Development and Experimental Validation of a Reference-type Coherent Doppler Wind Lidar for Meteorological Operations

Abstract. In response to the urgent need for calibration technology in the application of wind lidar in the meteorological operations, this paper describes the development of a Reference-type Coherent Doppler Wind Lidar(RCDWL) for calibration. Based on a dual-channel composite detection mechanism combining continuous and pulsed modes, the RCDWL achieves key technical specifications including a low blind zone of 10 m, a high resolution of 10 m, and a maximum detection altitude of 3,000 m. To verify the performance and stability of the RCDWL, comparison experiments and data analyses were conducted using a radiosonde and a meteorological gradient tower, respectively. Comparison results with the radiosonde showed a wind speed systematic error of -0.05 m/s and a standard deviation of 1.11 m/s, while the wind direction systematic error was 1.34° with a standard deviation of 12.05°; the correlation coefficients were all higher than 0.97.Comparison results with the gradient tower showed a systematic error of 0.01 m/s and a standard deviation of 0.28 m/s for wind speed, and a systematic error of -0.09° and a standard deviation of 2.90° for wind direction, with correlation coefficients all exceeding 0.98. Based on these results, we used RCDWL as a reference source for a joint comparison and analysis of 9 lidars in meteorological operations. The results showed that the correlation coefficients for horizontal wind speed were greater than 0.98, with standard deviations less than 0.8 m/s; for wind direction, the correlation coefficients were greater than 0.97, with standard deviations less than 8°. Additionally, when using RCDWL as a reference standard source for the comparison and calibration of lidars prior to shipment, RCDWL effectively improves the product accuracy of lidars prior to shipment. These results fully validate the detection capabilities and stability of the RCDWL, establishing a stable and reliable reference benchmark for lidar calibration within the meteorological operations. The RCDWL fills a technical gap in wind lidar calibration reference sources and can be used for the comparison and calibration of Lidar equipment, holding great practical significance for enhancing the application level of wind lidars in various fields.