reVX Blade Clearance

The reVX blade clearance module computes local-only exclusion masks for wind siting workflows where jurisdictions define a minimum allowed blade clearance.

It excludes counties where turbine blade clearance is smaller than the local minimum requirement.

This guide is supplemental to the generated CLI/API docs and follows the same project-directory workflow used by other reVX exclusions tools.


Computing blade clearance exclusions

Inputs and prerequisites

Before running blade clearance, make sure you have:

  1. A template exclusions HDF5 file (excl_fpath) that defines the output grid.

  2. A local regulations file (regulations_fpath) in .csv or .gpkg format containing blade-clearance rows.

  3. Turbine specifications:

    • hub_height (m)

    • rotor_diameter (m)

  4. If regulations_fpath is tabular (CSV without geometry), excl_fpath must contain a county FIPS layer named cnty_fips for county matching.

Config file setup

Each blade clearance project should be run from its own directory.

Create a new directory, move into it, and generate template config files:

$ exclusions template-configs

Then create or edit your blade clearance config and include at least the required keys below:

{
    "execution_control": {
        "option": "local"
    },
    "log_directory": "./logs",
    "log_level": "INFO",
    "excl_fpath": "/path/to/exclusions.h5",
    "regulations_fpath": "/path/to/blade_clearance_regulations.csv",
    "hub_height": 116,
    "rotor_diameter": 163,
    "replace": false,
    "hsds": false
}

Key input notes

  • Blade clearance mode is local-only. regulations_fpath is required.

  • You must provide both hub_height and rotor_diameter.

  • Blade clearance is computed as: hub_height - rotor_diameter / 2

  • Tip height is also used for percentage-based regulations: hub_height + rotor_diameter / 2

Local regulations format

Local regulations must include, at minimum:

  • Feature Type

  • Value Type

  • Value

  • FIPS (required for non-geometric/tabular regulations)

For blade-clearance rows:

  • Feature Type should resolve to Blade Clearance

  • Value Type must be one of:

    • Meters

    • Percent

    • Percent of Tower Height

  • Value should be numeric

Value Type interpretation:

  • Meters: value is used directly as required minimum blade clearance (m)

  • Percent and Percent of Tower Height: converted to meters as tip_height * value / 100

If your regulations are provided as a GeoPackage with valid geometries, county mapping can be done spatially. If regulations are tabular, cnty_fips in excl_fpath is required for county matching.

Execution

When ready, run blade clearance from the project directory:

$ exclusions blade-clearance -c config_blade_clearance.json

If successful, output will include a GeoTIFF named: blade_clearance_restrictions_{blade_clearance}m.tif

Output values are exclusion-style mask values:

  • 1 means excluded

  • 0 means included

Exclusion behavior is strict:

  • a county is excluded when blade_clearance < local_minimum

  • if blade_clearance == local_minimum, the county is not excluded


Pipeline, batch, and status workflows

You can orchestrate blade-clearance runs using the generic exclusions CLI workflow commands.

Pipeline

From the project directory:

$ exclusions pipeline

Repeat as needed to submit the next pending step or re-run incomplete steps.

Batch

To execute multiple turbine/scenario combinations, prepare a batch CSV that parameterizes blade-clearance inputs (for example hub_height, rotor_diameter, and regulations_fpath), then run:

$ exclusions batch -c config_batch.csv

Job status

Check project job states with:

$ exclusions status

To display specific input metadata in the status table:

$ exclusions status -i node_file_path

Common troubleshooting

  • Missing local regulations

    • Provide a valid regulations_fpath; this mode does not support generic-only operation.

  • Partial turbine inputs

    • Provide both hub_height and rotor_diameter.

  • No local regulations applied

    • Confirm rows contain blade-clearance Feature Type values and valid county mapping fields.

  • Tabular regulations do not map to counties

    • Ensure FIPS values are valid and excl_fpath contains cnty_fips.