coexistence of eagles and wind power on gotland -...

Coexistence of Eagles and Wind

Power on Gotland

Outline

• Bird protection methods

• Automatic bird protection systems – detection

and deterrence / curtailment • DTBird

• Identiflight

• Merlin

• Others

Curtailment response times

• Testing

2

Bird protection methods

Deterrents / prevention techniques

• Deterrents / prevention techniques

• Passive acoustic (specific sound frequencies)

• Auditory stimuli (noise)

• Visual stimuli (laser, lights)

• Taste deterrents (grape-seed extract)

• Hiding prey mask

• Bright blades (paint)

• Compressed air

• Scarecrows

• Mapping protected birds’ areas with possible conflict with wind

power development interest

3

Automatic bird protection systems

DTBird®

• DTBird

Detection and deterrence (sound) or/and curtailment

Detection range based on birds’ wingspan

4

Figure 1 – DTBird detection system

Source: DTBird, 2016

Figure 2 – DTBird deterrent system


Figure 3 – DTBird video image with White-

Tailed Eagle



Identiflight

• Identiflight

Detection and curtailment

Detection range up to 1 km

Species specific

5

Figure 4 – Identiflight detection system

Source: Boulder Imaging, 2017

Figure 5 – Identiflight installation tower


Figure 6 – Identiflight user interface



Merlin radar system

• Merlin radar system

Detection with possibility for manual / automatic curtailment

Long detection range (≈ 4,5 km)

Conditioned specie identification

6

Figure 7 – Merlin Standard, I Model

Source: DeTect, 2015 Figure 8 – Merlin Extended tower

Source: DeTect, 2015

Figure 9 – Merlin Off road

Source: DeTect, 2015 Figure 10 – Merlin offshore

Source: DeTect, 2015

Technical specifications of the three first systems can be seen in

the pre-distributed booklet


Other possibilities?

• Doppler radar systems improvement – detection

• Geo-fences

• Detection based on species’ characteristics

(ex: keratin’s amount)

• Improvements on turbine design

• Drones use

• Development of new research studies, for ex:

biological behavior patterns

birds’ habituation to deterrents

protection systems effectiveness

7


8

• Curtailment response times are dependent on each WTG

manufacturer.

Several manufacturers were contacted and all gave the same

answer:

• How to calculate an approximated curtailment

response time?

Two considerations were made:

a) According to the SvenskaKraftnät Requirements (SvKFS,2005)

b) Natural capabilities of the target species

Curtailment response times are

”Protected Intellectual Property”.

WTG = Wind Turbine Generator


Considerations

9

• (A) SvKFS,2005, says: ” It shall be possible to control the

production of a wind power group…regulate production

so fast that it is reduced to a value below 20% of

maximum power within 5 seconds.

• (B) Kochert, et al. 2002 says: the maximum golden eagle

flight speed is 80 mph (36 m/s) and the averaged flight

speed 28-32 mph (12,5 -13,4 m/s).


Results (considerations)

10

Bird

Protection

System

Maximum

Detection Range

Considering Eagles

[m]

(1) Maximum

Eagle Flight

Speed [m/s]

Time to the

WTG at (1) [s]

(2) Averaged

Eagle Flight

Speed [m/s]

Time to the

WTG at (2) [s]

DTBird 600 36 17 13,4 45

Identiflight 1000 36 28 13,4 75

Bird

Protection

System

Response

time [s]

Time to

the WTG

at (1) [s]

Including

response

time at (1)

[s]

Time to

the

WTG at

(2) [s]

Including

response

time at (2)

[s]

DTBird 2 – 10 17 7 - 15 45 35 - 43

Identiflight 0,2 28 27,8 75 74,8

Table 2: Golden Eagle Flight speed and maximum “expected time” to curtailment

Note: This assumption does not possess a scientific background,

nonetheless it shows that BPS based on curtailment can be effective.

