Imaging Array Species Identification for Targeted Wind Turbine Curtailment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods to mitigate risks posed by wind farms to protected bird and bat species often result in unnecessary curtailment of wind turbine operations, leading to energy loss and high capital costs, as they cannot specifically identify the species and often deploy deterrents excessively.
Innovation Solution
An automated system employing optical imaging technology with a controller and optical imaging sensors to detect and identify protected species, allowing for precise curtailment and deterrent deployment only when necessary, thereby minimizing operational disruptions and costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If automated optical imaging systems are implemented to identify bird and bat species, then species identification accuracy is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the detection task into multiple specialized imaging sensors (visible light cameras, infrared cameras, stereoscopic cameras) each optimized for specific detection functions. This segmentation allows the system to achieve high species identification accuracy while managing complexity by dividing the overall system into functional modules that can be independently optimized and maintained.
2Reliability
If curtailment operations are performed more frequently to protect birds and bats, then risk mitigation effectiveness is improved, but energy loss increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements continuous feedback through automated species identification and real-time monitoring. When protected species are detected, the system provides feedback signals to curtail wind turbine operations. When no protected species are present, normal operations resume. This feedback mechanism ensures curtailment occurs only when necessary, maintaining high risk mitigation effectiveness while minimizing unnecessary energy loss.
3Loss of time
If detection distance is increased to detect birds and bats earlier, then response time is improved, but measurement precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from two-dimensional image analysis to three-dimensional stereoscopic imaging. By using stereoscopic cameras that capture depth information, the system can accurately detect and identify birds and bats at extended distances. The third dimension provides additional spatial cues that maintain detection accuracy even when detection distance is increased, thereby improving response time without sacrificing measurement precision.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system effectively reduces the risk to protected species while minimizing energy loss and capital expenditures by accurately identifying species and deploying deterrents only when required, ensuring efficient operation of wind turbines.
Implementation Method 1
a plurality of optical imaging sensors... automatically receive and analyze images from the optical imaging sensors
Data Source
AI summary
An automated system for mitigating risk from a wind farm. The automated system may include an array of a plurality of image capturing devices independently mounted in a wind farm. The array may include a plurality of low resolution cameras and at least one high resolution camera. The plurality of low resolution cameras may be interconnected and may detect a spherical field surrounding the wind farm. A server is in communication with the array of image capturing devices. The server may automatically analyze images to classify an airborne object captured by the array of image capturing devices in response to receiving the images.