System for monitoring wind power plants

• US 20040236538A1
• Filed: 07/02/2004
• Published: 11/25/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aloys Wobben
• Original Assignee: Aloys Wobben
• Inventors: Wobben, Aloys
• Granted Patent: US 7,072,784 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/188
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 17/00 Monitoring or testing of wind motors, e.g. diagnostics testing during commissioning of wind motors F03D13/30
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 7/0264 for stopping; controlling in emergency situations orientating out of wind F03D7/0208
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 7/0296 to prevent, counteract or reduce noise emissions
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 7/042 by means of an electrical or electronic controller
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2260/96 Preventing, counteracting or reducing vibration or noise
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2270/333 Noise or sound levels
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/72 Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction

Abstract

For effective use of wind power installations, it is advantageous for regulation and operational management of a wind power installation to be carried out in such a way as to ensure fully automatic operation of the installation. Any other mode of operation which requires manual intervention in the normal operating procedure is unacceptable for economic considerations. In order further to increase the economy of the installation, regulation should be effected in such a way that the degree of energy conversion achieved in each operating condition is as high as possible. A further important aspect in terms of regulation and operational management of a wind power installation is operational safety. Technical faults and environmentally induced danger conditions must be recognised and the safety systems present triggered. In addition a regulating system can contribute to reducing the mechanical loading on the wind power installation.

For further improving maintenance, safety and economy of a wind power installation, it is desirable for further parameters of the wind power installation to be monitored. Therefore, the object of the invention is to improve monitoring of wind power installations.

A method of acoustically monitoring wind power installations, comprising the steps: recording a reference noise spectrum of a wind power installation and/or parts thereof at at least one given location of the installation, storing said reference spectrum in a storage means, recording the operating noise spectrum during operation at the given location or locations of the installation, comparing the recorded operating noise spectrum to the stored reference spectrum, and detecting deviations between the operating noise spectrum and the reference spectrum.

Claims

1-8. -8. (Canceled)

9. A system to acoustically monitor at least one wind power installation, wherein the wind power installation includes a plurality of components including at least rotor blades, the system comprising:

a remote monitoring center;

a first wind power installation including;

a sound pick-up device to detect an operating acoustic spectrum generated by at least one of the components of the first wind power installation during operation thereof;

circuitry to detect when a deviation between the operating acoustic spectrum of the first wind power installation and a reference spectrum exceeds a threshold; and

communications circuitry to communicate a fault message to the remote monitoring center when the deviation exceeds a threshold.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the reference spectrum of the first wind power installation is an acoustic spectrum produced by the component of the first wind power installation during normal operation.

11. The system of claim 9 wherein the reference spectrum of the first wind power installation is an acoustic spectrum that is expected to be generated by the component of the first wind power installation during normal operation.

12. The system of claim 9 wherein when the circuitry of the first wind power installation determines the deviation between the operating acoustic spectrum of the first wind power installation and the reference spectrum of the first wind power installation exceeds the threshold, wherein, in response thereto, the operation of the first wind power installation is automatically terminated.

13. The system of claim 9 wherein:

the communications circuitry of the first wind power installation communicates the audible sounds of the first wind power installation, which caused the deviation between the operating acoustic spectrum of the first wind power installation and the reference spectrum to exceed the threshold, to the remote monitoring center; and

the remote monitoring center includes a device to permit an operator to listen to the audible sounds of the first wind power installation which caused the deviation between the operating acoustic spectrum and the reference acoustic spectrum to exceed the threshold.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the remote monitoring center, in response to an input from the operator, terminates the operation of the first wind power installation.

15. The system of claim 9 further including:

a second wind power installation including;

a sound pick-up device to detect an operating acoustic spectrum generated by at least one of the components of the second wind power installation during operation thereof;

circuitry to detect whether a deviation between the operating acoustic spectrum of the second wind power installation and an associated reference spectrum exceeds an associated threshold; and

communications circuitry to communicate a fault message to the remote monitoring center when the deviation between the operating acoustic spectrum of the second wind power installation and the associated reference spectrum exceeds the associated threshold.

16. A system to acoustically monitor at least one wind power installation, wherein the wind power installation includes a plurality of components including at least a generator, drive train, electronics and rotor blades, the system comprising:

a remote monitoring center to monitor the operation of at least one wind power installation;

a first wind power installation including;

a plurality of sound pick-up devices including;

a first sound pick-up device to detect an operating acoustic spectrum generated by the rotor blades of the first wind power installation during operation of the first wind power installation, including a first operating acoustic spectrum generated by the rotor blades of the first wind power installation during operation of the first wind power installation at a first output level; and

a second sound pick-up device to detect an operating acoustic spectrum generated by the drive train of the first wind power installation during operation thereof;

circuitry to compare the first operating acoustic spectrum of the rotor blades of the first wind power installation to a first reference spectrum and to detect if a deviation between the first operating acoustic spectrum of the rotor blades of the first wind power installation and the first reference spectrum exceeds a first threshold; and

communications circuitry to communicate a fault message to the remote monitoring center when the deviation between the first operating acoustic spectrum of the rotor blades of the first wind power installation and the first reference spectrum exceeds the first threshold.

