AU2007200375B2

AU2007200375B2 - Fire protection

Info

Publication number: AU2007200375B2
Application number: AU2007200375A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Aloys Wobben
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2002-02-09
Filing date: 2007-01-30
Publication date: 2010-07-15
Anticipated expiration: 2023-02-07
Also published as: AU2007200375A1

Description

Regulation 3.2 AUSTRALIA Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT DIVISIONAL APPLICANT: ALOYS WOBBEN Invention Title: FIRE PROTECTION The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me: 1 WOBBEN, Aloys Argestrasse 19, 26607 Aurich 5 Fire protection The present invention concerns a wind power installation comprising a pylon and a pod arranged at the tip of the pylon. The invention further 10 concerns a method of controlling such a wind power installation. In that respect the term wind power installation in accordance with the invention also includes annex buildings in which for example a transformer or the like is disposed. The invention further concerns a method of controlling a wind 15 power installation. In horizontal-axis wind power installations, the generator which generates the electrical energy is disposed in the pod. That electrical energy is then passed by way of suitable conductors from the pod at the tip of the pylon to the base of the pylon or an annex building and is fed 20 from there into the energy supply network. Provided for that purpose are further components such as for example rectifiers, switching installations, transformers and so forth, which, depending on the design concept of the wind power installation, are arranged in the pod and/or in the pylon of the wind power installation and/or in the annex building. 25 Depending on the operational efficiency of the installation, a power of certainly several MWs is to be transmitted. In that respect, once again depending on the design concept of the wind power installation, at least a part of the power - and frequently the entire power - is passed by way of rectifiers, where generally semiconductors are used as switching elements 30 which have to switch considerable currents. It will be appreciated that it is precisely when high levels of power are involved that high temperatures also inevitably occur, for example in the semiconductors but also in other components of a wind power installation, for example bearings. By virtue of the various causes, those 2 high temperatures can result in the occurrence of a fire in such a wind power installation. A risk of fire also arises if for example, as a consequence of a technical fault, an arc is produced which in turn ignites combustible material in the proximity thereof. Such a fire can then easily 5 result in damage to or destruction of important parts of the wind power installation so that the installation is prevented from continuing to operate. In that respect, besides the damage which is caused by the fire, there is then also a loss of output, until the wind power installation is repaired and brought back into operation again. 10 Since 1999, in accordance with the statutory regulations, wind power installations have already been equipped with fire extinguishing devices in the pod or in the pylon. Those devices are manually operable, which makes the use thereof difficult in an actual fire situation, more specifically if staying in the entire wind power installation should be life 15 threatening. DE 100 05 190 discloses a wind power installation with a fire extinguishing arrangement for discharging an extinguishing agent in the pod, there referred to as the receiving space, by which a fire which has broken out is to be extinguished. Suitable devices are provided for that 20 purpose in the pod of the wind power installation. A disadvantage with such a wind power installation however is that considerable amounts of extinguishing agent are already required to extinguish a fire in the pod of that known wind power installation. Considerably more extinguishing agent is required to extinguish a fire in the pylon of the wind power 25 installation. A further disadvantage with that known wind power installation is that damage already occurs when a fire breaks out. Therefore the object of the present invention is to provide a wind power installation which prevents the occurrence of a fire or at least reduces the damage. 30 In a wind power installation of the kind set forth in the opening part of this specification, that object is attained by at least one first apparatus for producing an inert atmosphere in the wind power installation or a part thereof. In that respect the invention is based on the realisation that the 3 occurrence of a fire is very substantially prevented in an inert atmosphere and it is therefore possible to forego expensive extinguishing apparatuses. That object is further attained by a method having the characterising features recited in claim 13. 5 In a preferred embodiment of the invention, at least one respective apparatus for producing an inert atmosphere is provided in each of the pylon and the pod of the wind power installation. The relatively large number of apparatuses for producing an inert atmosphere means that an inert atmosphere can be correspondingly more quickly produced in the 10 wind power installation and thus the risk of fire can be correspondingly more quickly eliminated. In a particularly preferred feature an apparatus for producing an inert atmosphere is in the form of a fuel cell. In addition there is provided at least one apparatus for producing hydrogen and for feeding the 15 hydrogen to the fuel cell. As a reaction takes place in fuel cells, in which water is formed from hydrogen and oxygen, the oxygen contained in the air in the interior of the installation can thus be used up. As the atmosphere contains a nitrogen proportion of about 78%, an oxygen proportion of about 21%, and negligible proportions of other gases, the 20 fact that the oxygen is used up in the wind power installation essentially results in a nitrogen atmosphere which is highly inert. Accordingly, in regard to the further considerations herein, the consumption of oxygen and the production of nitrogen can be equated to each other. As soon as the oxygen in the wind power installation is used up, the fuel cells can no 25 longer operate and therefore also no longer delivery any electrical energy. That in turn can be used as an indicator that an inert atmosphere has been produced within the wind power installation. In a particularly preferred development of the invention the electrical energy generated by the fuel cell is fed to the apparatus for 30 producing hydrogen. In that way the amount of electrical energy which is produced by the wind power installation and which has to be used to produce hydrogen is correspondingly reduced.

