Iberdrola Renewables, Inc. proposed to construct the 350-MW Blue Creek Wind Farm near Van Wer in Paulding and Van Wer counties, Ohio. Because bats have been impacted by wind farms, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources requires pre-construction acoustic surveys within the proposed project planning area to assess bat activity. BHE Environmental, Inc. was contracted to install two Anabat units to a meteorological (MET) tower in Van Wert County and assess bat activity based on calls recorded from March 15, 2009 through November 15, 2009. This preliminary report summarizes call sequences recorded from March 5 to August 19, 2009. During 274 detector-nights, 264 calls were recorded, most (78 percent) of which were big brown/silver-haired bats and most (72 percent) were recorded by a detector mounted at 3 meters (m) above teh ground rather than by the detector mounted at 45 m above ground level. Other bat species groups recorded were hoary bats (14 percent), red/evening bats (6 percent), and Myotis (2 percent). Bat activity increased throughout the season, peaking in late July, a pattern which has been seen at other wind farms. BHE is continuing to monitor bat activity and will submit a report when data collection and analysis in complete.

Keywords: Document/Report

Tags: Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Annet, Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

The essence of energy cooperatives and their value in a power system of the country is investigated in this article. The aim of this article is to investigate the role of "green" cooperatives in the institutional mechanism of alternative energy development in the agrarian sector of the Ukrainian economy. The object of the study is the green cooperatives of alternative energy in Ukraine. The subject of the study is green cooperatives and their role in the development of the alternative energy in Ukraine's agrarian sector.The methodology of this study is to use the institutional approach in the study of green energy cooperatives as an integral part of the institutional mechanism for the development of alternative energy in the agrarian sector. The basic concept"cooperation"and derivative "power cooperative" from the point of view of various authors are studied and our own explanation of the term "green power cooperative" is given. The condition of the development of alternative power engineering in Ukraine is investigated. Production and use of alternative energy sources in Ukraine have begun since 2007. In Ukraine, there operate 432 objects of the renewable power industry in Ukraine, to which the green tariff with a general power of 1534 MW is established. The most energy consumed is biofuel and waste, while the second place is the consumption of hydropower and the third is the consumption of wind and solar energy. The agrarian sector of the Ukrainian economy has considerable potential for the development of renewable power as a rather developed branch of poultry farming and livestock production is favourable for the development of bioenergetics. Researches have shown that at this stage of development, it is possible to construct 1425 biogas installations on livestock and poultry-farming farms. For the last few years, there is an active construction of solar power stations. The biggest number of solar power stations is in the Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk, and Ternopil regions. In this article, the institutional mechanism for the development of alternative power engineering is investigated. The main normative legal acts known as formal institutes which regulate renewable power in the country, namely laws, orders, strategy are considered. Such elements of the institutional mechanism as the organizations controlling and structuring the development of alternative energy sources, including the agrarian sphere of the national economy are analysed. The need for creation of green power cooperatives is proved and also an example of the successful experience of foreign countries in green power cooperation, namely such countries as Great Britain and Germany, is given. In Ukraine, such a form of the organization of activity as green power cooperation only begins to develop. In difficult economic and ecological conditions and conditions of the volatility of creation of green power cooperatives, it will allow solving a number of problems which are present now, including in the agrarian sector. However, there are barriers of institutional character which don't allow the population to create power cooperatives fully. In this case, only the state due to the creation of the effective institutional mechanism can help solve a difficult situation. Besides, there is a need for simplifying the process of creation of green power cooperatives and releasing from the statement of a lot of tariffs. Increase in the number of green power cooperatives in the agrarian sphere is a basis for overcoming volatility of the population in rural areas, increases in their profitability and reduction of expenses. Conclusions. Green cooperatives play a major role in shaping the institutional mechanism of alternative energy development in the agrarian sector of the Ukrainian economy. Because rural people are only able to ensure their energy independence through the creation of green cooperatives, reduce the cost of purchasing energy resources, and also earn money selling produced energy and fuel. This will help not only increase the production and use of alternative energy sources in the agricultural sector of the country but will also greatly affect the development of rural areas.

Keywords: green energy cooperative; institutional mechanism; renewable energy sources; agrarian sector; institution

Tags: Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Europa (uten Norden/Skandinavia), Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

Electrochemical CO2 reduction (CO2RR) using renewable energy sources represents a sustainable means of producing carbon-neutral fuels. Unfortunately, low energy efficiency, poor product selectivity, and rapid deactivation are among the most intractable challenges of CO2RR electrocatalysts. Here, we strategically propose a "two ships in a bottle" design for ternary Zn-Ag-O catalysts, where ZnO and Ag phases are twinned to constitute an individual ultrafine nanoparticle impregnated inside nanopores of an ultrahigh-surface-area carbon matrix. Bimetallic electron configurations are modulated by constructing a Zn-Ag-O interface, where the electron density reconfiguration arising from electron delocalization enhances the stabilization of the *COOH intermediate favorable for CO production, while promoting CO selectivity and suppressing HCOOH generation by altering the rate-limiting step toward a high thermodynamic barrier for forming HCOO*. Moreover, the pore-constriction mechanism restricts the bimetallic particles to nanosized dimensions with abundant Zn-Ag-O heterointerfaces and exposed active sites, meanwhile prohibiting detachment and agglomeration of nanoparticles during CO2 RR for enhanced stability. The designed catalysts realize 60.9% energy efficiency and 94.1 +/- 4.0% Faradaic efficiency toward CO, together with a remarkable stability over 6 days. Beyond providing a high-performance CO2RR electrocatalyst, this work presents a promising catalyst-design strategy for efficient energy conversion.

Keywords: CARBON-DIOXIDE; ELECTROCHEMICAL REDUCTION; CONVERSION; EFFICIENT; NANOSHEETS; INSIGHTS; SEARCH

Tags: Effekt:Barriere, Geografi:Annet, Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

It has been proved that sonic waves energy and especially the 'green music' waves affect the metabolism and growth of some plants and vegetables as well as enhance milking yield in cows. Green music normally encompasses a classic music base along with some natural sounds such as those of birds, insects, water and wind. In this research, the effects of green music waves on fermentation characteristics and viability of starter cultures in probiotic yogurt was investigated. Milk inoculated with yogurt bacteria (mixed culture of Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus) or probiotic culture (mixed culture of L. acidophilus LA-5 and Bifidobacterium lactis BB-12) plus yogurt bacteria was exposed to the green music (sound intensity of 75 5 dB and frequency range of 30-18000 Hz) during fermentation until final pH of 4.5 +/- 0.02 was reached. Changes in pH decrease, titrable acidity increase and redox potential increase during fermentation as well as their decrease/increase rates at the end of fermentation were monitored. The viability of probiotics and yogurt bacteria was assessed immediately after fermentation. The green music waves significantly increased the fermentation/acidification rate of aforementioned starters whilst significantly decreased viability of either yogurt bacteria or probiotics as well as incubation time.

Keywords: Yogurt, probiotic (ferrmentation characteristics, viability of bacteria, effect of music waves); ATTRACTING SHEEP; STIMULI; LANEWAY; MOVE

Tags: Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Annet, Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Ja

PPM Atlantic Renewable (PPM) has proposed the construction of a wind project to be located in Clayton, Orleans, and Brownville, New York (Figure 1). The project would include up to approximately 54 2.75 megawatt (MW) wind turbines that could generate up to 150 MW of power annually. Turbines would have a maximum height of approximately 150 meters (m) (492') and would be located predominantly in active agricultural fields being used for hay and crop production, as well as for pasturing. Birds are known to collide with tall lighted structures, such as buildings and communication towers, particularly when weather conditions reduce visibility (Crawford 1981; Avery et al. 1976, 1977). Depending on their height and location, wind turbines can also pose a potential threat to migrating birds because they are relatively tall structures, have moving parts, and may be lit. The mortality of migrating and resident birds and bats has been documented at wind farms as a result of collisions with turbines, meteorological measurement towers (met towers), and guy wires (Anderson et al. 2004; Erickson et al. 2000, 2003; Johnson et al. 2003; Thelander and Rugge 2000). PPM undertook bird and bat migration studies in the spring and fall of 2005 as well as a breeding bird survey during the early summer of 2005. Fifteen rare bird species were observed in the Clayton project area during the original 2005 field surveys. This included five state Endangered species, three state Threatened species, and seven state Species of Special Concern. As a result, additional surveys were conducted during 2006 and are reported here. The surveys for this project were conducted to provide data that will be used to help assess the potential risk to birds from this proposed project.

Keywords: Document/Report

Tags: Effekt:Kollisjon, Geografi:Annet, Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

During spring, summer, and fall 2009, Stantec Consulting (Stantec) conducted field surveys of bird and bat migration and breeding bird activity at the Groton Wind Project area in Groton, New Hampshire (Project). The surveys are part of the planning process by Groton Wind, LLC (Groton Wind) for a proposed wind Project, which will include the erection of up to 25 wind turbines and associated infrastructure (e.g., access roads, transmission lines, electrical substation, turbine lay-down/staging area, and operations and maintenance building). The turbines will likely be 2.0 Megawatt (MW) machines mounted on tubular steel towers with an approximate hub height of 78 meters (m; 256 feet [']) and a rotor diameter of 87 m (285'). The proposed turbines would have a maximum height of approximately 121 m (399'). This report details results of a late spring/early summer 2009 breeding bird survey, spring and fall 2009 diurnal raptor surveys and a fall 2009 acoustic bat survey, all of which provide information on seasonal migration activity and patterns as well as local breeding bird activity in the Project area during a period from late March through October 2009. Breeding Bird Survey The late spring/early summer 2009 breeding bird survey focused on documenting the occurrence of species of conservation concern, but considered all avian species visually or acoustically detected in the Project area. The survey provides baseline data for the species present in the Project area, their abundance, as well as the community structures among the different habitats present. Stantec biologists conducted breeding bird point-count surveys during two separate visits to the Project area. One round of breeding bird surveys was conducted in early to mid-June (June 10, 11 and 16), and one in mid to late June (June 17, 18 and 27). There were a total of 21 breeding bird point-count locations surveyed within the Project area and an additional 10 locations surveyed within the control areas. A total of 34 species were observed within the Project area during point-count surveys, and two additional species, American robin (Turdus migratorius) and ruffed grouse (Bonasa umbellus), were observed incidentally between survey points, for a total of 36 species detected in the vicinity of the Project area. Within both the Project area and control areas, the most commonly observed birds included ovenbird (Seiurus aurocapillus) , black-throated blue warbler (Dendroica caerulescens), hermit thrush (Catharus guttatus) and dark-eyed junco (Junco hyemalis). There were no state-listed endangered, threatened or special concern species, or species of federal concern observed during the point-count surveys. A total of 33 species were observed within the control areas during the point-count surveys. Five additional species, [wood thrush (Hylocichla mustelina), eastern wood-pewee (Contopus virens), eastern phoebe (Sayornis phoebe), American robin and veery (Catharus fuscescens)] were observed incidentally between survey points, for a total of 38 species detected in the vicinity of the control areas. Using the results of the point-count surveys only, there were 27 species in common between the Project area and control areas. Diurnal Raptor Surveys The 2009 raptor migration studies were conducted to investigate use of the proposed Project area by migrating raptors and their flight behaviors. Spring and fall 2009 diurnal raptor surveys were based on Hawk Migration Association of North America (HMANA) methods (HMANA 2007). Spring surveys occurred from late March through late May with the initial survey dates intended to target early migrants such as golden eagles (Aquila chrysaetos). Fall surveys occurred from late August to late October, including the initial time period when outbound cool weather migrants such as golden and bald eagles begin to migrate. For several of the survey days, simultaneous surveys were coordinated by two observers located at different locations to maximize the amount of the Project area visible by observers. Spring raptor migration surveys were conducted on 11 days from March 26 to May 23, 2009. Including those birds seen within and outside of the Project area, a total of 175 raptors representing 11 species were observed. Turkey vulture (Cathartes aura, n=99) and red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis, n=33) were the most frequently observed species. Spring passage rates ranged from 0 to 10 birds/h, with a seasonal average of 1.40 birds/hr. Seventy six birds observed (43%) were within the Project boundary. Of theses, a total of 43 birds, 25 percent of all observations, occurred in the Project area below the maximum rotor-swept zone of the proposed turbines. The fall raptor survey occurred on 10 days between August 24 and October 26. A total of 696 raptor observations representing 14 species were observed during the fall 2009 surveys. Fall passage rates ranged from 0.56 to 15.81 birds/hr, with an average of 4.35 birds/hr. During the fall raptor survey, broad-winged hawks (Buteo platypterus), red- tailed hawks, turkey vultures, and sharp-shinned hawks (Accipiter striatus) were the most commonly observed species. A total of 232 birds, 33 percent of all observations, occurred in the Project area below the maximum rotor-swept zone of the proposed turbines. Four bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) were observed during spring 2009 raptor surveys at the Project, two of which were within the Project area. The bald eagle is designated as a threatened species in New Hampshire. In addition, six osprey, a New Hampshire Species of Special Concern, were observed during spring raptor surveys. All but one of these birds was within the project boundary. There were five observations of three individual bald eagles over Tenney Mountain during the fall survey. One northern harrier (Circus cyaneus) was observed outside the Project area. Two state species of special concern, osprey (Pandion haliaetus) and American kestrel (Falco sparverius), were also seen in the Project area during the fall raptor survey. Acoustic Bat Survey The objectives of acoustic surveys were to document bat activity patterns and general species composition from August through October across the Project area, and to document bat activity patterns in relation to weather factors such as wind speed and temperature. Eight Anabat SD1 detectors (Titley Electronics Pty Ltd.) were deployed from August 11 to October 22 from 7:00 pm to 7:00 am for a total of 466 detector nights during the fall 2009 survey. Acoustic survey sites at Groton Wind Project were chosen based discussions with bat expert, Ed Arnett of Bat Conservation International (BCI) as well as Stantec? experience conducting these types of surveys. In order to document how bats might move across the Project area, acoustic bat detectors were deployed along each of the three ridgelines in the Project area proposed for wind turbines. Two detectors were deployed 15 meters high in portable towers on the southern end of the Fletcher Mountain ridgeline and the small subsidiary ridge to the north. Three detectors were deployed at the met tower in the middle of Tenney Ridge and three detectors were deployed at the met tower at the north end of Tenney Ridge. The intent of the acoustic surveys was to (1) document bat activity patterns and general species composition from April through October; and (2) document bat activity patterns in relation to weather factors including wind speed, temperature, and relative humidity. Recorded call files were analyzed to species guild and tallied by night. Between August 11 and October 22, a total of 2,104 call files were recorded by the eight detectors, resulting in an overall detection rate of 4.5 calls per detector-night. Call sequences belonging to all five guilds were identified during the acoustic survey. Migratory species of the big brown-silver haired guild composed the greatest percentage of all calls recorded during the fall 2009 survey period (45.5%). The Tenney Middle met tower detector (22 m) recorded the most calls (38%, n=802) during the fall season. Approximately 84 percent of all calls were recorded during the month of August, when detection rates peaked for all detectors. Species composition varied across acoustic detector height. There was no strong correlation between wind speed and detection rates, although there was a weak correlation between bat activity and mean nightly temperature.

Keywords: Document/Report

Tags: Artsgruppe:Hønsefugl, Artsgruppe:Rovfugl, Artsgruppe:Spurvefugl, Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Nordlige halvkule (uten Europa), Habitat:Alpint, Habitat:Skog, Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

In December 2009, the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) issued the Commonwealth’s first-ever Massachusetts Ocean Management Plan. The release of the plan was the culmination of an intensive planning process launched with the signing of the Oceans Act in May 2008. The Oceans Act (Appendix 1) gave the EEA Secretary formal oversight, coordination, and planning authority for the Commonwealth’s ocean waters and ocean-based development. It also required EEA to develop an integrated ocean management plan that: defined the Commonwealth’s goals, siting priorities, and standards for ensuring effective stewardship of ocean waters and resources held in trust for the benefit of the public; reflected the importance of these waters to the Commonwealth ’s citizens who derive livelihoods and recreational benefits from fishing; valued biodiversity and ecosystem health; identified and protected special, sensitive, or unique estuarine and marine life and habitats; and identified appropriate locations and performance standards for activities, uses, and facilities allowed by the Ocean Sanctuaries Act [M.G.L. c. 132A §12-18]. The development of the 2009 Massachusetts Ocean Management Plan, which was led by EEA’s Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM), included rigorous efforts to acquire, develop, and synthesize the best available data and science and to seek a high level of peer review and evaluation of this information. Throughout the process, EEA also carried out an extensive public and stakeholder participation program, including public workshops, meetings with stakeholders, and formal public hearings and comment periods. Members of the state’s Ocean Advisory Commission and Ocean Science Advisory Council also provided important and valuable advice, guidance, and contributions to the planning process and the final plan. The development of the ocean plan underscored the critical importance and value of marine ecosystems and ocean-based commerce, trade, and economies in Massachusetts and reinforced the Commonwealth’s responsibility to manage uses in a manner that preserves and enhances the integrity and sustainability of ocean ecosystems and resources and maintains the benefits held in trust for the public. The Commonwealth’s ocean plan is intended to be an evolving document - revisited and revised periodically to adapt as better information and science are developed, policy goals evolve, and experience in applying the management and administrative framework is gained. The Oceans Act and the implementing regulations of the ocean plan (301 CMR 28.00, Appendix 2) require that the Massachusetts Ocean Management Plan, its Baseline Assessment, and the enforceable provisions of relevant statutes and regulations be reviewed at least once every five years. This document - the 2015 Massachusetts Ocean Management Plan (hereafter referred to as the 2015 ocean plan) - presents the first formal amendment of the original ocean plan released in 2009. With its promulgation on January 6, 2015, the 2015 ocean plan serves as the current official version of the state’s ocean plan, superseding the 2009 plan. This chapter provides an overview of the document, describes the plan review and update process, and summarizes the revisions made to the 2009 ocean plan. While this chapter generally references the maps in the ocean plan, specific information on management areas and maps is provided in Chapter 2, and the maps themselves are placed at the end of the document for production purposes. All of the maps in the ocean plan are also available on CZM’s publicly accessible online data and mapping system, the Massachusetts Ocean Resource Information System (MORIS), at http://maps.massgis.state.ma.us/map_ol/mass_ocean_plan.php. Overview of the Document The 2015 ocean plan consists of two volumes: Volume 1: Management and Administration - Following this introductory chapter, Chapter 2 provides the Commonwealth’s updated and amended approach for integrated ocean management, identifying and providing accompanying maps for the broad management areas and the special, sensitive, or unique habitat and water-dependent uses delineated for protection. It also presents the siting and management standards for activities and projects subject to the ocean plan. Chapter 3 highlights progress in plan implementation since 2009 and describes key administrative elements, the review and revision process, continued mechanisms for input and engagement with experts and stakeholders, and an approach for monitoring and evaluating plan implementation. Volume 2: Baseline Assessment Five-Year Update and Science Framework - The Oceans Act mandated a Baseline Assessment as part of the ocean plan and required a review and update of this Baseline Assessment at least every five years. The 2009 Baseline Assessment constituted an extensive cataloguing of the current state of knowledge regarding human uses, natural resources, and other ecosystem components of Massachusetts ocean waters. The Baseline Assessment Five-Year Update: Report on Changes and Trends since 2009 is presented in Volume 2 and reports on the current condition, status, and trends in Massachusetts marine waters. Volume 2 also contains the Science Framework, which identifies updated science and data priorities and strategies that will support the continued evolution of the Massachusetts Ocean Management Plan.

