Wind farm

• US 20040056486A1
• Filed: 09/19/2003
• Published: 03/25/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aloys Wobben
• Original Assignee: Aloys Wobben
• Inventors: Wobben, Aloys
• Granted Patent: US 7,337,726 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 290/44
• CPC Class Codes: B61B 7/00 Rope railway systems with suspended flexible tracks
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 13/25 specially adapted for offshore installation
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 80/00 Details, components or accessories not provided for in groups F03D1/00 - F03D17/00
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 80/50 Maintenance or repair
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 9/257 the wind motor being part of a wind farm
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2230/80 Repairing, retrofitting or upgrading methods
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2240/95 offshore
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2240/96 as part of a wind turbine farm
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/72 Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/727 Offshore wind turbines
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product

Abstract

The present invention relates to wind farms, so called, comprising at least two wind turbines and in particular to offshore wind farms. In order to provide a wind farm in which transport between separate wind turbines can be effected more safely and with less dependence on weather, at least one cable connection 10 is provided between at least two of the wind turbines 12 of a wind farm, and a vessel 14 is disposed on said cable connection 10.

Claims

1. Wind farm comprising at least two wind turbines, characterised by a cable connection (10) spanning at least two wind turbines (12) at a predetermined height, and a gondola (14) disposed on said cable connection.

2. Wind farm according to claim 1, characterised by a cable connection (10) spanned as an endless cable loop between deflection members (16) at the wind turbines (12) and by a rigid connection between the cable connection (10) and the gondola (14).

3. Wind farm according to claim 1, characterised by a cable connection (10) comprising a main cable (20) and a traction cable (22) and a gondola (14), the gondola being moveably connected to the main cable (20) and fixedly connected to the traction cable (22).

4. Wind farm according to claim 3, characterised by a traction cable (22) extending as an endless cable loop along the deflection members (16).

5. Wind farm according to one of claims 3 or 4, characterised by deflection members (16) having two independently rotatable deflection pulleys.

6. Wind farm according to one of claims 3 to 5, characterised by the traction cable (22) being driven by a motor.

7. Wind farm according to claim 1, characterised by a gondola (14) that moves along the cable connection (10) under its own power (14).

8. Wind farm according to claim 7, characterised by at least one motoric drive for moving the gondola (14) along the cable connection (10), wherein the drive is preferably an electrical drive.

9. Wind farm according to claim 8, characterised by the gondola drive receiving a drive power supply from a store of energy carried in the gondola (14).

10. Wind farm according to one of the claims 7 to 9, characterised by at least one manually operable drive for moving the gondola (14) along the cable connection (10).

11. Wind farm according to one of claims 7 to 9, characterised by a remotely controllable drive for moving the gondola (14).

12. Wind farm according to claim 11, characterised by use of at least one portion of the cable connection (10) as an electrical conductor.

13. Wind farm according to claim 12, characterised by a cable which is integrated into the cable connection (10).

14. Wind farm according to one of claims 1 to 13, characterised by a star-shaped arrangement of cable connections (10) between a specified wind turbine (12) and the other wind turbines (12).

15. Wind farm according to one of claims 1 to 13, characterised by a networked arrangement of cable connections (10) between the wind turbines (12), wherein each wind turbine (12) forms a node in the network.

16. Wind farm according to one of claims 1 to 13, characterised by a single cable connection (10) between the wind turbines (12) of the wind farm, said cable connection connecting at least one portion of the wind turbines (12) in a predeterminable sequence.

17. Wind farm according to one of claims 14 to 16, characterised by a combination of at least two of the aforesaid systems of cable connections (10).

18. Wind farm according to one of the preceding claims, characterised by a detachable locking device between the gondola (14) and the tower of a wind turbine (12).

19. Wind farm according to claim 18, characterised by a locking device configured as a holding magnet.

20. Wind farm according to one of the preceding claims, characterised by a holding cable (24) extending parallel to the cable connection (10) at a predefined distance therefrom.

21. Wind farm according to one of the preceding claims, characterised by a cable connection (10) extending at a predefined horizontal distance from the tower of the wind tower (12), and/or by a holding cable extending at a predefined horizontal distance from the tower (24).

22. Wind farm according to one of claims 20 or 21, characterised by deflection members (16) on the wind turbines (12) for accommodating the holding cable (24).

23. Wind farm according to one of claims 20 to 22, characterised in that the cable connection (10) is configured as an endless cable loop, and that the holding cable (24) is part of said endless cable loop.

24. Wind farm according to one of the preceding claims, characterised by a gondola (14) with a flywheel mass (28) rotating about a vertical axis.

25. Wind farm according to one of the preceding claims, characterised by a closeable opening (18) in the tower of a wind turbine (12) at the height at which the gondola (14) reaches the tower.

26. Wind farm according to claim 25, characterised by a locking device at the height of the gondola near the opening (18).

27. Wind farm according to one of the preceding claims, characterised by a cover (34) of substantially horizontal extension disposed above the opening (18) on the tower of at least one wind turbine (12).

28. Wind farm according to claim 27, characterised by a first protective wall (36) disposed on the side of the cover (34) facing away from the tower, said protective wall extending substantially vertically and at a predefined distance parallel to the cable connection (10).

29. Wind farm according to one of the preceding claims, characterised by at least one second protective wall (38) disposed at the tower of the wind turbine (12) at the height of the opening (18) and extending substantially parallel to the cable connection (10).

30. Wind farm according to claim 29, characterised by a two-part second protective wall (38) extending a predefined length on both sides of the opening (18).

31. Wind farm according to one of claims 28 to 30, characterised by a gap between the first protective wall (36) and the second protective wall (38), said gap increasing in size in a predefined portion at a distance from the opening (18).

