Offshore wind farm illumination

Abstract

Method for operating an offshore wind farm with at least one wind turbine system and a navigation device, which is operated in a normal mode, wherein a hazard signal is received by a receiving device, the received hazard signal is supplied to a control device that switches the navigation device from the normal mode to a an emergency lighting mode.

Claims

1. A method of operating an offshore wind farm, comprising: providing, at least one offshore wind energy plant, a flight navigation device which is operable in a normal mode; receiving a hazard signal at a receiving device; delivering the received hazard signal to a control device; and switching the flight navigation device from the normal mode to an emergency flight navigation mode so that at least one floodlight on a machine housing is switched on and illuminates rotor blades of the wind energy plant associated with the machine housing, and one or both of at least one floodlight which radiates onto the surface of the sea is switched on, and at least one floodlight on the machine housing of a wind energy plant is switched on to radiate a further wind energy plant.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising switching on an additional floodlight in the emergency flight navigation mode.

3. A method according to claim 2, characterized in that the emergency flight navigation mode is switched on until the hazard signal is either no longer detected or a pre-set time has been exceeded since detection of the hazard signal.

4. A method according to claim 3, further comprising measuring at least one of brightness values and visibility range values in the environment, and delivering measured values representing the at least one of the brightness values and the visibility range values to a control device, wherein at least one of a degree of brightness, a number of floodlights, or a number of lights switched on in the emergency flight navigation mode are adapted to either the measured degree of brightness or the measured visibility range values in such a way that the higher the measured values, the lower the degree of brightness, the lower the number of floodlights switched on, and the lower number of lights are switched on.

5. A method according to claim 4, characterized in that the receiving device receives an externally emitted hazard signal and transmits an internal hazard signal to all the wind energy plants of the wind farm, and the flight navigation devices associated with the wind energy plants are switched from the normal mode into the emergency flight navigation mode.

6. A method according to claim 5, characterized in that lights that are switched on in the normal mode are further operable in the emergency flight navigation mode.

7. A method according to claim 6, characterized in that at least one floodlight in a rotor hub is switched on, the at least one floodlight radiating into an interior of a rotor blade, the rotor blade being provided with a wall which is translucent at least in part.

8. A method according to claim 6, characterized in that at least one floodlight in a rotor hub is switched on, the at least one floodlight radiating into an interior of a rotor blade, the rotor blade being provided with a wall which is translucent at least in part.

9. A method according to claim 6, characterized in that in the emergency flight navigation mode, all of the floodlights attached on an outside of the wind energy plant are switched on in addition to the normal mode.

10. A method according to claim 9, characterized in that at least one of the lights or guiding lights that are arranged on a ladder, a landing platform, and a wind energy plant are switched on.

11. A method according to claim 10, characterized in that a daytime navigation light is additionally switched on.

12. A method according to claim 11, characterized in that the illuminated guiding lights show a shortest way to an exit of the wind farm are arranged on a wind energy plant and are switched on.

13. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that a central control device of a wind energy plant in the wind farm sends a signal concerning switching on the emergency flight navigation mode to a remote monitoring unit.

14. An offshore wind farm for operating at least one wind energy plant, comprising: a flight navigation device which is capable of being operated in a normal mode, having a receiving device for receiving a hazard signal; and a control device to which the hazard signal is capable of being delivered and which switches the flight navigation device from the normal mode into an emergency flight navigation mode when the hazard signal is delivered and by at least one floodlight arranged on a tower of a wind energy plant and capable of being directed onto the surface of the sea and by at least one additional floodlight arranged on the tower of the wind energy plant and capable of being directed onto an adjacent wind energy plant.

15. An offshore wind farm according to claim 14, characterized by at least one dimmer switch and visibility range measurement device for determining measurement values supplied to the control device, wherein the control device adapts one or more of a brightness, a number of floodlights and a number of lights that are switched over to the emergency mode to at least one of a measured brightness and a measured visibility range in such a way that the higher the measurement values, the lower the brightness, the lower the number of the floodlights and the lower the number of lights switched over.