Table 3: Interval between bird detection and curtailment based on table 2

BPS = Bird protection systems


Tests – I (Identiflight & Merlin)

• Identiflight system Tested in the Top of the World wind farm in Wyoming, USA

Focus on golden eagles and bald eagles

(promising results but no published report, yet)

• Merlin radar system

”Marketable” product

Results:

Good detectability rate at long distances

Good detectability at night and under inclement weather

Difficulty evaluating birds’ specie

Difficulty identifying small objects within 80-120 m radius from

the turbines due to shadowing effect:

High number of false-positives at short distances

Non-detection below the RSA

11 RSA = Rotor Swept Area


Tests – II (DTBird)

• DTBird system:

Verified and published results reports:

• Norway, (Smøla, 2012)

• Switzerland, (Haldenstein, 2015)

• Sweden, (Lundsbrunn, 2016)

Main Results / Conclusions:

(Smøla, 2012)

• Testing period (270 days)

• Detectability rate > 80%

• False positives per day = 1,2 per day (2d analyses)

Limited coverage (only 50% on the distance of 150-300 m)

System can be fine-tuned to reduce the FP rate

• Failure to detect in conditions < 200 lux

12 FP = False Positives


Tests – III (DTBird)

(Smøla, 2012)

• Main focus on white-tailed eagles

• Collision Avoidance module (deterrent) activated 426 times

(45% birds, 55% false positives)

Warning system 63%

Dissuasion system 20%

• No collisions recorded

(Haldenstein, 2014)

• Testing period (19 days)

• 886 targets detected

• False positives = 69,3 %

Helicopters / Aircrafts (far)

Mosquitos (close)

13

From videos containing birds

Highly sensitivity to these objects

due to similarity in pixel size


Tests – IV (DTBird)

(Haldenstein, 2014)

• Main focus in birds with large wingspan

Red kites (detection range 150 m)

• Most birds flew above the turbine, outside the CRA

• ”Stop Control” module was never activated

• Deterrent sound was weekly enabled/disabled

Inconclusive analysis on birds’ behavior


(Lundsbrunn, 2015)

• Testing period (7 weeks = 78 days)

• 285 flights detected

31% below the RSA

69% above the RSA

• Detection rate = 5.8 birds per day

• False positives = 0,7 FP/day

14 RSA = Rotor Swept Area

FP = False Positives

CRA = Collision Risk Area


Tests V - DTBird

(Lundsbrunn, 2015)

• Main focus on birds with wingspan lower than 1 m

Detection range of 250 m

Largest birds’ species identified:

Seabirds (27%)

Corvids (19%)

Raptors (10%)

• ”Stop Control” module was never activated

• Deterrent sound was enabled/disabled every second week

Assessment on flight pattern change

Enabling deterrent shows higher rate of flight pattern

change


• A study on the sound (deterrent) perception/annoyance by the

neighbors of the wind farm was also performed

15

Bird protection systems

Questions

16

References - I

17

• Aschwanden, J., Wanner, S. & Liechti, F. (2015): Investigation on the effectivity of bat and bird detection at a wind

turbine: Final Report Bird Detection. Schweizerische Vogelwarte, Sempach.

• Bevanger, K et al, 2010, Pre-construction studies of conflicts between birds and wind turbines in coastal Norway

(Bird-Wind), Report on findings 2007-2010. - NINA Report 620. 156 pp.

• Detect, 2009, MERLIN Avian Radar System for Bird Activity Monitoring and Mortality Risk Mitigation [Online],

Available from: http://www.radarmeteo.com/documentazione/MERLIN_Avian_Radar_System.pdf, [Accessed 2nd

February 2017]

• Boulder Imaging, 2017, Identiflight [Online], Available from: http://www.boulderimaging.com/identiflight,

[Accessed 18th May 2017]

• Detect, 2015, Technical Data Sheet MERLIN SCADA Avian Radar Mortality Risk Mitigation System

[Online],Available from; http://www.detect-inc.com/avian.html, [Accessed 2nd February 2017]

• DTBird, 2016, Bird Monitoring & Reduction of Collision Risk with Wind Turbines [Online], Available from:

http://www.dtbird.com/images/Downloads/DTBird_System_Brochure__November_2016.pdf, Accessed 2nd of

