Cristina Mulet-Benzo
PhD
Comprehensive marine boundary layer measurements by scanning lidar for offshore wind applications
Host Organisation
Heidelberg University
Company
Fraunhofer IWES/Vaisala
Project Description
Offshore wind represents a major investment in the renewable energy sector, with a significant rise in development over the last several years. With more offshore wind farms being developed, especially near each other, however, it proves important to accurately assess the atmospheric conditions within the boundary layer.
Scanning lidars present a viable option for wind field measurement throughout the location of the wind farm. Coupled with other remote sensing devices such as celiometers and microwave radiometers, these measurements provide valuable atmospheric information such as temperature/humidity profiles, wind measurements, and planetary boundary layer height. These measurements inform wind resource assessments by directly capturing the small temporal and physical scale atmospheric characteristics. With this information, meteorological and wake models can be better calibrated for more accurate outputs.
Supervisors
Julia Gottschall, Fraunhofer IWES
Stephanie Fiedler, Heidelberg University
Andrew Black, Vaisala
Frederic Delbos, Vaisala
Background
I was born in Caracas, Venezuela but very soon moved to the US where I grew up in the state of Connecticut. I attended university at George Mason University near Washington DC, where I obtained a Bachelor of Science in computational atmospheric sciences in 2018. From there I went to Villanova University in Philadelphia to pursue a master’s degree in Sustainable Engineering, with a concentration in renewable energy and international development. Wanting a bit more technical and applied experience I went to Ecole Polytechnique in Paris to get a masters in Energy and Environment Management. My internship with Vaisala (then Leosphere) led to a full-time position, where I worked on lidar data analysis and algorithm development for vertical profiling and scanning lidars. In addition to traveling and eating new foods, I enjoy indoor climbing, hiking, and reading!
After working in the private industry for several years I was very excited about the opportunity to delve back into atmospheric research while still working with some very cool remote sensors! My previous experiences taught me that there is still a knowledge gap for the wind industry to fully understand and quantify how conditions in the planetary boundary layer impact wind resource. This become more important in offshore applications, where stable conditions can be more prevalent thus increasing wake impacts. I would like to bridge this gap with my experience in the lidar-applied wind industry and my upcoming research using various instruments in an offshore setting to categorize boundary layer conditions. The network created by my fellow students at APTwind, Fraunhofer, and Vaisala will also prove crucial in sharing perspectives, knowledge, and techniques, and I’m eager to learn from and work with this wonderful and powerful team!