scholarly journals Summer movements of a radio-tagged Hoary Bat (Lasiurus cinereus) captured in southwestern Ontario

2019 ◽  
Vol 133 (2) ◽  
pp. 125 ◽  
Author(s):  
Derek Morningstar ◽  
Al Sandilands
Keyword(s):  
Wind Turbines ◽  
Adult Male ◽  
Tracking System ◽  
Movement Patterns ◽  
Wind Farms ◽  
Migratory Species ◽  
Lasiurus Cinereus ◽  
Wildlife Tracking ◽  
Hoary Bat ◽  
And Migration

Hoary Bat (Lasiurus cinereus) is a migratory species known to travel long distances during migration. Little is known about its movement patterns during other periods. An adult male Hoary Bat that we radio-tagged in southwestern Ontario in summer was tracked using the Motus Wildlife Tracking System. It travelled a minimum of 827 km in a circular route over a 2-week period and was last recorded 46 km from the original capture site. Hoary Bat is highly vulnerable to being killed at wind turbines and its propensity to travel great distances during summer and migration may exacerbate the impacts of wind farms.

Preliminary acoustic tracking of native and transplanted European lobsters (Homarus gammarus) in an open sea lagoon

1997 ◽  
Vol 48 (8) ◽  
pp. 915 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gro I. van der Meeren
Keyword(s):  
Local Knowledge ◽  
Tracking System ◽  
Movement Patterns ◽  
Acoustic Signals ◽  
Migration Studies ◽  
Nocturnal Activity ◽  
Homarus Gammarus ◽  
Home Site ◽  
Open Sea ◽  
And Migration

In a larger release project, European lobsters (Homarus gammarus) under legal size have been captured, checked for magnetic microtags, externally tagged, and released to their home site for population and migration studies. To see if transplanted lobsters behave differently from native lobsters, four acoustically tagged males were released between three stationary hydrophones in an open sea lagoon and tracked continuously for 2–3 weeks. Lobster 1 was from the lagoon, Lobster 2 was transplanted less than 1000 m from its capture location, and Lobsters 3 and 4 were transplanted more than 5000 m. Within a few hours, Lobsters 1 and 2 took up residence in the area of their original home sites. Lobsters 3 and 4 took up residence in the lagoon after extended roaming. Six days after release, Lobsters 1 and 4 engaged in nocturnal activity, Lobster 2 changed locations occasionally without moving long distances, and Lobster 3 did not move. The odd movement patterns in the transplanted lobsters could be caused by their lack of local knowledge. Since rocks caused blocking of the acoustic signals, manual monitoring was needed to confirm the lobster positions. In cryptic animals such as lobsters, a continuous tracking system that can penetrate stones is required.

scholarly journals Increasing evidence that bats actively forage at wind turbines

PeerJ ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. e3985 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cecily F. Foo ◽  
Victoria J. Bennett ◽  
Amanda M. Hale ◽  
Jennifer M. Korstian ◽  
Alison J. Schildt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Wind Turbines ◽  
Wind Farm ◽  
Prey Capture ◽  
Wind Farms ◽  
Diet Analysis ◽  
Foraging Activity ◽  
Fecal Pellets ◽  
Hoary Bat ◽  
Eastern Red Bat ◽  
Prey Items

Although the ultimate causes of high bat fatalities at wind farms are not well understood, several lines of evidence suggest that bats are attracted to wind turbines. One hypothesis is that bats would be attracted to turbines as a foraging resource if the insects that bats prey upon are commonly present on and around the turbine towers. To investigate the role that foraging activity may play in bat fatalities, we conducted a series of surveys at a wind farm in the southern Great Plains of the US from 2011–2016. From acoustic monitoring we recorded foraging activity, including feeding buzzes indicative of prey capture, in the immediate vicinity of turbine towers from all six bat species known to be present at this site. From insect surveys we found Lepidoptera, Coleoptera, and Orthoptera in consistently high proportions over several years suggesting that food resources for bats were consistently available at wind turbines. We used DNA barcoding techniques to assess bat diet composition of (1) stomach contents from 47 eastern red bat (Lasiurus borealis) and 24 hoary bat (Lasiurus cinereus) carcasses collected in fatality searches, and (2) fecal pellets from 23 eastern red bats that were found on turbine towers, transformers, and tower doors. We found that the majority of the eastern red bat and hoary bat stomachs, the two bat species most commonly found in fatality searches at this site, were full or partially full, indicating that the bats were likely killed while foraging. Although Lepidoptera and Orthoptera dominated the diets of these two bat species, both consumed a range of prey items with individual bats having from one to six insect species in their stomachs at the time of death. The prey items identified from eastern red bat fecal pellets showed similar results. A comparison of the turbine insect community to the diet analysis results revealed that the most abundant insects at wind turbines, including terrestrial insects such as crickets and several important crop pests, were also commonly eaten by eastern red and hoary bats. Collectively, these findings suggest that bats are actively foraging around wind turbines and that measures to minimize bat fatalities should be broadly implemented at wind facilities.

