Aircraft Detection Lighting System
Precise
Selective
Reliable
Flexible
Aircraft Detection Lighting System (ADLS)
The Aircraft Detection Lighting System (ADLS) controls the obstacle lighting on wind turbines. The system ensures that lighting is activated only when an aircraft enters a predefined warning zone around the wind farm.
Under current regulations, the warning zone for wind turbines is defined by the Dutch Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate (ILT) as a radius of 5.5 kilometres around the obstacle. Within this zone, aircraft must be reliably detected at altitudes between 300 and 2,000 feet (91.4 to 609.6 metres) above ground level.
By activating obstacle lighting only when required, ADLS helps reduce visual impact on the surrounding area while maintaining full compliance with aviation safety requirements.
Partnership Light:Guard and Enius
Exclusive distributor of the Light:Guard ADLS solution
Enius is the exclusive distributor of the ADLS solution developed by Light:Guard. Light:Guard is a subsidiary of Quantec Sensors, a company widely recognised for its expertise in wind farm communication systems and obstacle lighting technology.
The Light:Guard and Enius approach is based on aircraft detection using transponder receivers combined with multilateration (MLAT) technology. The system detects and processes transponder signals from aircraft operating near a wind farm through a network of strategically positioned receivers.
With as few as four transponder receivers, accurate multilateration can be performed within a defined area. This enables precise aircraft positioning, significantly reducing false positives and increasing the amount of time that obstacle lighting can remain switched off.
The result is a highly accurate ADLS solution that maximises dark-sky conditions while maintaining full compliance with aviation safety requirements.
What is multilateration?
Multilateration (MLAT) is a technology used to determine the position of a transponder by comparing the arrival times of the same signal at multiple receivers.
In essence, MLAT calculates the exact position of an aircraft by minimising the difference between the measured and expected signal travel times. This allows the system to accurately determine where an aircraft is located, rather than simply detecting that a transponder signal is present.
The main advantage of this approach is precision. Because the exact position of an aircraft is known, obstacle lighting is activated only when the aircraft enters the warning zone surrounding the wind farm.
The position calculation also compensates for differences in transponder signal strength. As a result, both high-power and low-power transponders can be accurately located, reducing false positives and maximising the time that obstacle lighting remains switched off.
Windplan Groen
"Three turbine types in a single wind farm, advanced multilateration technology and complete peace of mind. Exactly why we chose the ADLS solution from Enius.” | Jocelyn Smit - ADLS associate Windkoepel Groen
Why ADLS?
