Dec 11 2009
Catch the Wind Ltd. (TSX-V: CTW.S) today released the final results of its trial program with Nebraska Public Power District (NPPD). The results demonstrated that Catch the Wind's Vindicator(R) Laser Wind Sensor (LWS) increased the energy output of a turbine by an average of 12.3 percent as a result of better alignment with oncoming wind and increased gust detection.
The increased energy output was achieved while the Vindicator(R) LWS controlled the turbine for only 56 percent of the time as specified by the parameters of the 30-day trial. Excluding statistically insufficient measurement data, the Vindicator(R) LWS improved energy output by more than 18 percent.
"Our field trial with Nebraska Power further validated the capabilities of the Vindicator to improve the performance of a turbine through forward measurement of wind speed and direction," said Phil Rogers, President and CEO of Catch the Wind. "Increasing energy output by only 10 percent per turbine, for example, we believe that wind farm operators can expect to generate a present value of future cash flows in excess of $600,000 for a typical 2.5 mega-watt turbine or $18 million for a typical 75 mega-watt wind farm. We believe the incremental cash flows generated during the first 24 to 36 months are sufficient to payback the initial investment."
A technical report, which details the results of the field trial, and an economic valuation model, in which the financial return of the Vindicator(R) LWS is calculated, can be found at www.catchthewindinc.com.
As reported previously, Catch the Wind and NPPD agreed to a trial program to evaluate how using forward measurement of wind speed and direction can optimally align wind turbines with the approaching wind and reduce the off-axis stress loads on turbines. A beta production model of the Company's Vindicator(R) LWS unit was integrated with the control system of a working Vestas turbine located at NPPD's Ainsworth Wind Energy Facility located near Ainsworth, Nebraska. Results showing how the Vindicator(R) LWS reduced equipment stress loads were reported previously by Catch the Wind and SwanTech.
Update on other field trials
Catch the Wind also announced that it is continuing to collaborate with the Wind Energy Institute of Canada (WEICan), Canada's leading testing and research institute for wind energy systems. Performance testing of the Vindicator(R) LWS is ongoing and results will be released once finalized.
Catch the Wind has also received encouraging feedback from its field trial with Helimax Energy, Inc., an independent consulting firm specializing in utility-scale wind energy project development, and a group member of Germanischer Lloyd. The preliminary field trial with Helimax favorably demonstrated the correlation of wind speed and direction data captured by a beta version Vindicator(R) LWS with data measured by a meteorological tower at 85 meters above ground level on a site located in Quebec, Canada.
"The Vindicator has the potential of delivering significant advantages to wind resource assessment," said Dariush Faghani, R&D Section Head of Helimax Energy. "The trial results have been encouraging, and we look forward to helping Catch the Wind develop a versatile wind resource assessment device that could provide high-quality data for the rapidly growing wind industry."
Source: http://www.catchthewindinc.com/