scholarly journals Some data on the behaviour of kites (Milvus milvus, Milvus migrans) nesting close to two active wind farms in Saxony, Germany

The Ring ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
pp. 121-136
Author(s):  
Przemysław Busse ◽  
Izabella Rząd
Keyword(s):  
Wind Turbines ◽  
Active Avoidance ◽  
Wind Farm ◽  
Movement Patterns ◽  
Wind Farms ◽  
Landscape Features ◽  
Milvus Migrans ◽  
Breeding Time ◽  
Milvus Milvus ◽  
Local Pairs

Abstract The main aim of this study was to evaluate how local pairs of kites behave in the vicinity of two wind farms located in the same region (Saxony, Germany) and at farms which are to be re-powered. We observed three pairs that had located their nests close to active wind farms (a few hundred to 1500 m from the wind farm). Special attention was focused on variation in the intensity of flights and its dependence on the local landscape and to active avoidance of existing wind turbines. Observations were made at the end of the breeding time, when the young were still in the nest and shortly after fledging. Despite the short observation periods, the results seem to show clearly how differentiated the flight patterns of these birds are in relation to the landscape features around the farm. The distance from the nest to the wind farm cannot be the only measure of the level of potential wind-farm-related danger to the birds nesting close to the farm site. Distribution of flights is not random, but clearly concentrated on defined target hunting areas, while other directions are visited infrequently. In the case of both farms, the farm was rarely crossed by the Black Kites (9.9% of all flights) and very rarely (2.8%) by the Red Kites, and such crossing was observed only while the turbine rotors were not in motion or when the rotors were turning slowly (below 5 turns/min.). It may be advisable to conduct special monitoring of movement patterns at breeding time if kite nests are found close to the planned location of the wind farm.

scholarly journals Use of a Bridge for Day Roosting by the Hoary Bat, Lasiurus cinereus

2005 ◽  
Vol 119 (1) ◽  
pp. 132
Author(s):  
Paul Hendricks ◽  
Joseph Johnson ◽  
Susan Lenard ◽  
Coburn Currier
Keyword(s):  
New World ◽  
Migratory Species ◽  
Lasiurus Cinereus ◽  
First Report ◽  
South Central ◽  
Hoary Bat ◽  
Central Montana ◽  
Solitary Species ◽  
Tree Foliage ◽  
Hoary Bats

The Hoary Bat (Lasiurus cinereus) is a migratory species with the widest distribution of all New World bats. It is a solitary species that roosts during the day and night primarily among tree foliage. During a survey of 130 highway structures (bridges and culverts) in south central Montana for evidence of use by bats, we discovered a female Hoary Bat with young in mid July 2003 using a wooden bridge as a day roost. This is the first report of Hoary Bats using a bridge as roosting habitat.

scholarly journals Offshore Wind Energy Resource Assessment across the Territory of Oman: A Spatial-Temporal Data Analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 2862
Author(s):  
Amer Al-Hinai ◽  
Yassine Charabi ◽  
Seyed H. Aghay Kaboli
Keyword(s):  
Data Analysis ◽  
Wind Energy ◽  
Wind Turbines ◽  
Energy Resource ◽  
Wind Farms ◽  
Offshore Wind ◽  
Wind Data ◽  
Offshore Wind Energy ◽  
Offshore Wind Turbines ◽  
Wind Potential