February 2017

• DTBird, 2017, DTBird [Online], Available from: http://www.dtbird.com/index.php/, Accessed 2nd of February 2017

• Kochert, M., Steenhof, C.. McIntyre,E. Craig. 2002, Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos). Pp. 1-44 in A Poole, F Gill,

eds. The Birds of North America, Vol. 648. Philadelphia. [Online], Available from:

http://animaldiversity.org/site/accounts/information/Aquila%20chrysaetos.html#fc24c3d88c6924e829a36cc51ca358

14, Accessed [4th of April 2017]

• May, R., Hamre, Ø., Vang, R. & Nygård, T. 2012. “Evaluation of the DTBird video-system at the Smøla wind-power

plant - detection capabilities for capturing near-turbine avian behavior”, Report 910. 27 pp. Norwegian Institute for

Nature Research (NINA), Trondheim, Norway

• Nilsson, Marcos de la Puente (2015), DTBird System Pilot Installation – Test Results Summer 2015, Lundsbrunn

(Sweden)

References - II

18

• Renewable Energy Systems, 2017, Identiflight [Online], Available from: http://www.res-group.com/en/services-,

products/identiflight/. Accessed 30th of January 2017

• Sheppard, J.K., McGann, Andrew, Lanzone, Michael and Swaisgood Ronald (2015). An autonomous GPS

geofence alert system to curtail avian fatalities at wind farms, Anim Biotelemetry 3:43

• Saidur, R., Rahim, N.A., Islam, M.R., Solangi, K.H., 2011. “Environmental impact of wind energy”. Renewable

Sustainable Energy Reviews 15, 2423–2430.

• Sinclair, K. and DeGeorge, E., 2016a, “Wind Energy Industry Eagle Detection and Deterrents - Research Gaps and

Solutions Workshop Summary Report”, NREL/TP-5000-65735, 40pp. National Renewable Energy Laboratory

(NREL), Denver– Colorado

• SvFKS, 2005, SvKFS 2005:2, Affärsverket svenska kraftnäts författningssamling, Reglerbarhet för vindkraft, p. 11

• Watson, Jeff, 2010. The Golden Eagle. 1st ed. Poyser, London


Appendix

19


DTBird – Detection Module

• Installation

WTGs, meteorological

towers, other facilities

• Detection sensors

4 to 8 HD cameras per turbine

• Spatial coverage

360 degrees around

the installation site

• Detection Distance

Birds’ wingspan Detection range

> 150 cm 200 to 600 m

75 – 150 cm 100 to 350 m

< 75 cm 25 – 175 m

• Light conditions

> 50 lux

• Bird detectability

Higher than 80%

• False positives per day

0,5 – 5 (average in a year)

• Other features

Automatic recording (video and

sound)

Flight time data

Weather and operational data

Automatic database for

recordings

20


DTBird – Collision Avoidance Module

• Installation

Wind turbine

• Warning/Dissuasion Units

4 to 10 Speakers

• Features

Warning sound for birds in

PCRA

Dissuasion sound for birds in

HCRA

Trigger: 2s after detection

Adjustable for legal

requirements compliance

Sound projected to RSA

• False positives per day

0,2 – 4,5 per day

Duration

0.1 to 2.5 min/day

• Recorded data

Sound length and initial trigger

time

Video and sound

21


DTBird – Stop Control Module

• Interface with wind turbine

Hardware and software

compatible with WT

manufacturers

• Stop trigger

Automatic stop

Connected with real time

detection

• Collision Risk Area

Defined according to WT

complete rotor stop and bird’s

wingspan

• Rotor Stop (init time)

2 – 10 s after stop trigger

(dependent on WT model)

• Complete stop

10 – 25 s after stop init time

(dependent on WT model)

• Restart

Automatic after risk

disappearance

False positives Stops/yr

0,5 – 10 hours /year

• Automatic e-mail

notifications

22


Identiflight (Detection / Curtailment)

• Installation

10 m tower


8 HD cameras

Stereoscopic sensors for

measurement of 3d positions


2 m3 from installation tower

360 degrees field of view


Up to 1 km distance

• Detection response time

Less than 200 ms


Daylight conditions


More than 99 %

• Curtailment time

WTG manufacturer dependent

• Other features

Species Identification

Flexibility to add new species

characteristics

High resolution data collection

and traceability

Real-time identification

23


Merlin Radar System - Detection

• Installation

Flexible (mobile of fixed)


Dopplar Horizontal

Surveillence Radar

Vertical Surveillence Radar

(Scanning Radar)


360 degrees field of view


Approx. 4,5 km

Detection response time

Less than 200 ms


Day and night


Effective (?)

