Project To Validate a
Wind Turbine
Turbulence Model
Stephen Wheeler
November 2013
7th
1
Introduction
•
The Civil Aviation Authority
•
The CAA’s Environmental Programme
•
Presenter
•
Project Background
•
Outline Of The Project To Validate a Wind Turbine Turbulence Model
•
Output
•
Timelines
•
Next Steps
•
Final Message
•
Any Questions?
2
The Civil Aviation Authority
The CAA is the UK's specialist aviation
regulator. Its regulatory activities range from
making sure that the aviation industry meets the
highest technical and operational safety
standards to preventing holidaymakers from
being stranded abroad or losing money
because of tour operator insolvency.
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CAA Environmental Programme
•
Is a high level document that outlines the CAA’s
environmental objectives until 2016. It can be found
at: http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/2248/CAA_and_the
Environment_final.pdf
•
Each area of the CAA has specific environmental
objectives within the programme
•
CAA Environmental Programme areas responsible
for this project are:

Safety and Airspace Regulation Group - Safety
and Standards element of the programme

Aerodrome and Air Traffic Standards Division

Air Traffic Management Section
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Presenter
Stephen Wheeler
Safety and Standards Hotspot
Champion
Civil Aviation Authority
Safety and Airspace Regulation Group
Aerodrome and Air Traffic Standards
Air Traffic Management Standards
Tel:
01293 57 3819
Email: Stephen.wheeler@caa.co.uk
5
Project Background
•
Why Undertake this Project?
 Observed
rise in the number of aerodromes voicing
concerns regarding their perception of the possible
effects of wind turbine turbulence on their
operations
 Greater
proliferation of wind turbines in more
densely populated areas and those areas used by
aviation
 Completion
of a Safety Review by the CAA into the
establishment of two wind turbines at East
Midlands Airport
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•
What are we endeavouring to achieve?

To obtain a greater knowledge and provide high quality impartial
evidence regarding wind turbine turbulence.
 The CAA commissioned a project undertaken by Liverpool
University - Integrated Simulation of Light Aircraft Encounter
With Helicopter and Wind Turbine Wakes

An initial element of this wider project resulted in the creation of
a model outlining the nature of the turbulence associated with
wind turbines

Whilst the creation of this model was a step in the right direction,
the data would not be able to be released into the public domain
and hence used as a resource for wind turbine and aviation
industries alike, until validated

To ensure the model could be validated as soon as possible and
to ensure that the data released was of the highest quality
possible it became evident that the use of a LIDAR would be the
most efficient and effective method of achieving these objectives

Therefore a separate project outside of the original project was
needed to validate of the Liverpool University model.
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Outline Of The Project To Validate a
Wind Turbine Turbulence Model
•
The project consisted and consists of the following stages:

Selection of a suitable LiDAR System


Request for funding


East Midlands Airport – Manchester Airlines Group
Selection of a suitable time of year

.
Fund Management Board - AIFCL– One-off payment.
Selection of a suitable location


Galion Lidar - Provided by SgurrEnergy, Glasgow.
Undertaken after consultation with the Meteorological
Office to attain, via historical data, the best time of year
to ensure the wind speeds needed to validate the model
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 Installation
of the LiDAR at the project site

The Galion Lidar is relatively small and mobile (only 83kg) therefore the
installation and site calibration time is short i.e. A day or two
 Turbulence

monitoring period
LiDAR left in situ for the monitoring process to begin
 Assessment

Liverpool University will complete this aspect of the project
 Peer

of data output
review of model
This will possibly be undertaken by the Dutch Research Institute – NLR tbc
 Publication

Once the final validated and peer reviewed model is produced the CAA will
ensure that its content will be released into the public domain in a format that is
usable for both the wind turbine and aviation industries alike
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Output
•
What will the project deliver?

•
An independently commissioned, high quality, fully validated, peer reviewed
model, outlining the length and nature of the turbulence associated with wind
turbines for a wide variety of wind speeds
Where will this be published?

Aeronautical Information Publication

CAP 764

New guidance for those wishing to undertake renewable developments on or
near aerodromes

An entry in the Airspace Safety Initiative Local Planning Authority presentation
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Benefits
•
Alleviation of the problem of spurious objections to wind farm developments
based on the turbulent effects of wind turbines on aerodrome operations
•
Reduction in the time required by wind turbine developers to assess the nature
and effects of any wind farm development on neighbouring aerodromes and
those who operate from them
•
Reduction in project delay times associated with turbulence related concerns
raised by aerodromes and those who operate from them
•
Reduction in the costs associated with delays caused to wind turbine
developments by aviation concerns relating to turbulence
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Timelines
•
2013





•
May Jun Aug Nov Dec -
Project Initiation
Galion Lidar selected
Funding Agreed With Fund Management Board
East Midlands Site Finalised
LIDAR Insitu East Midlands
Liverpool University Obtain Results
2014

Mar - Liverpool University Finalise Model
 Apr - Results Peer Reviewed
 May - Results Published
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Next Steps
•
Flights through wind turbine
turbulence to find out likely effects?

Helicopter

Simulated

Possibly real

Fixed Wing
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Final Message
•
Leadership and Part Funding - Aviation Industry - Stephen Wheeler - CAA
Project Lead
•
Project Funding - Wind Industry - Simon Heyes Chairman Fund Management
Board
•
Turbulence Data Assessment and Modelling - Liverpool University - George
Barakos – Academic Director
School Of Engineering
•
Project Location - Aviation Industry - East Midlands Airport - Simon Whitby Flight Operations Director/ Mark Chambers
- Engineering Manager
•
Project Equipment - Wind Industry - Galion Lidar- SgurrEnergy - Gordon Mina –
Technical Engineer
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If A Common Problem Presents
Itself Collaboration Is The Key
To Solving It
To The Benefit of All
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Any Questions?
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