On behalf of the German Federal Ministry, researchers at Fraunhofer FHR are developing an intelligent control system for the warning lights on wind turbines.

Fraunhofer Institute for High Frequency Physics and Radar Techniques FHR was commissioned by the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) to develop a needs-based control system for anti-collision lights on wind turbines. The contract with a value of € 1.22 million will be executed within a project period of 2.5 years.

Wind turbines that exceed a certain height must be equipped with anti-collision lights. This allows them to be detected by low-flying aircraft, thus reducing the danger of collision. “In the future, the warning lights will only be switched on when a plane approaches, i.e. when they are needed, because people living near wind turbines find the flashing red lights bothersome in the night sky. They also attract birds, which are then often fatally injured following a collision with the rotors" explains Heiner Kuschel, a scientist at Fraunhofer FHR.

To realize this, flight activity near the wind turbines must be recorded and analyzed. In the PARASOL project (the name is derived from the German acronym for “passive radar-based control of object identification for aviation”), passive radar sensors are used to detect approaching aircraft. The sensors do not emit any radar radiation, but rather use existing radio signals to locate planes. Kuschel: "This method is characterized by the fact that it is harmless to the environment and health. It is also cost-effective and, in contrast to other active methods, a transmitting license is not required.

FHR has many years of experience in the field of passive radar, in particular, through the use of the modern digital radio signals DVB-T and DAB+. Compared to other radio and communication signals, these are particularly suitable for passive radar sensors.

In the PARASOL project, Fraunhofer FHR has the support of Dirkshof, a service provider for renewable energies who places its wind farms at the disposal of Fraunhofer FHR for measurements and testing. Arne Magnussen from Dirkshof EED GmbH & Co. KG: "The utilization of the PARASOL system for as-needed anti-collision lighting on wind turbines will enhance the acceptance of wind farms, further promote the use of renewable energies and therefore strengthen Germany as an industrial location in the long term."

Heiner Kuschel was invited as a speaker to Husum WindEnergy 2012 on 20 September to introduce the PARASOL project in a workshop entitled "Innovative Technologies for Wind Energy."

About the Institute

For over 50 years, the Fraunhofer Institute for High Frequency Physics and Radar Techniques FHR has focused on the fine-tuning of existing radar systems and the development of new radar techniques as well as innovative technologies from the microwave to the terahertz range. Fraunhofer FHR is therefore on the leading edge of technology at a European and international level. Europe's first radar system with an electronically controlled array antenna was, for example, constructed and operated by FHR. The airborne imaging radar systems generate high quality images which attract great attention worldwide. In the area of space observation, the institute has also gathered decades of know-how with the unique Tracking and Imaging Radar system TIRA. The acquired know-how is now used by space agencies the world over. In recent months, the scientists used TIRA to precisely track and monitor the crash of the ROSAT satellite and the Mars probe Phobos-Grunt.

About Dirkshof – Renewable Energy Services

Dirkshof EED GmbH & Co. KG operates in the future-oriented field of renewable energies. In its role as a service provider, Dirkshof handles the commercial and technical management of wind farms, biogas plants and solar plants, plans turnkey projects and is also involved in the re-powering of wind farms. The basic ecological principle remains biological agriculture, a goal that the company still consistently pursues.