Despite the long shoreline of Oman, the wind energy industry is still confined to onshore due to the lack of knowledge about offshore wind potential. A spatial-temporal wind data analysis is performed in this research to find the locations in Oman’s territorial seas with the highest potential for offshore wind energy. Thus, wind data are statistically analyzed for assessing wind characteristics. Statistical analysis of wind data include the wind power density, and Weibull scale and shape factors. In addition, there is an estimation of the possible energy production and capacity factor by three commercial offshore wind turbines suitable for 80 up to a 110 m hub height. The findings show that offshore wind turbines can produce at least 1.34 times more energy than land-based and nearshore wind turbines. Additionally, offshore wind turbines generate more power in the Omani peak electricity demand during the summer. Thus, offshore wind turbines have great advantages over land-based wind turbines in Oman. Overall, this work provides guidance on the deployment and production of offshore wind energy in Oman. A thorough study using bankable wind data along with various logistical considerations would still be required to turn offshore wind potential into real wind farms in Oman.

scholarly journals Wealth of Wind and Visitors: Tourist Industry Attitudes towards Wind Energy Development in Iceland

Land ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 693
Author(s):  
Anna Dóra Sæþórsdóttir ◽  
Margrét Wendt ◽  
Edita Tverijonaite
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Wind Energy ◽  
Wind Turbines ◽  
Wind Farm ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Wind Farms ◽  
Energy Development ◽  
Tourism Industry ◽  
Land Use Conflicts ◽  
Wind Energy Development

The interest in harnessing wind energy keeps increasing globally. Iceland is considering building its first wind farms, but its landscape and nature are not only a resource for renewable energy production; they are also the main attraction for tourists. As wind turbines affect how the landscape is perceived and experienced, it is foreseeable that the construction of wind farms in Iceland will create land use conflicts between the energy sector and the tourism industry. This study sheds light on the impacts of wind farms on nature-based tourism as perceived by the tourism industry. Based on 47 semi-structured interviews with tourism service providers, it revealed that the impacts were perceived as mostly negative, since wind farms decrease the quality of the natural landscape. Furthermore, the study identified that the tourism industry considered the following as key factors for selecting suitable wind farm sites: the visibility of wind turbines, the number of tourists and tourist attractions in the area, the area’s degree of naturalness and the local need for energy. The research highlights the importance of analysing the various stakeholders’ opinions with the aim of mitigating land use conflicts and socioeconomic issues related to wind energy development.

Operation and approximation based on the history of failure modes recorded by SCADA system of Amougdoul Moroccan wind farm using FMECA maintenance model

2021 ◽  
pp. 0309524X2199245
Author(s):  
Kawtar Lamhour ◽  
Abdeslam Tizliouine
Keyword(s):  
Wind Turbines ◽  
Wind Farm ◽  
Failure Modes ◽  
Wind Farms ◽  
Scada System ◽  
History Of ◽  
Criticality Analysis ◽  
Maintenance Model ◽  
Reliability And Availability ◽  
Critical Subsystems

The wind industry is trying to find tools to accurately predict and know the reliability and availability of newly installed wind turbines. Failure modes, effects and criticality analysis (FMECA) is a technique used to determine critical subsystems, causes and consequences of wind turbines. FMECA has been widely used by manufacturers of wind turbine assemblies to analyze, evaluate and prioritize potential/known failure modes. However, its actual implementation in wind farms has some limitations. This paper aims to determine the most critical subsystems, causes and consequences of the wind turbines of the Moroccan wind farm of Amougdoul during the years 2010–2019 by applying the maintenance model (FMECA), which is an analysis of failure modes, effects and criticality based on a history of failure modes occurred by the SCADA system and proposing solutions and recommendations.

scholarly journals Effect of Wind Turbine Classes on the Electricity Production of Wind Farms in Cyprus Island

2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yiannis A. Katsigiannis ◽  
George S. Stavrakakis ◽  
Christodoulos Pharconides
Keyword(s):  
Wind Turbine ◽  
Wind Turbines ◽  
Energy Production ◽  
Wind Farms ◽  
Electricity Production ◽  
Wind Speeds ◽  
Wind Potential

This paper examines the effect of different wind turbine classes on the electricity production of wind farms in two areas of Cyprus Island, which present low and medium wind potentials: Xylofagou and Limassol. Wind turbine classes determine the suitability of installing a wind turbine in a particulate site. Wind turbine data from five different manufacturers have been used. For each manufacturer, two wind turbines with identical rated power (in the range of 1.5 MW–3 MW) and different wind turbine classes (IEC II and IEC III) are compared. The results show the superiority of wind turbines that are designed for lower wind speeds (IEC III class) in both locations, in terms of energy production. This improvement is higher for the location with the lower wind potential and starts from 7%, while it can reach more than 50%.

