Method of authorization for control access to wind power installations, and also interface for wind power installations and certification center

• US 10,352,300 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2015
• Issued: 07/16/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wobben Properties Gmbh (Aloys Wobben Stiftung)
• Original Assignee: Wobben Properties Gmbh (Aloys Wobben Stiftung)
• Inventors: Jakobs, Thorsten, Demuth, Simon, Giertz, Helge
• Primary Examiner(s): Hirl, Joseph P
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gundry, Stephen T
• Application Number:
  US15/540,238
• Publication Number:
  US 20170363065A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,303 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 7/047 characterised by the controller architecture, e.g. multiple processors or data communications
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 7/048 controlling wind farms
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/33 using certificates
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2113 Multi-level security, e.g. mandatory access control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0892 by using authentication-authorization-accounting [AAA] servers or protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/105 Multiple levels of security
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/321 involving a third party or a trusted authority
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3226 using a predetermined code, e.g. password, passphrase or PIN network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using passwords in a packet data network H04L63/083
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/72 Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction

Abstract

A method for authorizing a user for a control access to at least one wind turbine or at least one wind farm is disclosed. In this method, a certification center first authenticates a user, and the certification center accepts a control-access type from the authenticated user. The certification center then generates an electronic certificate according to the accepted control-access type and/or according to stored access permissions of the authenticated user. Then the certificate is used for authentication with the wind turbine or with the wind farm for the purpose of performing a control access. A system for performing the method and also relates to a certification center and to an interface of a wind turbine or of a wind farm.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

authorizing users for control accesses to at least one wind turbine or at least one wind farm, wherein authorizing the users comprises;

at a certification center, authenticating a user,

at the certification center, accepting at least one control-access type from the authenticated user,

at the certification center, generating an electronic certificate containing a control-access type according to at least one of;

the accepted control-access type and stored access permissions of the authenticated user, and

using the certificate for authentication of the at least one wind turbine or the at least one wind farm for performing control accesses having the control-access type, wherein the certificate contains a validity period, and

storing, by a control system, for each control-access type, at least one of a maximum total number and a maximum number per predefined region, and wherein certificates are generated for the control-access type only if a number of the certificates that have already been awarded for the region and are currently valid on the basis of their validity period is less than at least one of the maximum total number and the maximum number per predefined region.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

authorizing read access for the user by certificate-independent authentication of a user identifier and a password of a user using an interface of at least one of the wind turbine or at least one of the wind farm.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

issuing, by an interface of the certification center, the certificate to a processing unit;

performing, by the processing unit, authentication with the interface of the at least one wind turbine or the at least one wind farm; and

performing, by the interface of the at least one wind turbine or the at least one wind farm, control accesses to the at least one wind turbine or the at least one wind farm independently of the certification center.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the certification center performs the authentication with the interface of the at least one wind turbine or the at least one wind farm and performs control accesses to the at least one wind turbine or the at least one wind farm.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

allocating, by the control system of the certification center, at least one of an allowed and an un-allowed control-access type to one registered user, each of a plurality of registered users, or every registered user, and

generating, by the certification center, certificates of the authenticated user having the accepted control-access type only when the accepted control-access type is designated in the control system as allowed for the user.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

generating, by the certification center, the certificate containing at least one turbine identifier.

7. A certification center for authorizing users for control accesses to at least one wind turbine or to at least one wind farm, comprising:

an interface for authenticating a user with the certification center and for transferring at least one control-access type to the certification center,

wherein the certification center is configured to generate a certificate containing a control-access type according to at least one of the control-access type and stored access permissions of the authenticated user,

wherein the interface is configured to issue the electronic certificate,

wherein at least one of a maximum total number and a maximum number per predefined region is stored for each control-access type in the control system, and

wherein the certification center is configured to generate certificates for a control-access type only if a number of a awarded certificates of the control-access type that are currently valid for the region is less than the at least one of the maximum total number and the maximum number for the region.