Keywords: Document/Report

Tags: Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Nordlige halvkule (uten Europa), Habitat:Offshore, Stilling:Offshore, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

Volume 2 of the 2015 Massachusetts Ocean Management Plan focuses on the data and scientific aspects of the plan and its implementation. It includes these two separate documents: Baseline Assessment Five-Year Update: Report on Changes and Trends since 2009 - The Oceans Act mandated a Baseline Assessment as part of the ocean plan and required a review and update of this Baseline Assessment at least every five years. The 2009 Baseline Assessment constituted an extensive cataloguing of the current state of knowledge regarding human uses, natural resources, and other ecosystem components of Massachusetts ocean waters. The 2015 update to the Baseline Assessment is presented here in Volume 2. It reports on the current condition and status, as well as trends since 2009, in Massachusetts marine waters. Science Framework - This document provides the updated blueprint for ocean management-related science and data priorities and strategies that will support continued evolution of the ocean plan Volume 1 can be found here.

Keywords: Document/Report

Tags: Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Annet, Habitat:Offshore, Stilling:Offshore, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

On May 27, Northeast Fisheries Science Center staff finished the 2021 spring bottom trawl survey aboard the NOAA Ship Henry B. Bigelow. Those aboard conducted resource survey tows and temperature and salinity sampling at 317 of 353 planned stations (90 percent completion). They finished plankton tows at 92 of 105 planned stations (87 percent completion). The start of the survey was delayed by a last-minute staffing emergency. As a result, 30 stations south of Virginia were dropped. There was no federal survey effort in 2020. Constraining the spread of COVID-19 took precedence. This year, we operated under COVID-19 survey protocols: We sailed with fewer people, for fewer sea days, and planned for slightly fewer stations. Instead of our usual four legs ranging from 10 to 18 days each, we sailed in three legs, each slightly longer than usual. However, the survey plan ensured that essential data were collected across the survey area. The Bigelow supports a variety of marine research. However, the multispecies bottom-trawl survey is among the most important of its missions for monitoring the region’s fishery resources, and it is the longest running of its kind in the world. This fishery-independent survey monitors fish abundance and distribution on the Northwest Atlantic continental shelf from Cape Lookout, North Carolina to the Scotian Shelf. Data collected include fish age, length, weight, sex, maturity, and food habits, all of which are critical for fishery stock assessments that help to inform fishery management decisions by the New England and Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Councils, and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission.

Keywords: Document/Website

Tags: Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Annet, Habitat:Offshore, Stilling:Offshore, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

The handling of offshore payloads is a critical operation that presents numerous challenges, in particular related to the required precision in controlling their oscillations in a safe and accurate manner. The uncontrolled payload oscillations induced by the rolling movement of the vessel have been historically mitigated by the experience of on-deck operators by means of taglines. The availability of experienced personnel is not always present, and a manual control operation still presents inconsistent performances and a high risk for the safety of men and machines. This study presents a novel approach to an antisway control conceived to mitigate such problems and possibly to automate some of the operations concerning the payload sway control that are currently done manually. In particular, a system consisting of a translating trolley actuated through a proportional-integral-derivative controller is taken into consideration to mitigate the oscillations induced by the vessel's rolling and pitching motion onto a three-dimensional 8 degrees of freedom with double-pendulum model representing the hanging payload. The study is completed through an analysis aimed to characterize the bandwidth and frequency response of the controlled closed-loop system and highlight all the potential areas of interest for which further characterization is needed.

Keywords: ANTI-SWAY CONTROL; STRUCTURAL CONTROL; ANTISWING CONTROL; VIBRATION CONTROL; BOOM CRANES; ALGORITHM; MOTION

Tags: Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Annet, Habitat:Offshore, Stilling:Offshore, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

For an efficient and reliable operation of an Airborne Wind Energy System, it is widely accepted that the kite should follow a pre-defined optimized path. In this article, we address the problem of designing a trajectory controller so that such path is closely followed. The path-following controllers investigated are based on a well-known nonlinear guidance logic termed L1 and on a proposed modification of it, which we termed L0. We have developed and implemented both L0 and L1 controllers for an AWES. The two controllers have an easy implementation with an explicit expression for the control law based on the cross-track error, on the heading angle relative to the path, and on a single parameter L (L-0 or L-1, depending on each controller) that we are able to tune. The L0 controller has an even easier implementation since the explicit control law can be used without the need to switch controllers. Since the switching of controllers might jeopardize stability, the L-0 controller has an important theoretical advantage in being able to guarantee stability on a larger domain of attraction. The simulation study shows that both nonlinear guidance logic controllers exhibit appropriate performance when the L parameter is adequately tuned, with the L0 controller showing a better performance when measured in terms of the average cross-track error.

Keywords: airborne wind energy; kite control; path following; L1 guidance logic; L0 guidance logic; FLIGHT

Tags: Artsgruppe:Rovfugl, Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Annet, Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

The COWRIE-funded report 'A baseline assessment of electromagnetic fields generated by offshore windfarm cables' was produced by the Centre for Marine and Coastal Studies at the University of Liverpool and econnect Ltd. The report addresses the following questions: The likely EMF emitted from a subsea power cable A suggested method to measure EMF in the field, which could be applied by windfarm developers or in future projects Guidance of mitigation measures to reduce EMF Consideration of the results for the next stage of investigation into the effects of EMF on electrosensitive species

Keywords: Document/Report

Tags: Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Annet, Habitat:Offshore, Stilling:Offshore, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

The monoalkylesters of fatty acids derived from vegetable oils or animal fats are considered all attractive alternative fuel for diesel engines. This interest is based on a number of properties of biodiesel, including the fact that it is produced from a renewable resource and its potential to reduce exhaust emissions. Although several studies have been performed on biodiesel emissions, the results have been contradictory, with some studies reporting a reduction of nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions while others report an increase. Adjusting engine parameters like exhaust gas recirculation (EGR), retarding injection timing, and using multiple injection strategies has reduced NOx to some extent. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect on exhaust gas emissions of blending biodiesel and ethanol into conventional diesel fuel. Ethanol could be added to diesel in limited quantities along with biodiesel since biodiesel stabilizes the ternary system by acting as all amphiphile. This article illustrates the emission characteristics of diesel-biodiesel-ethanol (DBE) fuel blends oil one used engine and two new engines. DBE is a new form of oxygenated diesel fuel blend and has the potential to reduce NOx emissions and to serve as an alternative to diesel fuel. The blend ratios (diesel:biodiesel:ethanol) by volume used in this study were 70:25:5, 70:20:10, and 70:15:15. The results with DBE showed a significant reduction in NOx emissions in new engines with increased ethanol concentration, whereas with the old engine under similar conditions, an increased NOx emissions profile was observed. CO emission increased with increasing ethanol proportion in the blends in both new and old engines.

Keywords: Amphiphile; Biodiesel; Diesel engine; Emissions; Ethanol; NOx; METHYL-ESTER; FUEL; REDUCTION; PERFORMANCE; OILS

Tags: Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Annet, Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Ja

Wind power is a major candidate in the search for clean, renewable energy. Beyond the technical and economic challenges of wind energy development are environmental issues that may restrict its growth. Avian fatalities due to collisions with rotating turbine blades are a leading concern and there is considerable uncertainty surrounding avian collision risk at wind facilities. This uncertainty is not reflected in many models currently used to predict the avian fatalities that would result from proposed wind developments. We introduce a method to predict fatalities at wind facilities, based on pre-construction monitoring. Our method can directly incorporate uncertainty into the estimates of avian fatalities and can be updated if information on the true number of fatalities becomes available from post-construction carcass monitoring. Our model considers only three parameters: hazardous footprint, bird exposure to turbines and collision probability. By using a Bayesian analytical framework we account for uncertainties in these values, which are then reflected in our predictions and can be reduced through subsequent data collection. The simplicity of our approach makes it accessible to ecologists concerned with the impact of wind development, as well as to managers, policy makers and industry interested in its implementation in real-world decision contexts. We demonstrate the utility of our method by predicting golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) fatalities at a wind installation in the United States. Using pre-construction data, we predicted 7.48 eagle fatalities year(-1) (95% CI: (1.1, 19.81)). The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service uses the 80th quantile (11.0 eagle fatalities year-1) in their permitting process to ensure there is only a 20% chance a wind facility exceeds the authorized fatalities. Once data were available from two-years of post-construction monitoring, we updated the fatality estimate to 4.8 eagle fatalities year(-1) (95% CI: (1.76, 9.4); 80th quantile, 6.3). In this case, the increased precision in the fatality prediction lowered the level of authorized take, and thus lowered the required amount of compensatory mitigation.

Keywords: BIRD MORTALITY; ENERGY DEVELOPMENT; POPULATION-DYNAMICS; AVOIDANCE RATES; FARMS; PSEUDOREPLICATION; IMPACTS

Tags: Artsgruppe:Rovfugl, Effekt:Kollisjon, Effekt:Unnvikelse, Geografi:Annet, Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

Small passerines, sometimes referred to as perching birds or songbirds, are the most abundant bird group in the United States (US) and Canada, and the most common among bird fatalities caused by collision with turbines at wind energy facilities. We used data compiled from 116 studies conducted in the US and Canada to estimate the annual rate of small-bird fatalities. It was necessary for us to calculate estimates of small-bird fatality rates from reported all-bird rates for 30% of studies. The remaining 70% of studies provided data on small-bird fatalities. We then adjusted estimates to account for detection bias and loss of carcasses from scavenging. These studies represented about 15% of current operating capacity (megawatts [MW]) for all wind energy facilities in the US and Canada and provided information on 4,975 bird fatalities, of which we estimated 62.5% were small passerines comprising 156 species. For all wind energy facilities currently in operation, we estimated that about 134,000 to 230,000 small-passerine fatalities from collision with wind turbines occur annually, or 2.10 to 3.35 small birds/MW of installed capacity. When adjusted for species composition, this indicates that about 368,000 fatalities for all bird species are caused annually by collisions with wind turbines. Other human-related sources of bird deaths, (e.g., communication towers, buildings [including windows]), and domestic cats) have been estimated to kill millions to billions of birds each year. Compared to continent-wide population estimates, the cumulative mortality rate per year by species was highest for black-throated blue warbler and tree swallow; 0.043% of the entire population of each species was estimated to annually suffer mortality from collisions with turbines. For the eighteen species with the next highest values, this estimate ranged from 0.008% to 0.038%, much lower than rates attributed to collisions with communication towers (1.2% to 9.0% for top twenty species).

Keywords: AVIAN MORTALITY; BIRD; RIDGE

Tags: Artsgruppe:Generelt, Artsgruppe:Spurvefugl, Effekt:Kollisjon, Geografi:Nordlige halvkule (uten Europa), Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

Ports play an undeniable role in people's lives. The energy consumption of large ports has an increasing rate worldwide and it has become a new challenge. The specific types of loads such as cranes, in particular, ship to shore, rubber tyred gantry, rail-mounted gantry, and cold ironing system in the ports present a distinctive load profile due to their sudden peak load demand. To deal with the problem and avoid extra costs, it is possible to apply a delay time management to cranes operation and/or to implement energy storage systems (ESSs) to take benefit of regenerative energy. At this aim, the load profile characteristics require both energy storage with high power and energy densities and fast response time. Peak shaving (P<^>S) can optimize the load demand and facilitate the participation of small power generation units based on renewable energy resources. In this regard, many approaches are introduced such as energy management strategies, modern technologies, and installing high-tech devices such as battery energy storage, ultracapacitors, and flywheel energy storage acting as ESS. Therefore, the goal of this article is to deal with an investigation for an integrated vision and a combination of ESSs application in the ports' loads. Since the ports cannot persist to have independent and uncontrolled power systems, hence, the article proposes the organization of their global design in a microgrid approach and the coordinated management for all the services such as cranes, reefers, col ironing, trucks, and offices to increase the operation and energy performance. The statistical results show that the integration of ESSs can provide P<^>S, energy saving, and cost reduction in ports.

Keywords: Cranes; Energy storage; Costs; Delays; Seaports; Power demand; Optimization; Battery energy storage (BES); cranes; flywheel energy storage (FES); hybrid energy storage system (ESS); port; ultracapacitor (UC); FLYWHEEL

Tags: Effekt:Unnvikelse, Geografi:Annet, Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

We describe the model of Biosis Propriety Limited for quantifying potential risk to birds of collisions with wind turbines. The description follows the sequence of the model's processes from input parameters, through modules of the model itself. Aspects of the model that differentiate it from similar models are the primary focus of the description. These include its capacity to evaluate risk for multi-directional flights by its calculation of a mean presented area of a turbine; its use of bird flight data to determine annual flux of movements; a mathematical solution to a typical number of turbines that might be encountered in a given bird flight; capacity to assess wind-farm configurations ranging from turbines scattered in the landscape to linear rows of turbines; and the option of assigning different avoidance rates to structural elements of turbines that pose more or less risk. We also integrate estimates of the population of birds at risk with data for numbers of their flights to predict a number of individual birds that are at risk of collision. Our model has been widely applied in assessments of potential wind-energy developments in Australia. We provide a case history of the model's application to 2 eagle species and its performance relative to empirical experience of collisions by those species. (C) 2013 The Wildlife Society.

Keywords: bird; collision; model; risk; turbine; wind energy

Tags: Artsgruppe:Rovfugl, Effekt:Kollisjon, Effekt:Unnvikelse, Geografi:Annet, Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

The steady advances of computational methods make model-based optimization an increasingly attractive method for process improvement. Unfortunately, the available models are often inaccurate. The traditional remedy is to update the model parameters, but this generally leads to a difficult parameter estimation problem that must be solved on-line. In addition, the resulting model may not represent the plant well when there is structural mismatch between the two. The iterative optimization method called Modifier Adaptation overcomes these obstacles by directly incorporating plant measurements into the optimization framework, principally in the form of constraint values and cost and constraint gradients. However, the number of experiments required to estimate these gradients increases linearly with the number of process inputs, which tends to make the method intractable for processes with many inputs. This paper presents a new algorithm, called Directional Modifier Adaptation, that overcomes this limitation by only estimating the plant gradients in certain privileged input directions. It is proven that plant optimality with respect to these privileged directions can be guaranteed upon convergence. A novel, statistically optimal, gradient estimation technique is developed. The algorithm is illustrated through the simulation of a realistic airborne wind-energy system, a promising renewable energy technology that harnesses wind energy using large kites. It is shown that Directional Modifier Adaptation can optimize in real time the path followed by the kite. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Keywords: Real-Time Optimization; Optimization; Modifier Adaptation; Iterative set-point optimization; Optimal control; Uncertainty; BATCH PROCESSES; DYNAMIC OPTIMIZATION; ONLINE OPTIMIZATION; SYSTEM OPTIMIZATION; IMPLEMENTATION; CONSTRAINTS; REACTOR; DESIGN

Tags: Artsgruppe:Rovfugl, Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Annet, Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

During Fall 2005, Woodlot Alternatives, Inc. (Woodlot) conducted field surveys of bird and bat migration activity at the Deerfield Wind Project in Searsburg and Readsboro, Vermont. The surveys are part of the planning process by Deerfield Wind, LLC for a proposed wind project, which will include the erection of up to 20 to 30 wind turbines on mountain tops and ridge lines within the Green Mountain National Forest. Surveys included nighttime surveys of birds and bats using radar and bat echolocation detectors. The studies represent the third season of migration surveys undertaken by Deerfield Wind, LLC at this site. The results of the field surveys provide useful information about site-specific migration activity and patterns in the vicinity of the Deerfield Wind Project, especially when reviewed along with results of surveys conducted in Spring 2005 and Fall 2004 in the same vicinity. This analysis is a valuable tool for the assessment of risk to birds and bats during migration through the area.

Keywords: Document/Report

Tags: Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Annet, Habitat:Alpint, Habitat:Skog, Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

Vulture species worldwide play a key role in ecosystems as obligate scavengers, and several populations have had precipitous declines. Research on vulture health is critical to conservation efforts including free-living vultures and captive breeding programs, but is limited to date. In this systematic review, we determined the reported causes of free-living vulture species morbidity and mortality worldwide. The most commonly reported cause of mortality was from toxins (60%), especially lead and pesticides, followed by traumatic injury (49%), including collisions with urban infrastructure and gunshot. Neglected areas of research in free-living vulture health include infectious diseases (16%), endocrine and nutritional disorders (6%), and neoplasia (< 1%). Almost half of the studies included in the review were conducted in either Spain or the USA, with a paucity of studies conducted in South America and sub-Saharan Africa. The highest number of studies was on Griffon (Gyps fulvus) (24%) and Egyptian vultures (Neophron percnopterus) (19%), while half of all vulture species had five or fewer studies. Future investigations on free-living vulture health should focus on neglected areas of research, such as infectious diseases, and areas with gaps in the current literature, such as South America, sub-Saharan Africa, and under-studied vulture species.

Keywords: New World vultures; Old World vultures; Gyps species; Toxins; Trauma; Infectious diseases; BEARDED VULTURE; CALIFORNIA CONDORS; GYPAETUS-BARBATUS; MYCOPLASMA-COROGYPSI; RISK-ASSESSMENT; SOUTH-AFRICA; WIND-FARMS; WEST-NILE; DECLINE; BIRDS

Tags: Artsgruppe:Rovfugl, Effekt:Kollisjon, Geografi:Europa (uten Norden/Skandinavia), Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

The SEAKEYS (Sustained Ecological Research Related to Management of the Florida Keys Seascape) program is a research framework which encompasses the large geographic scale and long time scale of natural marine processes and ecosystem variation upon which human impact is superimposed. The need for interdisciplinary long-term research in coastal ecosystems is critical as we anticipate extraordinary resource management obligations and scientific opportunities in the next decade. The core of the program is six instrumented, satellite-linked monitoring stations which span the 220 mile-long coral reef tract and Florida Bay and which, since 1991, have documented the potential impact of summer heating, winter cold fronts, storms, and distant floods. Meso-scale physical oceanographic studies have documented the net flow of water from Florida Bay to Hawk Channel which provides a potential mechanism to link water quality in Florida Bay with the waters of Sanctuary. Water column and sediment nutrient studies have shown elevated nutrient levels in nearshore waters decreasing sharply to low levels near the offshore coral reef tract. There is a potential link of nearshore and offshore via a seaward deflection in the near-bottom flow. Regional nutrient dynamics are complicated by periodic upwelling driven by the Florida Current. A series of long-term photomosaic stations have tracked coral community dynamics for more than 5 years and have indicated a loss of over 40% in coral cover at some sites. This loss may be linked to declining water quality in Florida Bay. As a large marine ecosystem, the new Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary and adjoining parks and reserves must be studied and managed holistically if human use of the region is to be sustained.

