Rescue System

Abstract

A rescue system for safely rescuing, in the long term, a person from a wind turbine, comprises a container that can be opened and is closed in a gas-tight manner, and a rescue device configured for rescuing the person from the wind turbine, wherein the rescue device is stored inside the container, and the container is filled with a protective gas, as a result of which the rescue device remains suitable for rescuing the person in the long term.

Claims

1. A rescue system for safely rescuing, in the long term, a person from a wind turbine, comprising: a container that can be opened and is closed in a gas-tight manner; and a rescue device configured for rescuing the person from the wind turbine, the rescue device being stored inside the container, and the container being filled with a protective gas, as a result of which the rescue device remains suitable for rescuing the person in the long term.

2. The rescue system according to claim 1, comprising at least one of a foil in which the rescue device is provided and a foil in which the rescue device is provided in a gas-tight manner.

3. A rescue system according to claim 1, wherein the rescue device is configured as at least one of a harness, a helmet, a lanyard, a restraint rope, a descender, rescue gear, a retractable-type fall arrester, fall arrester gear, a rope, life-saving equipment, a shock absorber, a rope brake, a net, a carabiner, an anchor device and/or a belay device.

4. A rescue system according to claim 1, wherein the rescue device comprises at least one of a washed and spinning oil-free rope.

5. A rescue system according to claim 1, wherein the protective gas is selected from the group consisting of nitrogen (N.sub.2), argon (Ar), carbon dioxide (CO.sub.2), nitrous oxide (N.sub.2O), sulfur hexafluoride (SF.sub.6) and/or mixtures thereof.

6. A rescue system according to claim 1, wherein the protective gas has a trace moisture level of less than 2000 ppm v/v H.sub.2O.

7. A rescue system according to claim 1, comprising a desiccant provided inside the container.

8. A rescue system according claim 1, comprising one or more indicators that are arranged at the container and configured to indicate the intactness of the container, of the protective gas and/or of the rescue device.

9. A rescue system according to claim 1, wherein the container does not allow UV radiation to pass and is made of plastic material and/or of aluminum.

10. A rescue system according to claim 1, wherein the container is configured as a protective case, box and/or crate.

11. A rescue system according to claim 1, wherein the container comprises a bottom, a plurality of side walls, an opening delimited by the side walls, and a lid for closing the opening.

12. A rescue system according to claim 1, wherein the container comprises a seal for gas-tight closure, which extends circumferentially along an opening of the container.

13. An array, comprising a wind turbine and a rescue system according claim 1, the wind turbine comprising a tower and a generator house arranged on a tip thereof, and the rescue system being arranged at or inside the generator house.

14. A method for extending an operability of a rescue device for rescuing a person from a wind turbine, comprising the following steps: providing a container that can be closed in a gas-tight manner and the rescue device; arranging the rescue device inside the container; filling the container with a protective gas; and closing the container in a gas-tight manner.

15. The method according to claim 14, comprising the following steps: arranging the rescue device inside a foil; and heat-sealing the foil in a gas-tight manner; and/or adding a desiccant to the container and/or to the foil for absorbing harmful outgasing.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0053] The invention will be described hereafter in greater detail based on preferred exemplary embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0054] In the drawings:

[0055] FIG. 1 shows a container of a rescue system according to a preferred exemplary embodiment of the invention;

[0056] FIG. 2 shows a rescue device, which is stored inside the container of FIG. 1; and

[0057] FIG. 3 shows an array of the rescue system of FIG. 1 and a wind turbine according to a preferred exemplary embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

[0058] FIG. 1 schematically shows a container 10 of a rescue system 12 for safely rescuing, in the long term, a person from a wind turbine 32 (shown in FIG. 3), according to a preferred exemplary embodiment of the invention. In the present example, the container 10 is configured as a protective case, wherein the container 10 is shown in the closed state. The container 10 is configured to be gas-tight, wherein a rescue device 14 (shown in FIG. 2) and a protective gas, which in the present example is nitrogen, are present inside the container 10. The nitrogen is nitrogen 2.8, that is nitrogen having a purity of ≥99.8%. The nitrogen furthermore has a trace moisture level of ≤40 ppm v/v. The rescue device 14 is heat-sealed in a gas-tight manner in a foil 44 (shown in FIG. 2).

[0059] An indicator 16a for indicating a status of the container 10 and a status of the rescue device 14 is provided at the container 10. In the present example, the indicator 16a indicates how long the container 10 has been stored, when the last inspection of the container 10 was carried out, and when the last functional test of the rescue device 14 was carried out.

[0060] The container 10 comprises a handle 18 by way of which the container 10 can be easily carried. In addition, closures 20 are sealed with a closing seal 22. The container 10 is made of aluminum in the present example, whereby the container 10 does not allow UV radiation to pass. In the present preferred exemplary embodiment, the dimensions of the container 10 are 55×35×24.5 cm.

[0061] FIG. 2 schematically shows the content of the container 10, that is, the rescue device 14 stored in the container 10, wherein the rescue device 14 is heat-sealed in the foil 44. FIG. 2 furthermore shows that a further indicator 16b for indicating the status of the protective gas is arranged in the container 10. In the present example, this is a water indicator 16b, which indicates the level of depletion of a desiccant 24 that is likewise arranged in the container. The desiccant 24 ensures that the protective gas maintains a low level of moisture in the long term. The indicator 16b furthermore makes it possible to recognize, indirectly, whether the container 10 is damaged in such a way that the container 10 has lost the gas-tight properties thereof. The foil 44 can likewise be provided with a desiccant 24 and an indicator 16c.

[0062] In the present example, the rescue device 14 configured as rescue gear 14 that meets the standards DIN EN 1496-A:2017 and DIN EN 341-1A:2011. The rescue gear 14 is configured to rescue persons, wherein the rescue gear 14 includes a lifting function. The rescue gear 14 comprises a rope 26, this being a washed rope 26, which is free of spinning oil, in the present example. A turning wheel 28 allows a person who is connected to the rope 26 via a carabiner 30 to be lifted.

[0063] FIG. 3 schematically shows an array comprising a wind turbine 32 and the rescue system 21 from FIG. 1. The wind turbine 32 comprises a tower 34, on the tip of which a nacelle 36 is arranged. A generator 38 of the wind turbine 32, which is connected to a hub 42 via a gear box 40, is situated inside the nacelle 36. The rescue system 12 is provided directly at an outside wall of the generator 38 and is thus arranged inside the nacelle 36. For example, during a fire of the wind turbine 32, a person present in the nacelle 36 can open the container 10, remove the rescue device 14, and rappel from the nacelle 36 down to the ground by way of the rescue device 14.

[0064] The described exemplary embodiments are only examples, which can be modified and/or supplemented in a variety of ways within the scope of the claims. Each feature that was described for a particular exemplary embodiment can be used alone, or in combination with other features, in any arbitrary other exemplary embodiment. Each feature that was described for an exemplary embodiment of a particular category can also be used in a corresponding manner in an exemplary embodiment of another category.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0065] Container 10 [0066] Rescue system 12 [0067] Rescue device, rescue gear 14 [0068] Indicator 16 [0069] Handle 18 [0070] Closure 20 [0071] Closing seal 22 [0072] Desiccant 24 [0073] Rope 26 [0074] Turning wheel 28 [0075] Carabiner 30 [0076] Wind turbine 32 [0077] Tower 34 [0078] Nacelle 36 [0079] Generator 38 [0080] Gear box 40 [0081] Hub 42 [0082] Foil 44