Granted Patent B2

US 9,745,961 · App. 13/825,318 · Granted Aug 29, 2017

Abstract

Claims (24)

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.

Assignments (6)