A simulation-driven online scheduling algorithm for the maintenance and operation of wind farm systems

SIMULATION ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 003754972110286
Author(s):  
Eduardo Pérez
Keyword(s):  
Wind Turbines ◽  
Wind Farm ◽  
Computational Study ◽  
Scheduling Algorithm ◽  
Discrete Event ◽  
Wind Farms ◽  
Online Scheduling ◽  
Maintenance Scheduling ◽  
Lead Times ◽  
System Specification

Wind turbines experience stochastic loading due to seasonal variations in wind speed and direction. These harsh operational conditions lead to failures of wind turbines, which are difficult to predict. Consequently, it is challenging to schedule maintenance actions that will avoid failures. In this article, a simulation-driven online maintenance scheduling algorithm for wind farm operational planning is derived. Online scheduling is a suitable framework for this problem since it integrates data that evolve over time into the maintenance scheduling decisions. The computational study presented in this article compares the performance of the simulation-driven online scheduling algorithm against two benchmark algorithms commonly used in practice: scheduled maintenance and condition-based monitoring maintenance. An existing discrete event system specification simulation model was used to test and study the benefits of the proposed algorithm. The computational study demonstrates the importance of avoiding over-simplistic assumptions when making maintenance decisions for wind farms. For instance, most literature assumes maintenance lead times are constant. The computational results show that allowing lead times to be adjusted in an online fashion improves the performance of wind farm operations in terms of the number of turbine failures, availability capacity, and power generation.

scholarly journals Performance Enhancement of Proposed Namaacha Wind Farm by Minimising Losses Due to the Wake Effect: A Mozambican Case Study

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (14) ◽  
pp. 4291
Author(s):  
Paxis Marques João Roque ◽  
Shyama Pada Chowdhury ◽  
Zhongjie Huan
Keyword(s):  
Wind Speed ◽  
Wind Power ◽  
Wind Turbines ◽  
Power Output ◽  
Wind Farm ◽  
Wind Farms ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Wake Effect ◽  
Wind Generators ◽  
Wind Potential

District of Namaacha in Maputo Province of Mozambique presents a high wind potential, with an average wind speed of around 7.5 m/s and huge open fields that are favourable to the installation of wind farms. However, in order to make better use of the wind potential, it is necessary to evaluate the operating conditions of the turbines and guide the independent power producers (IPPs) on how to efficiently use wind power. The investigation of the wind farm operating conditions is justified by the fact that the implementation of wind power systems is quite expensive, and therefore, it is imperative to find alternatives to reduce power losses and improve energy production. Taking into account the power needs in Mozambique, this project applied hybrid optimisation of multiple energy resources (HOMER) to size the capacity of the wind farm and the number of turbines that guarantee an adequate supply of power. Moreover, considering the topographic conditions of the site and the operational parameters of the turbines, the system advisor model (SAM) was applied to evaluate the performance of the Vestas V82-1.65 horizontal axis turbines and the system’s power output as a result of the wake effect. For any wind farm, it is evident that wind turbines’ wake effects significantly reduce the performance of wind farms. The paper seeks to design and examine the proper layout for practical placements of wind generators. Firstly, a survey on the Namaacha’s electricity demand was carried out in order to obtain the district’s daily load profile required to size the wind farm’s capacity. Secondly, with the previous knowledge that the operation of wind farms is affected by wake losses, different wake effect models applied by SAM were examined and the Eddy–Viscosity model was selected to perform the analysis. Three distinct layouts result from SAM optimisation, and the best one is recommended for wind turbines installation for maximising wind to energy generation. Although it is understood that the wake effect occurs on any wind farm, it is observed that wake losses can be minimised through the proper design of the wind generators’ placement layout. Therefore, any wind farm project should, from its layout, examine the optimal wind farm arrangement, which will depend on the wind speed, wind direction, turbine hub height, and other topographical characteristics of the area. In that context, considering the topographic and climate features of Mozambique, the study brings novelty in the way wind farms should be placed in the district and wake losses minimised. The study is based on a real assumption that the project can be implemented in the district, and thus, considering the wind farm’s capacity, the district’s energy needs could be met. The optimal transversal and longitudinal distances between turbines recommended are 8Do and 10Do, respectively, arranged according to layout 1, with wake losses of about 1.7%, land utilisation of about 6.46 Km2, and power output estimated at 71.844 GWh per year.

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