Aircraft Detection Lighting System for wind turbines

Wind turbines are equipped with blinking lights (more speficially with aviation obstacle lights) to ensure they are visible to air traffic during nighttime operations. This is a safety measure designed to prevent collisions with aircraft and helicopters.

According to ICAO Annex 14, Volume I (Aerodrome Design and Operations), wind turbines that present a potential hazard to air navigation must be marked with obstruction lights. These lights should be positioned at intervals on the turbine towers, with special attention to those exceeding 100 meters in height. The lights should be red or white, and they must meet the intensity and visibility requirements specified by ICAO standards.

Additionally, ICAO encourages the implementation of systems that reduce light pollution, such as demand-controlled lighting, which activates only when an aircraft is detected nearby. This approach is aligned with global efforts to minimize environmental impact while ensuring air safety. Such systems are mandatory in certain jurisdictions, enhancing both safety and environmental considerations.

An Aircraft Detection Lighting System (ADLS) works by using radar (primary radar systems) or transponder interrogators (secondary radar systems) to monitor the airspace around wind turbines.

Here’s how it operates:

• Continuous Airspace Monitoring: The ADLS continuously scans the surrounding airspace for approaching aircraft using radar or transponders.
• Aircraft Detection: When an aircraft enters a predefined detection zone or approaches the wind farm within a certain range, the system identifies it. The required  detection zone is usually defined by the local Aviation Authorities
• Activation of Obstruction Lights: Once an aircraft is detected within the detection zone, the ADLS automatically activates the obstruction lights on the structure. These lights make the structure visible to the pilot, helping to prevent a collision.
• Deactivation of Lights: After the aircraft has passed or left the detection zone, the system automatically turns off the lights. This helps minimize light pollution.
• Failsafe Technology: ADLS systems are equipped with failsafe mechanisms to ensure that the lights will automatically turn on in case the detection system fails or if adverse weather conditions prevent proper detection.

By only activating the lights when necessary, ADLS enhances aviation safety while reducing the environmental and community impact of continuous lighting.

The primary reason for implementing an Aircraft Detection Lighting System (ADLS) is to address the growing concern of light pollution, which has increasingly become a point of annoyance for local residents. ADLS effectively reduces unnecessary light emissions by activating obstruction lights only when aircraft are detected nearby, thus minimizing the impact on the environment and surrounding communities.

Key Benefits of ADLS:

1. Reduced Light Pollution: ADLS systems ensure that lights are only on when needed, significantly decreasing the amount of light pollution caused by constant illumination. This helps to preserve the natural night environment and improve the quality of life for nearby residents.

2. Community and Environmental Benefits: By limiting unnecessary light emissions, ADLS systems contribute to a more peaceful and less disruptive environment for local communities and wildlife. This balanced approach supports both human and ecological well-being.

3. Aircraft Safety: While reducing light pollution, ADLS maintains highest safety standards for aviation. The system ensures that obstruction lights are visible to pilots when an aircraft is in the vicinity.

Wind turbines are equipped with obstruction lights to comply with aviation safety regulations, ensuring they are visible to aircraft, particularly at night. The blinking pattern and frequency of these lights are defined by local regulations and may not be uniform. Instead, they are determined by national and international guidelines, which can result in varying patterns and frequencies of blinking.

Since as of today there is no international regulation on Aircraft Detection Lighting Systems, a number of synonyms are being used.

Other common names for Aircraft Detection Lighting Systems (ADLS) include:

• Radar-Activated Lighting System
• Aircraft Proximity Lighting System
• Demand-Controlled Lighting System
• Aircraft Detection Obstruction Lighting
• Smart Obstruction Lighting System
• Dynamic Lighting Control System
• Aircraft-Triggered Lighting System
• Obstacle Detection and Lighting System
• Adaptive Aviation Lighting System

These terms highlight the technology’s function in automatically activating lights based on the presence of nearby aircraft.

