DK201600073Y3 - WIND-radio communications system - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a wind turbine radio communication system. The communication system is a two-way digital radio system and includes an external antenna for mounting externally to a wind turbine structure. The system further comprises an internal tower antenna for mounting internally in the wind turbine tower and an internal transition piece (TP) antenna for mounting internally in the wind turbine junction. Finally, the system comprises a two-way digital radio repeater to communicate with the outside antenna, the internal tower antenna, and the internal TP antenna, where the repeater is configured to transmit radio signals received with the external antenna with the internal tower antenna and / or the internal TP antenna, and vice versa. The invention further relates to a wind turbine comprising the radio communication system.

Description

WINDMILL RADIO COMMUNICATION SYSTEM FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a wind turbine radio communication system. In particular, the invention relates to a system for providing radio communication coverage within a wind turbine tower and / or a transition piece (TP).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

As installed wind turbines tend to become larger and larger, and to be used in even more distant locations and harsher environments, personnel safety issues have been given increased focus in the industry. This is especially the case for off-shore wind turbines, where even minor mishaps can have extremely serious consequences.

A safety issue related to wind turbines is that radio coverage within the wind turbine tower, or the transition piece (TP) on which the tower is mounted, is generally very poor. This is due to Faraday's cage effect on the steel towers in general use.

IJS 2002/0028655 A1 describes a repeater system for wireless communication, especially for mobile phones. The repeater system includes a repeater coupled to an internal antenna system and to an external antenna system, where the internal antenna system is within a structure in the form of a structure or vessel. The document makes no mention of use in wind turbine towers and / or crossings.

Therefore, an improved wind turbine personal security system would be advantageous and in particular a more efficient and / or reliable radio communication system would be advantageous.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an alternative to the prior art.

In particular, it can be seen as an object of the present invention to provide a wind turbine radio communication system which solves the aforementioned problems of the prior art to obtain adequate radio coverage within a wind turbine tower and / or junction.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The object described above and several other objects are therefore intended to be achieved in a first aspect of the invention by providing a wind turbine radio communication system. The communication system is a two-way digital radio system, and includes an external antenna for mounting externally to a wind turbine structure. The system further comprises an internal tower antenna for mounting internally in the wind turbine tower, and an internal transition piece (TP) antenna for mounting internally in a wind turbine junction. In conclusion, the system includes a digital two-way radio system repeater to communicate with the outside antenna, the internal tower antenna, and the internal TP antenna, wherein the repeater is configured to transmit radio signals received with the outside antenna with the internal tower antenna and / or! ! is internal TP antenna, and vice versa. In this way, the problem of obtaining radio coverage within the wind turbine tower and / or the TP can be alleviated, thereby greatly improving the safety of e.g. technicians working inside the windmill. More specifically, the communication system works to bidirectionally send transmission melium inside and outside of the wind turbine, thereby avoiding the "Faraday cage effect" on the tower.

In one embodiment of the communication system according to the invention, the digital two-way radio system is a terrestrial trunked radio (TETRA) system. In this way, the system can provide "seamless" radio coverage for personnel entering the wind turbine with a suitable radio terminal. Thereby, no manual intervention is necessary to adjust the radio terminal by moving from the outside to the inside of the tower, or vice versa.

In one embodiment of the wind turbine communication system, the digital two-way radio system repeater comprises a squelch circuit which is arranged ten! to turn off transmission from the outside antenna except while receiving radio transmission within a monitoring frequency band on the inner tower antenna and / or the inner TP antenna. This way, the squelch circuit works ten! attenuating radio transmission from the outside tower antenna when there is no radioactivity within the windmill, i.e. when no staff is present inside the tower and / or the transition piece. In this way, a problem is solved where otherwise e.g. a remote base station in radio contact with multiple wind turbine radio communication systems could be overloaded by accumulating noise transmissions from otherwise inactive communication systems. This could, for example. for example, in a wind turbine field, where a central base station provides digital two-way radio coverage to the field. However, when a person enters the wind turbine tower with a radio receiver broadcasting within the monitoring frequency band, the repeater automatically receives signals from the radio receiver on the internal tower antenna or the internal TP antenna and therefore begins to send the signals to the external tower antenna. Thereby, no action is required on the part of the person to activate the communication system.