4 In a particularly preferred feature the wind power installation according to the invention has a closable drain for water from the wind power installation. In that way the water which is produced in operation of the fuel cell or cells can be removed from the wind power installation. 5 The closability of the drain contributes to preventing fresh air and thus oxygen from re-entering the wind power installation. In order to permit people to be present in the wind power installation without .involving conditions which are made more difficult by virtue of wearing breathing equipment, a preferred development of the 10 invention provides that the wind power installation is provided with closable ventilation openings in the pylon and/or the pod. In that way the installation can be vented quickly before people enter it. In order to ensure that the installation can only be entered by people when there is a sufficient amount of oxygen available within the 15 installation, there can be provided a multi-stage lock system for access to the wind power installation and an interlinking of the lock system to at least one sensor in the wind power installation. The door of the wind power installation can be unlocked with the lock system only when the sensor has detected a predetermined level of oxygen concentration in the 20 installation. In a preferred embodiment of the invention the wind power installation includes a storage container with a predetermined capacity for a gas. An inert gas can be collected in that storage container during normal operation of the wind power installation. That inert gas is then 25 ready to be able to immediately flood at least a part of the wind power installation with that gas when required. Therefore, even if all oxygen in the wind power installation has not yet been used up, the (nitrogen) gas can be conveyed immediately into the installation if required during operation of the wind power installation in order immediately to produce a 30 nitrogen atmosphere for example in a part of the installation which is particularly at risk with a fire, and thus reliably to prevent a fire from breaking out.

5 In a particularly preferred development of the invention the cross section of the pylon of the wind power installation has at least one floor passing entirely therethrough, the floor having a closable passage opening therethrough. In that way, a part of the wind power installation which is 5 separated off by the floor can already have an inert atmosphere while an oxygen-bearing atmosphere is still present in the other part of the wind power installation. In the case of a fire, that floor can also prevent the spread of soot and smoke and thus limit damage in the installation. In that respect the passage opening can be automatically closable so that for 10 example in the case of an acute fire risk the part of the installation which is endangered by the fire can be separated off and flooded with (nitrogen) gas. Operating conditions of a wind power installation at which there is an increased risk of fire can already be detected at an early time by one or 15 more sensors for detecting physical parameters such as current, temperature, insulation resistance or conductivity etc. In that way for example the affected part of the wind power installation can be separated off from the rest of the installation by closing the passage openings, and as a precaution flooded with nitrogen. The outbreak of a fire can be 20 prevented in that way. Even if a fire nonetheless breaks out, the damage for example due to soot deposit is limited by the spatial separation effect. In order to minimise the outage time of the wind power installation after a fault, automatic venting of the wind power installation can be effected as a consequence of predetermined faults. If therefore the 25 nature of the fault already means that service engineers must enter the installation, the time that those service engineers require to travel to the installation can already be used for venting the installation so that, when the service engineers arrive, there is no longer any waiting time that is lost, while waiting for venting to occur. Therefore the work can then be 30 started on the installation immediately. In addition in a particularly preferred embodiment of the method the lock system can permit access to the installation only when an adequate concentration of oxygen within the installation is detected.

