ISO 28902-3:2018

Overview - ISO 28902-3:2018 (Doppler lidar for wind)

ISO 28902-3:2018, part of the ISO 28902 series on environmental meteorology and air quality, specifies requirements and performance test procedures for monostatic heterodyne continuous-wave (CW) Doppler lidar systems used for ground‑based remote sensing of wind. The standard applies only to systems that retrieve wind from aerosol backscatter and defines how to determine line‑of‑sight (radial) wind velocity. Performances and operational limits are described for standard atmospheric conditions. Note: derivation of the full wind vector is outside this part (see ISO 28902‑2:2017 for an example).

Key technical topics and requirements

• Fundamentals of heterodyne CW Doppler lidar: principles of heterodyne detection and spectral analysis for CW systems.
• Signal processing: methods for CW lidar radial velocity estimation and examples of spectral analysis workflows.
• Target variables & range assignment: definitions such as probe length, range resolution, maximum/minimum acquisition and operational ranges.
• Noise sources and uncertainty contributors, including:
  • local oscillator (LO) shot noise
  • detector noise
  • relative intensity noise (RIN)
  • speckle effects and laser frequency stability
• System specifications and testable characteristics:
  • laser wavelength considerations
  • transmitter/receiver and pointing system characteristics
  • figures of merit (precision, data availability, maximum operational range)
• Performance testing procedures: general validation, hard‑target returns, intercomparisons with other instruments, and maximum operational range validation.
• Measurement planning, installation and maintenance: site requirements, limiting conditions, operational tests, and recommendations for uncertainty assessment.

Practical applications and intended users

ISO 28902-3:2018 is practical for:

• Meteorological services (airport safety, aviation briefings, marine operations)
• Wind energy sector (site assessment, power curve measurements)
• Air quality & dispersion monitoring and industrial risk management (direct monitoring or model assimilation)
• Greenhouse gas exchange studies requiring wind profile inputs

Intended users include manufacturers of monostatic CW Doppler wind lidars, testing and certification bodies, and instrument operators seeking standardized procedures and guidance for reliable wind (radial) measurements.

Related standards

• Other parts of the ISO 28902 series (see ISO 28902‑2:2017 for wind‑vector retrieval example).
• IEC 61400‑12‑1:2017 (referenced for wind energy power performance measurements).

Keywords: ISO 28902-3:2018, Doppler lidar, continuous-wave CW, heterodyne, wind lidar, radial wind velocity, ground‑based remote sensing, performance test procedures.