16. An offshore wind farm according to claim 15, characterized in that at least one rotor blade has a translucent wall, and a floodlight is arranged on a hub of the rotor blade and is directed into an interior of the rotor blade.

17. An offshore wind farm according to claim 15, characterized in that at least one rotor blade has a translucent wall, and a floodlight is arranged on a hub of the rotor blade and is directed into an interior of the rotor blade.

18. An offshore wind farm according to claim 15, characterized in that the flight navigation device has lights positioned on either a ladder or a landing platform, and guiding lights, wherein each of the lights and the guiding lights are capable of being switched on separately or in combination in the emergency flight navigation mode.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The invention is described in four Figures with reference to three embodiments. In the Figures:

(2) FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view of a switched-on flight navigation device of an offshore wind farm;

(3) FIG. 2 shows the basic circuitry of the flight navigation device;

(4) FIG. 3a shows an interior illumination of an inner blade of the rotor;

(5) FIG. 3b shows an exterior illumination of an offshore wind energy plant, and

(6) FIG. 4 shows lights of a wind energy plant of a wind farm.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(7) FIG. 1 shows a wind farm with four wind energy plants OWEA 1, OWEA 2, OWEA 3, OWEA 4. The invention extends, however, to offshore wind energy plant farms and also onshore wind farms with any desired number of wind energy plants. It is possible for two, three and any desired higher number of structurally similar or different wind energy plants to be provided. Each of the wind energy plants OWEA 1, OWEA 2, OWEA 3, OWEA 4 has a tower, a rotor with three rotor blades 15, 25, 35, 45 in each case and a machine housing 16, 26, 36, 46.

(8) The wind energy plants OWEA 1, OWEA 2, OWEA 3, OWEA 4 have in each case one flight navigation device with at least one floodlight 11, 12, 13, 21, 22, 31, 32, 33, 41, 42, 43, 47 in each case. The flight navigation devices are designed differently. The first flight navigation device of the first wind energy plant OWEA 1 has a first floodlight 11 directed onto a surface of the sea inside the wind farm and a second floodlight 12 directed onto the second wind energy plant OWEA 2. In addition, the first flight navigation device has a floodlight 13 which is arranged on an end of the first machine housing 16 facing away from first rotor of the first wind energy plant OWEA 1 and which is directed onto an area above the first machine housing 16 and thus backlights in each case one of the first blades 15 of the first rotor sweeping past.

(9) The second wind energy plant OWEA 2 has a floodlight 21 which is arranged on the tower thereof and which is directed onto the surface of the sea in the region of the tower, as well as a second floodlight 22 at the rear area of the second machine housing 26 facing away from the second rotor, which is likewise directed onto an area above the second machine housing 26 and which backlights in each case one of the second rotor blades 25 sweeping past.

(10) OWEA 3 has two floodlights 31, 32 which are arranged on the tower thereof and the first floodlight 31 of which is directed onto the second wind energy plant OWEA 2 and the other floodlight 32 of which is directed onto the fourth wind energy plant OWEA 4. In this case the floodlights 31, 32 are directed onto the wind energy plants OWEA 2, OWEA 4 in such a way that the wind energy plants OWEA 2, OWEA 4 are illuminated along their entire height.

(11) A third floodlight 33 is mounted on the roof of the third machine housing 36 of the third wind energy plant OWEA 3 on a part facing away from the associated rotor and it is directed from there onto the rotor blades 35 of the same wind energy plant OWEA 3. Alternatively or in addition, the third machine housing 36 can have laterally arranged on it floodlights (not shown) which illuminate an area at the side of the third machine housing 36 and, in this way, backlight the blades 35 of the third rotor sweeping past in each case at the side of the third machine housing 36.

