WO2014191067A1

WO2014191067A1 - Method for operating a wind turbine park

Info

Publication number: WO2014191067A1
Application number: PCT/EP2014/000598
Authority: WO
Inventors: Niko Mittelmeier
Original assignee: Senvion Se
Priority date: 2013-05-29
Filing date: 2014-03-10
Publication date: 2014-12-04
Also published as: DE102013210090A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for operating a wind turbine park (51) with multiple wind turbines (1 - 48), wherein maintenance work is to be carried out on at least a number of wind turbines (1 - 48). The method according to the invention is characterized by the following method steps: generating or providing a forecast of meteorological conditions, ascertaining yield losses of the wind turbines (1 - 48) of the number of wind turbines (1 - 48) on which maintenance work is to be carried out dependent on the forecast of meteorological conditions, generating a sequence of maintenance work to be carried out, and controlling the operation of the number of wind turbines (1 - 48) on which maintenance work is to be carried out dependent on the generated sequence of maintenance work to be carried out in order to carry out maintenance work or in order to make it possible to carry out maintenance work. The operation of the number of wind turbines (1 - 48) is controlled so as to provide an intermittent shutdown of each wind turbine (1 - 48) or an output-reduced operation of each wind turbine (1 - 48) on which maintenance work is to be carried out or is being carried out at a specified time.

Description

Method for operating a wind energy plant Description

The invention relates to a method for operating a wind energy plant with multiple wind turbines, wherein at least a number of wind turbines are to perform maintenance.

For the operator of a wind turbine park, it is important to be able to deliver the highest possible yield of the park's power into a power grid. The wind turbines of a wind turbine park and also electronic or electrical components such as substations, transformers and the like require a certain maintenance, especially repairs. While appropriate maintenance is carried out, the wind turbines to be serviced are to be shut down or to run in a reduced-power mode. This leads to yield losses of the operator.

DE 1 0 2009 004 385 B4 discloses a method for monitoring the Operating a wind turbine with the following steps:

Recording status data of the wind turbine;

Determining deviations between the state data and an associated comparison value;

Determining a probability of failure of the wind turbine based on a detected deviation;

Determining an availability value for the wind turbine from the ratio of the amount of electrical energy actually generated to the total amount that can be generated;

Merging the availability value and the probability of failure into a repair priority and

Assigning the repair priority to the wind turbine.

It is also known from this an arrangement of a wind turbine, a monitoring center, a computing module, a logic module and a calculator, wherein the wind turbine has a sensor for receiving state data of the wind turbine, wherein the logic module for determining deviations between the state data and an associated comparison value is designed, wherein the calculator determined from the ratio of actually generated amount of electrical energy to potentially producible total amount related to the wind turbine availability value, the calculation model determined at a deviation detected by the logic module a probability of failure of the wind turbine, the Re Chen module merges the availability value and the probability of failure to a repair priority and wherein the monitoring center assigns the repair priority of the wind turbine.

By this method and this arrangement according to DE 1 0 2009 004 385 B4 as even as possible operation of wind turbines should be achieved. It is also stated that it is desirable to have the maintenance due at the same time as possible for all wind turbines of the wind farms. However, this leads to unnecessary yield losses.

It is an object of the present invention to carry out necessary maintenance work in a wind energy plant park so that the energy yield of the wind energy plant park is optimized.

This object is achieved by a method for operating a wind energy plant with multiple wind turbines, wherein at least a number of wind turbines are to carry out maintenance work, with the following process steps:

Providing or providing a forecast of meteorological conditions,

Determining yield losses of the wind turbines from the number of wind turbines to be serviced, depending on the forecast of meteorological conditions,

Creating a sequence of maintenance work, Controlling the operation of the number of wind turbines to perform maintenance work in accordance with the established order of maintenance to perform maintenance or to make executable, wherein controlling the operation of the number of wind turbines is a temporary shutdown of the respective wind turbine or a power reduced operation of the respective Wind turbine provides, are carried out at a specified time maintenance or performed.

By means of the method according to the invention, it is possible to determine the sequence in which maintenance work is to be carried out in order to achieve the lowest possible yield loss of the wind energy plant park. For example, it ensures that wind turbines are maintained, which are in the slipstream of other wind turbines. It is preferable to maintain these wind turbines as long as a corresponding wind direction prevails, since the wind turbines lying in the slipstream have a lower energy yield than the freestanding wind turbines arranged upstream in the wind direction.