17. The system of claim 16 further wherein:

the first sound pick-up device detects a second operating acoustic spectrum generated by the rotor blades of the first wind power installation during operation of the first wind power installation at a second output level;

the circuitry compares the second operating acoustic spectrum of the rotor blades to a second reference spectrum to detect if a deviation between the second operating acoustic spectrum of the rotor blades of the first wind power installation and the second reference spectrum exceeds a threshold; and

the communications circuitry communicates a fault message to the remote monitoring center when the deviation between the second operating acoustic spectrum of the rotor blades of the first wind power installation and the second reference spectrum exceeds the second threshold.

18. The system of claim 16 wherein the first reference spectrum is an acoustic spectrum produced by the component during normal operation and while the first wind power installation is operating at the first power output level.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the second reference spectrum is an acoustic spectrum produced by the component during normal operation and while the first wind power installation is operating at the second power output level.

20. The system of claim 16 wherein the first reference spectrum is an acoustic spectrum that is expected to be generated by the component during normal operation and while the first wind power installation is operating at the first power output level.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein the second reference spectrum is an acoustic spectrum that is expected to be generated by the component during normal operation and while the first wind power installation is operating at the second power output level.

22. The system of claim 16 wherein:

the communications circuitry of the first wind power installation communicates the audible sounds of the first wind power installation, which caused the deviation between the first operating acoustic spectrum of the first wind power installation and the first reference spectrum to exceed the threshold, to the remote monitoring center; and

the remote monitoring center includes a device to permit an operator to listen to the audible sounds of the first wind power installation which caused the deviation between the first operating acoustic spectrum and the first reference spectrum to exceed the first threshold.

23. The system of claim 16 wherein when the deviation between the first operating acoustic spectrum and the first reference spectrum exceeds the first threshold, the operation of the wind power installation the operation of the first wind power installation is automatically terminated.

24. The system of claim 16 wherein:

the communications circuitry of the first wind power installation communicates the audible sounds, which caused the deviation between the first operating acoustic spectrum and the first reference spectrum to exceed the first threshold, to the remote monitoring center; and

the remote monitoring center includes a signal processing device to analyze the audible sounds to detect a fault.

25. The system of claim 16 further including a second wind power installation including:

a plurality of sound pick-up devices including a first sound pick-up device to detect an operating acoustic spectrum generated by the rotor blades of the second wind power installation during operation of the second wind power installation, including a first operating acoustic spectrum generated by the rotor blades of the second wind power installation during operation of the second wind power installation at a first output level;

circuitry to compare the first operating acoustic spectrum of the rotor blades of the second wind power installation to an associated reference spectrum and to detect if a deviation between the first operating acoustic spectrum of the rotor blades of the second wind power installation and the associated reference spectrum exceeds a first threshold; and

communications circuitry to communicate a fault message to the remote monitoring center when the deviation between the first operating acoustic spectrum of the rotor blades of the second wind power installation and the associated reference spectrum exceeds the first threshold.

26. The system of claim 25 wherein:

the communications circuitry of the first wind power installation communicates the audible sounds, which caused the deviation between the first operating acoustic spectrum of the first wind power installation and the first reference spectrum to exceed the threshold, to the remote monitoring center; and

the communications circuitry of the second wind power installation communicates the audible sounds, which caused the deviation between the first operating acoustic spectrum of the second wind power installation and the associated reference spectrum to exceed the threshold, to the remote monitoring center; and

the remote monitoring center includes a signal processing device to analyze the audible sounds of the first and second wind power installations to detect one or more faults.

27. The system of claim 26 wherein the remote monitoring center includes a device to permit an operator to listen to the audible sounds.

28. The system of claim 27 wherein the remote monitoring center, in response to an input from the operator, terminates the operation of the first wind power installation.

29. A system to acoustically monitor comprising:

a remote monitoring center to monitor the operation of at least one wind power installation;

at least one wind power installation to generate electrical power in response to wind, wherein the wind power installation includes;

a plurality of components including at least a generator, drive train and rotor blades;

a plurality of sound pick-up devices including;

a first sound pick-up device to detect an operating acoustic spectrum generated by the rotor blades of the wind power installation during operation of the wind power installation;

a second sound pick-up device to detect an operating acoustic spectrum generated by the drive train of the wind power installation during operation thereof; and

a third sound pick-up device to detect an operating acoustic spectrum generated by the generator of the wind power installation during operation thereof;

circuitry to compare the operating acoustic spectrums of the rotor blades, drive train and generator of the wind power installation to an associated reference spectrum of the wind power installation and to detect if a deviation between the operating acoustic spectrum of the rotor blades, drive train and generator of the wind power installation and the associated reference spectrum exceeds an associated threshold; and

communications circuitry to communicate a fault message to the remote monitoring center when the deviation exceeds the associated threshold.

30. The system of claim 29 wherein a given reference spectrum is an acoustic spectrum produced by an associated component during normal operation.

31. The system of claim 29 wherein a given reference spectrum is an acoustic spectrum that is expected to be generated by an associated component during normal operation.