In one embodiment, a bandwidth of the monitoring frequency band is in the range of 1 MHz - 50 MHz, such as, for example, 2 MHz 20 MHz, or even 3 MHz 100 MHz. More particularly, the bandwidth of the monitoring frequency band may be about 5 MHz.

In an alternative embodiment of the communication system, the digital two-way radio system is a Digital Mobile Radio (DMR) system.

In one embodiment of the communication system according to the invention, the external antenna is a radiant antenna. In this way, a highly versatile communication system can be obtained by allowing a communication party positioned outside the tower to achieve a good radio connection to the communication system, regardless of a position of the communication party relative to the wind turbine.

In an alternative embodiment, the external antenna is a directional antenna. In this way, the external directional antenna can enable an uplink to a distal radio transceiver with improved signal strength and / or transmission range. In one embodiment of the communication system of the invention, the internal tower antenna is a directional circularly polarized antenna. In this way, an improved transmission area is obtained within the wind turbine, ie. to provide radio coverage throughout the height of the tower. For example, if the inner tower antenna is mounted at the bottom of the tower, the use of a directional and circularly polarized antenna enables radio coverage towards the top of the tower. Typically, wind turbine towers are metaic cylinders which provide extremely difficult radio connection within the tower, e.g. because of the ai tower is a great waveguide for the signals. The present inventors have realized that disadvantageous back-reflections of radio waves originating from metal objects and walls within the tower can be reduced by using a circularly polarized antenna. Compared to an ideal case where the inner tower antenna and an antenna of a user terminal within the tower have polarizations which are perfectly aligned, a circularly polarized inner tower antenna will provide a slightly lower signal quality. However, the inventors have discovered that signal quality in non-ideal cases is far improved by using a circularly polarized antenna as the inner tower antenna. Thereby, overall radio coverage or availability, when considering both ideal and non-ideal cases, is improved by a circularly polarized antenna.

In one embodiment of the communication system according to the invention, the internal tower antenna is a flat panel antenna. Whereby a highly space-saving internal tower antenna can be obtained.

In one embodiment of the communication system according to the invention, the internal tower antenna and internal TP antenna are nominally identical. In this way, a particularly cost-effective and simplified system can be obtained, which uses fewer parts. Thereby, costs related to keeping stock or inventory can be reduced by allowing the exchange of antennas, e.g. in case of malfunction or maintenance.

In one embodiment of the communication system according to the invention, the internal TP antenna is a directional circularly polarized antenna. In this way, an improved transmission area within the wind turbine junction is obtained, ie. to provide radio coverage essentially throughout the TP from the foundation to the tower. For example, if the internal TP antenna is mounted at the top of the TP, the use of a directional and circularly polarized antenna enables radio coverage to the bottom of the TP. Alternatively, the internal TP antenna can be mounted at the bottom of the tower near the top of the TP. Advantages of using a circularly polarized antenna are discussed above while describing the inner tower antenna, but also apply to the inner TP antenna.

! In one embodiment of the communication system according to the invention, the internal TP antenna is a flat panel antenna. Whereby a very space-saving internal TP antenna can be obtained.

In one embodiment of the communication system according to the invention, the repeater is a trunk mode operation / trunk mode operation (TMO / TMO) repeater. In this way, the communication system can be seamlessly integrated into existing digital two-way radio systems, such as TETRA. As a result, personnel entering or leaving the wind turbine do not need to adjust or change the settings of their radio terminal.

In one embodiment of the communication system according to the invention, the repeater is a TETRA repeater, and the external and / or internal antenna is optionally configured for a Rx / Tx channel separation of nominally 14.5 MHz. Allowing such a non-standard channel separation for a TETRA system allows operation in certain areas which have difficulty obtaining a frequency response with the standard 10 MHz separation. For example, it is difficult to obtain a frequency license in England for a 10 MHz separation, whereas a 14.5 MHz separation permit has surprisingly proved achievable.

In another embodiment, the repeater and optionally the external and / or internal antenna are configured for an Rx / Tx channel separation of nominally 10MHz. Thereby the system is arranged for the standard frequency separation of a TETRA system.

In one embodiment of the communication system according to the invention, the repeater and possibly the external and / or internal antenna are configured for an Rx / Tx channel separation of nominally 7 MHz.

