Custom essays on Effects of Wind Farms on Military Radar

Interference effects.
There are several ways how wind turbines are able to interfere with radar, especially if they are situated in groups, in radar line of sight, and are situated within 28 km or less of the radar hear:
1. Swamping the receivers:
Such interaction refers to primary radar, and happens when the bulk of the wind turbine structure can reflect sufficient energy to swamp any reflected energy of airplane in the same territory.
2. Defeating moving target processing:
When the rotating wind turbine blades are situated very close to the radar line of sight, then the Doppler shift in reflected energy from the blades can destroy any moving target processing and display the blades as targets or tracks that can cause a mistake for airplane (Manwell 2009).
3. Presenting an obstruction:
When the wind turbines are in the radar line of sight and airplanes should be detected at longer range behind the wind turbines then these two effects may happen:
a) obstruction: it is when airplane detection is lost in the shadow of the wind turbines;
b) diffraction: with partially obscuring of the airplane radar reflections by the wind turbines bring to azimuth errors at the radar resulting in that the airplane can be displayed in a skewed position, or appears to jitter in position as it moves behind multiply blades.
4. Secondary Surveillance Radar (SSR) reflection:
Secondary Surveillance radar energy can be reflected off the structure in the uplink and downlink direction. Such a fact can result in airplane, which are in a opposite directions to the way the radar is looking, replying using the reflector and tricking the radar into finding a false target in the direction where the radar is looking, or at the obstruction.
5. Navigation aid signal effects:
So, depending on the position of a wind farm, it may affect the propagation of the radiated signal from instrument landing system. Because of it, the integrity and performance of such systems can be much degraded.
According to American Wind Energy Association, the decades of experience in developing wind turbine facilities in the U.S. and around the world, often near civilian or military radar installations, has demonstrated that wind turbines and radar can coexist.
Depending on location, wind turbines may interfere with some types of civilian and military radar, causing “clutter” or other interference. And wind energy developers have to be cognizant of military and civilian airspace needs as well.
AWEA recognizes these challenges and respects the paramount importance of national security and air safety. Given the variety of radars, as well as varying airspace needs, there is not a silver bullet solution that can solve every potential conflict.
AWEA’s goal is to establish a suite of workable solutions (“mitigation toolbox”) that can be consulted to find the best option in each individual case. They support resolving such concerns as quickly as possible. We also believe that rapid development of domestic energy resources is vital to national security (National Research Council 2007).
The growth which is necessary to achieve 20% or more the nation’s electricity from wind can’t be achieved without resolving the concerns about radar and airspace. It is known that such concerns can’t be resolved without cooperation of the wind industry and federal agencies. That is why the wind industry is looking how to improve the process for engaging federal agencies and is seeking the work with agencies on a robust research agenda to prove the validity of technical mitigation solutions.
With respect to improved engagement, the wind industry is seeking an MOU with the FAA, DOD, DHS, NOAA, and DOE that would provide a transparent, predictable and timely process with a single point of entry for developers, provide for early feasibility reviews, set timelines for agency actions, only allow negative determinations after technical site-specific review, provide opportunities to discuss mitigation, and provide an appeal process. There is a need in congressional support to ensure adequate funding for staff to engage early with industry, review applications and discuss any problems with developers.
There are many potential technical mitigation measures, both changes to radar and changes to wind turbines or wind farm layouts, which could resolve concerns. However, these ideas need to be validated through research before they can be widely deployed. For example, in some cases, upgrading older radars with newer radars or upgrading software has been shown to address concerns and accommodate additional wind energy development. The wind industry is working with federal agencies to identify and prioritize mitigation research.
Work Cited:

European Wind Energy Association. (2009).Wind energy – the facts: a guide to the technology, economics and future of wind power.‎ p. 345. Print.
Kanter, James. (June 11, 2009). Wind Farming in Deep Waters. The New York Times. Print.
Manwell, James F., McGowan, Jon G., Rogers, Anthony L. (2009). Wind Energy Explained: Theory, Design and Application‎. P. 322. Print.
National Research Council (U.S.). Committee on Environmental Impacts of Wind-Energy Projects, National Academies Press (U.S.). (2007). Environmental impacts of wind-energy projects. p. 172. Print.
Wizelius, Tore. (2007). Developing wind power projects: theory and practice‎. p. 129. Print.