• Curtailment time

WTG manufacturer dependent

• Other features

Robust (suitable for onshore

and offshore)

Collection and tracking of all

detection data

24


Comparison

25 Table 1a) - Bird protection systems comparison, Sources: Renewable Energy Systems (2017); DTBird (2016); DeTect, (2015)

System Characteristics Identifl ightDTBird (collision avoidance

module)DTBird (Collision Control Module) Merlin Avian Radar System

Instalation Site 10 m height independent tower

Wind turbine tower (heigh defined

according to site characteristics

and client request)

Wind turbine tower (height

defined according to site

characteristics and client

request)

Separated Structure (Portable for

onshore and fixed to offshore

applications)

Detection System8 fixed cameras plus a

stereoscopic "planet tilt" camera4 to 8 High Definition (HD) cameras

4 to 8 High Definition (HD)

cameras

200 watt solid state doppler

horizontal surveillence radar and

25 KW vertical scanning radar

Spatial Coverage 360° / 2 km3

360° / Pre-designed according to

site specifications and client

request

360° / Pre-designed according to

site specifications and client

request

360° around site with 24° above

ground level and 0,75-2 miles, 22°

beam width

Detection Range Up to 1km

According to taget specie's

wingspan (maximum 200-600m for

winspan > 150 cm)

According to taget specie's

wingspan (maximum 200-600m

for winspan > 150 cm)

15,000 ft above ground level

(≈4,5 km)

Detectability under "bad weather

conditions"

Not good under foggy and heavy

rain conditions Good over 50 lux Good over 50 lux Good

Night Detection No Under Development Under Development Non-specified

Species IdentificationYes, with ability to detect different

species with similar wingspanNo No

Yes (size based), but conditioned

to the existence of similar sized

birds foraging the area

Bird Detectability rate > 99 % > 80 % > 80 % Non-specified

False-Positives < 1%

Triggers: 0.2-4.5 per day with the

duration of 0.1 to 2.5 minutes/day

(yearly average)

Stopping time: 0.5 - 10 hours/year Non-specified

Bird Protection System


Comparison

26

Table 1b) - Bird protection systems comparison, Sources: Renewable Energy Systems (2017); DTBird (2016); DeTect, (2009);

Detect (2015)

System Characteristics Identifl ightDTBird (collision avoidance

module)DTBird (Collision Control Module) Merlin Avian Radar System

Time from detection to curtailment < 200 ms Non-appliacable2 - 10 s after trigger (depends on

turbine manufacturer)

Via MERLIN SCADATM motality Risk

Mitigation System (time not

specified)

Curtailment ResponseWind Turbine Manufacturer and

Model Dependent Non-appliacable

Wind Turbine Manufacturer and

Model Dependent

Wind Turbine Manufacturer and

Model Dependent

Automatic Restart after curtailment Non-specified Non-appliacable Yes Yes

Deterrent type Non-appliacable

2 different types of sound emission:

warning and discourange (110 -

120 dB measure 1 m from noise

source)

Non-appliacable

LRAD (Long range acoustic device)

and LDU (laser deterrent unit)

under testing

Number of Deterrents Non-appliacable 4 to 10 speakers per wind turbine Non-appliacable Non-appliacable

Time from detection to deterrent

activationNon-appliacable Less than 2 s Non-appliacable Non-appliacable

Operation under "bad weather"

conditionsGood Good Good Good

Bird Protection System

Coexistence of Eagles and Wind

Power on Gotland (cover 2)

coexistence of eagles and wind power on gotland -...

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