With a corresponding prognosis of meteorological conditions such as wind direction, wind strength, air density, wind gradient or wind turbulence, temperature, precipitation and / or Eisbildungsgefahr can be created correspondingly very targeted a sequence of maintenance to be performed, in particular a sequence of immobilized wind turbines or wind turbines with reduced power operation to perform appropriate maintenance. In particular, the determination of loss of earnings means the determination of expected loss of earnings. For example, if it is known that the meteorological conditions in a week from today's time look like that more ice formation is pending, preferably maintenance work can be carried out because due to the formation of ice, the energy yield of the wind turbine park is likely to be reduced. In addition, for example, maintenance work on some of the park's wind turbines may be scheduled at that time in some areas where de-rated operation of the wind turbines is required at certain times, such as in twilight periods where bat flying is likely to increase. The control of the operation here preferably includes the execution that the service personnel the order of the maintenance to be performed is displayed and the staff manually shut down the wind turbine or wind turbines on site.

The determination of yield losses of the wind energy installations preferably takes place as a function of the forecast of the meteorological condition by means of a stored yield matrix of the wind energy plant park and / or by means of computational simulation on the basis of the forecast of the meteorological data. For example, it can be simulated by calculation how high yield losses are with corresponding wind directions, wind speeds and a corresponding air density for the various wind turbines or the locations of the wind turbines of a wind turbine park. Alternatively and more precisely, by means of a stored yield matrix of the wind energy plant park, a forecast of the yield losses is made as a function of the meteorological conditions. In this case, a yield matrix can be carried out, for example, by means of a method which is described in DE 10 201 1 081 241 A1. A corresponding income Matrix can also be created by means of a method which is described for example in DE 1 0 201 1 003 799 B3.

Preferably, after the maintenance of a wind turbine or several wind turbines, which have been serviced in parallel or in close proximity to each other, the method is carried out anew on the basis of an updated forecast of meteorological conditions. For this purpose, the yield loss of the wind energy plant due to maintenance work is reduced considerably.

The object is achieved according to the invention and particularly preferably by a method for operating a wind energy plant with multiple wind turbines, wherein at least a number of wind turbines are to carry out maintenance work, with the following method steps:

Providing or providing a forecast of meteorological conditions,

Creating a sequence of maintenance work,

Controlling the operation of the number of wind turbines to perform maintenance on, depending on the order of maintenance to be performed, to perform maintenance or to carry out, wherein controlling the operation of the number of wind turbines provides a temporary shutdown of the respective wind turbine or a reduced power operation of the respective wind turbine to be executed at a given time maintenance or carried out, wherein determining yield losses of the wind turbines depending on the forecast of the meteorological Conditions by means of a stored yield matrix of the wind turbine park happens.

This method according to the invention leads to a very precise analysis of the sequence of maintenance operations to be performed and thus to an optimized energy yield of the wind energy plant park.

The object is further achieved according to the invention and particularly preferably by a method for operating a wind energy plant park having a plurality of wind energy installations, wherein maintenance work is to be carried out in at least a number of wind energy installations, with the following method steps:

Providing or providing a forecast of meteorological conditions,

Creating a sequence of maintenance work, Controlling the operation of the number of wind turbines to perform maintenance on, depending on the order of maintenance to be performed to perform or perform maintenance, controlling the operation of the number of wind turbines temporarily stopping the respective wind turbine or power reduced operation the respective wind turbine provides, are carried out at the at a given time maintenance or executed, the determination of yield losses of wind turbines depending on the meteorological conditions by means of computational simulation based on the forecast of the meteorological data, after maintenance of a wind turbine, the method based an updated forecast of meteorological conditions is performed again. This method according to the invention leads to constantly updated sequences of maintenance work to be performed and thus to a continuous optimization of the energy yield of the wind power plant.

In determining the yield data, it is preferably taken into account that a wind energy plant arranged in the slipstream of a wind turbine that has been shut down for maintenance generates a higher yield in comparison to the operation of the wind energy turbine in an operating windshield generating wind energy plant. This process step makes the knowledge that the loss of yield or the reduction in yield of a wind energy plant standing in the slipstream of another wind energy plant is lower when the other wind energy plant itself is not in operation, but is shut down. As a result of the shutdown of the wind energy installation arranged upstream in the wind direction, essentially no energy is taken from the wind, which is why the wind power plant standing in the slipstream to this wind energy installation can utilize the full energy of the wind.