Keywords: SOUTH FLORIDA; CORAL REEFS; CONSERVATION; UNCERTAINTY; COMMUNITIES; MORTALITY; STRESS; SEA; USA; BAY

Tags: Artsgruppe:Rovfugl, Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Annet, Habitat:Offshore, Stilling:Offshore, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

Until large numbers of bat fatalities began to be reported at certain North American wind energy facilities, wildlife concerns regarding wind energy focused primarily on bird fatalities. Due in part to mitigation to reduce bird fatalities, bat fatalities now outnumber those of birds. To test one mitigation option aimed at reducing bat fatalities at wind energy facilities, we altered the operational parameters of 21 turbines at a site with high bat fatalities in southwestern Alberta, Canada, during the peak fatality period. By altering when turbine rotors begin turning in low winds, either by changing the wind-speed trigger at which the turbine rotors are allowed to begin turning or by altering blade angles to reduce rotor speed, blades were near motionless in low wind speeds, which resulted in a significant reduction in bat fatalities (by 60.0% or 57.5%, respectively). Although these are promising mitigation techniques, further experiments are needed to assess costs and benefits at other locations. (JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT 73(7): 1077-1081; 2009)

Keywords: Alberta; bat fatality; bats; hoary bat; Lasionycteris noctivagans; Lasiurus cinereus; mitigation; silver-haired bat; wind energy; wind turbines; BIRD MORTALITY; NORTH-AMERICA; IMPACTS

Tags: Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Nordlige halvkule (uten Europa), Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

Quantifying and managing the potential adverse wildlife impacts of offshore wind energy is critical for developing offshore wind energy in a sustainable and timely manner, but poses a significant challenge, particularly for small marine birds that are difficult to monitor. We developed a discrete-time Markov model of seabird movement around a colony site parameterized by automated radio telemetry data from common terns (Sterna hirundo) and Arctic terns (S. paradisaea), and derived impact functions that estimate the probability of collision fatality as a function of the distance and bearing.of wind turbines from a colony. Our purpose was to develop and demonstrate a new, flexible tool that can be used for specific management and wind-energy planning applications when adequate data are available, rather than inform wind-energy development at this site. We demonstrate how the tool can be used 1) in marine spatial planning exercises to quantitatively identify setback distances under development scenarios given a risk threshold, 2) to examine the ecological and technical trade-offs of development alternatives to facilitate negotiation between objectives, and 3) in the U.S. National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process to estimate collision fatality under alternative scenarios. We discuss model limitations and data needs, and highlight opportunities for future model extension and development. We present a highly flexible tool for wind energy planning that can be easily extended to other central place foragers and data sources, and can be updated and improved as new monitoring data arises. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Keywords: Automated radio telemetry; Central-place foragers; Collision fatality; Impact function; Marine spatial planning; Renewable energy; BIRD MORTALITY; COMMON TERNS; FARMS; POWER; RISK; IMPACT; VULNERABILITY; AVOIDANCE; PROJECTS; TURBINES

Tags: Artsgruppe:Sjøfugl, Effekt:Unnvikelse, Geografi:Annet, Habitat:Offshore, Stilling:Offshore, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

Catching oceanic birds is challenging for researchers interested in studying migration and feeding dynamics. To address that challenge, we evaluated a new method for catching Wilson's Storm Petrels Oceanites oceanicus at sea. Using an extended butterfly net and a sweeping technique, we successfully captured 50 sub-adult and adult storm petrels offshore in the Northwest Atlantic with a 94% success rate. All were processed without sign of physical trauma or injury; 100% flew off in apparently good condition. This method provides a cost-effective and safe approach for the capture and study of small oceanic birds attracted to fish slicks.

Keywords: NA

Tags: Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Annet, Habitat:Offshore, Stilling:Offshore, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

Wind power is becoming an increasingly attractive method of electric power generation due to concerns with global climate change, increasing uncertainty of future oil supplies, and energy security. While most large-scale wind turbines are part of wind farms, which help states meet state renewable energy standards, several colleges and universities in the United States have purchased wind turbines for financial and educational purposes. This paper gives details of a cost-benefit analysis completed for a small liberal arts college in Illinois, Principia College, which is considering buying a single large-scale turbine. The process set forth here can easily be adapted to any college, university, or school. It is found that the project has a positive net present value for both a 20-year scenario and a 30-year scenario. Assuming the project did not receive any grants, Principia College would need to have an annual real return rate of about 6% on its initial investment to gain the same economic benefits.

Keywords: cost-benefit analysis; education; net-present value; renewable energy; wind power; RAPTORS; IMPACTS; FARMS

Tags: Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Nordlige halvkule (uten Europa), Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

Avian cholera, caused by the bacterium Pasteurella multocida, is an endemic disease globally, often causing annual epizootics in North American wild bird populations with thousands of mortalities. From December 2006 to March 2007, an avian cholera outbreak caused mortality in marine birds off the coast of Atlantic Canada, largely centered 300-400 km off the coast of the island of Newfoundland. Scavenging gulls (Larus spp.) were the primary species detected; however, mortality was also identified in Black-legged Kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla) and one Common Raven (Corvus corax), a nonmarine species. The most common gross necropsy findings in the birds with confirmed avian cholera were acute fibrinous and necrotizing lesions affecting the spleen, air sacs, and pericardium, and nonspecific hepatomegaly and splenomegaly. The etiologic agent, P. multocida serotype 1, was recovered from 77 of 136 carcasses examined, and confirmed or probable avian cholera was diagnosed in 85 cases. Mortality observed in scavenging gull species was disproportionately high relative to their abundance, particularly when compared to nonscavenging species. The presence of feather shafts in the ventricular lumen of the majority of larid carcasses diagnosed with avian cholera suggests scavenging of birds that died from avian cholera as a major mode of transmission. This documentation of an outbreak of avian cholera in a North American pelagic environment affecting primarily scavenging gulls indicates that offshore marine environments may be a component of avian cholera dynamics.

Keywords: Atlantic Canada; avian cholera; gulls; Laridae; Newfoundland; Pasteurella multocida; pelagic; scavenging; PASTEURELLA-MULTOCIDA; WATERFOWL; BIRDS; SEA; ANTARCTICA

Tags: Artsgruppe:Andre termikkflygere, Artsgruppe:Sjøfugl, Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Norden/Skandinavia (uten Norge), Geografi:Nordlige halvkule (uten Europa), Habitat:Kyst, Habitat:Offshore, Stilling:Offshore, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

Acoustic surveys are widely used for describing bat occurrence and activity patterns and are increasingly important for addressing concerns for habitat management, wind energy, and disease on bat populations. Designing these surveys presents unique challenges, particularly when a probabilistic sample is required for drawing inference to unsampled areas. Sampling frame errors and other logistical constraints often require survey sites to be dropped from the sample and new sites added. Maintaining spatial balance and representativeness of the sample when these changes are made can be problematic. Spatially balanced sampling designs recently developed to support aquatic surveys along rivers provide solutions to a number of practical challenges faced by bat researchers and allow for sample site additions and deletions, support unequal-probability selection of sites, and provide an approximately unbiased local neighborhood-weighted variance estimator that is efficient for spatially structured populations such as is typical for bats. We implemented a spatially balanced design to survey canyon bat (Parastrellus hesperus) activity along a stream network. The spatially balanced design accommodated typical logistical challenges and yielded a 25% smaller estimated standard error for the mean activity level than the usual simple random sampling estimator. Spatially balanced designs have broad application to bat research and monitoring programs and will improve studies relying on model-based inference (e. g., occupancy models) by providing flexibility and protection against violations of the independence assumption, even if design-based estimators are not used. Our approach is scalable and can be used for pre- and post-construction surveys along wind turbine arrays and for regional monitoring programs. (C) 2011 The Wildlife Society.

Keywords: bats; bat detectors; canyon bat; Chiroptera; monitoring; Parastrellus hesperus; probability-based survey; spatially balanced sampling; survey design; FIELD IDENTIFICATION; ECHOLOCATION CALLS; MYOTIS-LUCIFUGUS; DETECTORS; OCCUPANCY; VARIABILITY; RESOURCES; LANDSCAPE; HABITAT; BIRDS

Tags: Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Annet, Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

Wind energy development has expanded rapidly in the past decade, becoming a significant source of electricity, and a major element in a global strategy to reduce carbon emissions and the effects of climate change. Golden Eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) can collide with wind turbines, adding to the existing and substantial mortality from other anthropogenic sources. These collisions are a conservation concern, and they pose a legal risk to wind energy companies and potentially hamper development in areas where the range of Golden Eagle overlaps areas of high wind energy potential. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, through the revised Eagle Rule and the Eagle Conservation Plan Guidance, has designed a mitigation strategy for eagle conservation that allows wind energy companies to obtain incidental take permits. However, the strategy is challenged by a lack of data supporting scientifically rigorous strategies to mitigate eagle take, where mitigation is defined as efforts to avoid and minimize take, and compensate for unavoidable take. We review the steps and options a wind developer can consider to mitigate predicted eagle collisions with wind turbines consistent with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's revised Eagle Rule and Eagle Conservation Plan Guidance. Most of these options have limited or no scientific support and their effect on reducing risk of eagle collisions is unknown. We briefly describe approaches for evaluating technology intended to minimize eagle take and for developing options to offset unavoidable eagle take that are quantifiable and verifiable. Because estimates of Golden Eagle fatalities at many wind energy projects are low, research to evaluate mitigation measures needs to be coordinated and collaborative across multiple wind energy facilities to improve our ability to produce scientifically robust mitigation strategies. The impetus for these efforts is improving implementation and compliance with the revised Eagle Rule, but the results have benefits beyond Golden Eagles, for raptors and their ecological communities.

Keywords: Golden Eagle; Aquila chrysaetos; mitigation; mortality; take, wind energy; LEAD; PREY

Tags: Artsgruppe:Rovfugl, Effekt:Kollisjon, Effekt:Unnvikelse, Geografi:Annet, Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Ja

Literature relating to offshore wind energy generation is produced at a significant rate as research efforts are diverted to the emerging area of future clean energy. This paper presents an overview of recent research in the specific area of floating offshore structure design for wind energy. Earlier literature has broadly grouped these platforms into three categories based on their source of stability: (1) ballast stabilized (low center of gravity), e.g., spar, (2) mooring stabilized, e.g., tension leg platform, and (3) buoyancy or water-plane stabilized, e.g., semisubmersible. These concepts were modifications of similar structures used in the offshore oil and gas industry. Recent papers have presented further improvements to these designs, including active ballasting and control systems. These are examined for stability and global performance behavior and ease of operability and maintenance. The paper also attempts to examine efforts to bring such concepts to fruition. This paper sets the stage for other papers in the Special Session on University of Maine/DeepCWind Consortium within the Offshore Renewable Energy Symposium at OMAE 2012, which are archived in the special section of the Journal of Offshore Mechanics and Arctic Engineering.

Keywords: Document/Journal Article

Tags: Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Annet, Habitat:Offshore, Stilling:Offshore, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

Large-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) plants play an essential role in providing the increasing demand for energy in recent time. Therefore, in the purpose of achieving the highest harvested power under the partial shading conditions as well as protecting the PV array from the hot-spot calamity, the PV reconfiguration strategy is established as an efficient procedure. This is performed by redistribution of PV modules according to their levels of shading. Motivated by this, the authors in this article have introduced a novel population-based algorithm that is known as marine predators algorithm (MPA) to restructure the PV array dynamically. Moreover, a novel objective function is introduced to enhance the algorithm performance rather than utilizing the regular weighted objective function in the literature. The effectiveness of the proposed algorithms based on the novel objective function is evaluated using several metrics such as fill factor, mismatch losses, percentage of power loss, and percentage of power enhancement. Besides, the obtained results are compared with a regular total-cross-tied (TCT) connection, manta ray foraging optimization (MRFO), harris hawk optimizer (HHO) and particle swarm optimizer (PSO) based reconfiguration techniques. Furthermore, to demonstrate the suitability of the proposed methods, large scale PV arrays of 16 x 16 and 25 x 25 are considered and evaluated. The results reveal that MPA enhanced the PV array power by percentage of 28.6 %, 2.7 % and 5.7 % in cases of 9 x 9, 16 x 16 and 25 x 25 PV arrays, respectively. The comprehensive comparisons endorse that MPA shows a successful shade dispersion; hence the number of multiple peaks in the PV characteristics has reduced, and high values of power have been harvested with least mean execution time in comparison with PSO, HHO and MRFO. Moreover, the Wilcoxon signed-rank test has been accomplished to confirm the reliability and applicability of the proposed approach for the PV large scale arrays as well.

Keywords: Integrated circuit modeling; Linear programming; Heuristic algorithms; Optimization; Maximum power point trackers; Switches; Renewable energy; energy efficiency; PV reconfiguration; partial shading; marine predators algorithm; partial shading; optimization; MAXIMUM POWER EXTRACTION; MISMATCH LOSSES; POINT TRACKING; SCHEME; CONFIGURATIONS; ENHANCEMENT; GENERATION; OPTIMIZER; MODULES; UNIFORM

Tags: Artsgruppe:Rovfugl, Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Annet, Habitat:Offshore, Stilling:Offshore, Virkninger omtalt:Ja

The world is full of anthropogenic obstacles and ecological traps for wildlife but we rarely consider the possible ecological impacts on individual animals or regional ecosystems into account as designs are implemented. This research studies the impacts of electric transmission towers and wind turbines on animal casualties and behaviors. Within a one-year period, ecological surveys were conducted in areas adjacent to the Taichung Power Plant in Taiwan to analyze the interactions between the two facilities and avian collisions. Complete mechanisms of towerkill and wind-turbine kill are yet to be found, but the bird carcasses were all found next to waters especially the freshwater bodies. This high correlation may generate the conclusion that manmade structures close to water bodies are the most dangerous to birds. This conclusion may be very valuable for engineers in sitting the locations of the electric transmission towers and wind turbines..

Keywords: electric transmission tower; ecological conservation; wind farm; avian collision; Taiwan; COMMUNICATION TOWERS; COLLISIONS; MIGRATION; LIGHTS

Tags: Effekt:Kollisjon, Geografi:Annet, Habitat:Generelt, Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

The design of a prototype to carry out takeoff and flight tests with tethered aircrafts is presented. The system features a ground station equipped with a winch and a linear motion system. The motion of these two components is regulated by an automatic control system, whose goal is to accelerate a tethered aircraft to takeoff speed using the linear motion system, while reeling out the tether from the winch with low pulling force and avoiding entanglement. The mechanical, electrical, measurement, and control aspects of the prototype are described in detail. Experimental results with a manually piloted aircraft are presented, showing a good match with previous theoretical findings.

Keywords: Airborne wind energy (AWE); autonomous flight; autonomous takeoff; high-altitude wind energy; tethered aircraft; unmanned aerial vehicle; wind energy; DESIGN; FLIGHT; KITE; CYCLES; SYSTEM; MODEL

Tags: Artsgruppe:Rovfugl, Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Annet, Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

The Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA), almost a century old, incites disagreement between conservationists, wind energy developers, and the courts. The MBTA protects over 800 bird species but unlike other conservation laws, the MBTA and its regulations do not provide for "incidental takes" (an unintentionally caused bird death or injury). In the absence of an incidental take permitting program, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) developed the voluntary Land-Based Wind Energy Guidelines to reduce wind energy impacts on migratory birds. A circuit court split exists on whether a wind energy developer violates the MBTA when a bird is killed or injured during an otherwise lawful activity. The current situation is flawed. This article presents a solution that benefits both birds and wind energy development. FWS should use its "special purpose permit" to require commercial actors to engage in thoughtful pre-construction siting and mitigation in exchange for incidental takes.

Keywords: NA

Tags: Effekt:Kollisjon, Geografi:Annet, Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

During Spring 2005, Woodlot Alternatives, Inc. (Woodlot) conducted field surveys of bird and bat migration activity in Clayton, New York. The surveys are part of the planning process by PPM Atlantic Renewable for a proposed wind project. Surveys included daytime surveys of migrating raptors, visual observations of waterfowl and other bird movements at dusk and dawn, and nighttime surveys of birds and bats using radar and bat echolocation detectors. The results of the field surveys provide useful information about site-specific migration activity and patterns in the vicinity of the Clayton project area. This analysis is a valuable tool for the assessment of risk to birds and bats during migration through the area. Raptor Migration - Spring 2005 The spring field surveys included 10 days of visual observation between March 30 and May 7, 2005. A total of 700 raptors, representing 14 species, were observed during the surveys. Approximately 61 percent of the raptors observed were flying less than 150 meters (m) (492') above the ground. Bird Migration - Spring 2005 The spring field survey included 36 nights of radar surveys to collect 1-minute video samples in horizontal operation, which documents the abundance, flight path and speed of avian targets moving through the project area, and 10-minute samples in vertical operation, which documents the altitude of targets. A total of 2,778 one-minute horizontal radar video samples, including 53,134 targets, were analyzed to determine passage rate and flight direction. Nightly passage rates varied from 71 + 14 t/km/hr to 1,769 + 87 t/km/hr, with the overall passage rate for the entire survey period at 450 + 62 t/km/hr. Mean flight direction through the project area was 30 degrees + 53 degrees. A total of 226 ten-minute radar video samples, including 12,727 targets, were analyzed to determine flight altitude. The mean flight height of all targets was 443 m + 38 m (1,453' + 125') above the radar site. The average nightly flight height ranged from 199 m + 8 m (653' + 26') to 753 m + 36 m (2,470' + 118'). The percent of targets observed flying below 150 m (492') also varied by night, from 2 to 42 percent. The seasonal average percentage of targets flying below 150 m was 14 percent. The mean flight direction, qualitative analysis of the surrounding topography and landscape, and mean flight altitude of targets passing over the project area indicates that avian migration in this area involves a broad front type of landscape movement. This type of broad front movement, particularly in conjunction with the high-elevation passage levels, demonstrates a limited avian mortality risk during spring migration. Additionally, the flight height of targets indicates that the vast majority of bird migration in the area occurs well above the height of the proposed wind turbines. Bat Migration - Spring 2005 The fall field survey included deployment of 1 to 2 Anabat II detectors on 42 separate nights, yielding a total of 78 detector-nights. Sampling occurred from April 20 to May 30. On nights when only one detector was operated, the detector was deployed at a height of approximately 20 m (66') in a meteorological measurement tower (met tower). On nights when two detectors were operating simultaneously, the second detector was deployed at a height of approximately 15 m (49') from the same tower. The detectors were set to collect data from 7:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m., which meant that sampling occurred from before sunset to after sunrise on each night of sampling. A total of 67 bat call sequences were recorded during the spring survey period. Calls were detected throughout the sampling period, with the greatest number of calls per night (15 calls) occurring on May 6. Due to the relatively low numbers of calls detected, hourly passage rates were not calculated. In general, most bat call sequences were detected between sunset and midnight. When possible, recorded bat calls were identified to species, genus (in the case of Myotis), or as "unknown," based upon the shape of the call sequence, the slope, and the maximum and minimum frequencies. Recorded calls were compared to reference libraries of known calls created using the same equipment. Of the 67 calls recorded at Clayton, 27 were identified as big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus), 18 as silver-haired bats (Lasiurus noctivagans), 12 as Myotis sp., and 1 as a hoary bat (Lasiurus cinereus). Nine were classified as unknown, due to lack of sufficient material on which to base an identification.

