DEVICE RECORDING THE COLLISIONS OF FLYING ANIMALS WITH WIND TURBINES AND INDICATING WHERE THEY FELL ON THE GROUND

Abstract

The device recording the collisions of flying animals with wind turbines and indicating where they fell on the ground includes at least two sensors arranged on at least two different heights of the wind turbine tower. The sensors have a range optimally in a direction perpendicular to the wind turbine tower and are connected with the control and recording unit by wire or wireless data transmission.

Claims

1. A device recording the collisions of flying animals with wind turbines and indicating where they fell on the ground, comprising: at least two sensors circumferentially arranged on at least two different heights of the wind turbine tower, the sensors being connected with the control and recording unit by wires or wireless data transmission.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein at least one sensor circuit is located on the wind turbine tower at the height of the operating wind turbine rotor.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein at least one sensor circuit is located inside the wind turbine tower and type of sensors used allow to record the animals outside the wind turbine tower.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein the sensors are mounted on the mounting bases in a form other than peripheral.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein the sensors are mounted directly to the wind turbine tower, without using the mounting bases/brackets.

6. The device according to claim 1, further comprising: at least one video camera and/or night-vision camera and/or infra-red camera and/or camera and/or a detector recording the voices of bats and/or optical indicator and/or loudspeaker, which are mounted on the wind turbine tower and activated by recorded events on at least one sensor in order to additional recording of event.

7. The device according to claim 6, wherein said at least one additional video camera and/or night-vision camera and/or infra-red camera and/or camera and/or a detector recording the voices of bats and/or optical indicator and/or loudspeaker are mounted on the wind turbine nacelle.

8. The device according to claim 1, wherein the sensors are integrated with more than one control and recording unit.

9. The device according to claim 8, wherein each sensor is provided with a control and recording unit.

10. The device according to claim 1, further comprising: a spray system mounted on a wind turbine tower or a spray system mounted on the wind turbine nacelle or a spray system mounted on the ground in the vicinity of the wind turbine.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] The object of the invention is shown in the drawings.

[0021] FIG. 1 shows a side elevation view of a wind turbine with a visible location of the elements of the invention.

[0022] FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional view of the wind turbine tower with a visible single circuit of sensors and a control and recording unit of the invention in the elevation of its assembly inside the tower.

[0023] FIG. 3 shows a side elevation view of a wind turbine illustrating the principle of operation of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0024] 1—ground [0025] 2—wind turbine tower [0026] 3—wind turbine nacelle [0027] 4—wind turbine rotor [0028] 5—blade of a wind turbine rotor [0029] 6—top circuit [0030] 7—lower circuit [0031] 8—control and recording unit [0032] 9—mounting base/mounting bracket [0033] 10—sensor [0034] 11—sensor range [0035] 12—video camera and/or night-vision camera and/or infra-red camera and/or camera and/or a detector of the voices of bats and/or optical indicator and/or loudspeaker [0036] 13—spray system mounted on a tower [0037] 14—spray system mounted on a nacelle [0038] 15—spray system mounted on the ground [0039] 16—live animal [0040] 17—dead or injured animal [0041] 18—reading of the event on the top circuit sensor [0042] 19—reading of the event on the lower circuit sensor [0043] 20—recording of the event by 12

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0044] A device according to the invention consists of at least two circuits (6, 7) surrounding the wind turbine tower (2) at certain heights, the sensors recording motion (10) being mounted on the circuits, and of a control and recording unit (8). A single circuit is constituted by a mounting base or brackets (9) with sensors recording motion (10) arranged relative to each other in such a way and in such numbers to encircle the entire recording area (11) with its range defined as an air belt optimally in a direction perpendicular to the wind turbine tower (2). The range (11) of the sensors (10) in a direction perpendicular to the wind turbine tower (2) optimally should range from 1.5 to 2.0 of the radius of the wind turbine rotor (4) in order to record also the animals (17) reflected outside the range of the wind turbine rotor (4) operation. The optimal number of circuits (6, 7) in the device according to the invention is two, and their relative positions to each other are to ensure the recording of the direction of the animal flight, victim of a collision (17).

[0045] In the most preferred solution of the invention, one circuit is located at the bottom (7) of the wind turbine tower (2) and the other at the top (6) of the wind turbine tower (2). A bottom circuit (7) should be mounted as low as possible, but high enough not to get damaged or dirty, e.g. as a result of field works or storm waves. A top circuit (6) should be mounted as close as possible to the lower position of the blade (5) of the wind turbine rotor (4), but below the range of the blade (5) in such a way that the operation of the blade (5) is not detected by the sensors recording motion (10). The animal killed or injured (17) as a result of the collision with the blade (5) of the wind turbine rotor (4) or as a result of barotrauma caused by falling into the zone of differential pressure, falls towards the ground (1). The device records its fall by a sequence of readings (18, 19) on the sensors (10) of the top circuit (6) and in a short period of time on the sensors (10) of the lower circuit (7). Such a sequence is recorded as a single record and stored in the memory of the control and recording unit (8).

[0046] The control and recording module (8) further allows to read the trajectory and destination fall of the animal. The target location of the animal is determined as an end section formed by the combination of reading (18) on the sensor (10) of the top circuit (6), reading (19) on the sensor (10) of the lower circuit (7) and their extension to the surface of the ground (1). The time of a single sequence is set in the control and recording unit (8) and it should not be longer than the time empirically calculated for the movement of the animal falling from a height equal to the distance between the sensor circuits (6, 7) taking into account an additional time arising from the change of flight direction due to an impact of the blade (5), the parameters of the animal's body, weather conditions, manoeuvring of an injured animal. For a given event to be recognized as a record, reading on the sensors (10) of two circuits must occur, first the top (6) one, then the lower (7) one. The reading on the sensors (10) of just one circuit does not give grounds for declaring the event of animal collision with a wind turbine. It is very important because some species of bats and birds (16) during feeding perform diving movements for several, dozen meters.

[0047] The effectiveness of the invention will increase with the height of the wind turbine tower (2), because the greater the distance between the top (6) and lower (7) circuit, the smaller the probability of recording of the diving flight of a live animal (16) cutting the recording range (11) of the sensors (10) of both circuits (6, 7). Moreover, the effectiveness will be higher at night when some species of birds are not active (e.g. larks, falcons) who perform a diving flight from a great height, and thus theoretically resulting in erroneous readings.

[0048] The circuits (6, 7) of the sensors (10) are connected with a control and recording unit (8) by means of wires or wireless data transmission. Reading and transfer of data from the control and recording unit (8) as well as the calibration are possible by means of the wire and wireless transmission. All elements (8, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15) of the device may be powered by batteries or an external power source. It is possible to integrate the operation of the control and recording unit (8) with the wind turbine control system in order to stop the operation of the turbine after recording the critical number of cases of animal mortality recorded at the time.

[0049] The sensors (10) used in the device may be of various types e.g. laser, photoelectric optical rangefinders, space scanners, infra-red, video cameras, night-vision cameras, thermal imaging cameras and other meeting a given objective and method of operation of the invention according to the prior art.