Jul 8, 2025

US12352861 - Crosswind speed measurement by optical measurement of scintillation

The present disclosure describes methods and systems for measuring crosswind speed by optical measurement of laser scintillation. One method includes projecting radiation into a medium, receiving, over time, with a photodetector receiver, a plurality of scintillation patterns of scattered radiation, comparing cumulative a radiation intensity for each received scintillation pattern of the received plurality of scintillation patterns, and measuring a cumulative weighted average cross-movement within the medium using the compared cumulative radiation intensities.

Assignee: Torrey Pines Logic, Inc.
Inventors: Leo Volfson
Filing date: 2024-01-09

The patent describes a device that utilizes a single photodiode subdivided into multiple sub-pixel detection portions to measure crosswind speed by analyzing scintillation patterns of electromagnetic radiation. This technology is intended for applications such as adjusting wind turbine rotors based on the generated crosswind profile.

Claim 1

A device for optically measuring crosswind for wind turbine rotor adjustment, comprising: a single physical photodiode representing a single pixel and adapted to analyze electromagnetic radiation traveling between the single physical photodiode and a target, wherein the single physical photodiode is mounted to a wind turbine, wherein the single physical photodiode is subdivided into a plurality of distinct sub-pixel detection portions, wherein each sub-pixel detection portion of the plurality of distinct sub-pixel detection portions simulates a separate physical photodetector, wherein each distinct sub-pixel detection portion of the plurality of distinct sub-pixel detection portions receives a scintillation pattern created by atmospheric eddies diffracting and refracting the electromagnetic radiation, and wherein, for each distinct sub-pixel detection portion, converting the scintillation pattern into a single data point measuring cumulative light intensity; and the device adapted to compare cumulative light intensities from each distinct sub-pixel detection portion and to generate, as a generated crosswind profile, a crosswind profile between the single physical photodiode and the target. a single physical photodiode representing a single pixel and adapted to analyze electromagnetic radiation traveling between the single physical photodiode and a target, wherein the single physical photodiode is mounted to a wind turbine, wherein the single physical photodiode is subdivided into a plurality of distinct sub-pixel detection portions, wherein each sub-pixel detection portion of the plurality of distinct sub-pixel detection portions simulates a separate physical photodetector, wherein each distinct sub-pixel detection portion of the plurality of distinct sub-pixel detection portions receives a scintillation pattern created by atmospheric eddies diffracting and refracting the electromagnetic radiation, and wherein, for each distinct sub-pixel detection portion, converting the scintillation pattern into a single data point measuring cumulative light intensity; and the device adapted to compare cumulative light intensities from each distinct sub-pixel detection portion and to generate, as a generated crosswind profile, a crosswind profile between the single physical photodiode and the target.

Google Patents

https://patents.google.com/patent/US12352861

USPTO PDF

https://image-ppubs.uspto.gov/dirsearch-public/print/downloadPdf/12352861