6 The provision of a display device for displaying the nitrogen/oxygen concentration in the wind power installation is also advantageous. That display device should be mounted clearly visibly at the entrance to the wind power installation. 5 Further advantageous embodiments of the invention are set forth in the appendant claims. An embodiment of the invention is described in greater detail hereinafter with reference to the Figures in which: Figure 1 shows a simplified view of a wind power installation 10 according to the invention, Figure 2 shows a simplified view of the method when opening the access to the wind power installation, and Figure 3 shows a simplified view of the method when closing the wind power installation. 15 In Figure 1 reference 10 denotes the pylon of a wind power installation and reference 12 denotes the pod on which rotor blades 14 are illustrated. The pylon 10 is arranged on a foundation 30 and is divided by intermediate floors 20 into a plurality of portions. In that respect the intermediate floors 20 may have flaps 22, by means of which passage 20 openings can be closed. In that way the pylon 10 can be subdivided into a plurality of portions. Provided within the pylon 10 and the pod 12 are apparatuses for producing an inert atmosphere as indicated at 24. In a preferred embodiment those apparatuses 24 include fuel cells in order to take 25 oxygen from the air within the wind power installation. When hydrogen is fed to those fuel cells 24 they produce electrical energy as long as oxygen is present in the corresponding portions of the pylon 10. As the hydrogen is preferably produced by electrolysis, the electrical energy produced by the fuel cells 24 can be used in turn for the 30 electrolysis procedure. In that respect, on the one hand the water which has condensed on the wall of the pylon as a consequence of air humidity with the pylon 10 and which has been collected can be used for the electrolysis procedure. On the other hand, particularly in respect of 7 offshore locations, any amount of hydrogen gas can be obtained from the water of the surrounding sea. The water which occurs during operation of the fuel cell 24 can be collected and discharged in a specifically targeted fashion out of the pylon. 5 When only hydrogen gas is fed to the fuel cells 24, the oxygen within the portion of the wind power installation in which the respective fuel cell 24 is arranged is used up by operation of that fuel cell 24. In other words, the fuel cell 24 will generate electrical energy as long as oxygen is available within the portion of the pylon in which the fuel cell is 10 disposed. As soon as the oxygen is used up, the fuel cell 24 will cease to generate electrical energy. That therefore affords a particularly simple possible way of establishing whether oxygen is still present in the air within the portion of the wind power installation which has the fuel cell 24. In order to feed as far as possible all oxygen in the pylon to the fuel 15 cells, it is advantageous to provide a ventilation means or other means for thoroughly mixing all the air in the wind power installation so it is not just the oxygen in the air around the fuel cell that is consumed, but all oxygen disposed in the whole of the wind power installation. A portion for example of the pylon 10 of the wind power installation 20 can be separated by an intermediate floor 20 with a passage opening which is closable by a flap 22, so that the fuel cell 24 in that portion only has to remove the oxygen from a reduced volume in that separated-off portion of the pylon, in order to produce an inert atmosphere there. By virtue of the normal composition of the ambient air consisting of about 25 21% oxygen, 7 8% nitrogen and small proportions of other gases, the inert atmosphere, after the oxygen has been consumed, is substantially a nitrogen atmosphere. In addition, provided in a portion of the pylon 10 is a storage container 28. A fuel cell 24 is also arranged in the same portion of the 30 pylon. A nitrogen atmosphere is also produced in that portion, by virtue of operation of the fuel cell 24. As soon as the oxygen is consumed, that nitrogen can then be pumped into the storage container 28. That portion of the pylon is then ventilated again with ambient air and the procedure is 8 repeated so that a stock of nitrogen can be collected in the storage container 28 (gas tank). It will be appreciated that, in place of a portion of the pylon, it is also possible to provide a space which is separated off, outside the pylon 5 10 of the wind power installation, for example in the form of a container or an annex building. The first apparatus 24 for producing an inert atmosphere can be contained in that container. In that way, none of the portions of the pylon has to be repeatedly ventilated so that the risk of unintentionally ventilating other portions of the pylon is avoided. If it is 10 necessary, a given part of the wind power installation, such as for example a portion of the pylon 10 or the pod 12, can be very rapidly flooded with nitrogen by way of suitable conduits and pumps, by the nitrogen being pumped there from the storage container 28. In that way a nitrogen atmosphere can be produced immediately in certain regions when required 15 without having to wait until the fuel cell 24 has consumed the oxygen. Figure 2 shows a flow chart representing the progress of the control method when opening the wind power installation, for example to permit access for the service personnel. It will be assumed that the initial situation is normal operation of the wind power installation, in which, by 20 virtue of sufficiently long periods of operation of the fuel cells (reference 24 in Figure 1), an inert nitrogen atmosphere has been produced within the wind power installation or after a part of the wind power installation has been flooded with nitrogen. If the installation is stopped for example due to a fault and if the nature of the fault is already such that the service 25 personnel must enter the installation, the stopped installation can already be ventilated, prior to the entry of the service personnel, for example by means of closable ventilation flaps in the door and the pod. The service personnel can therefore immediately enter the installation when they arrive, and begin with the repair procedure. 