Whistling wind turbines may save bats' lives.New technology may help reduce those numbers, however, by causing the turbine blades to whistle at the animals.
According to the estimates of the US Geological Survey, in the US alone, tens of thousands and thousands of bats are killed every year by wind turbines.
When they hit the blade, the bats are either killed or when the lungs of the creatures break through the difference of the air pressure caused by rotating the blade.
Current efforts to continue this include the establishment of a loudspeaker at the center of the turbines, where they produce bat-detecting ultrasonic acoustic areas. Unfortunately, however, in some cases they do not reach out all the way during the period of blades, as well as a power source is required.
Keeping these limitations in mind, the scientists at Texas A & M University have produced a 3D-printed whistle produced after the barrel of a ball, which can be applied on the wind turbine blade. The idea is that as soon as the blades turn, the air passes through the whistle, causing them to produce noise similar to the ultrasonic ecoolocation signals used by the bats. The incoming bats will hear that sound (which is inaudible for humans), and change their curriculum to avoid collision with another bat, which they believe is making it.
The whistle recording has already been played back in the field so that it can be ascertained whether they actually stop the bats. Based on the results of those experiments, the next step may actually be to mount the whistle on wind turbines. Unfortunately, the installation process will be more expensive at present, though it can change because the technology has been further developed.
A & M Pro. Michael Smotherman says, "Our approach is focused on creating a sound bat that can easily detect and detect, making it easy to avoid moving turbine blades." "I hope that using this neurithological approach to design and implementation will give us a better chance to succeed."
Smoothman is presenting his team's research in 17