8. The certification center according to claim 7, wherein

the certification center comprises a control system using which one registered user, each of a plurality of registered users, or every registered user is allocated at least one of an allowed and an un-allowed control-access type, and

the certification center is configured to generate certificates for an authenticated user if the control-access type transferred by the user is designated in the control system as allowed for the user.

9. The certification center according to claim 8, wherein the certification center is configured to allocate a validity period to the certificates.

10. The certification center according to claim 8, wherein

the interface of the certification center is configured to accept, using the interface, at least one turbine identifier of at least one wind turbine to be controlled or of at least one wind farm to be controlled, and

the certification center is configured to generate the electronic certificate with the certification center according to the control-access type, the turbine identifier and stored access permissions of the authenticated user.

11. A system, comprising:

a certification for authorizing users for control accesses to at least one wind turbine or to at least one wind farm, comprising;

an interface for authenticating a user with the certification center and for transferring at least one control-access type to the certification center,

wherein the certification center is configured to generate a certificate containing a control-access type according to at least one of the control-access type and stored access permissions of the authenticated user,

wherein the interface is configured to issue the electronic certificate,

wherein at least one of a maximum total number and a maximum number per predefined region is stored for each control-access type in the control system, and

wherein the certification center is configured to generate certificates for a control-access type only if a number of a awarded certificates of the control-access type that are currently valid for the region is less than the at least one of the maximum total number and the maximum number for the region.

12. A method, comprising:

authorizing users for control accesses to at least one wind turbine or at least one wind farm, wherein authorizing the users comprises;

at a certification center, authenticating a user,

at the certification center, accepting at least one control-access type from the authenticated user,

at the certification center, generating an electronic certificate containing a control-access type according to at least one of;

the accepted control-access type and stored access permissions of the authenticated user, and

using the certificate for authentication of the at least one wind turbine or the at least one wind farm for performing control accesses having the control-access type, wherein the certification center generates the certificate also according to at least one ascertained current or predicted parameter, wherein the at least one ascertained current or predicted parameter includes a grid status, weather or a status of one or more wind turbines.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising:

authorizing read access for the user by certificate-independent authentication of a user identifier and a password of a user using an interface of at least one of the wind turbine or at least one of the wind farm.

14. The method according to claim 12, further comprising:

issuing, by an interface of the certification center, the certificate to a processing unit;

performing, by the processing unit, authentication with the interface of the at least one wind turbine or the at least one wind farm; and

performing, by the interface of the at least one wind turbine or the at least one wind farm, control accesses to the at least one wind turbine or the at least one wind farm independently of the certification center.

15. The method according to claim 12, further comprising:

generating, by the certification center, the certificate containing at least one of a validity period and at least one turbine identifier.

16. A certification center for authorizing users for control accesses to at least one wind turbine or to at least one wind farm, comprising:

an interface for authenticating a user with the certification center and for transferring at least one control-access type to the certification center,

wherein the certification center is configured to generate a certificate containing a control-access type according to at least one of the control-access type and stored access permissions of the authenticated user,

wherein the interface is configured to issue the electronic certificate,

wherein the certification center comprises a further interface, wherein the further interface is configured to;

receive at least one parameter including at least one of prevailing weather data, weather forecasts, a current grid status and grid-status predictions, and

dynamically adjust the control system according to the at least one parameter.

17. The certification center according to claim 16, wherein

the certification center comprises a control system using which one registered user, each of a plurality of registered users, or every registered user is allocated at least one of an allowed and an un-allowed control-access type, and

the certification center is configured to generate certificates for an authenticated user if the control-access type transferred by the user is designated in the control system as allowed for the user.

18. The certification center according to claim 17, wherein the certification center is configured to allocate a validity period to the certificates.

19. The certification center according to claim 17, wherein:

the interface of the certification center is configured to accept, using the interface, at least one turbine identifier of at least one wind turbine to be controlled or of at least one wind farm to be controlled, and

the certification center is configured to generate the electronic certificate with the certification center according to the control-access type, the turbine identifier and stored access permissions of the authenticated user.