Painting one turbine blade black reduces bird deaths by 72%

[nowty]

https://www.rechargenews.com/wind/painting-one-turbine-blade-black-reduces-bird-fatalities-by-72-says-study/2-1-861643

Now I remember reading that three blades are normally used because they are less noticeable to humans than two bladed turbines so people complain less about them.

So I wonder if birds also see the two bladed ones as well as a three bladed one with one painted black.

I have a feeling this one black blade will not catch on because people will complain about them.

[MR GUS]

Advertising opportunities missed in terms of decking bloody big blades that spin at the required rpm to trick the brain into seeing an image (like on my bike with monkeylights) imagine a big coca cola advert in a storm with faster smaller turbines around the M25

Persistence of vision.
h ttps://youtu.be/Q81M6MSHsxE?t=14

(backspace the ttps)

[knighty]

https://www.rechargenews.com/wind/painting-one-turbine-blade-black-reduces-bird-fatalities-by-72-says-study/2-1-861643
Now I remember reading that three blades are normally used because they are less noticeable to humans than two bladed turbines so people complain less about them.
So I wonder if birds also see the two bladed ones as well as a three bladed one with one painted black.
I have a feeling this one black blade will not catch on because people will complain about them.

3 blades is to balance the turbine, every time a blade passes the mast it wobbles a bit (or has extra forces on it anyway) - if you have blades opposite each other then the wobble is passed into the opposite blade, so as that blade comes around past the mast it already has a wobble, so wobbles more.... on and on until something goes wrong    (or doesen't go wrong, because you have a much heavier blade to compensate... which has it's own down sides)

[Nickel2]

They may possibly see the fast-moving black and white object as an extremely large gull, and make the effort to avoid it.

[Countrypaul]

Would having one black and two white cause problems in bright sun with little wind - would the black one get hotter expand more and unbalance things?

[dickster]

A lazy look at the results show I think 8 birds killed pre painting, (4 sea eagles!).

[oliver90owner]

I certainly agree with CP’s comment.  Perhaps bands at different points on each blade could mitigate that possible problem?

[biff]

Years ago,
      There was a query as to why the farmers painted big eyes on the black plastic that they wrapped their silage in.  Apparently , the crows would tear strips out of the plastic for some reason,  but anyhow, these Crafty Farmers painted big eyes with white paint and the crows and other villains never bothered after that.
     Perhaps if large eyes were painted on to the blades, it would steer the birds away. Worth a try.
      Biff.

[ecojet]

Is that like the interuptor on WW1 fighter aeroplane machine guns?
 

https://hartzellprop.com/synch-gear-world-war-fighters-avoided-damaging-propellers/#:~:text=Sync%20gear%2C%20also%20known%20as,without%20damaging%20the%20propeller%20blades.