32. Wind farm according to one of claims 28 to 31, characterised by an elastic coating (48) of predefined thickness on at least one of the protective walls (36, 38).

33. Wind farm according to one of claims 27 to 32, characterised by at least one lighting installation on the cover (34) and/or the protective walls (36, 38).

34. Wind farm according to one of the preceding claims, characterised by at least one gangboard extending substantially parallel to the cable connection (10), said gangboard being reachable from the opening (18) and having at least one retention facility along its entire length.

35. Wind farm according to one of the preceding claims, characterised by a single- or multi-part working platform on the outside of the tower of at least one wind turbine (12), wherein said platform can be reached from the opening (18).

36. Wind farm according to one of the preceding claims, characterised by a crown safety platform or a working cage outside the tower of at least one wind turbine (12), wherein said platform or cage can be reached from the opening (18).

37. Wind farm according to one of the preceding claims, characterised by at least one first guide rail (40) disposed on the tower of the wind turbine (12) close to the opening (18) and extending substantially parallel to the cable connection (10).

38. Wind farm according to claim 37, characterised by a second guide rail (42) extending at a predefined distance substantially parallel to the first guide rail (40).

39. Wind farm according to one of claims 37 or 38, characterised by a gap between the first guide rail (40) and the second guide rail (42), said gap increasing in size in a predefined portion at a distance from the opening.

40. Wind farm according to one of claims 37 to 39, characterised in that the guide rails (40, 42) support the protective walls (36).

41. Wind farm according to one of claims 25 to 40, characterised in that the closeable opening (18) is larger than the gondola (14) and the cable connection (10) extends through the opening (18) into the inside of the tower of the wind turbine (12).

42. Wind farm according to one of the preceding claims, characterised by at least one set of points at each tower along the cable connection (10).

43. Wind farm according to one of the preceding claims, characterised by load anchoring facilities and lashing means in the gondola (14).

44. Wind farm according to one of the preceding claims, characterised by a hoisting device located on or in the gondola (14) for handling the load being carried.

45. Wind farm according to one of the preceding claims, characterised by a hoisting and/or transportation apparatus at or in the tower of at least one wind turbine (12).

46. Wind farm according to one of the preceding claims, characterised by a gondola (14) with an enclosed gondola cabin.

47. Wind farm according to one of the preceding claims, characterised by an elastic coating at at least one location on the gondola (14) where the risk of collision with other wind farm facilities is greatest.

48. Wind farm according to one of the preceding claims, characterised by a buoyant gondola (14).

49. Wind farm according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the elastic coating serves simultaneously as a float.

50. Wind farm according to one of the preceding claims, characterised by a control device comprising a central control unit, sensors and/or actuators.

51. Wind farm according to claim 50, characterised by the central control unit being disposed in one of the wind turbines (12) of the wind farm.

52. Wind farm according to one of claims 50 or 51, characterised by at least one sensor that detects when the gondola (14) passes by.

53. Wind farm according to one of the preceding claims, characterised by a GPS module disposed in the gondola.

54. Wind farm according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that electrical energy generated in the wind farm is used to power the electrical drives.

55. Wind farm according to claim 54, characterised in that the energy is selectively drawn at the generator, at an intermediate DC circuit or at some other suitable point.

56. Wind farm according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that energy is transported within the wind farm at least partially in a form other than electricity.

57. Wind farm according to one of the preceding claims, characterised by masts (11) disposed adjacently between the towers of the wind turbines (12) for supporting the cable connection (10).

60. Wind farm according to one of the preceding claims, characterised by least one wind turbine (12) having an accommodation area for accommodating at least one person.

61. Wind farm according to claim 60, characterised by the accommodation area being equipped with a sanitary area and/or a kitchen area and/or a pantry area and/or a rest area.

62. Wind farm according to one of claims 60 or 61, characterised by the accommodation area being integrated in the tower of a wind turbine (12).

63. Wind farm according to one of claims 60 to 62, characterised by the accommodation area being arranged in a plurality of interconnected levels.

64. Wind farm according to one of claims 60 to 63, characterised by a device for signalling predefined data and/or a device for influencing predefined operating parameters within the accommodation area.

65. Wind farm according to one of claims 60 to 64, characterised by a communications facility for exchanging information and/or data.

66. Wind farm according to one of claims 60 to 65, characterised by a water treatment plant for supplying the personnel with drinking water and service water.

67. Wind farm according to one of claims 60 to 66, characterised by energy storage means for storing energy to bridge gaps in power supply.

68. Wind farm according to one of claims 60 to 67, characterised by devices for weather observation, and/or for detecting, analysing, recording and/or forwarding meteorological data.

69. Wind farm according to one of claims 60 to 68, characterised in that at least the wind turbine with the accommodation area has navigational aids for shipping and/or equipment for helping injured or shipwrecked persons.

70. Wind farm according to one of claims 60 to 69, characterised by a viewing platform on the tower of the wind turbine in which the accommodation area is located, said viewing platform encircling the tower below the machine house either completely, or at least partially in a preferred direction.

71. Wind farm according to claim 70, characterised in that at least part of the viewing platform has windows to enable the surroundings of the wind turbine to be monitored.

72. Wind farm according to one of claims 70 or 71, characterised by an elevator between the accommodation area and the viewing platform.

58. Method for controlling the cable car system provided between at least two wind turbines of a wind farm, characterised by evaluation by the central control unit of the situation as detected by the sensors, and the triggering of appropriate control signals for the actuators.

59. Method according to claim 58, characterised by the transmission to the central control unit of GPS data and/or data in other encoded form indicating the position of the gondola (14).