When detecting an aerial vehicle, the new radar is triggering the beacon lights mounted on the windmill masts in order to warn the pilots. Airbus Defence and Space Photo
Airbus Defence and Space together with wind power company ENERTRAG has equipped the first wind energy park in Germany with a newly developed radar system, which is intended to prevent aircraft from colliding with wind turbines. The radar named “Spexer 500 AC” (AC = Anti-Collision) is integrated into the “airspex” beacon system made by ENERTRAG. Now, the first system has been handed over to the operator of a wind park in Langenhorn/Northern Germany.
The new radar system is part of the Spexer family of security radars, which has been developed by Airbus Defence and Space for a variety of specific security applications, e.g. the protection of industrial facilities or borders. It is able to detect even extremely small flying objects within a radius of several kilometres. When detecting an aerial vehicle, the radar is triggering the beacon lights mounted on the windmill masts in order to warn the pilots. This means that the wind park’s beacon lights will only have to illuminate when actually necessary, so that disturbance to residents is reduced to a minimum.
The Spexer 500 AC is currently the only radar with certification based on real flight tests by the German air traffic control authority Deutsche Flugsicherung. Airbus Defence and Space leads the market for radar systems in Germany, and supplies radar equipment to military and security forces around the world. In particular, the company is active worldwide in the market for civil air traffic control systems.
ENERTRAG’s systems engineering division (ENERTRAG Systemtechnik) supplies lighting components to manufacturers and operators of wind turbines. This division is particularly active in the development of solutions which increase the acceptance of wind power.
