Aircraft beacon device on wind power installations

• US 6,867,710 B2
• Filed: 05/08/2001
• Issued: 03/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Aloys Wobben
• Original Assignee: Aloys Wobben
• Inventors: Wobben, Aloys
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tai T.
• Application Number:
  US10/275,743
• Publication Number:
  US 20030156047A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,407 Days
• Field of Search: 340/963, 340/945, 340/953, 340/959, 340/964, 340/971, 340/980, 340/983, 340/981
• US Class Current: 340/963
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 80/10 Arrangements for warning air traffic
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 9/022 Emergency lighting devices
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 9/043 driven by wind power, e.g. by wind turbines
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/04 the elements being switches safety devices F21V25/00
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2111/00 Use or application of lighting devices or systems for signalling, marking or indicating, not provided for in codes F21W2102/00 – F21W2107/00
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2111/06 for aircraft runways or the like
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 5/00 Visible signalling systems, e.g. personal calling systems, remote indication of seats occupied
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 10/30 Wind power
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/72 Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction

Abstract

The object of the invention is to improve a flight warning light arrangement of wind power installations and in particular to make the operation thereof as effect as possible.

Disclosed is a flight warning light arrangement for a wind power installation, comprising at least one light means which is mounted on the wind power installation, wherein there is provided a device for detecting the brightness value, for example a twilight switch which detects the level of daytime brightness in the area around the wind power installation, and the device for detecting the brightness value is connected to a switching device which evaluates the measured data and switches on the flight warning light arrangement when the brightness value falls below a given value.

Claims

1. A flight warning light arrangement of a wind power installation comprising:

at least one light means;

a device for detecting a brightness value in the area around the flight warning light arrangement;

a switching device, being connected to the device for detecting the brightness value, for evaluating a measured data of the device for detecting the brightness value, and for switching on at least one of the light means when the brightness value falls below a given value, wherein at least one of the light means are in the form of flashing lights; and

a synchronization device for controling the light means and for providing a synchronization signal to at least one other flight warning light arrangement in a proximity of said flight warning light arrangement such that at least one of the light means of the flight warning light arrangement and a light means of at least one other flight warning light arrangement are switched on and off at the same time.

2. A flight warning light arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that there is provided a visiblity measuring device, by means of which the light means are activated when a measured visibility value falls below a predetermined range.

3. A flight warning light arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that the light means are in the form of flashing lights and that there is provided a synchronization device which controls the light means in such a way that the light means of the flight warning light arraignment and also a light means comprised of other flashing lights in the proximity are switched on and off respectively at the same time.

4. A flight warning light arrangement according to claim 3 characterized in that the synchronization device controls at least one other flight warning light arrangements by at least one of a radio signal and a data signal control.

5. A flight warning light arrangement, according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one of the light means comprises a plurality of light emitting diodes.

6. A flight warning light arrangement according to claim 1, characterized by a transportable energy source for a supply of power to at least one of the light means and the switching device.

7. A flight warning light arrangement according to claim 6 characterized by an intermediate energy storage means which is coupleable to an energy-producing means.

8. A flight warning light arrangement according to claim 6 characterized by a GSM module for communication of fault messages.

9. A flight warning light arrangement according to claim 6 characterized in that at least one of the light means is fixable to a transportation container.

10. A flight warning light arrangement according to claim 9 characterized in that a height of the transportation container is such that at least a height of at least one of the light means remains free between the components installed in the transportation container and an edge of the transportation container.

11. A flight warning light arrangement according to claim 6 characterized in that at least one of the light means is arranged separately from the transportation container during operation of the flight warning light arrangement.

12. A flight warning light arrangement according to claim 6 characterized by at least one electrical connection which is releasable on at least one side between at least one of the light means and the switching device or a change-over switching device.

13. A flight warning light arrangement according to claim 6 characterized by a receiving compartment for cables.

14. A flight warning light arrangement according to claim 1 characterized in that at least one of the switching device and a twilight switch are combined with at least one of the light means.

15. A flight warning light arrangement according to claim 1 characterized in that there are provided at least two light means of different colors.

16. A flight warning light arrangement according to claim 15 characterized by a change-over switching device which respectively connects the light means of a same color to the switching device.

17. A flight warning light arrangement according to claim 16 characterized in that a twilight switch co-operates with the change-over switching device.

18. A flight warning light arrangement according to claim 1 characterized by a receiving device for radio signals, which co-operates with at least one of a twilight switch and the switching device.

19. A flight warning light arrangement comprising:

a transportable energy source;

a transportation container for transportation of the energy source, the transportation container having at least one intermediate energy storage means which is fed with an energy-producing means in the form of a generator for converting wind power into electrical energy or a photovoltaic module,

wherein a charge regulator is connected between the intermediate energy storage means and the energy-producing means,

the flight warning light arrangement further having;

one or more light means;

a device for detecting a brightness value in an area around the flight warning light arrangement; and

a switching device connected to the device for detecting the brightness value, for evaluating the brightness value and for switching on at least one of the light means when the brightness value falls below a given value and the energy-producing means during the operation of the flight warning light arrangement is fixed to the transportation container or removed therefrom and is fixed to an appropriate locations at a tip of a building.