1.
Actually the state of NC has no say after 3 miles. The Outer Continental Shelf is governed by the Federal government, and offshore energy leases are specifically managed by the Bureau of Offshore Energy Management (BOEM) a division of the Department of the InteriorI dont live in Hatteras or even NC and this decision is totally up to the residents of those islands.
2.Outer Continental Shelf (seaward of 3 nautical miles from shore): the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act of 1953 (43 U.S.C.A. 1331 et seq.), passed in coordination with the Submerged Lands Act, confirmed federal jurisdiction over the resources beyond three nautical miles from shore and created a legal process for developing those resources (such as oil and gas)
Actually everything I stated is correct and most of Johnny Rotten's description is incorrect. The photo is clearly displaying wake turbulence as I stated. However, it was scientist/engineers from Lawrence Livermore Laboratory who pointed this out. You may see the article on wake turbulence here with the caption under that photo of "Normally invisible, wind wakes take shape in the clouds behind the Horns Rev offshore wind farm west of Denmark."SSK I'm not sure what you are trying to show with the contrails.
given the right conditions a pressure differential will result in condensation. Wind turbines obtain their drive by using a foil to produce a pressure differential to drive their rotation. In extreme humidity their bound to produce condensation. With falling pressure or temperature, the condensation would not have sufficient energy to overcome the latent heat of vaporization and would not be reabsorbed for quite some time (if at all) The photo does not indicate large scale turbulence or pressure disruption outside of the immediate wind farm area just a bunch of selective air particals made visible and then mixed around by rotating blades. Take a bunch of smoke machines and spin em around in circles in front of a few low speed fans and the visual effect would be somewhat similar
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/20 ... 151040.htm
3.
It is incorrect, to suggest that the disturbed area would be contained and limited to the height of the rotor. The disturbed area will spread out, and as other studies have shown that is all the way to the water surface.Guys, the hub height on most serious offshore turbines is 70-80m with an 80m diameter. That means the wake is 30m-40m in the air. (ie higher than your kite)
You can see a good image of that here
http://www.nrel.gov/energysciences/csc/ ... imulations
4.
I agree, and I do not think anyone was complaining throughout this whole thread, and no one said it was a bad thing. This thread was only a discussion of the theoretical possibility of some kind of effect downwind of a large wind farm. At 6 miles could there be an effect? The answer is a definite maybe depending on size, type, number, etc. But this is not to say that for kiters the effect would be bad or even noticeable. We know that it can effect the climate and wind in the local area, and a lot is still to be learned. We know these effects can go kilometers to miles downwind.Anyone that would complain about a Wind-Farm that's gonna be 6-miles away and up wind of his kite-spot, is a bit self-centered and really couldn't care about anyone else living on the planet other than himself
We also known the it is not just wake effect but other climatic changes such as pressure, temperature, and density and this too can cover a large areaWhile the distance the wake effect extends is still a matter of debate, experts agree that downwind wake effect from an individual commercial wind turbine can persist for a minimum distance of eight to ten times the turbine’s rotor diameter (equaling up to more than half a mile)and can persist even longer where turbulence is low, such as in offshore locations. Some experts even estimate that wake effect continues even longer, possibly extending several kilometers.
Dr. Roy says, "It's something like the wake from the propeller of a boat. Now this added turbulences mixes air up and down and creates a warming and drying effect near the ground." He says the affects can be felt for miles.
However, it is unlikely that even if there was some bad localized effects for kiting that anyone who lives or kites on OBX would complain much. The most pressing issue on the OBX is probably the erosion of the island. This drives politics, economics, and environmental decisions. The rate that the islands are shrinking is pretty shocking and is a result of natural processes, but have been exasperated by man made activities/decisions. This is even further exasperated by an increase in the rate of sea level rise. Pea Island which is the gateway to the prime kiting locations on the OBX is likely to be gone in many places within our lifetime. If you believe in a tie between sea level rise and carbon emissions, then I surely doubt you would fight the development of any windfarm that could effect your kite spot on OBX. Because if there is no island left then you do not have a kite spot. For those who spend time in OBX I strongly recommend reading Dr Stanley Riggs "Battle for the North Carolina Coast"
http://www.amazon.com/The-Battle-North- ... 0807834866
or any of his articles on line. He is the leading expert on NC coastal dynamics. It is pretty eye opening to see aerial photos from the 1930s overlayed with the current photos, and see how much of the island has been lost. You may come see how we have made and are making some bad policy decisions.