It is particularly preferred if, in determining the order of the maintenance work, a travel time, transport costs, spare parts logistics and / or grouping effects are taken into account. In particular, in offshore wind turbines should be considered in the maintenance of wind turbines of a wind turbine park the travel time to get to a wind turbine for maintenance, as this changed on the one hand, the duration of maintenance and change in meteorological conditions these play a role. In addition, it may be useful to wait for a nearby wind turbine next, even if the yield loss in this wind turbine, which is to be maintained, is greater than a remote wind turbine, the yield loss would be lower in the predicted meteorological conditions. Thus, the economic losses may weigh against each other, so that a shorter travel time would be preferred. The same applies then also to the transport costs, especially if correspondingly heavy or unwieldy spare parts are to be used during maintenance. The dependency on the spare parts logistics results in particular from the fact that reasonably only maintenance of wind turbines are to be executed, which are executed efficiently so that they are as complete as possible, which naturally can only happen if all necessary spare parts are in stock or on site. In the order of maintenance to be performed is preferably Thus, a transport logistics to be considered.

The consideration of grouping effects includes in particular the consideration of different plant types in a wind turbine park. It may be useful, for example, in a first maintenance cycle in all wind turbines with a hydraulic pitch system or Rotorblattwinkelverstellsys- tem the hydraulic oil and in a second maintenance cycle in all wind turbines with an electric pitch system or Rotorblattwinkelverstellsystem the accumulators of these systems To deceive.

Furthermore, among the grouping effects can be understood that in retrofit measures, in particular the installation of new components such as more efficient rotor blades, a new generator or similar larger conversions, only some of the wind turbines are affected at all, so that the method is applied only to a part of the wind turbines of the wind turbine park and only for this part of the wind turbines of the wind turbine park a sequence of maintenance to be performed is determined.

Furthermore, grouping effects occur when, for example, electrical components in the wind energy plant park have to be maintained. Thus, some groups of wind turbines are usually provided in wind turbine parks in such a way that several wind turbines are arranged on a respective wiring harness, so that a number or subgroup of wind turbines of the wind turbine park is simultaneously de-energized when maintenance work on the electrical components to be performed. Similar grouping effects occur when switching off transformer Stations, substations and so on, which concern more than just a wind turbine. Such maintenance should be done in predicted periods of drought. It can also be ensured by providing several service teams that during the maintenance-related shutdown of a substation and the majority of the connected wind turbines is serviced.

Preferably, the determination of the yield losses happens at predeterminable time intervals. The forecast of the yield losses or the determination of the yield losses is preferably carried out in correspondingly predeterminable time intervals. For this purpose, in particular time intervals of one minute to one hour, in particular from five minutes to twenty minutes and more preferably from ten minutes to twenty minutes are provided.

Preferably, the creation of the order of maintenance to be performed iteratively. This includes in particular that after the creation of a sequence of maintenance operations, according to which a wind turbine or a group of wind turbines is to be maintained first in a period of time, at the end of this period or after this period an order of maintenance to be carried out for the further wind turbines is created again ,

In particular, the iterative creation of the order of maintenance to be performed may also involve iteratively simulating or iteratively calculating how high the loss of revenue is when one or a group of wind turbines is shut down to determine the energy yield of the wind turbine park. In this case, a corresponding determination of the energy yield of the wind energy plant is done iteratively. It is calculated successively, how high the yield loss of the wind turbine park when shutting down various wind turbines or different groups of wind turbines, taking into account that takes place by shutting down wind turbines or a wind turbine, a lower shading effect of downstream wind turbines or wind turbines in the lee of this wind turbine , Thus, it can be efficiently determined iteratively, with which wind energy plant with a corresponding forecast of meteorological conditions a total of the wind power plant park the lowest yield loss is achieved in a maintenance of this wind turbine.

Preferably, the forecast of meteorological conditions includes a wind speed and a direction.

Furthermore, preferably past meteorological conditions, in particular statistically, are taken into account, in particular maintenance work which can be postponed in time is suspended at a future statistical forecast for predetermined meteorological conditions, shutdown or reduced power operation of the respective wind turbine. In this preferred embodiment of the method according to the invention is taken into account for certain situations that occur at certain locations in certain locations seasons and wind speeds, for example, certain wind directions and wind speeds with a high probability, so that, for example, can be considered that with a relatively high probability, for example a lull time is to be expected in a future period of time. It is then carried out with the maintenance work depending on the probability of maintenance work. waited ten preferred meteorological condition or suspended or the reduced power operation of the respective wind turbine exposed.

It is preferably taken into account as a grouping effect to be taken into account that a plurality of wind energy installations are connected via an electrical train or a common transformer station and / or a common substation are provided for a plurality of wind energy plants in the wind energy plant park.