30 In order however to be sure of preventing people from entering a wind power installation in which an inert atmosphere prevails, there can be provided a lock system which enables access to the installation only when a sufficient oxygen concentration is detected in the interior of the 9 installation. Therefore, at the first query in Figure 2, a check is made to ascertain whether the wind power installation is already vented. If that is not the case the installation is firstly vented and then it is detected whether there is an adequate oxygen concentration within the installation. 5 If the wind power installation has already been vented, a check is immediately made to ascertain whether there is an adequate oxygen concentration. If that is not the case the installation continues to be vented. When there is an adequate oxygen concentration, the lock is released so that the access to the wind power installation can be unlocked 10 and access is then possible. Preferably the oxygen/nitrogen concentration should be checked not just at a single location, for example in the pod, but at a plurality of locations between the pod and the base of the pylon. With nitrogen in the air it is necessary at any event to ensure that a person in the lower part of the pylon does not climb up and there 15 suffocate due to a lack of oxygen. The fans (not shown) which are usually provided in the wind power installation must also be used to provide for fresh air for a rapid and equally distributed atmosphere of air with an adequate oxygen content (21%), right at the beginning of the ventilation procedure. 20 Figure 3 diagrammatically shows the procedure when closing the installation, for example after concluding the work and bringing the installation back into operation again. Firstly, a check is made to ascertain whether the access opening such as for example a door is closed. As long as the door is not closed, any access to the installation is possible and 25 thus the creation of an inert atmosphere is already prevented for that reason. In addition, oxygen always continues to flow through the open door so that it is already impossible to produce an inert atmosphere for that reason. As soon as the door is closed, a check is made to ascertain whether 30 the lock has been actuated, that is to say whether the door is locked fast. This ensures that the installation cannot be accidentally entered or that the control means, on the basis of the closing procedure required before entering the installation, can detect that someone is trying to enter the 10 wind power installation and can thus initiate ventilation of the installation in good time. When therefore the door is closed and the lock locked, the control means can set the fuel cells in operation and thus begin to produce an 5 inert atmosphere (nitrogen atmosphere) within the wind power installation. As it is precisely after the execution of repair operations that the risk of a fire is particularly severe, for example as a consequence of assembly errors or technical faults on the spare parts, and as the oxygen 10 concentration within the wind power installation is still high in the time shortly after the service personnel have left the installation, a certain part of the wind power installation, for example a part thereof which is equipped with switching equipment, can be flooded with nitrogen from a storage means. In that way the risk of fire is immediately considerably 15 reduced. The fact that, when the entire wind power installation is flooded with nitrogen and the inert atmosphere produced therewith within the wind power installation, the normal fire extinguishing service personnel cannot enter the installation, is acceptable because in any case, in the event of a fire within a wind power installation, the extinguishing service 20 personnel can scarcely pass into the interior thereof without themselves suffering injury. It will be appreciated that further technical measures are possible, which prevent a person from being mistakenly locked inside a wind power installation and thus exposed to a nitrogen atmosphere. That can be 25 implemented for example by motion sensors such as infrared sensors. An additional or alternative measure can be expressly signing-in and signing out of any person who enters the wind power installation and leaves it again. In addition, it is also possible to envisage providing that the fuel cells or pumps with which a certain portion of the wind power installation 30 is flooded with nitrogen are switched on with a time delay so that, even after a person is by mistake locked inside the wind power installation, there is still a certain period of time available to notice the mistake and to free the person from the installation in good time. Finally the access to 11 the installation from the interior can be provided with an emergency opening device which makes it possible to leave the installation even without a key. Supplying the interior of the wind power installation with an inert 5 atmosphere such as a nitrogen gas is not just limited to the pod or to the interior of the pylon. As the pod is also directly connected to the rotor and thus the rotor blades of the wind power installation, the rotor blades can also be supplied in the interior with a suitable nitrogen atmosphere in order also to prevent a fire from breaking out in the rotor blades. 10 Throughout this specification and the claims which follow, unless the context requires otherwise, the word "comprise", and variations such as "comprises" and "comprising", will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or step or group of integers or steps but not the exclusion of any other integer or step or group of integers or steps. 15 The reference to any prior art in this specification is not, and should not be taken as, an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that the prior art forms part of the common general knowledge in Australia.

