When a bird flies through the disk swept out by the blades of a wind turbine rotor, the probability of collision depends on the motions and dimensions of the bird and the blades. The collision model in this paper predicts the probability for birds that glide upwind, downwind, and across the wind past simple one-dimensional blades represented by straight lines, and upwind and downwind past more realistic three-dimensional blades with chord and twist. Probabilities vary over the surface of the disk, and in most cases, the tip of the blade is less likely to collide with a bird than parts of the blade nearer the hub. The mean probability may be found by integration over the disk area. The collision model identifies the rotor characteristics that could be altered to make turbines safer for birds.
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November 1996
Research Papers
A Mathematical Model of Bird Collisions With Wind Turbine Rotors
V. A. Tucker
V. A. Tucker
Department of Zoology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708
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V. A. Tucker
Department of Zoology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708
J. Sol. Energy Eng. Nov 1996, 118(4): 253-262 (10 pages)
Published Online: November 1, 1996
Article history
Received:
September 1, 1995
Revised:
January 1, 1996
Online:
February 14, 2008
Citation
Tucker, V. A. (November 1, 1996). "A Mathematical Model of Bird Collisions With Wind Turbine Rotors." ASME. J. Sol. Energy Eng. November 1996; 118(4): 253–262. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.2871788
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