Page 26 - AAA MARCH - APRIL 2013 ( CHINESE EDITION ) Online Magazine
P. 26

FEATURE WINDMILLS

































        New Technology to Counter




        Wind Farm Interference



         CANSO examines trials that demonstrate early success

         in mitigating interference caused by wind farm turbines



                                            The  roTaTing  blades  of  wind       Thales  released first  results  from
                                            turbines generate radar returns that   new software introduced on its STAR
                                            are very similar to real aircraft, creating   2000 primary radar at the Farnborough
                                            false plots on the radar display. The plots   Air Show in July 2012. A trial starting in
                                            are caused by Doppler shifts, just like an   mid-2011 at the Inverness radar site in
                                            aircraft, which can be confused with an   Scotland succeeded in removing 70 to
                                            aircraft target. As a result, conventional   80% of false plots caused by a nearby
                                            primary surveillance radars experience   wind farm,  according to the  company.
                                            clutter and noise that competes with   Similar results were achieved when the
                                            aircraft in the same airspace. As wind   trial was expanded to larger wind farms.
                                            farm projects continue to expand, there is   Thales Surveillance and Airport Solutions
                                            growing demand for a solution to mitigate   Account Director John Smith explains,
                                            the impact of these turbines. Many wind   “The software looks at the frequency
                                            farm projects have yet to receive approval   and various other characteristics of a
                                            for development because of their potential   wind turbine plot. We analyse the data to
                                            impact on ATC operations.           make a decision as to whether the plot
                                               There are various ways to counter the   is associated with an aircraft or a wind
                                            interference, ranging from adding gap-  turbine. If you can get rid of sufficient
                                            filler radar, blanking  turbine returns, or   false plots, so as not to cause a false track
                                            installing new processing software at the   or a true track to be deviated, then the
                                            radar front end to identify non-aircraft   controller does not see the wind turbines.”
                                            plots. Results from several field trials   Thales also tested the ability of the new
                                            conducted over the last two years are   software to generate a new aircraft track
                                            starting to show positive results.   over a wind farm. “Being able to initiate
        26   ASIAN AIRLINES & AIRPORTS  MARCH / APRIL 2013                      WWW.ASIANAIRLINES-AIRPORTS.COM
   21   22   23   24   25   26   27   28   29   30   31