Keywords: Document/Report

Tags: Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Annet, Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

The production of shale gas and oil is associated with the generation of substantial amounts of wastewater. With the growing emphasis on sustainable development, the energy sector has been intensifying efforts to manage water resources while diversifying the energy portfolio used in treating wastewater to include fossil and renewable energy. The nexus of water and energy introduces complexity in the optimization of the water management systems. Furthermore, the uncertainty in the data for energy (e.g., solar intensity) and cost (e.g., price fluctuation) introduce additional complexities. The objective of this work is to develop a novel framework for the optimizing wastewater treatment and water-management systems in shale gas production while incorporating fossil and solar energy and accounting for uncertainties. Solar energy is utilized via collection, recovery, storage, and dispatch of heat. Heat integration with an adjacent industrial facility is considered. Additionally, electric power production is intended to supply a reverse osmosis (RO) plant and the local electric grid. The optimization problem is formulated as a multi-scenario mixed integer non-linear programming (MINLP) problem that is a deterministic equivalent of a two-stage stochastic programming model for handling uncertainty in operational conditions through a finite set of scenarios. The results show the capability of the system to address water-energy nexus problems in shale gas production based on the system's economic and environmental merits. A case study for Eagle Ford Basin in Texas is solved by enabling effective water treatment and energy management strategies to attain the maximum annual profit of the entire system while achieving minimum environmental impact.

Keywords: process integration; stochastic optimization; renewable energy; desalination; cogeneration; sustainability; environment; TECHNOECONOMIC ASSESSMENT; MULTIEFFECT DISTILLATION; DISCRETE APPROXIMATIONS; 3-POINT APPROXIMATIONS; COGENERATION SYSTEMS; GLOBAL OPTIMIZATION; CONCEPTUAL DESIGN; GAS MONETIZATION; NATURAL-GAS; POWER

Tags: Artsgruppe:Rovfugl, Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Annet, Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

Human error remains a major cause of several accidents in the oil and gas (O&G) industry. While human error has been analysed in several industries and has been at the centre of many debates and commentaries, a detailed, systematic and comprehensive analysis of human error in the O&G industry has not yet been conducted. Hence, this report aims to use the Technique for Retrospective and Predictive Analysis of Cognitive Errors (TRACEr) to analyse historical accidents in the O&G industry. The study has reviewed 163 major and/or fatal O&G industry accidents that occurred between 2000 and 2014. The results obtained have shown that the predominant context for errors was internal communication, mostly influenced by factors of perception. Major accident events were crane accidents and falling objects, relating to the most dominant accident type: 'Struck by'. The main actors in these events were drillers and operators. Generally, TRACEr proved very useful in identifying major task errors. However, the taxonomy was less useful in identifying both equipment errors and errors due to failures in safety critical control barriers and recovery measures. Therefore, a modified version of the tool named Technique for the Retrospective and Predictive Analysis of Cognitive Errors for the Oil and Gas Industry (TRACEr-OGI) was proposed and used. This modified analytical tool was consequently found to be more effective for accident analysis in the O&G industry.

Keywords: TRACEr; human error; task error; accident investigation; offshore oil; gas; RAILWAY ACCIDENTS; OFFSHORE OIL; SAFETY; CLASSIFICATION; MANAGEMENT; TOOL

Tags: Artsgruppe:Andre termikkflygere, Effekt:Kollisjon, Geografi:Annet, Habitat:Offshore, Stilling:Offshore, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

Wind farm development can combat climate change but may also threaten bird populations' persistence through collision with wind turbine blades if such development is improperly planned strategically and cumulatively. Such improper planning may often occur. Numerous wind farms are planned in a region hosting the only cinereous vulture population in southeastern Europe. We combined range use modelling and a Collision Risk Model (CRM) to predict the cumulative collision mortality for cinereous vulture under all operating and proposed wind farms. Four different vulture avoidance rates were considered in the CRM. Cumulative collision mortality was expected to be eight to ten times greater in the future (proposed and operating wind farms) than currently (operating wind farms), equivalent to 44% of the current population (103 individuals) if all proposals are authorized (2744 MW). Even under the most optimistic scenario whereby authorized proposals will not collectively exceed the national target for wind harnessing in the study area (960 MW), cumulative collision mortality would still be high (17% of current population) and likely lead to population extinction. Under any wind farm proposal scenario, over 92% of expected deaths would occur in the core area of the population, further implying inadequate spatial planning and implementation of relevant European legislation with scant regard for governmental obligations to protect key species. On the basis of a sensitivity map we derive a spatially explicit solution that could meet the national target of wind harnessing with a minimum conservation cost of less than 1% population loss providing that the population mortality (5.2%) caused by the operating wind farms in the core area would be totally mitigated. Under other scenarios, the vulture population would probably be at serious risk of extinction. Our 'win-win' approach is appropriate to other potential conflicts where wind farms may cumulatively threaten wildlife populations.

Keywords: EURASIAN BLACK VULTURE; NATIONAL-PARK; CONSERVATION; MORTALITY; POPULATION; FATALITIES; BEHAVIOR; ENERGY; THRACE; RATES

Tags: Artsgruppe:Rovfugl, Effekt:Unnvikelse, Geografi:Europa (uten Norden/Skandinavia), Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

Located at the shortest overland route between the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific Ocean, Mexico's Tehuantepec Isthmus is a globally important migratory corridor for many terrestrial bird species. The Pacific coast of the Isthmus also contains a significant wetland complex that supports large multi-species aggregations of non-breeding waterbirds during the boreal winter. In recent years, extensive wind energy development has occurred in the plains bordering these wetlands, directly along the migratory flyway. Using recent studies of movement patterns of three marine-associated bird species - reddish egrets Egretta rufescens, brown pelicans Pelecanus occidentalis, and red knots Calidris canutus - from the northern Gulf of Mexico, we assess the use of the isthmus as a migratory corridor. Our data provide evidence that marine birds from the Gulf region regularly overwinter along the Pacific coast of Mexico and use the isthmus as a migratory corridor, creating the potential for interaction with terrestrial wind farms during non-breeding. This study is the first to describe migration by marine-associated bird species between the Gulf of Mexico and Pacific coast. These data contribute new information toward ongoing efforts to understand the complex migration patterns of mobile marine species, with the goal of informing integrated conservation efforts for species whose year-round habitat needs cross ecoregional and geopolitical boundaries.

Keywords: LONG-DISTANCE MIGRATION; FARMS; TEHUANTEPEC; BARRIERS; TRACKING; GEOLOCATION; POPULATIONS; EVOLUTION; ACCURACY; IMPACTS

Tags: Artsgruppe:Vadefugl, Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Annet, Habitat:Generelt, Habitat:Kyst, Habitat:Offshore, Stilling:Offshore, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

In a recent paper, Smallwood et al. (2010) conducted a study to compare their novel approach to conducting carcass removal trials with what they term the conventional approach and to evaluate the effects of the different methods on estimated avian fatality at a wind power facility in California. A quick glance at Table 3 that succinctly summarizes their results and provides estimated fatality rates and 80% confidence intervals calculated using the 2 methods reveals a surprising result. The confidence intervals of all of their estimates and most of the conventional estimates extend below 0. These results imply that wind turbines may have the capacity to create live birds. But a more likely interpretation is that a serious error occurred in the calculation of either the average fatality rate or its standard error or both. Further evaluation of their methods reveals that the scientific basis for concluding that many estimates of scavenger removal rates prior to [their] study were likely biased low due to scavenger swamping and previously reported estimates of avian fatality rates ... should be adjusted upwards was not evident in their analysis and results. Their comparison to conventional approaches was not applicable, their statistical models were questionable, and the conclusions they drew were unsupported. (C) 2013 The Wildlife Society.

Keywords: bias; carcass persistence; detectability; fatality monitoring; predator swamping; wind power

Tags: Effekt:Kollisjon, Geografi:Annet, Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

Birds pose a serious risk to flight safety worldwide. A Bird Avoidance Model (BAM) is being developed in the Netherlands to reduce the risk of bird-aircraft collisions. In order to develop a temporally and spatially dynamic model of bird densities, data are needed on the flight-altitude distribution of birds and how this is influenced by weather. This study focuses on the dynamics of flight altitudes of several species of birds during local flights over land in relation to meteorological conditions. We measured flight altitudes of several species in the southeastern Netherlands using tracking radar during spring and summer 2000. Representatives of different flight strategy groups included four species: a soaring species (buzzard Buteo buteo), an obligatory aerial forager (swift Apus apus), a flapping and gliding species (black-headed gull Larus ridibundus), and a flapping species (starling Sturnus vulgaris). Maximum flight altitudes varied among species, during the day and among days. Weather significantly influenced the flight altitudes of all species studied. Factors such as temperature, relative humidity, atmospheric instability, cloud cover, and sea level pressure were related to flight altitudes. Different combinations of factors explained 40%-70% of the variance in maximum flight altitudes. Weather affected flight strategy groups differently. Compared to flapping species, buzzards and swifts showed stronger variations in maximum daily altitude and flew higher under conditions reflecting stronger thermal convection. The dynamic vertical distributions of birds are important for risk assessment and mitigation measures in flight safety as well as wind turbine studies.

Keywords: BEHAVIOR; MIGRATION; RADAR; THERMALS; PERFORMANCE; CONVECTION; MIGRANTS; SWIFTS; AUTUMN; TIMES

Tags: Artsgruppe:Generelt, Artsgruppe:Sjøfugl, Effekt:Kollisjon, Effekt:Unnvikelse, Geografi:Europa (uten Norden/Skandinavia), Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

Increasing demand From the consumer for higher levels of refinement from their passenger vehicles has put considerable pressure on the automotive industry to produce ever quieter cars. In order to prevent the occurrence of many forms of brake noise, especially judder and drone, excessive heating of the brake disc must he avoided, while minimizing ternperature variations across the rotor. In order for this to he achieved the brake rotor must be designed such that it ensures sufficient Uniform heat dissipation and thermal capacity. In high-demand braking applications, vented discs consisting of two rubbing surfaces separated by straight radial vanes are normally employed, as they Utilize a greater surface area to dissipate heat. Within this paper the effects of changing the, geometry of the first row of pins on aerothermodynamic properties of a pin-vented brake rotor are investigated using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). The validated CFD model shows that decreasing the thickness of the first row of pins by 10 per cent improves the mass flowrate through the rotor by 14 per cent and the heat transfer rate by 6 per cent. The results obtained can be Used for the design of brake discs which are efficient with respect to heat dissipation.

Keywords: brake disc; heat transfer; CFD

Tags: Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Annet, Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Ja

As offshore wind energy development is planned in the United States, there is an increasing need for pre- and post-construction monitoring plans to be focused on species determined to be most vulnerable to hazards of a specific project. We propose a conceptual model that incorporates biological and sociological parameters. Specifically, we suggest that demographic, ethological/biological, and population sensitivity be considered with legal protection, economic importance, and/or stakeholder interest. We recommend that vulnerability determinations include qualitative and quantitative methods.

Keywords: offshore wind energy development; vulnerability; wildlife; EXPERT JUDGMENT; FARMS; PROJECTS; FISHES; IMPACT; BIRDS; RISK

Tags: Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Annet, Habitat:Offshore, Stilling:Offshore, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

Billions of animals cross the globe each year during seasonal migrations, but efforts to monitor them are hampered by the unpredictability of their movements. We developed a bird migration forecast system at a continental scale by leveraging 23 years of spring observations to identify associations between atmospheric conditions and bird migration intensity. Our models explained up to 81% of variation in migration intensity across the United States at altitudes of 0 to 3000 meters, and performance remained high in forecasting events 1 to 7 days in advance (62 to 76% of variation was explained). Avian migratory movements across the United States likely exceed 500 million individuals per night during peak passage. Bird migration forecasts will reduce collisions with buildings, airplanes, and wind turbines; inform a variety of monitoring efforts; and engage the public.

Keywords: WEATHER; INTENSITY; MIGRANTS; SAFETY; RADARS; LIGHT; WIND

Tags: Effekt:Kollisjon, Geografi:Annet, Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

Developing tools to predict the location of new biological invasions is essential if exotic species are to be controlled before they become widespread. Currently, alpine areas in Australia are largely free of exotic plant species but face increasing pressure from invasive species due to global warming and intensified human use. To predict the potential spread of highly invasive orange hawkweed (Hieracium aurantiacum) from existing founder populations on the Bogong High Plains in southern Australia, we developed an expert-based, spatially explicit, dispersal-constrained, habitat suitability model. The model combines a habitat suitability index, developed from disturbance, site wetness, and vegetation community parameters, with a phenomenological dispersal kernel that uses wind direction and observed dispersal distances. After generating risk maps that defined the relative suitability of H. aurantiacum establishment across the study area, we intensively searched several locations to evaluate the model. The highest relative suitability for H. aurantiacum establishment was southeast from the initial infestations. Native tussock grasslands and disturbed areas had high suitability for H. aurantiacum establishment. Extensive field searches failed to detect new populations. Time-step evaluation using the location of populations known in 1998-2000, accurately assigned high relative suitability for locations where H. aurantiacum had established post-2003 (AUC [area under curve] = 0.855+/-0.035). This suggests our model has good predictive power and will improve the ability to detect populations and prioritize areas for ongoing monitoring.

Keywords: Australia; dispersal; habitat suitability index; Hieracium aurantiacum; orange hawkweed; plant invasion; risk assessment; spatial model; species distribution; BOGONG HIGH-PLAINS; LONG-DISTANCE DISPERSAL; PLANT INVASIONS; SEED DISPERSAL; NATIONAL-PARK; GRASSLAND COMMUNITIES; TUSSOCK GRASSLANDS; HIERACIUM; ERADICATION; HEATHLAND

Tags: Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Annet, Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

We used wooden blocks to estimate the proportion of oiled seabird carcasses that were likely to be recovered on beaches of St Paul Island, Alaska following a near-shore oil spill. We released a total of 302 blocks 6 km north of the island in 1997 at the site of a 17 II 1996 oil spill. We used a paired design and released half the blocks when the winds were onshore and released the second half when the winds were offshore. We systematically searched beaches after the second release to recover blocks. We recovered 93 of 152 (61%) blocks released when winds were onshore but only 1 of 150 (0.7%) blocks released when winds were offshore, Given that winds following the 1996 spill were offshore, we conclude that most birds killed at sea following the 1996 spill were likely not recovered on beaches. (C) 1998 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Keywords: SPILL

Tags: Artsgruppe:Sjøfugl, Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Norden/Skandinavia (uten Norge), Habitat:Offshore, Stilling:Offshore, Stilling:Onshore, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

Micro Air Vehicles (MAVs) are person-portable platforms, which due to their small size and corresponding manoeuvrability show great potential for surveillance in urban environments. Achieving useful endurance using on-board electric power plants remains challenging despite rapid advances in battery energy storage density. This paper examines experimentally the feasibility of using orographic 'slope' lift in urban built environments to enhance the operational capability of MAV platforms by increasing range and endurance. A representative building in an urban environment was selected for investigation. The flow-field velocity in the upwind region of a 1:100 scale model of this building was mapped in a wind-tunnel with a reproduced vertical velocity profile. The vertical velocity component was found to be in the order of 15%-50% of the mean wind velocity at building height. These results were compared with data measured on the full-size building and found to agree well. The sink-rate of a soaring MAV was measured through flight-testing and found to be less than the available vertical velocity component in the upstream flow field for average wind speeds which indicates that soaring is feasible, provided that controllability challenges in high-turbulence environments can be overcome. Crown Copyright (C) 2012 Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Keywords: Micro air vehicle (MAV); Unmanned air vehicle (UAV); Urban soaring; Building; Orographic lift; Range; Endurance; Flow topology; FLOW; DISPERSION

Tags: Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Annet, Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

The ivory gull Pagophila eburnea is an Arctic seabird species whose distribution is tightly coupled to the availability of sea ice. During the last decades, strong declines have been reported for breeding colonies in Canada and Greenland, which are usually located on nunataks or remote coastal islands. Here, we report the observation of a colony of ivory gulls breeding on a gravel-covered iceberg 70 km off Northeast Greenland in August 2014. It concerned approximately 60 adults, including two ringed individuals, and many chicks. This represents an unusual breeding site for the species, to be compared with a few cases of colonies on gravel-covered sea ice. Breeding on an offshore iceberg may be advantageous since it provides ultimate protection from predators. Furthermore, the proximity to the productive North East Water polynya may have been attractive to these gulls. As a consequence of this and previous observations, colony surveys should not solely focus on inland and coastal breeding habitats, but should be extended towards the ocean.

Keywords: Ivory gull; Breeding colony; Iceberg; Ice-rafted gravel; East Greenland Shelf; AUKS ALLE-ALLE; WATER POLYNYA; ARCTIC CANADA; FRAM STRAIT; SEA; DECLINES

Tags: Artsgruppe:Sjøfugl, Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Nordlige halvkule (uten Europa), Habitat:Offshore, Stilling:Offshore, Stilling:Onshore, Virkninger omtalt:Ja

In India, favorable renewable energy policies have resulted in a higher proportion of renewable energy in the system. However, this led to the lower capacity utilization factor of thermal power stations. Any additional burden on thermal stations by enforcing higher ramp rates during peak hours would seriously affect technically as well as economically. In this regard, further renewable additions must be supported by energy storage systems to meet the ramping requirements. Waste-to-energy (WtE) plants play a crucial role in improving grid resilience in a high-renewable energy scenario to support expensive battery energy storage systems. In this article, the potential of WtE is assessed for a smart city in India, selected based on the possible urban and industrial growth, along with three other renewable energy technologies such as floating solar, bifacial rooftops solar, and wind energy conversion systems. The selected location has a total renewable energy potential of 439 MW. To achieve the municipality's techno-economic objectives, a multiobjective-enabled adaptive local attractor-based quantum-behaved particle swarm optimization (ALA-mQPSO) is proposed with mutation. With the proposed ALA-mQPSO, Pareto optimal sets of the hybrid renewable energy sources aided by the combination of battery energy storage system and WtE plant is achieved. The Pareto fronts are then compared with the benchmark techniques such as differential evolution along with the recently proposed multiobjective golden eagle optimizer algorithm. The results show that with the addition of the WtE plant, the grid can provide greater reliability for an optimal set of BESS and HRES. The obtained optimal configuration resulted in a levelized cost of $0.0539 along with just 0.049% of loss of power supply probability and 0.048 cycle loss of BESS, and when compared with similar works from the literature, the results proved to be superior and realistic.

