sensor and presented the following analysis of the accuracy of each device pre- and post-conversion / correction of data to account for the complex flow:
