Method for determining an azimuth angle of a wind turbine

Abstract

A method for determining an azimuth angle of a wind power installation is provided. The method includes attaching at least two global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receivers to a nacelle, comparing reception signals of the GNSS receivers, deriving the azimuth angle from the comparison. The at least two GNSS receivers may be attached to a wind measuring supporting frame. Provided is a method including attaching a telescopic sight to a nacelle, determining a bearing of a bearing object at a bearing angle, deriving the azimuth angle from a comparison of the bearing angle with coordinates of the bearing object and/or the wind power installation. The telescopic sight may be attached to a wind measuring supporting frame. The at least one GNSS receiver may be attached to a wind measuring supporting frame. A wind power installation is also provided.

Claims

1. A method for determining an azimuth angle of a wind power installation, the method comprising: attaching, using a holder, at least two global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receivers to a wind measuring supporting frame of a nacelle of the wind power installation, receiving reception signals at the at least two GNSS receivers, respectively, comparing the reception signals of the at least two GNSS receivers, and deriving the azimuth angle from comparing the reception signals of the least two GNSS receivers.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the holder releasably accommodates an orienting apparatus for orienting the wind measuring supporting frame.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the orienting apparatus is a laser device.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, comprising: removing the at least two GNSS receivers after determining the azimuth angle.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least two GNSS receivers are part of a GNSS compass that is a position determination apparatus.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5, comprising: comparing, by the GNSS compass, the reception signals of the at least two GNSS receivers.

7. The method as claimed in claim 5, comprising: deriving, by the GNSS compass, the azimuth angle.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, comprising: attaching the at least two GNSS receivers to a wind meter of the nacelle of the wind power installation.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the holder releasably accommodates an orienting apparatus for orienting the wind meter.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the orienting apparatus is a laser device.

11. A method for determining an azimuth angle of a wind power installation, the method comprising: attaching, using a holder, a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver to a wind measuring supporting frame of a nacelle of the wind power installation, rotating the nacelle of the wind power installation about its axis, receiving, at different positions during the rotation, respective reception signals of the GNSS receiver, comparing the reception signals of the GNSS receiver obtained at the different positions in the rotation, and deriving the azimuth angle from comparing the reception signals of the GNSS receiver obtained at the different positions in the rotation.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11, comprising: attaching the GNSS receiver outside a pivot point of the nacelle on a substantially horizontal longitudinal axis of the nacelle, and deriving the azimuth angle by: orienting the nacelle to a northernmost coordinate of coordinates determined from the reception signals of the GNSS receiver received during the rotation.

13. A wind power installation, comprising: a tower, a nacelle, a rotor, a wind measuring supporting frame mounted on the nacelle, and a position determination apparatus having at least one GNSS receiver mounted, using a holder, on the wind measuring supporting frame for determining an azimuth angle.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Preferred embodiments of the invention are described by way of example on the basis of the accompanying figures, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 shows an exemplary embodiment of a wind power installation according to the invention;

(3) FIG. 2 shows an exemplary embodiment of a method according to the invention;

(4) FIG. 3a shows a further exemplary embodiment of a method according to the invention;

(5) FIG. 3b shows a third exemplary embodiment of a method according to the invention;

(6) FIG. 4 shows a schematic illustration of a nacelle of a wind power installation with a position determination apparatus attached thereto;

(7) FIG. 5 shows a plan view of a first exemplary embodiment of a position determination apparatus;

(8) FIG. 6 shows a side view of a second exemplary embodiment of a position determination apparatus;

(9) FIG. 7 shows a three-dimensional view of an ultrasonic wind meter;

(10) FIG. 8 shows a three-dimensional view of a holder for use with a wind meter, in particular with a wind meter according to FIG. 7;

(11) FIG. 9 shows a schematic illustration of the bearing operation according to the method shown in FIG. 3,

(12) FIG. 10 shows a further schematic illustration of a bearing operation, and

(13) FIG. 11 shows a three-dimensional view of a wind measuring supporting frame with an ultrasonic wind meter arranged thereon and with a holder which is arranged thereon and has an orienting apparatus, and

(14) FIG. 12 shows a three-dimensional view of a further embodiment of a wind measuring supporting frame with an ultrasonic wind meter arranged thereon.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(15) FIG. 1 shows a wind power installation 100 having a tower 102 and a nacelle 104. A rotor 106 having three rotor blades 108 and a spinner 110 is arranged on the nacelle 104. During operation, the rotor 106 is caused to rotate by the wind and thereby drives a generator in the nacelle 104.

(16) The compass direction in which the spinner 110 is oriented is referred to as the azimuth angle or viewing direction of the wind power installation 100. So that the nacelle 104 and, with the latter, the rotor 106 are always oriented in the wind direction as much as possible, that is to say the spinner 110 and therefore the installation viewing direction point directly into the wind, a wind measuring supporting frame 160 (see FIG. 11), on which an ultrasonic wind meter 170 (see FIGS. 7 and 11) which is in the form of a combined anemometer and anemoscope and here has four arms 171 is arranged, is usually arranged on the nacelle 104.

(17) In order to increase the accuracy when determining the azimuth angle which is important both for determining the wind direction correction function and for the sectorial curtailment of the wind power installation 100, the methods according to FIGS. 2 and/or 3 are preferred, for example.