(12) OWEA 4 likewise has three floodlights 41, 42, 43 arranged on the tower thereof. The first floodlight 41 is directed onto OWEA 2 and illuminates it, the second floodlight 42 is directed onto OWEA 3 and illuminates it, and the third floodlight 43 is directed onto an area of the surface of the sea between OWEA 3 and OWEA 4. In contrast to the illumination of the rotor blades 15, 25, 35 of OWEA 1, OWEA 2 and OWEA 3, the rotor blades 45 of OWEA 4 comprise a translucent wall material, so that the three floodlights 47 illuminating the three interiors of the three rotor blades 45 light up each of the three rotor blades 45 and thus reveal the hazard situation. The wind farm according to FIG. 1 is shown in the emergency flight navigation mode.

(13) In FIG. 1 the flight navigation device of the wind farm comprises floodlights 11, 12, 13, 21, 22, 31, 32, 33, 41, 42, 43, 47 arranged inter alia on the towers or the roofs of the machine housings 16, 26, 36, 46 as well as the floodlights 47 provided in OWEA 4 for the internal illumination of the rotor blades 45. Any desired combinations of the described illumination arrangements of the individual wind energy plants OWEA 1, OWEA 2, OWEA 3, OWEA 4 are possible. Further lights or floodlights, in particular as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 and as discussed later, are possible as part of the flight navigation device, which are capable of being switched on in the emergency flight navigation mode.

(14) FIG. 2 shows the basic circuitry of the flight navigation device of the wind farm. Basically the flight navigation device of the offshore wind energy plant farm as a whole and of each individual offshore wind energy plant is switched into the normal mode during the day and also during the night. The normal mode is referred to as day mode during the day and as night mode during the night. In the normal mode all the floodlights 11, 12, 13, 21, 22, 31, 32, 33, 41, 42, 43, 47 are switched off both during the day and during the night. In the normal mode a hazard beacon or obstruction light and/or a blade tip navigation device is switched on in a manner dependent upon the safety standards and the type of authorization which depend in particular upon the height of the wind energy plants OWEA 1, OWEA 2, OWEA 3, OWEA 4 and their location. Hazard beacons have a light intensity of more than 1=2,000 cd, whereas the light intensity of obstruction lights is approximately only at least 1=10 cd.

(15) As a rule, in the normal mode white flashing lights are switched on during the day and red flashing lights are switched on during the night. In this case “during the day” means a degree of brightness in the vicinity of the wind farm which exceeds a specified threshold brightness threshold value, and “during the night” a degree of ambient brightness which does not reach the threshold brightness threshold value.

(16) In order to determine the brightness in the offshore wind energy plant farm as a whole, in this embodiment the fourth wind energy plant OWEA 4 has provided on it a dimmer switch 150 which acts upon a control device 200 of the flight navigation device with brightness measurement values. If a first threshold value is exceeded, the control device 200 switches the offshore wind energy plants or the offshore wind energy plant farm from the night mode to the day mode, and if it is not reached it switches it from the day mode to the night mode again.

(17) The flight navigation device also has a receiving device 100 which responds to an external hazard signal. The receiving device 100 can comprise either only one individual detector or a plurality of detectors, i.e. two or more, which are arranged in each case on a wind energy plant OWEA 1, OWEA 2, OWEA 3, OWEA 4. The external switch-on signal is for example a transponder signal of an aircraft or ship or another external signal. It can also be the noise of the engines of an approaching ship. The receiving device 100 acts upon the control device 200 with the external signal converted into an electrical signal and switches the flight navigation device from the normal mode to the emergency flight navigation mode. In this case the floodlights 11, 12, 13, 21, 22, 31, 32, 33, 41, 42, 43, 47 described above and illustrated in FIG. 1 are preferably all switched on or switched on in part in a manner dependent upon the ambient brightness.

(18) After the hazard signal has been received and before the emergency flight navigation mode has been switched on a matching with the brightness value of the environment of the offshore wind energy plant farm constantly measured by the dimmer switch 150 is carried out in the control device 200. In this case the brightness and the number of the floodlights switched over to the emergency flight navigation mode is adjusted to the brightness measured. The darker the environment, the greater the brightness of the floodlights switched over. In a corresponding manner, the number of the floodlights switched over to the emergency flight navigation mode is greater.

(19) A second brightness threshold value is fed into the control device 200, and in the event of its being exceeded the offshore wind energy plant farm is not switched to the emergency flight navigation mode despite a hazard signal being received.

