Originally Posted by
jonkster
Great photos.
I certainly agree the patterns generated by those turbines extend way more than 5 rotors but I am not sure they indicate the extent of dangerous turbulence.
I have seen where aircraft have been playing submarines along the top of a cloud layer that show a disrupted cloud pattern like that for hundreds of miles behind them but that doesn't mean the wake turbulence extends for hundreds of miles (or that it remains at the same altitude).
Similarly contrails can extend for huge distances and last for considerable times but aren't a sign of embedded wake turbulence, like the disrupted clouds after aircraft passage simply record that the air was at some point disturbed by the aircraft's passage.
I am interested in the research you mentioned in an earlier post from the University of Kansas though as that (if accurately reported) points to potential problems.
looking at the photo it looks to me as though there is sufficient 'distance' of turbulence to clear the fog downwind of the wind turbines. There is also the fact that the turbulence has a surface to resonate off and sustain it further then would be the case at altitude.
As turbine placement/density can be affected by the ground surface and other turbine tower turbulence the ground suitability maps of the wind industry spruikers can give a fair indication of what to expect.
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