The object is also achieved by a method for operating a wind energy plant with multiple wind turbines, wherein at least a number of wind turbines are to carry out maintenance work, wherein the following method steps are carried out:

A plurality of scheduled maintenance or service operations is preferably specified,

Providing or providing a forecast of meteorological conditions,

Determine a sequence of maintenance operations that result in the least possible energy yield loss taking into account additional economic conditions

Controlling the operation of the number of wind turbines according to the determined order to perform maintenance or to make executable. For this purpose, preferably the wind turbines, on which maintenance work be temporarily shut down or run in a low-power operation.

Alternatively or additionally, the object is achieved by a method for operating a wind energy plant with multiple wind turbines, wherein at least a number of wind turbines are to perform maintenance work, wherein the following method steps are performed:

Preferably predetermining a plurality of planned maintenance or service operations,

Providing or providing a forecast of meteorological conditions,

Determining an order of maintenance to be performed resulting in lowest possible energy yield losses, the energy yield losses being determined based on a stored database in which yield data is recorded in dependence on past meteorological conditions,

Controlling the operation of the number of wind turbines to perform maintenance on, depending on the established order of maintenance to be performed to perform maintenance or to make executable.

Here, in particular, the operation of the number of wind turbines is controlled so that the respective wind turbine, which is to be maintained or to be maintained, is temporarily shut down or led into a reduced-power operation. That one- In this case, the database in which the yield data are stored in the case of corresponding meteorological conditions of the past can be created, as in DE 10 201 1 081 241 A1, where the matrix named there corresponds to the database. Alternatively, a corresponding database can be used, which is described in DE 10 201 1 003 799 B3.

According to the invention, the database has in its database fields the energy yield of the wind energy plant park and / or individual wind energy installations of the wind energy plant park, which prevail under certain meteorological conditions. Thus, for example, a database cell, which is assigned to a specific wind direction and a specific wind force, be assigned the energy output of a single specific wind turbine and / or the energy yield of the entire wind turbine park and be assigned accordingly for each wind turbine, the energy yield of wind force and wind direction. Since it is to be expected over a certain extended period of time that a corresponding wind direction occurs more frequently in a given wind direction grid and a corresponding wind force in a predefined corresponding wind force grid, an average value for the energy yield can also be stored in the database and the number of occurrences of corresponding wind data ,

In order to carry out corresponding maintenance operations or maintenance work with the least possible energy loss or yield loss, it may be provided to input the wind speed and the wind direction or other weather data from a weather forecast model, then also the wind turbines to be maintained and the duration of the maintenance, as well as Number of possible parallel operations or parallel maintenance work. It can Then based on the weather forecast or weather forecast yield losses are downscaled to temporal means, such as ten minutes averages. The yield losses can thus be determined on the basis of the maintenance work and the maintenance work can be postponed accordingly iteratively in order to comply with the corresponding meteorological conditions. A maintenance working time sequence is then output, by means of which the lowest possible energy yield loss can be achieved.

Further features of the invention will become apparent from the description of embodiments according to the invention together with the claims and the accompanying drawings. Embodiments of the invention may satisfy individual features or a combination of several features.

The invention will be described below without limiting the general inventive concept using exemplary embodiments with reference to the drawing, reference being expressly made to the drawing with respect to all in the text unspecified details of the invention. It shows:

Fig. 1 shows schematically a plan view of a wind energy plant park with 48 wind turbines at a given wind.

1 shows a schematic plan view of a wind energy plant park with 48 wind turbines for a specific wind 50 with a wind direction and a wind force. The wind energy plant park has the reference numeral 51. The wind turbines are marked with the reference numbers 1 to 48. In a wind direction according to the wind 50, the wind turbines 1 to 5 have an optimal flow and thus optimum energy yield. In addition, the wind turbines 7, 9, 1 1 and 13 have an optimal energy yield, since they are exposed directly to the wind. All in the slipstream of these wind turbines standing wind turbines get the energy from the wind of the upstream wind turbines 1 to 5, 7, 9, 1 1 and 13 to feel and take the wind less energy and thus produce less power. For example, if maintenance work were to be carried out on wind turbines 1, 6, 20 and 36, the wind power plant 36 and optionally also 20 would be serviced first, given a corresponding wind direction forecast according to the wind 50, since the energy yield loss is the lowest. It would also be attempted to postpone the maintenance of the wind turbine 1 to a later date, when the wind blows, for example, from the opposite direction. This can reduce the loss of revenue.

If, for example, all wind turbines of the wind energy park 51 are to be maintained in a certain way, wind turbines could also be maintained in parallel. Thus, it may be preferable to firstly wait for the wind turbines 46 to 48 if the forecast for the meteorological condition is such that the wind direction of the wind 50 prevails for the period of the maintenance. However, if it is foreseen that only for a short fraction of the maintenance time the wind direction is as shown in Fig. 1, and later, for the major part of the duration of the maintenance, a storm is to be expected in, for example, the opposite direction Make sense first to wait for wind turbines, which are located in the middle of the wind turbine park, such as the wind turbines 16, 23, 31, 17, 24, 32 and 18, 25, 33. Likewise, it might be useful for the example shown in FIG. 1 to first carry out the maintenance on the systems 15, 16, 17, 18 and 19, ie the second row, in the prevailing wind direction 50 and low wind turbulence. From measurements it is known that at turbulence-poor locations with uniform row spacings often the second row produces the lowest energy yield, which is attributed to the still relatively low turbulence in the wake of the first wind turbine series. Further down in the wind farm, wind turbulence is generally higher, which means that behind a rear wind turbine in operation, the air is also mixed faster with high-energy flow, so that the flow of the energy extraction "recovered" faster In the series, the energy yield of the wind turbines 21, 23, 24, 25 and 27 increases because for these wind turbines the distance to the next operating wind turbine increases and the flow thus has more time to accelerate.

If the distances of the wind turbines are relatively large, can be taken into account in the order of maintenance that the time for the maintenance team, for example, to get from the wind turbine 28 to the wind turbine 1, is very large, so that this alone economic aspects are added preferably also to be considered.

All mentioned features, including those of the drawing alone to be taken as well as individual features that are disclosed in combination with other features are considered alone and in combination as essential to the invention. Embodiments of the invention may be accomplished by individual features or a combination of several features. In the context of the invention, a particularly delineated feature is preferably an optional feature. feature.

LIST OF REFERENCES

1 - 48 Wind energy plant 50 Wind 51 Wind energy plant

Claims

claims

A method of operating a wind turbine park (51) having a plurality of wind turbines (1 - 48), wherein at least a number of wind turbines (1 - 48) are to be carried out maintenance, comprising the following method steps:

Providing or providing a forecast of meteorological conditions,

Determining yield losses of wind turbines (1 - 48) from the number of wind turbines (1 - 48) at which maintenance work is to be carried out, depending on the prognosis of meteorological conditions,

Creating a sequence of maintenance work, Controlling the operation of the number of wind turbines (1 - 48) at which maintenance is to be performed depending on the order of maintenance to be performed to perform or perform maintenance, wherein controlling the operation of the number of wind turbines (1 - 48) is a temporary one Stopping the respective wind turbine (1 - 48) or a reduced-power operation of the respective wind turbine (1 - 48) provides, are carried out at the at a given time maintenance or run.

A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the determination of yield losses of the wind turbines (1 - 48) depending on the forecast of the meteorological conditions by means of a stored yield matrix of the wind turbine park (51).

A method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the determination of yield losses of the wind turbines (1 - 48) depending on the meteorological conditions by means of computational simulation based on the forecast of the meteorological data.

Method according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that after the maintenance of a wind turbine (1 - 48), the method is performed again using an updated forecast of meteorological conditions.

Method according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized indicates that when determining the yield data is taken into account that a wind turbine (1 - 48), which is located in the lee of a shut down for maintenance wind turbine (1-48), generates a higher yield compared to the operation of arranged in the slipstream wind turbine (1 - 48) at a windshield producing wind turbine (1 - 48) in operation.

Method according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that in the determination of the order of the maintenance work a travel time, transport costs, spare parts logistics and / or grouping effects are taken into account.

Method according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the determination of the yield losses happens at predeterminable time intervals.

Method according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the creation of the order of maintenance to be performed iteratively.

Method according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the forecast of meteorological conditions includes a forecast of a wind speed (50) and a wind direction (50).

Method according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that in addition past meteorological conditions, in particular statistically, are taken into account, in particular maintenance work that can be postponed in time, one for the maintenance work improved future statistical forecast for predetermined meteorological conditions, the shutdown or the reduced power operation of the respective wind turbine (1 - 48) is exposed.

Method according to one of claims 6 to 1 0, characterized in that is taken into account as grouping effect to be considered that several wind turbines (1 - 48) are connected via an electrical line or a common transformer station and / or a common substation for several wind turbines (1 - 48) in the wind turbine park (51) are provided.