Keywords: battery energy storage system; hybrid renewable energy sources; multiobjective optimization; ramping rate limitations; waste to energy plant; FLOATING PHOTOVOLTAIC PLANTS; PARTICLE SWARM OPTIMIZATION; ENERGY-STORAGE SYSTEM; BATTERY; DESIGN; WASTE; COST

Tags: Artsgruppe:Rovfugl, Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Annet, Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

Among the possible solutions to a sustainable future is to limit the consumption of non-renewable resources and to minimize waste and its associated releases. Using supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) in concrete constitutes environmental, societal and economic benefits towards the sustainability goal. Similar to the commonly used fly ash, rice husk ash (RHA) is a highly-reactive pozzolanic material, and can replace up to 30% of portland cement in concrete mix designs. In the United States, concrete with RHA is still a niche product. In recent years, fly ash supply has declined due to decreasing coal use, general economic stagnation, and regulatory uncertainties despite the increase in its utilization in concrete products. However, RHA has the potential to meet the demand from decreasing fly ash supplies. The focus of this study is to analyze the performance of ternary- and quaternary-RHA blend concrete mixes in terms of their durability, mechanical properties, and global warming potential (GWP) and criteria air pollutants. A life-cycle assessment (LCA) approach has been conducted for the quantification of environmental impacts. Results have shown that ternary and quaternary concrete mixes with RHA and fly ash resulted in lower GVVP while improving the durability of mixes without compromising design strength. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Keywords: Solid waste; Greenconcrete; Life-cycle assessment; Global warming potential; Durability; BLAST-FURNACE SLAG; PERFORMANCE; STRENGTH

Tags: Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Annet, Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

Wind energy development is advancing rapidly, but the potential ramifications of this growth on wildlife, particularly birds and bats, are not fully understood. Wind energy development may affect raptor (birds of prey) populations indirectly by displacing them from their previously occupied habitat; however, there are limited empirical data demonstrating this effect. We performed long-term raptor surveys at a wind farm previously implicated in the displacement of resident raptors and found that the duration of displacement varied among raptor species. Abundances of turkey vultures (Cathartes aura), red-tailed hawks (Buteo jamaicensis), and accipiters (sharp-shinned hawks [Accipiter striatus] and Cooper's hawks [Accipiter cooperii] combined) all rebounded in years 7 and 8 of wind farm operation, while the apparent displacement of northern harriers (Circus hudsonius) and American kestrels (Falco sparverius) persisted across all post-construction monitoring periods. Our long-term assessment indicates not only that wind farm construction and operation may displace raptors but also that these impacts can diminish over time for certain species. This finding underscores the importance of assessing potential impacts over the operational life of a given wind farm and the need for long-term monitoring to validate predicted impacts, particularly for raptor communities.

Keywords: BIRD MORTALITY; IMPACTS

Tags: Artsgruppe:Hønsefugl, Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Nordlige halvkule (uten Europa), Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Ja

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.

Keywords: NA

Tags: Effekt:Kollisjon, Geografi:Annet, Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

Human-caused noise pollution dominates the soundscape of modern ecosystems, from urban centres to national parks. Although wildlife can generally alter their communication to accommodate many types of natural noise (e.g. wind, wave action, heterospecific communication), noise pollution from anthropogenic sources pushes the limits of wildlife communication flexibility by causing loud, low-pitched and near-continuous interference. Because responses to noise pollution are variable and taxa specific, multi-species risk assessments and mitigation are not currently possible. We conducted a meta-analysis to synthesize noise pollution effects on terrestrial wildlife communication. Specifically, we assessed: (a) the impacts of noise pollution on modulation of call rate, duration, amplitude and frequency (including peak, minimum and maximum frequency); and (b) the literature on anthropogenic noise pollution by region, taxa, study design and disturbance type. Terrestrial wildlife (results driven by avian studies) generally respond to noise pollution by calling with higher minimum frequencies, while they generally do not alter the amplitude, maximum frequency, peak frequency, duration and rate of calling. The literature on noise pollution research is biased towards birds, population-level studies, urban noise sources and study systems in North America. Synthesis and applications. Our study reveals the ways in which wildlife can alter their signals to contend with anthropogenic noise, and discusses the potential fitness and management consequences of these signal alterations. This information, combined with an identification of current research needs, will allow researchers and managers to better develop noise pollution risk assessment protocols and prioritize mitigation efforts to reduce anthropogenic noise.

Keywords: acoustic masking; anthropogenic sound; global change; sound pollution; soundscapes; wildlife communication

Tags: Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Nordlige halvkule (uten Europa), Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

In this paper, we describe spatial variation in the demography of the Song Sparrow Melospiza melodia. Long-term population studies of birds have generally considered only single sites in optimal habitat, but recent theory has shown the value of taking spatial variation in population dynamics into account. In this theory, collections of local populations in habitat patches connected by dispersal are defined as metapopulations. We review metapopulation models briefly and then use these ideas in a study of the Song Sparrow. Sparrows were studied on islands of varying size and degree of isolation from the North American continent. For analysis, these islands are grouped into three areas. Sparrows on the isolated Mandarte Island usually reproduced and survived well over 17 years but suffered from catastrophic mortality in some winters. After such events, the population recovered quickly without much immigration. Sparrows on smaller islets near Mandarte also survived and reproduced well during 4 years, and they did not experience severe mortality in a winter in which those on Mandarte declined by over 90%. These small islets frequently exchanged first year birds, but only one yearling bird moved between the small islets and the more isolated Mandarte. Sparrows at one of two sites on the larger Westham Island, near the continental mainland, survived less well than on the small offshore islands. Reproduction on Westham Island was poor because of frequent nest failure and high levels of brood parasitism by Brown-headed Cowbirds Molothrus ater. Despite this poor reproduction and survival, the Westham population remained stable as a result of immigration. We interpret the dynamics of these sparrow populations in terms of H.R. Pulliam's source-sink metapopulation model.

Keywords: INTRASEXUAL COMPETITION; MATING SYSTEM; DYNAMICS; CONSEQUENCES; PERSISTENCE; EXTINCTION; STABILITY; FLOATERS; DENSITY; FOOD

Tags: Artsgruppe:Spurvefugl, Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Norden/Skandinavia (uten Norge), Geografi:Nordlige halvkule (uten Europa), Habitat:Offshore, Stilling:Offshore, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

This paper includes a comparison of earlier presented models for torque losses in hydraulic motors and several proposed models that all rely on data typically available for a system engineer. The new models and the old ones are compared. The new models are all based on a model developed by Jeong Jeong (2007);Jeong and Kim (2007) with an expansion that include variable displacement. All of the new models yield very good accuracy down to approximately 50% of maximum displacement and down to approximately 15% of maximum speed. In these operational ranges the deviation in torque is less than 1%. The main purpose of the new models is to facilitate simulations of hydraulically actuated winches with a balance between accuracy and model complexity. This purpose is considered fulfilled with several of the proposed models.

Keywords: Hydraulics; torque loss; axial piston motor; winch drive; offshore knuckle boom cranes; Bosch Rexroth; PHYSICAL DIMENSIONS; PERFORMANCE-MODEL

Tags: Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Annet, Habitat:Offshore, Stilling:Offshore, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

Wind energy is of increasing importance for a sustainable energy supply worldwide. At the same time, concerns about the number of birds and bats being killed at wind turbines have been growing. In this situation, methods for a reliable estimation of bird and bat fatality numbers are needed. To obtain an unbiased estimate of the number of fatalities from fatality searches, the probability to detect the carcass of an animal being killed at a turbine has to be assessed by considering carcass persistence rate, searcher efficiency and the probability that a killed animal falls into a searched area. Here, we describe a new formula to determine the detection probability of birds or bats that are killed at wind turbines and which can estimate the number of fatalities from the number of carcasses found. The formula was developed to analyse a large data set of bats killed at wind turbines in Germany. In simulations, we compared it to three other formulas used in this context. Our new formula seems to have unbiased results when searcher efficiency and carcass removal rate are constant over time. When searcher efficiency or carcass removal rate varied with time, all four formulas showed a similar bias. These comparative results can be used to choose between methods depending on the quality of information available. Our estimator can, for instance, be adapted to different situations including temporal changes of searcher efficiency or carcass removal rate because it is based on an explicit process model.

Keywords: bats; birds; carcass searches; collision risk; detection probability; estimator; formula; wind energy turbine; MORTALITY

Tags: Effekt:Kollisjon, Geografi:Annet, Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

Background: So far, studies of avian space use are mostly realized in 2D, with the vertical dimension ignored. We propose here a new, relatively simple and computationally reasonable method for the estimation of volumetric (i.e. 3D) avian home ranges. Methods: Through accurate GPS data-loggers, we collected 25,405 GPS points on Lesser Kestrels' (Falco naumanni) space use during the nestling period in one main colony in Italy. We applied our 3D home range estimator to the whole GPS dataset, and also separately to diurnal and nocturnal GPS points. Results: The 3D colony home range resulted equal to 28.12 km(3). By considering daytime and night-time separately, the volumetric home ranges resulted considerably different. Conclusions: Our 3D home range estimator, because of its intuitive and straightforward properties, can easily capitalize on the datasets offered by modern biotelemetry (data-loggers, light detection and LIDAR sensors) and enhance conservation strategies for mitigating anthropogenic impacts on bird species. Its applications embrace, but are not limited to, more accurate estimates of collision risk with power lines, aircrafts and wind farms, and increased knowledge of birds' space requirements in order to persist in their distribution areas.

Keywords: Avian space use; Biotelemetry; GPS data-loggers; Vertical dimension; Volumetric home range; KESTREL FALCO-NAUMANNI; LESSER KESTREL; CONSERVATION

Tags: Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Europa (uten Norden/Skandinavia), Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

Although generally considered environmentally friendly, wind power has been associated with extensive mortality of birds and bats. In this perspective, there is a need for reliable estimates of fatalities at wind farms, where the heterogeneity of the basic information, used among environmental assessment studies, is unlikely to support an accurate universal estimation method. We tested the applicability of the Stochastic Dynamic Methodology (StDM) to estimate bat fatalities, based on multifactorial cause-effect relationships (by integrating multi-model inference statistical analysis and dynamic modelling) between mortality estimates, detected fatalities and the selected key-components of the reality, such as the real number of bat mortalities simulated, the rate of carcasses removal, the searcher efficiency, the monitoring periodicity and the number of turbines for different realistic scenarios associated with particular wind farm conditions. Although some existing mortality estimators are considered accurate, the choice of a given universal formula for all mortality assessments, based on deterministic parameters and assumptions, may originate unsuspected errors. Therefore, we propose a flexible dynamic modelling framework, the StDM estimator, where the obtained algorithms are adaptable to the universe of application intended. The StDM estimator takes into account random, non-constant and scenario dependent parameters, providing bias-corrected estimates. The StDM estimator was applied for the European wind farm context and validated in the most cases tested, through the confrontation with independent data. Overall, this approach is considered a valuable tool to improve the quality of mortality estimates at onshore wind facilities, within the local, environmental and methodological gradients (including the cases where no mortality is detected), namely in the scope of environmental impact assessments and general ecological monitoring programmes. (c) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Keywords: Mortality estimators; Bat fatalities; Wind farms; Stochastic dynamic modelling; Environmental impact assessment; General ecological monitoring; ENVIRONMENTAL-IMPACT ASSESSMENT; SPECIES DISTRIBUTION; POWER DEVELOPMENT; BIODIVERSITY; TURBINES; BIRDS; INDICATORS; PREDICTION; MODEL

Tags: Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Europa (uten Norden/Skandinavia), Stilling:Onshore, Virkninger omtalt:Ja

Today, the status of wildlife is extremely worrying because of noise pollution caused by aerodynamic noise of various industries. Circular cylinders are the most used devices in industries. Therefore, in this study, the aerodynamic noise prediction of circular cylinders is performed using Ffowcs Williams-Hawkings acoustic analogy. The simulation is performed using a 2D URANS model and combines active and inactive methods to control the flow. Our study encompasses the novelty of implementing passive-jet as a passive method with varying numbers of passive suction/blowing holes. Furthermore, in order to play the role of active methods, a rotating cylinder at different rotation frequencies is used, which is combined with the proposed passive method. Results show that the active method reduces the aerodynamic noise by 22 dB, when the frequency is twice the vortex shedding frequency; whereas, the passive jet reduces the noise by 50 dB when the ring is completely composed of suction/jet holes. As a more interesting idea, the two methods are combined to achieve a notable noise reduction of about 56 dB. Meanwhile, results show that the mean drag coefficient, lift fluctuation and Strouhal number are dramatically reduced. The presented methods may not be economically ideal, but they can be used as attractive ideas to optimize applications in the marine and wind industries.

Keywords: Active flow control; Circular cylinder; Noise reduction; Passive flow control; Sound pollution; Vortex suppression; FLOW-CONTROL; SQUARE CYLINDER; INDUCED VIBRATION; TANDEM CYLINDERS; WIND TURBINE; SUCTION; WAKE; SOUND; FORCES; RODS

Tags: Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Annet, Habitat:Offshore, Stilling:Offshore, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

The research and conservation community has successfully harnessed the wealth of ecological knowledge found in unprecedented volumes of citizen science (CS) data world-wide. However, few examples exist of the use of CS data to directly inform policy. Current examples of applications of CS data mainly stem from programs that are restricted in scope (e.g. defined protocols, restricted sampling time frame), and the potential use of unrestricted CS data to inform policy remains largely untapped. Here, we make a call for moving beyond questioning the reliability of CS data and present a case study of how the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) used information from an unrestricted CS program (eBird) to inform levels of exposure to collision risk for wind energy development. Policy implications. The USFWS made the technical recommendation to use eBird abundance estimates for the bald eagle as the only source of information to define low-risk collision areas as part of the agency's wind energy permitting process. Our study contributes a clear pathway of how to realize the potential of unrestricted CS programs for generating the evidence base needed to inform policy decisions.

Keywords: avian collisions; bald eagle; biological monitoring; citizen science; policy; relative abundance; species distribution models; wind energy development

Tags: Artsgruppe:Rovfugl, Effekt:Kollisjon, Geografi:Nordlige halvkule (uten Europa), Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

Deploying renewable energy (RE) technologies has been acknowledged as an effective way of mitigating the pressure from increasing energy-related carbon emissions. However, evidence shows that RE deployment frequently leads to the loss and degradation of multiple ecosystem services (ES). Therefore, a sustainable RE deployment scheme should proactively identify and manage the potential trade-offs between RE production and ES provisioning. This study proposed a practical RE siting framework that integrates ES considerations (named as IES framework), and formulated a novel method that integrates Geographic Information Systems, fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process and Weighted Slacks-based Measure to implement this framework. Then, the suitability of wind farm sites in coastal China was evaluated and mapped using the IES framework. Results show that the suitable locations for wind farms in this region were mainly distributed in the provinces of Shandong, Hebei, Liaoning, and Jiangsu. Avian habitat and cultural ES were identified as the two services most vulnerable to wind farm deployment. A suitability map of wind farm siting in coastal China was created. Results prove that the proposed IES framework and the corresponding integrated method can effectively evaluate the trade-offs between RE production and ES provisioning and can be easily extended to guide the site selection for other REs, such as biomass, photovoltaic, and hydroelectric energy.

Keywords: Renewable energy siting; Ecosystem services; Trade-offs; Integrated method; Coastal China; SITE SELECTION; RENEWABLE ENERGY; MULTICRITERIA EVALUATION; ELECTRICITY PRODUCTION; POWER-PLANTS; TRADE-OFFS; GIS; IMPACT; EFFICIENCY; LOCATION

Tags: Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Nordlige halvkule (uten Europa), Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

Deployment of wind energy is proposed as a mechanism to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Yet, wind energy and large birds, notably soaring raptors, both depend on suitable wind conditions. Conflicts in airspace use may thus arise due to the risks of collisions of birds with the blades of wind turbines. Using locations of GPS-tagged bearded vultures, a rare scavenging raptor reintroduced into the Alps, we built a spatially explicit model to predict potential areas of conflict with future wind turbine deployments in the Swiss Alps. We modelled the probability of bearded vultures flying within or below the rotor-swept zone of wind turbines as a function of wind and environmental conditions, including food supply. Seventy-four per cent of the GPS positions were collected below 200 m above ground level, i.e. where collisions could occur if wind turbines were present. Flight activity at potential risk of collision is concentrated on south-exposed mountainsides, especially in areas where ibex carcasses have a high occurrence probability, with critical areas covering vast expanses throughout the Swiss Alps. Our model provides a spatially explicit decision tool that will guide authorities and energy companies for planning the deployment of wind farms in a proactive manner to reduce risk to emblematic Alpine wildlife.

Keywords: bearded vulture; risk mitigation; wildlife-human conflicts; spatial planning; predictive modelling; vulture conservation; VULTURE GYPAETUS-BARBATUS; BEARDED VULTURE; POPULATION VIABILITY; SOUTHERN AFRICA; BIRD MORTALITY; SPACE USE; EAGLES; FARMS; SELECTION; WILDLIFE

Tags: Artsgruppe:Rovfugl, Effekt:Kollisjon, Geografi:Europa (uten Norden/Skandinavia), Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

With the rapid growth of wind energy developments world-wide, it is critical that the negative impacts on wildlife are considered and mitigated. This includes minimising the number of large soaring raptors, which are killed when they collide with wind turbines. To reduce the likelihood of raptor collisions, turbines should be placed at locations which are least used by sensitive species. For resident or breeding species, this is often delineated crudely through the use of circular buffers centred on nest sites, which assume uniform habitat use around a nest site. Using GPS tracking data together with a digital elevation model we build and cross-validate a simple generalisable model, to classify the spatial likelihood of wind turbine collisions for resident adult Verreaux's eagles in any landscape where there are known nests. We apply our methods to operational developments in South Africa to validate the model and demonstrate its ability in predicting actual collision mortalities. Our collision risk potential (CRP) model included the variables distance to nest, distance to conspecific nest, slope, distance to slope and elevation. Using our model, rather than a circular buffer, resulted in c. 4%-5% improvement in eagle protection while excluding development from the same amount (but not shape) of area. For an equal level of eagle protection, our model can make c. 20%-21% more area available for wind energy development compared to a circular buffer. Exploring collisions at operational wind farms in South Africa we show that our CRP model correctly predicted 79% of known collisions, while circular buffers (5.2 km radius) only captured 50% of collisions. Synthesis and applications. We show that by using predictive models to account for habitat use instead of simple buffers around a nest, a greater area of land can be made available for wind energy development without increased mortality risk to raptors. Our predictive model can be used to provide robust guidance on wind turbine placement in South Africa in a way which minimises the conflict between a vulnerable raptor species and the development of renewable energy.

