Wind turbinesSafer wind turbine developed to minimize DHS objections
In the past wind turbine farms have faced opposition from the Department of Defense (DOD) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) due to the interference they cause radar systems; wind turbines distort radars causing air traffic controllers to see them as storms and the interference generated by the wind farms can even cause planes to disappear completely from radar screens; a new wind turbine model will help minimize the impact that wind turbine fields have on radars; the model will be used by various government agencies including DHS, DOD, and the Department of Energy to decide whether a proposed wind farm can move forward
Wind farms can "hide" an aircraft from radar // Source: dailymail.co.uk
In the past wind turbine farms have faced opposition from the Department of Defense (DOD) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) due to the interference they cause radar systems.
According to UPI, air traffic controllers often see wind turbines as storms on weather radar systems and at times they can even cause planes to disappear from radar screens entirely. The large spinning blades of wind turbines, some up to 400 feet tall, can return Doppler shifted radar signals that appear like aircraft or stationary tornadoes.
The American Wind Energy Association says that in 2009 DOD and FAA stopped or stalled 9,000 megawatts worth of wind energy projects, roughly half of that year’s plannedwind energy projects.
To develop a solution that supports clean energy and national security concerns, Analytical Graphics Inc. (AGI) is working with Raytheon Network Centric Systems and Remcom to build a software model that will help minimize the impact that wind turbine fields have on radars.
The project will design a wind turbine and radar modeling tool that will help determine the effect that a proposed wind farm will have on the accuracy of radar systems.
The partnership will combine AGI’s expertise in designing software for space, defense, and intelligence systems with Raytheon’s experience in building radars and Remcom’s electromagnetic simulations.
In a statement, Peter Sardella, vice president of services at AGI, said, “We are pleased that Raytheon has selected AGI’s precision geometry engine to aid the important mission of allowing our wind farms and radar systems to coexist without hindering national security.”
Andy Zogg, vice president of command and control systems at Raytheon, echoed this sentiment, saying, “With the introduction of our highly reliable tool, [DHS] will be able to better manage approvals of wind farm applications, allowing for clean and renewable wind energy resources.”
The model will be used by the DOD, DHS, FAA, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the Department of Energy to decide if a proposed wind farm can move forward.
