Method and system for the maintenance of a wind energy installation from a group of wind energy installations

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10711767-B2
Application number	US-201916293821-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 6, 2019
Priority date	Mar 6, 2018
Publication date	Jul 14, 2020
Grant date	Jul 14, 2020

Abstract

A method for the maintenance of a first wind energy installation from a group of wind energy installations. In the method, a future maintenance time period is identified in which a boost power of the group of wind energy installations is greater than a prescribed threshold value, wherein the boost power results from a wind speed predicted for the future maintenance time period, said wind speed being greater than a rated wind speed. The power of the first wind energy installation is reduced after the start of the maintenance time period and a boost power is drawn from a plurality of wind energy installations from the group of wind energy installations. A maintenance process is carried out at the first wind energy installation. The invention furthermore relates to a control unit suitable for carrying out the method.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for the maintenance of a first wind energy installation ( 15 ) from a group of wind energy installations ( 14 , 15 ) comprising the following steps:
a. identifying a future maintenance time period ( 26 ) in which a boost power of the group of wind energy installations ( 14 , 15 ) is greater than a prescribed threshold value, wherein the boost power results from a wind speed ( 23 ) predicted for the future maintenance time period ( 26 ), said wind speed being greater than a rated wind speed ( 24 );
b. reducing the power of the first wind energy installation ( 15 ) after the start of the maintenance time period and drawing a boost power from a plurality of wind energy installations ( 14 ) from the group of wind energy installations ( 14 , 15 );
c. carrying out a maintenance process at the first wind energy installation ( 15 ).

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein a future maintenance time period ( 26 ) is identified in which the predicted environmental conditions at at least one wind energy installation ( 15 ) are more favorable than the standard conditions assumed in the design of the wind energy installation ( 15 ) and in that the boost power is drawn from the wind energy installation ( 15 ) within a measurement range of the design.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein a future maintenance time period ( 26 ) is identified in which the predicted wind turbulence, a vertical and/or horizontal wind gradient, an upflow, a wake condition in the group of wind energy installations and/or an air density are low.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first wind energy installation ( 15 ) is brought to a standstill after the start of the maintenance time period ( 26 ).

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein between a time (T 0 ) at which the future maintenance time period ( 26 ) is identified and the start of the maintenance time period ( 26 ), a maintenance plan is created, which determines a maintenance process to be carried out in the future maintenance time period ( 26 ) for the first wind energy installation ( 15 ).

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the prescribed threshold value for the boost power is related to the power loss to be expected in the first wind energy installation ( 15 ) during the maintenance time period ( 26 ).

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the prescribed threshold value is selected so that it corresponds to at least 40%, preferably at least 80%, further preferably at least 100% of the power loss to be expected at the first wind energy installation ( 15 ).

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the future maintenance time period ( 26 ) is identified in which the power loss of the first wind energy installation ( 15 ) to be expected is lower than the rated power of the first wind energy installation ( 15 ).

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the future maintenance time period ( 26 ) is selected so that the boost power is greater than the prescribed threshold value over at least 40%, preferably over at least 60%, further preferably over at least 80% of the duration of the maintenance process.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first wind energy installation ( 15 ) is connected to a transmission network ( 18 ) via a first network infeed point ( 17 ) and in that the group comprises wind energy installations ( 14 ) that are connected to a transmission network ( 18 ) via a second network infeed point ( 28 , 29 ).

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the permissible power that can be fed in via the second network infeed point ( 28 , 29 ) is greater by an excess power than the sum of the rated powers of the wind energy installations ( 14 ) connected to the second network infeed point ( 28 , 29 ).

12. A control unit for carrying out a maintenance process at a first wind energy installation ( 15 ) from a group of wind energy installations ( 14 , 15 ), wherein the control unit ( 19 ) identifies, based on a wind prediction, a future maintenance time period ( 26 ) in which a boost power of the group of wind energy installations ( 14 , 15 ) is greater than a prescribed threshold value, wherein the control unit ( 19 ) is designed to generate a control signal after the start of the maintenance time period ( 26 ) in order to reduce the power of the first wind energy installation ( 15 ) and to draw a boost power from a plurality of wind energy installations ( 14 ) from the group of wind energy installations ( 14 , 15 ).

Assignees

• Senvion Gmbh

Inventors

• Lütjen Jan
• Thiessen Dennis

Classifications

• Y02E10/72

  Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction · CPC title

• F03D17/00 Primary

  Monitoring or testing of wind motors, e.g. diagnostics (testing during commissioning of wind motors F03D13/30) · CPC title

• F03D7/048 Primary

  controlling wind farms · CPC title

• F03D80/50 Primary

  Maintenance or repair · CPC title

• Y02P70/50

  Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product · CPC title