Keywords: conservation biology; GPS tracking; movement ecology; predictive modelling; raptor conservation; renewable energy; sustainable development; wind energy; SOUTHERN AFRICA; GOLDEN EAGLES; HOME-RANGES; ENERGY; FARMS; WILDLIFE; SELECTION; IMPACTS

Tags: Artsgruppe:Rovfugl, Effekt:Kollisjon, Geografi:Annet, Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

Despite the benefits of reduced toxic and carbon emissions and a perpetual energy resource, there is potential for negative environmental impacts resulting from utility-scale solar energy (USSE) development. Although USSE development may represent an avian mortality source, there is little knowledge regarding the magnitude of these impacts in the context of other avian mortality sources. In this study we present a first assessment of avian mortality at USSE facilities through a synthesis of available avian monitoring and mortality information at existing USSE facilities. Using this information, we contextualize USSE avian mortality relative to other forms of avian mortality at 2 spatial scales: a regional scale (confined to southern California) and a national scale. Systematic avian mortality information was available for three USSE facilities in the southern California region. We estimated annual USSE-related avian mortality to be between 16,200 and 59,400 birds in the southern California region, which was extrapolated to between 37,800 and 138,600 birds for all USSE facilities across the United States that are either installed or under construction. We also discuss issues related to avian solar interactions that should be addressed in future research and monitoring programs. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Keywords: Avian mortality; Utility-scale; Solar energy; Wind energy; Fossil fuels; Impact assessment; WILDLIFE CONSERVATION; BIRD MORTALITY; FOSSIL-FUEL; WIND; COLLISIONS; REMOVAL

Tags: Effekt:Kollisjon, Geografi:Annet, Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

I assessed the ability of dog-handler teams to recover dead bats (Chiroptera) during fatality searches typically performed at wind energy facilities to determine fatality rates for birds and bats. I conducted this study at the Mountaineer and Meyersdale Wind Energy Centers in West Virginia and Pennsylvania, USA, respectively. Dogs found 71% of bats used during searcher-efficiency trials at Mountaineer and 81% of those at Meyersdale, compared to 42% and 14% for human searchers, respectively. Dogs and humans both found a high proportion of trial bats within 10 m of the turbine, usually on open ground (88% and 75%, respectively). During a 6-day fatality search trial at 5 turbines at Meyersdale, the dog-handler teams found 45 bat carcasses, of which only 42% (n = 19) were found during the same period by humans. In both trials humans found fewer carcasses as vegetation height and density increased, while dog-handler teams search efficiency remained high. Recommendations for evaluating the biases and efficiency when using dogs for bat fatality searches are provided.

Keywords: bats; Chiroptera; fatality searches; Pennsylvania; West Virginia; wind turbines; MORTALITY

Tags: Effekt:Kollisjon, Geografi:Annet, Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

High-resolution multibeam and seismic reflection surveying in western Lake Superior, near the outflow of the Amnicon River, Wisconsin, has shown that the nearshore lake floor appears to consist of till with no recent sediment cover. This surface is partially obscured 3 km offshore by a series of low relief, elongate, sand ridges that are arranged in an en echelon pattern at an oblique angle to the present day shoreline. They are extensively gullied suggesting that they are not presently active. Two sets of elongate features can be identified. The features in first group, Group 1, are over 0.5 km wide, rise 3-5 m above the surrounding lake floor and are over 2 km long. The features belonging to the second set, Group II, are not as well developed and are typically smaller than those in Group I. Group II features are typically 0.2-0.3 km wide, 0.4-1.6 km long and rise 1-3 m above the surrounding lake floor. The most striking difference between the groups is the difference in their orientation with respect to the shoreline. The Group I features run NE-SW while the Group II features are directed approximately N-S. The shoreline runs approximately ENE-WSW so the features: in both cases 'open' northeast. The Group I features are believed to be relict drowned shoreface-attached sand ridges that formed when the lake level lay over 10 m below its present day level. These sand ridges formed as the result of currents, associated with strong northeasterly gales, moving the abundant sediment eroded off the shore. The smaller Group II features are believed to be sub-aqueous sand dunes that developed transverse to bottom currents produced by the northeasterly gales. No dates have been obtained for the sand ridges. Based upon their depth and the lake level history curve for Lake Superior we suggest that the ridges formed either 6500-6000 BP, prior to the Nipissing highstand. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Keywords: Lake Superior; sand ridges; current; multibeam; seismic; EVOLUTION; SHELF; TOPOGRAPHY; AMERICAN; FIELD; FLOW

Tags: Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Nordlige halvkule (uten Europa), Habitat:Generelt, Habitat:Offshore, Stilling:Offshore, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

Pipeline damage by dropped objects from crane activities is a significant hazard for offshore platform installations. In this paper a probabilistic methodology is utilized for the estimation of the pipeline impact and rupture frequencies; this information is obtained both for the overall pipeline section exposed to the hazard and for a number of critical locations along the pipeline route. The presented algorithm has been implemented in a computer program that allows the analysis of a large number of possible drop points and pipeline target point locations. This methodology may be used in common risk analysis studies for evaluating the risk for platform personnel from dropped objects; however, the proposed technique may also be useful for other applications where engineering judgment has so far been the main driving criterion. In particular, two sample cases have been analyzed. The first one is the problem of selecting the best approaching route to a platform. By analyzing different route alternatives, a reduction of the impact frequency and therefore of the risk for the platform personnel may be achieved. The second application deals with the selection of the location for a safety valve at the riser base. The analysis may give useful information, such as the highest impact frequency location and the rupture frequencies upstream and downstream of the valve as a function of the valve position; this information, together with the transported medium inventory upstream of the valve, may give the designer a documented and justifiable rationale for selecting the best location for the valve from a safety point of view.

Keywords: risk analysis; offshore engineering; dropped-loads hazard; impact frequency assessment

Tags: Artsgruppe:Andre termikkflygere, Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Annet, Habitat:Offshore, Stilling:Offshore, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

The environmental impact assessment (EIA) has been a tool for decision makers since the enactment of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Since that time, few analyses have been performed to verify the quality of information and content within EIAs. High qualify information within assessments is vital in order for decision makers, stake holders, and the public to understand the potential impact of proposed actions on the ecosystem and wildlife species. Low quality information has been a major cause for litigation and economic loss. Since 1999, wind energy development has seen an exponential growth with unknown levels of impact on wildlife species, in particular bird and bat species. The purpose of this article is to: (1) develop, validate, and apply a quantitative index to review avian/bat assessment quality for wind energy EIAs; and (2) assess the trends and status of avian/bat assessment quality in a sample of wind energy EIAs. This research presents the development and testing of the Avian and Bat Assessment Quality Index (ABAQI), a new approach to quantify information quality of ecological assessments within wind energy development EIAs in relation to avian and bat species based on review areas and factors derived from 23 state wind/wildlife siting guidance documents. The ABAQI was tested through a review of 49 publicly available EIA documents and validated by identifying high variation in avian and bat assessments quality for wind energy developments. Of all the reviewed EIAs. 66% failed to provide high levels of preconstruction avian and bat survey information, compared to recommended factors from state guidelines. This suggests the need for greater consistency from recommended guidelines by state, and mandatory compliance by EIA preparers to avoid possible habitat and species loss, wind energy development shut down, and future lawsuits. (C) 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Keywords: Environmental impact assessment; Quality; Renewable energy; Wind energy; ENVIRONMENTAL-IMPACT STATEMENTS; BAT FATALITIES; PERFORMANCE; FACILITIES; PATTERNS; CLIMATE; SYSTEM

Tags: Effekt:Unnvikelse, Geografi:Annet, Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

A new spreadsheet is presented, to be used as part of the Band model for estimating potential avian mortality due to wind turbine strike. The spreadsheet extends the Band collision risk spreadsheet by allowing for oblique approach angles and wind speed. The differences in the results between this new spreadsheet and the standard Band spreadsheet are given for two species, the white-tailed eagle Haliaeetus albicilla and the South Island pied oystercatcher Haematopus finschi, chosen for their contrasting sizes and flight characteristics. Under more representative conditions, the true risk for large birds is shown to be substantially greater than that calculated by the Band spreadsheet. Examples of how to use the new spreadsheet with bird survey and wind data are given.

Keywords: avian mortality; Band model; collision risk; oblique entry; wind turbine; BIRD COLLISIONS; BREEDING BIRDS; MODEL; ROTORS

Tags: Artsgruppe:Rovfugl, Artsgruppe:Vadefugl, Effekt:Kollisjon, Geografi:Norden/Skandinavia (uten Norge), Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

Gel polymer electrolyte (GPE) comprising the merits of liquid electrolyte (LE) and solid state electrolyte (SSE) has attracted soaring attention. Herein, we develop a GPE with good comprehensive performance by means of mixing the micro carboxylated cellulose fibril (MCCF) and nano carboxylated cellulose fibril (NCCF) in different proportions. In this composite structure, MCCF forms the skeleton of the host membrane of GPE and provides aplenty pores. While NCCF reinforces the connections of the micron cellulose filaments, enhancing the mechanical properties of the membrane. Obtained from the experimental results, the GPE containing 1%wt nano cellulose exhibits a high tensile strength of 40.1 MPa, a good ionic conductivity of 1.84 mS cm(-1) at 25 degrees C and a stable thermal performance up to 220 degrees C. Simultaneously, the NCM523//Li half cell assembled with this GPE shows a moderate cyclic performance at the ambient temperature of 25 degrees C. Moreover, such cellulose based GPE is renewable and biodegradable, which can contribute to the environmental protection-oriented development of lithium ion battery industry.

Keywords: Gel polymer electrolyte; Carboxylated cellulose; Renewable; biodegradable; Lithium ion battery; LIFE-CYCLE ANALYSIS; ELECTRIC VEHICLES; ENERGY-STORAGE; MEMBRANE; NANOFIBERS; CHITOSAN; HOST

Tags: Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Annet, Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

Many ports and terminals endeavor to enhance energy efficiency as energy prices have increased through years and climate change mitigation is a key target for the port industry. Stricter environmental regulations are adopted by authorities to limit pollutants and GHG emissions arising from energy consumption. Increasingly, port operational strategies and energy usage patterns are under scrutiny. To ingrain sustainability and environmental protection of ports, the use of innovative technology appears as a critical conduit in achieving a transition from a carbon-intensive port industry (dependent on fossil fuels) to a low-carbon port model by harnessing renewable energy, alternative fuels (e.g. LNG, hydrogen, biofuel), smarter power distribution systems, energy consumption measurement systems. In this context, this paper conducts a systematic literature review to analyze operational strategies (e.g. peak shaving, operations optimization), technology usage (e.g. electrification of equipment, cold-ironing, energy storage systems), renewable energy, alternative fuels and energy management systems (e.g. smart grid with renewable energy) for improving the energy efficiency and environmental performance of ports and terminals. Research gaps and future research directions are identified. Analysis shows that there is a great potential for ports to achieve further energy efficiency and researchers have many impactful research opportunities.

Keywords: Ports; Energy efficiency; Renewable energy; Electrification; Smart energy management; Sustainability; INTEGRATED BERTH ALLOCATION; QUAY CRANE ASSIGNMENT; CONTAINER TERMINALS; YARD CRANE; ENVIRONMENTAL-MANAGEMENT; PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS; MARITIME LOGISTICS; CARBON FOOTPRINT; TRADE-OFF; EMISSIONS

Tags: Artsgruppe:Andre termikkflygere, Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Annet, Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

Multiple ocean sectors compete for space and resources, creating conflicts but also opportunities to plan for synergistic outcomes that benefit multiple sectors. Planning and management are increasingly informed by qualitative and quantitative methods for assessing multi-sector interactions to identify trade-offs and synergies among sectors and with the environment, but there is a need to critically review the alignment of these tools with the requirements of Blue Economy stakeholders. Through a systematic literature review, an operational maturity analysis, and a survey of Blue Economy stakeholders, we found that the most well-developed tools for assessing interactions between multiple Blue Economy industries, and with the environment, are spatial prioritization tools, such as Marxan and multi-criteria decision support tools; and spatial static tools, such as cumulative effect mapping. More complex process/dynamic tools such as ecosystem and oceanographic models are well developed for single sectors, particularly water quality assessments and commercial fisheries, but have been less commonly applied in multi-sector contexts. Our review and stakeholder survey highlighted that assessing the environmental and operational suitability of sites for Blue Economy infrastructure in conjunction with operational impacts, trade-offs and decommissioning considerations requires: 1) a toolbox of approaches that covers a range of spatial, temporal and ecological scales; 2) tools that capture interactions and feedbacks among sectors, and with the environment, without being unnecessarily complicated (i.e., tractable to use and allow for effective communication of findings); and 3) continued synthesis of approaches and tools used across sectors such as commercial fishing, aquaculture, offshore renewable energy, and offshore engineering.

Keywords: Document/Journal Article

Tags: Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Annet, Habitat:Offshore, Stilling:Offshore, Virkninger omtalt:Ja

Curtailment of turbine operations during low wind conditions has become an operational minimization tactic to reduce bat mortality at terrestrial wind energy facilities. Site-specific studies have demonstrated that bat activity is higher during lower wind speeds and that operational curtailment can effectively reduce fatalities. However, the exact nature of the relationship between curtailment cut-in speed and bat fatality reduction remains unclear. To evaluate the efficacy of differing curtailment regimes in reducing bat fatalities, we examined data from turbine curtailment experiments in the United States and Canada in a meta-analysis framework. We used multiple statistical models to explore possible linear and non-linear relationships between turbine cut-in speed and bat fatality. Because the overall sample size for this meta-analysis was small (n = 36 control-treatment studies from 17 wind farms), we conducted a power analysis to assess the number of control-treatment curtailment studies needed to understand the relationship between fatality reduction and change in cut-in speed. We also identified the characteristics of individual curtailment field studies that may influence their power to detect fatality reductions, and in turn, contribute to future meta-analyses. We found strong evidence that implementing turbine curtailment reduces fatality rates of bats at wind farms; the estimated fatality ratio across all studies was 0.37 (p < 0.001), or a 63% decrease in fatalities. However, the nature of the relationship between the magnitude of treatment and reduction in fatalities was more difficult to assess. Models that represented the response ratio as a continuous variable (e.g., with a linear relationship between the change in cut-in speed and fatalities) and a categorical variable (to allow for possible non-linearity in this relationship) both had substantial support when compared using AIC(c). The linear model represented the best fit, likely due to model simplicity, but the non-linear model was the most likely without accounting for parsimony and suggested fatality rates decreased when the difference in curtailment cut-in speeds was 2m/s or larger. The power analyses showed that the power to detect effects in the meta-analysis was low if fatality reductions were less than 50%, which suggests that smaller increases in cut-in speed (i.e., between different treatment categories) may not be easily detectable with the current dataset. While curtailment is an effective operational mitigation measure overall, additional well-designed curtailment studies are needed to determine precisely whether higher cut-in speeds can further reduce bat fatalities.

Keywords: ENERGY DEVELOPMENT; TURBINES; MORTALITY; BIRD; METAANALYSIS; FACILITIES; IMPUTATION; RISK

Tags: Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Nordlige halvkule (uten Europa), Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

A review of the wind parks' environmental and human impacts, based on extended research on the most recent relevant bibliography, is carried out in the present paper. The results of former studies are presented on: the impact on the aesthetic of the landscape the noise emissions the impact on birds and wildlife the shadow flicker from wind turbines the occupation of land the wind turbines electromagnetic interference. In addition, the results of case studies for selected wind parks installed in the Prefecture of Lasithi in Crete, concerning their visual impacts and their noise emissions are presented. A statistical survey implemented in Crete concerning the public opinion on wind parks and wind energy is also presented. The accomplished tasks indicated: There are no serious impacts caused by the installation or operation of wind parks. The wind parks' impacts may be eliminated with the optimum selection of the installation sites and the appropriate siting of the wind turbines. People in Crete exhibit a strongly positive attitude towards wind energy and wind parks, although they are not willing to pay a higher price for the electricity produced from wind parks. A map with the optimum sites for wind parks installation in the Prefecture of Lasithi was constructed, taking into account all possible restrictions concerning the use of land, the environmental conservation and the impacts on human life. This map can constitute a flexible tool for the optimum site selection for a wind park installation, contributing to the elimination of environmental and human impacts of new wind parks, to the minimization of the required project's licensing time and to the limitation of possible negative public reactions. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Keywords: Wind; Park; Turbine; Environmental; Impact; Visual; Noise emission; Bird; Shadow flicker; Electromagnetic interference; Public opinion; VISUAL IMPACT; PUBLIC PERCEPTIONS; COLLISION RISK; LAND-USE; TURBINES; FARMS; NOISE; GENERATION; INDICATOR; MIGRATION

Tags: Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Annet, Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

Developing highly efficient and economical bifunctional catalysts for overall water splitting is challenging but a great concern for the renewable energy conversion and applied catalysis towards a sustainable development. Herein, by employing first principles calculations, the catalytic performance of various transition metal (TM) atoms supported on single-layer ternary Ga2FeS4 for water splitting has been systematically investigated. Strikingly, it was evidenced that the sandwich Ga2FeS4 can form a tunable interfacial polarization field under external strain, which can effectively regulate its catalytic performance. Specifically, Au-Ga2FeS4 under a 0.5% tensile strain presents good bifunctional catalytic performance, with the low overpotentials of 0.03 and 0.48 eV, respectively, for the HER and OER, outperforming the experimentally identified Pt and IrO2. Considering the massive possibilities of these ternary substrates and the easily accessible characteristic of external strain, the findings highlighted here can provide a useful theoretical guideline for designing efficient bifunctional SACs in overall water splitting.

Keywords: CATALYTIC-ACTIVITY; OXYGEN REDUCTION; EVOLUTION; MONOLAYER; EXCHANGE; DESIGN; TRENDS; OXIDE

Tags: Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Annet, Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

To successfully exploit resources, animals must be adapted to operate under phenotypic and environmental constraints. The strategies that predators use to locate prey are therefore diverse, particularly for breeding central-place foragers that must balance investment in reproduction and self-maintenance. Magnificent frigatebirds Fregata magnificens are tropical seabirds with intriguing morphology and feeding ecology, which display strikingly unequal levels of parental care (males deserting offspring months before females). These unusual traits can better help us understand the links between movement behaviour and breeding strategies in this poorly studied species. Using archival GPS, GPS-GSM loggers, bird-borne cameras and dietary data, we investigated the foraging ecology of chick-rearing magnificent frigatebirds from a breeding population in the Cayman Islands. This population engages in 2 main foraging strategies: (1) coastal trips over the continental shelf, where individuals target reef species and engage in kleptoparasitism, and (2) offshore trips during which birds feed on schooling pelagic prey. Differences in strategy use were partially linked to sex, with males (which invest less in offspring) roaming further from nests, and showing a higher propensity to forage offshore. Video data further indicated differences in social information use between strategies: foraging with conspecifics was more prevalent in coastal environments than pelagic. We suggest that observed variation in at-sea behaviour may partially be mediated by sex-based differences in parental roles, and/or size differences leading to intraspecific competition. Our study provides evidence of bimodal foraging and sheds new light on the importance of both pelagic and coastal feeding in this enigmatic species.