(18) According to FIG. 2, an exemplary method for determining an azimuth angle of a wind power installation comprises step 201: attaching at least two GNSS receivers to a nacelle of the wind power installation, step 202: comparing the reception signals of the GNSS receivers, step 203: deriving the azimuth angle from the comparison result, and preferably optional step 204: removing the at least two GNSS receivers after determining the azimuth angle.

(19) According to FIG. 3a, an exemplary method for determining an azimuth angle of a wind power installation comprises step 211: attaching a telescopic sight to a nacelle of the wind power installation, step 212: determining a bearing of a bearing object at a bearing angle using the telescopic sight, step 213: deriving the azimuth angle from a comparison of the bearing angle with real coordinates of the bearing object and/or of the wind power installation, in particular of the telescopic sight, and preferably optional step 214: removing the telescopic sight after determining the azimuth angle.

(20) According to FIG. 3b, an exemplary method for determining an azimuth angle of a wind power installation comprises step 221: attaching a GNSS receiver to a nacelle of the wind power installation, 222: rotating the nacelle of the wind power installation about its own axis and comparing the reception signals of the GNSS receiver from different positions of the rotation, and 223: deriving the azimuth angle from the comparison result, in which case the GNSS receiver is preferably attached outside the pivot point of the nacelle on a substantially horizontal longitudinal axis of the nacelle, and the process of deriving the azimuth angle comprises orienting the nacelle according to the northernmost coordinate of those coordinates determined from the reception signals of the GNSS receiver received during the rotation.

(21) FIG. 9 illustrates the step of determining a bearing, denoted 212 in FIG. 3, in more detail. FIG. 9 schematically illustrates that a telescopic sight 700 is releasably arranged on a holder 600 (described in more detail below) and is used to take a bearing of a remotely positioned bearing object, here another wind power installation 710, at a bearing angle α.

(22) FIG. 10 illustrates the operation of determining a bearing of a wind power installation 100 with respect to a bearing object P. The telescopic sight is not illustrated in FIG. 10. The angle between the installation orientation and the telescopic sight/bearing object extension is the bearing angle β. The azimuth angle of the wind power installation can be derived from this bearing angle β and the real coordinates of the bearing object and the real coordinates of the wind power installation, that is to say the location of the wind power installation, in particular the real coordinates of the telescopic sight.

(23) If the method is intended to be used to correct an azimuth angle of a wind power installation, the step of deriving the azimuth angle can also be carried out and/or modified as follows. The bearing angle β can be added to or subtracted from the existing azimuth angle α of the installation to be corrected and the resulting angle is referred to as angle A. The angle between the installation orientation and the north axis N, which results or is calculated from the real coordinates of the bearing object and the wind power installation or the telescopic sight, is referred to as angle B (γ). A so-called offset of the azimuth angle of the wind power installation, by which the existing azimuth angle of the wind power installation is to be corrected, results from the difference between these two angles A and B.

(24) As can be seen in FIG. 4, the at least two GNSS receivers 300 may be part of a position determination apparatus which is attached to the nacelle 104 and is in the form of a bar 400. The distance between the two GNSS receivers 300, which is denoted X, is preferably approximately two meters. As illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, the position determination apparatus may be in the form of a simple bar 400, at the respective ends of which the at least two GNSS receivers 300 are arranged. The position determination apparatus is preferably in the form of a telescopic bar. It can also be seen in FIG. 5 that the position determination apparatus 400 is releasably fastened to a holder 600 (described in more detail below).

(25) FIG. 6 illustrates that the two GNSS receivers 300 may also be part of a position determination apparatus in the form of a GNSS compass 500 or satellite compass. Such a GNSS compass 500 may likewise be attached to the nacelle or to a wind measuring supporting frame of the wind power installation. The two GNSS receivers are preferably likewise arranged at ends of the GNSS compass 500 which are spaced as far away from one another as possible.

(26) As can be seen in FIG. 11, a holder 600 (also illustrated again in FIG. 8) can be attached to the wind meter 170 attached to the wind measuring supporting frame 160. On its underside, the holder 600 has four recesses 601, into which the four arms 171 of the wind meter 170 can engage. The holder 600 also has a projecting holding plate 602 on which an orienting apparatus can be releasably arranged. As illustrated in FIG. 11, a laser device 800, for example, can be releasably fastened to the projecting holding plate 602. The orienting apparatus in the form of a laser device 800 can be used, for example, to orient the wind meter 170 on the wind measuring supporting frame 160 exactly in the installation viewing direction. The holder 600, in particular the projecting holding plate 602, can also be used, after removing the orienting apparatus, to fasten the at least two GNSS receivers, in particular the position determination apparatus, and/or the telescopic sight to the wind meter, for example the wind meter 170 or the wind measuring supporting frame 160.

(27) FIG. 12 illustrates another embodiment of a wind measuring supporting frame 160′ with an ultrasonic wind meter 170′ arranged thereon.

(28) The inventive concept of shifting the determination of the azimuth angle to the wind power installation 100 itself, and thereby considerably increasing the accuracy when determining the azimuth angle in comparison with conventional methods in which the azimuth angle of a wind power installation is determined by remotely taking a bearing, therefore entails various advantages. On the one hand, the wind yield can be increased by optimizing the wind direction correction function. On the other hand, the noise pollution and, in particular, the turbulence load and therefore the material load of the installations can be reduced by sectorially curtailing the wind power installation and the wind yield can likewise be increased in wind farms. As a result of the fact that the elements used to determine the azimuth angle can be released and reused, the method can also be carried out in an efficient and cost-effective manner.