Exact predictions with percentage values are generally difficult to make. In some wind farms, the our radar-based ADLS installations achieve “lights-off” periods of nearly 100%. However, this depends heavily on the location and the region. Near an airport, the reduction in lighting is not nearly as significant, simply because the level of air traffic is too high. In general, it is crucial to ensure the safety of air traffic. Therefore, it is not practical to provide or interpret percentage figures without considering the specific location.

Our radar-based ADLS provides the operator with detailed performance reports, showing the achieved lights-out time per day, week, year or any other timeframe.

The overall goal is not to switch the lights off, but to only have them blinking when they are needed.

An ADLS is designed with failsafe technology. More precisely, it doesn’t activate the lights when needed; it actually suppresses the lights when there is no need for them. In the event of a system failure, this suppression is automatically lifted, ensuring that the lights remain on at all times for safety. This means that if the system isn’t functioning with absolute certainty, the lights will automatically be on to maintain airtraffic safety. For simplicity, we often refer to this process as the activation of lights.

Radar-based ADLS and transponder-based ADLS are both technologies used in Aircraft Detection Lighting Systems (ADLS) to reduce light emissions from wind farms by managing obstruction lights based on aircraft presence, but they operate differently:

Radar-Based ADLS:

1. Detection Method:
– Uses radar technology to continuously scan the airspace around the structure.
– Radar waves are emitted and bounce off aircraft, which are then detected by the radar system.

2. Functionality:
– Detects the presence and movement of aircraft within a certain range.
– Can detect both the position and speed of aircraft, allowing for precise activation and deactivation of lights.

3. Advantages:
– Works independently of aircraft avionics, as it does not rely on the aircraft’s own systems.
– Can detect all types of aircraft, including those without transponders or those operating in areas with poor transponder coverage.

Transponder-Based ADLS:

1. Detection Method:
– Relies on aircraft transponders, which are electronic devices on aircraft that contiously send out radio signals.
– The ADLS system receives the signal from aircraft transponders and calculates its position and course.

2. Functionality:
– Detects aircraft that are equipped with transponders, including their position and course.

3. Advantages:
– less expensive than radar-based systems, as it leverages existing aircraft technology.

4. Limitations:
– Limited to aircraft that have operational transponders, which might not include all aircraft, especially in less regulated or remote areas.
– May not detect aircraft that are not transmitting or are equipped with non-standard transponders.

Summary:

Radar-Based ADLS provides comprehensive detection capabilities and does not depend on aircraft equipment but can be more costly and complex. Transponder-Based ADLS leverages existing aircraft transponder technology for detection and can be more cost-effective, but is limited to detecting aircraft equipped with transponders.

The installation of an Aircraft Detection Lighting System (ADLS) typically takes between 12 and 18 months. The exact duration depends on the requirements set by National Aviation Authorities and the time needed for review and approval processes. Here’s an overview of the most important project steps:

1. Site Assessment: Evaluate the installation site to determine specific requirements and constraints.

2. Line-of-Sight Analysis: Analyze the visibility and detection range to ensure system performance.

3. System Design: Develop a detailed design of the ADLS based on site assessment and line-of-sight analysis.

4. Acquisition of Required Permits: Obtain necessary permits such as building permits, frequency usage permits, and other regulatory approvals.

5. Upgrade of Installed Base: Modify or upgrade existing aviation lighting systems as necessary to integrate with the new ADLS.

6. Installation of ADLS: Physically install the ADLS equipment on-site.

7. Integration into Wind Farm SCADA: Connect and integrate the ADLS with the wind farm’s SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) system for seamless operation.

8. Commissioning: Conduct initial system setup and configuration to prepare the ADLS for testing.

9. Testing: Perform thorough testing, including a functional test with an aerial survey (test flights) to ensure proper operation.

10. Approval: Obtain final approval from Aviation Authorities, which includes demonstrating the system’s compliance and functionality.

For a detailed schedule, please refer to the typical timeline available here:

Project Workflow.

Understanding these stages helps in planning and setting realistic expectations for your ADLS installation.