Keywords: Fregata magnificens; Tracking; Seabird; Feeding ecology; Video logger; GREAT FRIGATEBIRDS; WANDERING ALBATROSSES; PARENTAL CARE; AUK ALLE; BEHAVIOR; LONG; BIRDS; CHICK; DIMORPHISM; RESOURCE

Tags: Artsgruppe:Sjøfugl, Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Nordlige halvkule (uten Europa), Habitat:Offshore, Stilling:Offshore, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

The development and expansion of wind energy is considered a key global threat to bat populations. Bat carcasses are being found underneath wind turbines across North and South America, Eurasia, Africa, and the Austro-Pacific. However, relatively little is known about the comparative impacts of techniques designed to modify turbine operations in ways that reduce bat fatalities associated with wind energy facilities. This study tests a novel approach for reducing bat fatalities and curtailment time at a wind energy facility in the United States, then compares these results to operational mitigation techniques used at other study sites in North America and Europe. The study was conducted in Wisconsin during 2015 using a new system of tools for analyzing bat activity and wind speed data to make near real-time curtailment decisions when bats are detected in the area at control turbines (N = 10) vs. treatment turbines (N = 10). The results show that this smart curtailment approach (referred to as Turbine Integrated Mortality Reduction, TIMR) significantly reduced fatality estimates for treatment turbines relative to control turbines for pooled species data, and for each of five species observed at the study site: pooled data (-84.5%); eastern red bat (Lasiurus borealis, -82.5%); hoary bat (Lasiurus cinereus, -81.4%); silver-haired bat (Lasionycteris noctivagans, -90.9%); big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus, -74.2%); and little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus, -91.4%). The approach reduced power generation and estimated annual revenue at the wind energy facility by <= 3.2% for treatment turbines relative to control turbines, and we estimate that the approach would have reduced curtailment time by 48% relative to turbines operated under a standard curtailment rule used in North America. This approach significantly reduced fatalities associated with all species evaluated, each of which has broad distributions in North America and different ecological affinities, several of which represent species most affected by wind development in North America. While we recognize that this approach needs to be validated in other areas experiencing rapid wind energy development, we anticipate that this approach has the potential to significantly reduce bat fatalities in other ecoregions and with other bat species assemblages in North America and beyond.

Keywords: Chiroptera; operational mitigation; ReBAT; smart curtailment; turbine integrated mortality reduction; wind energy development; Wisconsin; SEASONAL MOVEMENTS; RENEWABLE ENERGY; MIGRATORY BATS; UNITED-STATES; TREE BATS; FARMS; MORTALITY; TURBINES; SCALE; BIRD

Tags: Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Europa (uten Norden/Skandinavia), Geografi:Nordlige halvkule (uten Europa), Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

Despite the environmental benefits associated with wind energy, studies have confirmed the occurrence of significant levels of bat and bird fatalities at windfarms, which raise concerns about the long-term effects of these infra-structures on these populations. Reliable estimates of windfarm fatalities are fundamental for accurate environmental assessment studies and supporting management actions. A spatially explicit agent-based model (ABM) was developed to investigate how searcher "controlled" variables, i.e., different field monitoring protocols, monitoring periods and periodicities influence the success of carcasses detection in field trials and estimator accuracy. Different rates of bat mortality due to collision, scavenger pressures and habitat complexity were simulated in order to reproduce variable conditions that might take place at onshore wind facilities. Based on our findings we propose a reduction in the monitoring periods and a shortening in the periodicity of searches in order to reduce bias in the estimations and increase the confidence limits of impact assessments associated with mortality estimates at onshore windfarms. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Keywords: Windfarms; Agent-based modelling; Bats; Birds; Mortality estimators; ABSOLUTE ERROR MAE; BAT FATALITY; BIRD; FARMS; PATTERNS; TURBINES; CARCASS; IMPROVE; RMSE

Tags: Effekt:Kollisjon, Geografi:Annet, Stilling:Onshore, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

A full two-way coupling aeroelasticity analysis of rotating machinery and their main components requires considerable computational analysis and central processing unit time. This is why the most common methodology for this type of problem is a one-way coupling between fluid and structure. In this case, forces acting on rotor blades that result from a flow are introduced into a structural model of a blade as a local spot load in the centre of gravity or a series of local spot points deployed along the blade length. However, this method does not take into account how the forces change in a chordwise direction (along chord). An alternative way is to use the method of directly transferring the pressure field as a surface load from the computational fluid dynamics analysis to a structural model of a blade. In this case, various interpolation methods are needed to transfer the results from the computational fluid dynamics mesh on to the structural mesh nodes. In this paper, the authors compare how both methods of load transfer affect rotor blade stress and displacement levels during one period of rotation. Calculations were carried out for the first-stage compressor blade of an aircraft engine. Ansys 12.1 was used to calculate the entire structure. Unsteady computational fluid dynamics calculations were carried out using Fluent for a 1.5-stage axial compressor model. For the numerical calculations a non-viscous flow was used. The unsteady forces were calculated on 10 control cross-sections of a rotor blade. The transient results obtained from the computational fluid dynamics calculations were transferred onto a structural rotor blade model using APDL - an ANSYS language script. For both methods of load transference, transient displacements and transient stresses for the rotor blade were calculated. The harmonic analysis results were compared. Mesh sensitivity analysis was also carried out for the structural model. In the last part of the paper, based on described above methodology a study involved to bird strike was shown in the way of how foreign object debris affects the dynamic stress level of a rotor blade. A comparison between an undisturbed engine inlet and one with an ingested foreign object was carried out. The analysis focused on the first-stage compressor blade of an aircraft engine with a partially blocked radial inlet and will be based on pressure method transferring described earlier.

Keywords: Fluid-structure interaction; compressor blade; blocked inlet; unsteady pressure; low frequencies excitations

Tags: Effekt:Kollisjon, Geografi:Annet, Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

Recent trends in renewable energy development in the United States (U.S.) show that new installed capacity of utility-scale solar energy has exceeded 30% of total installed capacity of all sources per year since 2013. Photovoltaic solar energy provides benefits in that no emissions are produced; however, there are potential impacts from photovoltaic solar development on birds that include habitat loss and potential for collision mortality. Only 2 papers in the peer-reviewed literature present fatality information from fatality monitoring studies at a photovoltaic utility-scale solar energy facility; however, more data exists in unpublished reports. To provide a more comprehensive overview of bird mortality patterns, we synthesized results from fatality monitoring studies at 10 photovoltaic solar facilities across 13 site-years in California and Nevada. We found variability in the distribution of avian orders and species among and within Bird Conservation Regions, and found that water-obligate birds, which rely on water for take-off and landing, occurred at 90% (9/10) of site-years in the Sonoran and Mojave Deserts Bird Conservation Region. We found that a cause of mortality could not be determined for approximately 61% of intact carcasses, and that approximately 54% of all carcasses were feather spots, introducing uncertainty into the interpretation of the fatality estimates. The average annual fatality estimate we calculated for photovoltaic solar (high-end estimate of 2.49 birds per megawatt per year) is lower than that reported by another study (9.9 birds per megawatt per year) that included one photovoltaic facility. Our results provide a summary of fatalities in bird conservation regions where the facilities are located, but expanding our conclusions to new regions is limited by the location of facilities with fatality monitoring data.

Keywords: GREBES PODICEPS-NIGRICOLLIS; COMMUNICATION TOWERS; AVIAN MORTALITY; UNITED-STATES; WEATHER; MIGRATION

Tags: Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Nordlige halvkule (uten Europa), Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

The use of synthetic packaging materials and mulch films has retrogressive environmental effects. To replace these synthetic materials, high strength biodegradable polymer blends are synthesized using pectin, guar gum and polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP). The ternary blends are prepared with guar gum (10%-50%) and PVP (30%-50%), using the solvent casting technique. The experimentation is carried out using a 5 x 3 factorial design and analyzed by response surface methodology. Analysis of variance test is applied to analyze the ultimate tensile strength (UTS) and elongation at break and their simultaneous optimization is done by the desirability index method. The maximum desirability index value (0.877) is achieved at a guar gum content of 50% and PVP content of 41.73%. At this composition, the estimated value of UTS is 24.57 MPa and elongation at break is 27.29%. The thermal stability of the blends is almost similar and they are stable up to 170 degrees C. Initial biodegradation (upto 30 days) of blends increases by 54.82% for samples with higher PVP content and decreases by 43.60% with the increase in guar gum content. All the blends are degraded completely within 90 days. The high tensile properties, sustained thermal stability and complete biodegradation of blends enable these for applications like packaging and agriculture mulch films.

Keywords: biopolymers; blends; renewable polymers; thermogravimetric analysis; GUAR GUM; BARRIER PROPERTIES; POLYVINYLPYRROLIDONE; NANOCOMPOSITES

Tags: Effekt:Barriere, Geografi:Annet, Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

Parks are important places to listen to natural sounds and avoid human-related noise, an increasingly rare combination. We first explore whether and to what degree natural sounds influence health outcomes using a systematic literature review and meta-analysis. We identified 36 publications examining the health benefits of natural sound. Meta-analyses of 18 of these publications revealed aggregate evidence for decreased stress and annoyance (g = -0.60, 95% CI = -0.97, -0.23) and improved health and positive affective outcomes (g = 1.63, 95% CI = 0.09, 3.16). Examples of beneficial outcomes include decreased pain, lower stress, improved mood, and enhanced cognitive performance. Given this evidence, and to facilitate incorporating public health in US national park soundscape management, we then examined the distribution of natural sounds in relation to anthropogenic sound at 221 sites across 68 parks. National park soundscapes with little anthropogenic sound and abundant natural sounds occurred at 11.3% of the sites. Parks with high visitation and urban park sites had more anthropogenic sound, yet natural sounds associated with health benefits also were frequent. These included animal sounds (audible for a mean of 59.3% of the time, SD: 23.8) and sounds from wind and water (mean: 19.2%, SD: 14.8). Urban and other parks that are extensively visited offer important opportunities to experience natural sounds and are significant targets for soundscape conservation to bolster health for visitors. Our results assert that natural sounds provide important ecosystem services, and parks can bolster public health by highlighting and conserving natural soundscapes.

Keywords: noise; bird song; visitor experience; water sounds; stress; ECOSYSTEM SERVICES; NOISE-POLLUTION; URBAN; EXPOSURE; GREEN; MANAGEMENT; MASKING; IMPACT; SPACES

Tags: Effekt:Unnvikelse, Geografi:Nordlige halvkule (uten Europa), Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

An attractive explanation for large-scale gradients of species richness is that trophic energy flux defines living systems. It has yet to be shown that available energy may matter per se, that is, directly and independent of other potential determinants that are usually inescapably correlated (e. g., area, glacial history, or habitat complexity). By using a comprehensive conceptual framework addressing the variation of species richness, we report that in communities of birds regularly foraging in marine pelagic waters during the breeding season, species richness is above all directly linked to the appropriation of metabolic energy. Auxiliary energy supplied by wind and waves is likely to mitigate energetic constraints and thereby codetermine the expansion of niche space, along with an array of other subordinate factors. We emphasize that this system is markedly different from studied communities of terrestrial endotherms or marine exotherms in which habitat complexity and mutagenic solar radiation/temperature, respectively, may be more decisive than the appropriation of trophic energy flux shares as such. While the seabird system suggests that species-energy curves may sometimes directly translate into species-energy relationships, this situation may be rare rather than typical.

Keywords: ecological communities; available energy; species richness; alpha diversity; seabirds; SPECIES-RICHNESS; ENERGETICS; PATTERNS; BIOENERGETICS; SIZE; PRODUCTIVITY; COMMUNITIES; POPULATIONS; ISLAND

Tags: Artsgruppe:Sjøfugl, Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Norden/Skandinavia (uten Norge), Habitat:Offshore, Stilling:Offshore, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

This paper presents a time-domain method for noise prediction of supersonic rotating sources in a moving medium. The proposed approach can be interpreted as an extensive time-domain solution for the convected permeable Ffowcs Williams and Hawkings equation, which is capable of avoiding the Doppler singularity. The solution requires special treatment for construction of the emission surface. The derived formula can explicitly and efficiently account for subsonic uniform constant flow effects on radiated noise. Implementation of the methodology is realized through the Isom thickness noise case and high-speed impulsive noise prediction from helicopter rotors.

Keywords: aeroacoustics; acoustic analogy; moving medium; supersonic rotating sources; PROPELLER NOISE; AEROACOUSTIC ANALYSIS; ACOUSTIC ANALOGY; FORMULATION; SURFACES; ROTORS; BLADES; SOUND; FIELD

Tags: Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Annet, Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

The mathematical problem of establishing a collision probability distribution is often not trivial. The shape and motion of the animal as well as of the the device must be evaluated in a four-dimensional space (3D motion over time). Earlier work on wind and tidal turbines was limited to a simplified two-dimensional representation, which cannot be applied to many new structures. We present a numerical algorithm to obtain such probability distributions using transient, three-dimensional numerical simulations. The method is demonstrated using a sub-surface tidal kite as an example. Necessary pre- and post-processing of the data created by the model is explained, numerical details and potential issues and limitations in the application of resulting probability distributions are highlighted.

Keywords: RISK

Tags: Artsgruppe:Rovfugl, Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Annet, Habitat:Offshore, Stilling:Offshore, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

GPS transmitters were used with the Argos satellite system to track two Light-bellied Brent Geese (Branta bernicla hrota) from Iceland to Arctic Canada, three Greenland White-fronted Geese (Anser albifrons flavirostris) from Scotland to west Greenland, and two Barnacle Geese (Branta leucopsis) from Scotland to Spitsbergen. Each goose's wing span was measured at the time of tagging, and its body mass and fat fraction were estimated at the time of departure. This was the starting point for the Flight program's time-marching simulation, which is a non-statistical procedure based on flight mechanics. The ground speed was measured between each GPS fix and the previous one, and combined with a wind estimate to find the air speed. The program calculated the power, using the air density from the GPS altitude. The rates of consumption of fat and muscle tissue were calculated from the power, and used to update the body mass and composition. The total air distance flown by each bird was not consistently less than the ground distance, and there was no indication that the birds could select their routes, or even their timing, so as to bias the wind in their favour. Rates of climb when ascending the Greenland Ice Cap were very low in the Brent Geese, in relation to the maximum rate of climb of which the flight muscles were expected (on mechanical grounds) to be capable of supporting. The Brent Geese stopped often during the ice crossing, suggesting that they could not sustain sufficient aerobic power for continuous flight. The fat fractions of the White-fronted Geese were lower across the ice cap, and they climbed faster and stopped less often. Energy height was used as a species-independent measure of energy reserves. All seven northbound geese arrived in their nesting areas at estimated energy heights exceeding 200 km (around 350 km for the two Brent Geese). All of the geese achieved average energy gradients of at least 11, including short stops, meaning that their arrival energy heights were sufficient to fly a further 2,200-4,000 km. We propose that these reserves represent the energy height needed to initiate successful breeding in these arctic habitats, with an element of insurance against contrary winds.

Keywords: Bird migration; Computer simulation; Flight mechanics; Energy height; SWANS CYGNUS-CYGNUS; BODY DRAG; FLIGHT; BIRDS; PERFORMANCE; FAT; LIMITS

Tags: Artsgruppe:Generelt, Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Norden/Skandinavia (uten Norge), Geografi:Nordlige halvkule (uten Europa), Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

The construction and operation of wind-power plants may affect birds through collision mortality, reduced habitat utilization due to disturbance, barriers to movement and habitat modifications, with the nature and magnitude of those effects being site- and species-specific. Birds may however manage these effects through fleeing, activity shifts or changed habitat utilization; usually termed avoidance. Given the important role avoidance plays in estimating the impact wind-power development has on birds, there is a pressing need to formalizing the avoidance process. Crucial in this context is to identify the underlying mechanisms of behavioural responses by birds to wind-power plants and individual turbines. To provide a better basis for and improved understanding of the underlying mechanisms for avoidance a conceptual framework for wind-turbine avoidance is presented decomposing various forms of avoidance at different spatial scales. Avoidance behaviour includes displacement (macro-avoidance), anticipatory and impulsive evasion (meso-avoidance), and escape (micro-avoidance). For understanding why particular responses occur with regard to wind-turbine disturbance this concept is applied to predation risk theory. The risk-disturbance hypothesis elucidates possible trade-offs between avoiding perceived risk and fitness-enhancing activities. The four behavioural responses are related to, respectively, habitat selection, vigilance and fleeing (twice); from which specific predictions can be derived. Formalizing the different forms of avoidance facilitates design of effects studies, enhances comparisons among sites studied, and guide siting and mitigation strategies. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Keywords: Wind-turbine avoidance; Displacement; Disturbance; Predation risk; Habitat selection; Vigilance; Fleeing; WHITE-TAILED EAGLES; BIRD MORTALITY; HALIAEETUS-ALBICILLA; BEHAVIORAL-RESPONSES; ECOLOGICAL TRAPS; COLLISION RISK; FARMS; IMPACTS; CONSERVATION; PREDATION

Tags: Effekt:Unnvikelse, Geografi:Annet, Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

This article summarizes American Bird Conservancy's (ABC's) strategies and goals for achieving Bird-Smart wind energy in the United States. We describe the current and projected impact of wind energy development on birds and bats in the United States. We also discuss how bird (and bat) conservation goals could be made more compatible with wind energy development through improved science and regulation. We provide examples of poorly sited wind energy projects, existing and proposed, which call into question the efficacy of current voluntary federal permitting guidelines. We discuss the need for improved transparency and independent site-by-site pre-construction risk assessment, science-based decision-making, independent collection and reporting of post-construction bird (and bat) fatality data, and consideration of cumulative impacts.

Keywords: American Bird Conservancy; compensation; mitigation; policy; regulation; risk assessment; siting; turbines; wind energy

Tags: Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Nordlige halvkule (uten Europa), Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

NA

Keywords: Golden Eagle; Aquila chrysaetos; nest; wind energy; wind farm; wind turbine; UNDERSTANDING BIRD COLLISIONS; GOLDEN EAGLES; MORTALITY; FARMS; POPULATION; FACILITIES; SELECTION; FATALITY; DECLINE

Tags: Artsgruppe:Rovfugl, Effekt:Kollisjon, Geografi:Annet, Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

Heave compensation system is a vital part for offshore cranes. Most of the existing active heave controllers focus on compensating the wave-induced heave motion while the correction for the nonlinear properties of the hydraulic motor system such as deadzone and input saturation is still an open problem. This paper presents an ADRC-ESMPC double-loop controller for a hydraulic valve-based active heave compensation system. Active disturbance rejection control (ADRC), which has advantages such as model independence, strong robustness and simple structure, is used in the outer loop to compensate for the external perturbations, frictions and parametric uncertainties and generate the desired angular displacement for the inner loop. In consideration that the hydraulic valve is characterised by the presence of deadzone and input saturation, the equivalent saturation model predictive control (ESMPC) approach is used in the inner loop to ensure that the hydraulic motor tracks the desired angular displacement. The effectiveness of the proposed controller is evaluated with simulations.

Keywords: Active disturbance rejection control; active heave compensation; model predictive control; nonlinear control; offshore crane; WATER ENTRY; SATURATION; DEADZONE; SYSTEMS; DESIGN

Tags: Artsgruppe:Andre termikkflygere, Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Annet, Habitat:Offshore, Stilling:Offshore, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

An elastic, multiple-degree-of-freedom rotor model is developed for use with finite element models of helicopter airframes. The method incorporates representative hub impedances into the finite element model at all frequencies of interest, rather than simulating the rotor as a lumped mass, which is the conventional method of representing the rotor in airframe dynamic analyses. The method uses rotor blade mode shapes developed in the rotating-coordinate system to derive the rotor equations of motion in the airframe fixed-coordinate system. The rotor model is developed as blade force-displacement transfer functions and is then reformulated into a set of second-order differential equations with frequency-independent coefficients. These equations are appended to the airframe math model. The rotor math model includes structural damping and two-dimensional strip theory aerodynamics. The method is demonstrated using a simple cantilever example and calculations for the Bell Helicopter Model 4BW development aircraft. It is partially validated by comparing calculated response transfer functions with vibration test results of a 0.2-scale semispan wind tunnel model of the Bell-Boeing V-22 Osprey. The coupled rotor-airframe math model presented is particularly suitable for airframe frequency tuning with respect to rotor natural modes and for airframe forced-response calculations.