Claims

1. A wind power installation comprising a pylon and a pod arranged at the tip of the pylon, characterised by at least one first apparatus for producing an inert atmosphere in the pylon and/or in 5 the pod or other parts of the wind power installation and closable ventilation openings in the pylon and/or the pod of the wind power installation and/or the annex building.

2. A wind power installation according to claim 1 characterised by a multi-stage lock system in the access to the wind power 10 installation and/or the annex building and an interlinking of the lock system to at least one sensor within the wind power installation or the annex building respectively.

3. A wind power installation according to one of the preceding claims characterised by a storage container of predetermined 15 capacity for a gas, for example nitrogen.

4. A wind power installation according to claim 3 characterised by an apparatus associated with the storage container for producing an inert atmosphere, wherein associated with the apparatus is a predetermined space volume, and having a connection between the 20 space volume and the storage container, through which the inert gas of the space volume is transported into the storage container.

5. A wind power installation according to one of the preceding claims characterised by at least one floor which passes through the cross-section of the pylon and has a closable passage opening. 25

6. A wind power installation according to one of the preceding claims characterised by a lock system which is actuable in dependence on a release signal. 13

7. A wind power installation according to one of the preceding claims characterised by at least one sensor for detecting physical parameters, for example temperature, oxygen content in the air, pressure and so forth. 5

8. A method of controlling a wind power installation according to one of the preceding claims characterised in that an inert gas is fed to a predetermined region of the wind power installation if at least one predetermined physical parameter exceeds a predetermined limit value. 10

9. A method according to claim 8 characterised in that passage openings are closed to delimit the predetermined region.

10. A method of controlling a wind power installation according to one of preceding claims 8 and 9 characterised in that after the wind power installation is shut down, for example as a consequence of 15 predetermined faults, automatic ventilation of the wind power installation and/or the annex building is effected.

11. A method according to one of claims 8 to 10 characterised in that the access to the wind power installation is enabled by the lock system only when an adequate oxygen concentration is reached in 20 the wind power installation and/or the annex building.

12. A method according to one of claims 8 to 11 characterised in that the apparatuses for producing an inert atmosphere are activated only when a predetermined closed condition of the lock system is reached. 25

13. A method according to claim 12 characterised in that the apparatus for producing an inert atmosphere is activated again only when a predetermined period of time has elapsed after the predetermined closed condition is reached. 14

14. A wind power installation substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

15. A method of controlling a wind power installation substantially as herein described with reference to the 5 accompanying drawings.