Small Wind Turbine Installation Compatibility Demonstration Methodology

The objective of this project was to assess the compatibility of small wind turbines ( 100 kW) with Army installations, using Fort Drum, New York, for demonstration. Using one 7.7-kW horizontal-axis wind turbine (HAWT) and one 2.9-kW vertical-axis wind turbine (VAWT), we planned to measure radar, acoustic and seismic, turbulence, bird and bat, cold, and icing effects. We also intended to indicate if small wind turbines (SWT), in few and large numbers, are compatible with Army installations. A planned product was the Army's first Unified Facilities Criteria, addressing the installation of small wind turbines at Army facilities, which would guide installation energy managers in understanding the permitting, installation, and performance of VAWTs and HAWTs in a semi-complex environment. This report describes research executed in FY11 in preparation for wind turbine installation and Intensive Operational Periods of measurements that were planned to be conducted in FY12. Research products include preliminary laboratory or limited field radar, seismic-acoustic, turbulence, and bird and bat results to demonstrate methodologies prior to field use, the permitting process and turbine and site selection processes, and the methodologies proposed for determining icing effects. Because of budget cuts experienced by the funding organization, they did not provide project funding after FY11; therefore, this report discusses the tasks and Army deliverable originally planned for FY12 and FY13.