Keywords: NA

Tags: Artsgruppe:Rovfugl, Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Annet, Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

Golden Eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) are susceptible to anthropogenic mortality factors, including toxic compounds in the environment such as anticoagulant rodenticides (AR) and sources of man-made energy. The physical and behavioral effects of some toxins may predispose eagles to certain causes of death (COD). To investigate the influence of ARs on mortality of Golden Eagles at wind turbine farms, we randomly tested liver samples from 31 eagles found dead on wind farms and submitted to the National Fish and Wildlife Forensic Laboratory from 2013-20. The comparison group was composed of 31 Golden Eagles sampled during the same time frame with a COD of power line electrocution as a proxy for a relatively lower effort and altitude activity. Associations between COD, AR exposure, sex, and life stage were assessed. In each group, 12 birds (35%) were found to have been exposed to brodifacoum or bromadiolone prior to death. Logistic regression showed no significant association between COD and sex (P=0.194) or life stage (P=0.895). Across both mortality types, life stage was not a significant predictor of AR exposure (P=0.725), but males were more likely to have been exposed to ARs (P=0.032). These findings suggest that there is no difference in the influence of anticoagulant exposure on higher and lower altitude activity in Golden Eagles.

Keywords: Anticoagulants; electrocution; forensics; Golden Eagle; mortality; wind turbine; RODENTICIDE EXPOSURE; HABITAT SELECTION; LEAD; ALTERS; RISKS; BIRDS

Tags: Artsgruppe:Rovfugl, Effekt:Kollisjon, Geografi:Annet, Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

Wind farms have a negative impact on several animal populations, with birds and bats assumed to be among the most heavily affected taxa. In addition to the extensive development of wind power on land, currently several European countries have offshore wind farms (OWFs) in operation, as well as proposals to build many more. Considering that seabirds spend more than 90% of their life at sea, it is clear that they may interact with these man-made structures. To date, information on how to measure the impact of OWFs on seabirds is very scarce. In many cases it comes from non-peer reviewed reports made for specific assessment studies, very often carried out without appropriate standard methodologies, that raise questions regarding the level of confidence that they merit. In this paper, we describe the current political framework concerning the possible development of OWFs in Spain. Based on this, we comment on both the relevant variables necessary to assess the impacts of OWFs on birds and the methodologies available to collect those variables in the field, discussing the strengths and weaknesses of each method. We show the importance of collision risk models, vulnerability indexes, cumulative impact assessment and population viability analysis as management tools. Mitigation measures that have the potential to minimise impacts are also summarised. We conclude with a discussion of the different steps to follow to attain a 'clean' development of offshore wind energy in Spain.

Keywords: avoidance; attraction; collision risk model; cumulative impact assessment; flight behaviour; habitat modification; legislative framework; mitigation measures; population viability analysis; sensitivity maps; vulnerability index; IMPACT ASSESSMENT; FLIGHT CALLS; RADAR; MORTALITY; MIGRATION; SEABIRDS; TURBINES; HABITAT; SEA; COLLISIONS

Tags: Effekt:Kollisjon, Effekt:Unnvikelse, Geografi:Europa (uten Norden/Skandinavia), Habitat:Offshore, Stilling:Offshore, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

By searching for carcasses weekly year round, we estimated rates of avian fatality from collision with ten 50-m and eight 60-m temporary meteorological towers supported by guy wires near wind turbines at the Altamont Pass (n = 3) and Collinsville Montezuma Hills (n = 15) wind resource areas in central California. All towers were searched out to 55 m, beyond the farthest guy-wire anchors. Estimates for the total number of fatalities were based on searchers' efficiency and scavengers' removal rates determined empirically at one of the wind farms. In 1632 searches (90.7 +/- 5.4 per tower; 136.0 +/- 2.8 per month), we found 85 carcasses of 19 species, for an average of 2.8 carcasses per tower per year. When adjusted for searchers' efficiency and scavenging, fatalities per tower per year were 6.8 +/- 1.1 for all birds. Icterids, the Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris), pipits, and sparrows accounted for 60% of carcasses, whereas night-migrating songbirds accounted for only 7% of carcasses. This level of mortality likely did not result in population effects because fatalities were spread among many, mostly common species and the towers were temporary structures. Because the towers we studied were similar in structure to guyed communication towers of the same height, our findings are likely applicable to those structures in California. There is currently no other empirical information available on fatality from towers of these heights and support systems, even though they are one of the most common types of such towers in California and elsewhere.

Keywords: towers; avian fatalities; collision mortality; meteorological; night migrants; California; COMMUNICATION TOWERS; BIRD MORTALITY

Tags: Artsgruppe:Spurvefugl, Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Annet, Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

Penguin plasma (n = 134) from 6 Megadyptes antipodes populations, 11 M. antipodes plasma samples (specimens from outbreak of unestablished etiology with mortality), 9 Eudyptes chrysocome plasmas, and 8 Eudyptula minor plasmas were tested by indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) with Plasmodium falciparum antigen (R32tet(32)) for malarial antibodies (Ab). All penguins were wild, adults, and originated from New Zealand (NZ) South Island and offshore and subantarctic islands. It wets possible, using alkaline phosphatase-labeled rabbit-anti-Spheniscus demersus IgG in a direct ELISA, to detect Ab in heterologous E. chrysocome plasma at a dilution of 1/6,400. The average avian malaria Ab seroprevalence was 63% for E. minor, and the mean seroprevalence ranged from 23% to 91% among 6 M. antipodes populations. All E. chrysocome from subantarctic Campbell Island were negative Two of 11 M. antipodes plasmas from the mortality outbreak were ELISA-negative; the 9 remaining samples gave significantly higher (P < 0.05) absorbances than the remaining M. antipodes and E. minor samples. The features of the mortality outbreak, climatological data, pathological findings, and ELISA-derived data conform to those known for avian malaria. The study adds E. chrysocome to the list of 7 penguin species (Pygoscelis adeliae, P. papua, Aptenodytes patagonicus, E. minor, M. antipodes, S. demersus, and S. magellanicus) to which the ELISA can be applied for avian malaria field diagnostic surveys.

Keywords: AVIAN MALARIA; PENGUINS; MEGADYPTES ANTIPODES; EUDYPTES CHRYSOCOME; EUDYPTULA MINOR; EUSA; NEW ZEALAND

Tags: Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Norden/Skandinavia (uten Norge), Habitat:Offshore, Stilling:Offshore, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

Wind energy development has complex ecological consequences for many bird species. Previous environmental impact assessments (EIAs) for avian taxa mainly focused on the direct and indirect impacts of wind farm, such as collision mortality, flight changes, and habitat displacement. Their impact on waterbird behavior is less studied, especially foraging behaviors, which determine their energy budget and, thus, their reproduction and survival. In this study, we examined the effect of wind farms and the surrounding landscape on the abundance and energy budget-related behaviors of little egrets (Egretta garzetta), a dominant resident waterbird species near wind farms along the East China coast, from June to October 2019. Three egret behavioral categories were recorded, i.e., rest, locomotion, and foraging, and three foraging subcategories, i.e., stand-and-wait, walk slowly, and walk quickly. We also measured the distance to the wind farm and five landscape variables (aquaculture pond edge, ditch, marsh grassland, marsh open water, and river) within each quadrat. We found no significant effect of the distance to the wind farm on the abundance of little egrets, although their abundance was positively and negatively related to the aquaculture pond edge and marsh open water, respectively. The distance to the wind farm was positively correlated with stand-and-wait foraging. In addition, the river was negatively correlated with locomotion. Marsh open water was negatively correlated with walk slowly foraging. Therefore, the abundance of little egrets in Chongming Dongtan was not affected by the wind farm, although the wind farm resulted in changes to some of their behavior. Overall, the effect of this wind farm on little egrets was limited. We suggest aquaculture ponds mainly inhabited by egrets as alternatives for coastal wind farm development. We also highlight the behavioral evaluation of waterbirds as a complementary technique for EIAs of wind farm developments.

Keywords: Ardeidae; Behavior; Distribution; Landscape; Onshore wind farm; GREATER PRAIRIE-CHICKENS; FORAGING BEHAVIOR; HABITAT USE; HUMAN DISTURBANCE; SNOWY EGRETS; NATURAL WETLANDS; BREEDING SUCCESS; ARDEA-ALBA; WATERBIRDS; SELECTION

Tags: Artsgruppe:Andre termikkflygere, Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Nordlige halvkule (uten Europa), Habitat:Kyst, Stilling:Onshore, Virkninger omtalt:Ja

As the global Oil & Gas Industry enters its third, late lifecycle stage (outlined in the introduction of this study), new strategies and conceptual tools are needed to postpone - or reverse - the decline of the E&P industry. The problem is this: the late lifecycle is principally heralded by limited supply due to finite hydrocarbon reserves, while energy demand soars as world population and the global economy continue to grow. This study therefore proposes a framework through which an E&P company can critically assess its capability in accelerating lag-time between exploration and production. In the first part of this paper (Sections 1-3), the need for a phase-shift toward faster clockspeeds for the Oil & Gas industry is argued to be an important step to close the energy supply gap. In the second part of this paper (Sections 4-6), the strategy concept of clockspeed acceleration is further elaborated and optimization methods for the three principal dimensions of E&P clockspeed acceleration are discussed. The three Clockspeed Accelerators (TM) are: workflow speed, improvement rate of Uncertainty Mitigation and accrual speed of portfolio value. The third part of this paper (Sections 7-11) presents the empirical analysis of E&P clockspeed performance for two peer groups (IOC supermajors and public private partnership NOCs) comprising six companies each. The acceleration of E&P clockspeed can help to optimize production levels of conventional and unconventional oil, and includes diversification strategies that replace non-renewables with renewables. In summary, E&P Clockspeed Accelerators provide the gearshift instruments that enable the energy industry to better meet the required demand/supply ratios. The results of this study translate into the following deliverables for practical use by Oil & Gas professionals: - insight into the concept of clockspeed in E&P industry setting, - use of Clockspeed Accelerators (TM) as gearshift lever tools for monitoring and directing E&P clockspeed, - a template for benchmarking and scaling the cardinal axes of E&P Clockspeed Accelerators (TM) for companies in time-series analysis and cross-sectional analysis, - insight in the critical drivers of E&P clockspeed acceleration based on the companies studied, - a set of recommendations to support and speed up the optimization of the individual Clockspeed Accelerators (TM) for Oil & Gas companies. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Keywords: Accelerating production; Clockspeed optimization; Petroleum business management; Workflow speed; RISK ANALYSIS

Tags: Artsgruppe:Spurvefugl, Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Annet, Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

With wind energy production expanding rapidly, concerns about turbine-induced bird and bat fatality have grown and the demand for accurate estimation of fatality is increasing. Estimation typically involves counting carcasses observed below turbines and adjusting counts by estimated detection probabilities. Three primary sources of imperfect detection are 1) carcasses fall into unsearched areas, 2) carcasses are removed or destroyed before sampling, and 3) carcasses present in the searched area are missed by observers. Search plots large enough to comprise 100% of turbine-induced fatality are expensive to search and may nonetheless contain areas unsearchable because of dangerous terrain or impenetrable brush. We evaluated models relating carcass density to distance from the turbine to estimate the proportion of carcasses expected to fall in searched areas and evaluated the statistical cost of restricting searches to areas near turbines where carcass density is highest and search conditions optimal. We compared 5 estimators differing in assumptions about the relationship of carcass density to distance from the turbine. We tested them on 6 different carcass dispersion scenarios at each of 3 sites under 2 different search regimes. We found that even simple distance-based carcass-density models were more effective at reducing bias than was a 5-fold expansion of the search area. Estimators incorporating fitted rather than assumed models were least biased, even under restricted searches. Accurate estimates of fatality at wind-power facilities will allow critical comparisons of rates among turbines, sites, and regions and contribute to our understanding of the potential environmental impact of this technology. (c) 2014 The Wildlife Society.

Keywords: accuracy; bias; fatality estimator; mortality; relative density; searcher proficiency; wind energy; ENERGY DEVELOPMENT; BIRDS; CARCASSES; MORTALITY; IMPACTS; BATS

Tags: Effekt:Kollisjon, Geografi:Annet, Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

The purpose of this workshop is to advance the development of an efficient and effective ultrasonic acoustic deterrent to reduce bat fatalities at wind turbines. Discussions focused on how to develop a durable, easily mounted and maintained ultrasonic acoustic deterrent device that results in a significant reduction in bat fatalities, comparable to operational mitigation.

Keywords: Document/Workshop Article

Tags: Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Annet, Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

Turbine-related bat mortality at commercial wind energy facilities may threaten populations of migratory tree-roosting bat species in North America. Industry stakeholders and regulatory agencies alike are investigating strategies to reduce risk of population-level consequences as the wind energy industry grows. Bats collide with turbines only when turbine rotors are spinning and curtailing turbine operation at low wind speeds can effectively reduce bat fatality rates. Nonetheless, few quantitative data exist to determine appropriate threshold wind speeds below which turbine operations should be curtailed. Carcass monitoring is labor-intensive and does not provide information on factors linked to bat fatality rates on any scale finer than nightly. We tested whether acoustic bat data recorded at turbine nacelles could provide a more precise and sensitive measure of fatality risk to bats by analyzing acoustics, weather, turbine operation, and carcass data collected at 2 commercial wind energy facilities in West Virginia over 7 years. Each wind facility implemented several distinct curtailment treatments during our study, allowing us to compare fatality rates and acoustic bat activity across multiple operational strategies. We found that bat passes exposed to turbine operation explained close to 80% of the variation in carcass-based estimates of bat fatality rates and accounted for significant variation in raw carcass counts per turbine and probability of finding bat carcasses during individual turbine searches. Conversely, bat activity occurring when turbines were not operating had little or no relationship to fatality rates. We also found that patterns in bat activity exposure could be predicted accurately among turbines and years. Our results demonstrate that measuring exposure of acoustic bat activity provides a quantitative basis for designing, evaluating, and adaptively managing curtailment strategies. This is an important advance towards using curtailment to reduce bat fatality rates strategically while allowing for increased generation of renewable energy. (c) 2021 The Authors. Wildlife Society Bulletin published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of The Wildlife Society.

Keywords: acoustic monitoring; aerosphere; bat mortality; informed curtailment; West Virginia; wind energy; MIGRATORY BATS; FATALITY; ASSUMPTIONS; PATTERNS; IMPACTS; BIRD

Tags: Effekt:Kollisjon, Geografi:Nordlige halvkule (uten Europa), Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

Normandeau was tasked to design and test a system combining thermal imagery and acoustic and ultrasound sensors to survey bird and bat species potentially affected by offshore developments. Monitoring birds offshore has been limited worldwide due to difficulty of access and high cost. Boat-transect surveys and “ships of opportunity” are subject to potentially large sampling error and are too limited in scope to provide sufficient information. Traditional visual aerial surveys are expensive and also subject to substantial sampling error. An effective and economical way to monitor bird presence offshore would be to use specially designed, strategically positioned and remotely operated acoustic microphones and thermographic cameras attached to offshore structures such as meteorological towers, oil and gas platforms, or wind turbines. Acoustic microphones and thermographic cameras could monitor vocalizations of birds both day and night at all seasons of the year and in any weather conditions including periods of low visibility that would prevent effective visual monitoring. This report describes the initial development of the system and the results from test deployments. The Acoustic Thermographic Offshore Monitoring (ATOM) system is designed to gather data through all weather conditions both day and night. Deployment at the remote Frying Pan Shoals Light Tower (FPSLT), 29 mi offshore (Figure ES1), provided a challenging work arena with costly and limited access to the system for installation, maintenance, repairs, and retrieval. The restricted ability to access the system increased system down-time, delaying repairs and increasing the cost of deploying and maintaining the system. These factors forced subsequent improvements and modifications to both hardware and software to create a more robust unit that was able to withstand harsh offshore conditions. A number of seabird species, including gulls, terns and frigate birds, were expected to occur during the offshore deployment and were identified as expected by ATOM. The dataset of land bird species identified by ATOM is a significant contribution to filling gaps in knowledge about these migrants, and includes herons, bitterns, and many passerines. The data show a clear pattern of migrant occurrence in the offshore environment, with April and October showing peak density, using combined acoustic and thermographic data. Peak in fall density of migrating birds occurred during periods of north to northwest winds (i.e., with a tail wind). Flight bearing in passerines showed seasonal differences but similar trends were not evident with non-passerines. Passerines showed strong tendencies to fly to the south and southeast during the fall and to the northwest during the spring. Mean flight direction during Apr was 286º (NW) and in Oct was 151º (SSE). Most birds appear to fly higher in the evenings with an estimated 1.8 times increase in flight height between 8 PM and 12 AM than at all other times. Flight altitude seems unaffected by wind speed. Instead, from both acoustic and thermographic data, there is more bird activity during wind speeds of less than 10 km/hr with no discernable alteration in altitude. Flight direction is affected by wind speed and direction with data showing birds inclining to fly into head wind. Flight speed data are consistent throughout the year as well as throughout the day with an average speed of 23 km/hr. Bats were not recorded at FPSLT. Although there were large data gaps in the ultrasonic data, no bats were seen in the thermographic data either. Bats have been encountered this far offshore and away from any terrestrial habitat; however, it is unlikely that they occur at remote stations like FPSLT with any regularity. The system is designed to survey birds and bats within the rotor swept area of a turbine, and consequently most flight altitude data are within this detection area. Acoustic data also fill information gaps on small birds flying higher than 150 m that might otherwise be missed by thermographic methods due to the decay in detection over distance for small birds. Information from these two detection methods provides new data on peak migration times for both vocal and silent species. Although an original goal was that ATOM would give species-specific information on flight altitude, velocity, and bearing, sufficient data were not collected that would match many species level identifications with all detectors. Increased system reliability should augment the amount of data that could be matched, and longer deployment would gather more data from all sensors. However, species-specific data collected show Yellow-rumped Warbler with flight altitudes of 103.9 m and 46.3 m (n=2), and Laridae with flight altitudes ranging from 49.1 m to 193.9 m, mean 87.43 m (n=35). The results presented in this report are evidence of progress in the use of acoustic and thermographic monitoring to understand the ecology of large-scale migrations and apply that knowledge to conservation planning. Particularly novel is the dataset itself, the first of its kind from the offshore environment in the western Atlantic Ocean.

Keywords: Document/Report

Tags: Artsgruppe:Sjøfugl, Artsgruppe:Spurvefugl, Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Annet, Habitat:Offshore, Stilling:Offshore, Virkninger omtalt:Nei