NOV 24

The U.S. Military has recently expressed concern about Maryland offshore wind projects because radar could identify spinning turbine blades as low-flying aircraft, potentially disrupting its training missions in the area.  Turns out the UK Military is blocking wind projects for similar reasons.  If only there were a cool, high-tech solution to this?

Turbine company Vestas and technology consultants QinetiQ have developed what they're calling Stealth Turbine technology - a way to hide turbines from radar by using radar absorbing materials in their construction.  During a test project using the materials on a Vestas V90 turbine, radar measurements were taken and the turbine's radar signature was drastically reduced.  The small remaining signature would easily be eliminated by air traffic and air defense computers as insignificant.

If these invisible turbines were deployed, the UK's Department of Energy & Climate Change beileves 5 GW worth of blocked wind projects could be given the go ahead.  Just in case the technology doesn't make it out of the test phase, researchers in the UK are also working on updating the main air navigation system to differentiate between turbines and low-flying planes.

via Gizmag

Comments (9)

Subscribe to this comment's feed

Register
written by Henri, November 24, 2009

This may seem insignificant to some but blocking renewables is contrary to everyones national security and all sea bound turbines may not be able to use similar materials. A solution is to place aviation transponders on each or set of turbines that identifies it to the military as a special class of object that there computers could remove from there radar screens unless its GPS position is altered. jmho. HS

• 
• +6
• 
• 

...
written by Paul, November 24, 2009

This seems like a great solution until the first low-flying passenger plane collides with one of these 'invisible' turbines during a storm because it doesn't show up on radar.

• 
• +1
• 
• 

Overly complex?
written by Anony Mouse, November 25, 2009

Presumably I'm missing something, but don't wind turbines have a significant distinguishing feature from planes, even on radar - as in, they don't go anywhere.

Are we doing overly complicated things with stealth materials when we could solve this problem by air traffic controllers (or the radar software itself) marking wind farms on a map.

• 
• +1
• 
• 

Turbines are great for tarining
written by Hu, November 26, 2009

Surely the military doesn't want to train their crew in a perfect environment.

No I think the real problem is not that the turbines show up on radar, but that they are likely to be used as a radar shield by real low flying aircraft approaching a miltary base from behind a wind farm and therefore catching the military off guard.

So in thus situation I would very much agree with their decision.

• 
• -1
• 
• 

Stealth turbines
written by Felton, November 27, 2009

Wouldn't it be easier to mandate the turbine manufacturers to attach transponders to the turbines. This way, the approaching aircraft will know there is a turbine and even know the model number and manufacturer of such.

Another benefit of having transponder turbines is that during times of war, it will be easy to identify enemy wind turbines in order to take them out. You wouldn't want to take out your ally's turbines by mistake.

For night time operation, the turbines should also be equipped with blue LEDs which would allow non radar equipped low flying aircraft to see them easily. Such a display would also attract fish which would mean increased opportunities for recreational fishing near the turbines.

Finally, in times of dead calm it should not be allowed to spin the turbines using power obtained from the grid.

• 
• +1
• 
• 

Aren't turbines just another landscape feature?
written by Keith Marlow, November 28, 2009

Given turbines aren't know for their ability to move and attack - can't we just 'tag' these as landscape features like masts, tall buildings and national monuments?

I echo the fears of another commenter that making them invisible is just asking for trouble.

• 
• +1
• 
• 

Do we need this
written by amit, November 28, 2009

Do we actually need this complex solution?

• 
• +0
• 
• 

Primary Radar
written by Andy, December 02, 2009

A lot of onshore windfarms are being blocked in the UK because of potential interference with Primary radars, which detect anything that is big and moving in the air. This means that windfarms show up as big areas of clutter on radar screens. This is not a problem if you are tracking a transponding aircraft, but you won't see the silent stuff like gliders, non-transponding military aircraft, or worse - hostile aircraft. Should we be more worried about a possible breach in our air defence, or climate change? I currently fear the latter more.

• 
• +0
• 
• 

...
written by raherner, December 02, 2009

put a radio signal on them that all aircraft can recognise

• 
• +0
• 
• 

Name

Email

Website

Title

Comment

smaller | bigger

Subscribe via email (registered users only)

Write the displayed characters

Add Comment