Logo of the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt

Compatibility of wind turbines and Doppler VORs used in aviation

31.03.2020

Wind turbines must undergo a lengthy approval process before being constructed; this process includes examining whether they may be a disturbance to terrestrial navigation systems in aviation. A modified prognosis tool now allows the interaction between wind turbines and Doppler VHF omnidirectional radio ranges (DVORs) to be measured with significantly greater accuracy. It has become clear that the influence of this interaction was generally overestimated in previous prognoses.

PTB’s flying measurement platform in front of a wind turbine

PTB’s flying measurement platform in front of a wind turbine

The prognosis tool for DVORs, which had originally been developed by Deutsche Flugsicherung (the German Air Navigation service provider (ANSP)), was revised in the “WERAN plus” project. In addition, PTB has developed a second method that physically superimposes the fields of the transmitting device and the field components reflected by wind turbines at the correct phase and derives a bearing angle error from this. e results are validated by means of measurements and electromagnetic full-wave simulations. The drone-based measurement technology and the simulation methods were developed jointly by PTB with its partners in WERAN, its predecessor project. This now makes it possible to better quantify the impact of planned wind turbines on DVORs, allowing more turbines to be approved in the future.

[ back ]