(20) In the emergency flight navigation mode the obstructions in the form of the wind energy plants OWEA 1, OWEA 2, OWEA 3, OWEA 4 for ships sailing or aircraft or helicopters flying inadvertently or deliberately into the wind farm are made conspicuous.

(21) FIG. 3 shows an arrangement in each case of a floodlight 47 in the region of the rotor hub 48 of each of the three rotor blades 45 of OWEA 4 in FIG. 1. The floodlights 47 illuminate the interiors of each of the three rotor blades 45. Walls of the three rotor blades 45 are made translucent at least locally, it being preferable for the walls of the three rotor blades 45 to be made translucent in the region of the blade tips. In addition, the three rotor blades 45 can be provided with a transparent coating, for example a glass coating, reflectors or a blade tip navigation light. The arrangement of the floodlights 47 allows the three rotor blades 45 to be identified as a hazard in an optimum manner in the emergency flight navigation mode.

(22) FIG. 3b shows an arrangement according to the invention of the floodlights 51, 53, 54—capable of being additionally switched on in the emergency flight navigation mode—of one of the wind energy plants OWEA 1, OWEA 2, OWEA 3, OWEA 4 in a further embodiment of the invention. In this case, the tower 50 has arranged adjacent to it on the base of the machine housing towards the sea on opposite sides of the tower 50 in each case a floodlight 51, which is provided for illuminating the associated tower 50 as well as for illuminating the basic structure (not shown) of the wind energy plant OWEA 1, OWEA 2, OWEA 3, OWEA 4 on the sea bed. In addition, a floodlight 54, which is orientated in the longitudinal direction of the rotor blade 55 and which illuminates the side of the rotor blade 55 facing away from the tower, is arranged on the side of each rotor blade 55 facing away from the tower, and a floodlight 53 is arranged in each case on the side of the rotor blade 55 facing the tower in order to illuminate the side of each rotor blade 55 facing the tower.

(23) In addition, FIG. 3b shows the daytime navigation light and night-time navigation light—arranged on the end of the machine housing 56 facing away from the rotor—in the form of an obstruction light 57 and a hazard beacon 58. The obstruction light 57 comprises a white flashing light and the hazard beacon 58 a red flashing light. The wind energy plant illustrated in FIG. 3b can replace one, a plurality or all of the wind energy plants OWEA 1, OWEA 2, OWEA 3, OWEA 4, which are illustrated in FIG. 3a, and combinations of the floodlight arrangements of the various types are also possible. FIG. 4 shows ladder lights 401 which are usually provided on offshore wind energy plants OWEA 1, OWEA 2, OWEA 3, OWEA 4 and which are provided along a ladder 400 attached on the outside of the tower of the wind energy plants OWEA 1, OWEA 2, OWEA 3, OWEA 4, as well as landing lights 402 which are provided along the periphery of a helicopter landing pad 203 on the roof of the wind energy plants OWEA 1, OWEA 2, OWEA 3, OWEA 4. The flight navigation device comprises the ladder lights 401 and the landing lights 402. In the emergency flight navigation mode some or all of the lights 401, 402 are switched on, in order to generate a constantly radiating light and/or flashing lights or any other possible pulse sequence.

LIST OF REFERENCES

(24) 11 floodlight 12 floodlight 13 floodlight 15 rotor blades 16 machine housing 21 floodlight 22 floodlight 25 rotor blades 26 machine housing 31 floodlight 32 floodlight 33 floodlight 35 rotor blades 36 machine housing 41 floodlight 42 floodlight 43 floodlight 45 rotor blades 46 machine housing 47 floodlight 48 rotor hub 60 tower 51 floodlight 53 floodlight 54 floodlight 55 rotor blade 56 machine housing 57 obstruction light 58 hazard beacon 100 receiving device 150 dimmer switch 200 control device 203 helicopter landing pad 400 ladder 401 ladder lights 402 landing lights OWEA 1 wind energy plant OWEA 2 wind energy plant OWEA 3 wind energy plant OWEA 4 wind energy plant