Wind break

BAE Systems has developed technology to filter out interference to air traffic control radar caused by wind turbine blades.

The Advanced Digital Tracker (ADT), which was developed by BAE subsidiary Integrated System Technologies (IST), acts as a postprocessor fitted between the radar signal processor and the display screen. The system - a box no bigger than a PC - uses complex algorithms and ‘fuzzy logic’ to filter out the interference caused by the wind farms and present a clear display for the air traffic controller.

Wind farms create ‘blind spots’ on air traffic control radar systems, leaving controllers unable to differentiate between the turbine blades and aircraft. According to Ian Metcalf, head of business development at IST, the problem must be solved quickly to ensure that the UK has a chance of reaching its Kyoto Treaty target of generating 10 per cent of energy from renewable sources by 2010.

‘To hit the 2010 target, onshore wind farms are the only viable option for the government,’ Metcalf said. ‘But at the moment, just over half of all planning applications by energy companies for wind farms are rejected on safety grounds.’