In one embodiment of the communication system according to the invention, the repeater is configured to provide a reduced antenna transmitter power to the internal TP antenna when compared to the antenna transmitter power of the internal tower antenna. Since the volume of TP is generally less than the volume of the tower, adequate radio coverage in the TP can be achieved using less transmitter power. In this way, the efficiency is improved and the risk of unfavorable reflections of the radio waves is reduced.

In one embodiment of the communication system according to the invention, the repeater is arranged to send condition messages indicating an operational status of the communication system, preferably via a Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) module covered by the repeater. This improves personnel security even further by the monitoring communication system in terms of operational failure or failure.

In one embodiment, the SNMP system module is arranged to transmit data signals over a Local Area Network (LAN) connection.

In one embodiment, the system comprises a two-way digital radio transceiver comprising a monitoring circuit for monitoring an operational status of the digital two-way radio repeat, wherein the transceiver is configured to transmit state messages indicating the operational status via the external tower antenna. In this way, remote status monitoring of the communication system can also be achieved without a LAN connection. Note, however, that this embodiment can also be combined with the use of an SNMP module, as described above, to transmit state messages in several ways.

In one embodiment, transmission of state messages may be triggered by invitation from a remote location via the external antenna.

In an execution sequence, the transmission of state messages may be triggered internally by the communication system. For example, the communication system can be configured to send such messages at regular intervals, or at certain times.

The invention is particularly, but not exclusively, beneficial for achieving improved radio communication coverage within wind turbine structures, such as the wind turbine tower and the transition piece.

According to another aspect, the invention is also particularly, but not exclusively, beneficial in obtaining a wind turbine comprising wind turbine radio communication system according to the first aspect.

In one embodiment of the wind turbine according to the invention, the wind turbine is an offshore wind turbine. In an alternative embodiment, the wind turbine is an onshore wind turbine.

In an embodiment of the wind turbine according to the invention, the inner sheep nib is mounted in a lower part of the wind turbine tower, and oriented to emit in a generally upward vertical direction.

In one embodiment of wind turbines according to the invention, the inner TP antenna is mounted in an upper part of the wind turbine transition piece or in a lower part of the wind turbine tower, and oriented to emit in a generally downward vertical direction.

The first and second aspects of the present invention can each be combined with any of the other aspects. These and other aspects of the invention will be apparent from and illustrated with reference to the embodiments described hereinafter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF F! GURERNE

The wind turbine radio communication system according to the invention will now be described in more detail with respect to the accompanying figures. The figures show a way of implementing the present invention and are not to be construed as limiting other possible embodiments which fall within the scope of the appended claim.

Figure 1 illustrates a wind turbine comprising the wind turbine communication system according to an embodiment of the invention.

Figure 2 shows schematically a communication system according to another embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF AN EMBODIMENT

Figure 1a illustrates a wind turbine 1 comprising a wind turbine tower 2 mounted on a transition piece (TP) 3. The illustrated wind turbine is an offshore wind turbine as indicated by the sea surface 4. The wind turbine further comprises a radio communication system 10 as highlighted in Figure 1 b. In the present embodiment, the communication system is illustrated to be installed against the bottom of the wind turbine tower 2, although other positions may also be imagined. The system 10 comprises an external antenna 12 mounted in a suitable position outside the wind turbine tower 2. The external antenna 12 is connected via cable to a two-way digital radio repeater 14. The repeater 14 is illustrated here to be mounted within the tower 2, but may be used in other embodiments mounted outside the tower, e.g. in the vicinity of or in connection with the external antenna 12. The repeater 14 is further connected by cable to an internal tower antenna 16 which is arranged to emit primarily in a vertical upward direction, as indicated by the zigzag line 18. By configuring the repeater 14 to To send digital radio communications received by the outside antenna to the inner tower antenna, improved radio communication coverage can be obtained within the wind turbine tower. The repeater is capable of latte electric squelch circuits (not illustrated) which act to turn off the radio transmission from the outside antenna 12 when no radioactivity is detected by the internal tower antenna.

In a preferred embodiment of the communication system according to the invention, the system operates according to the TETRA standard. Therefore, the external antenna 12, the internal tower antenna 16, and the repeater 14 all adapted to the specific radio frequencies are used. Further, the repeater is preferably configured as a trunk mode operation (TMQ) / Trunk mode operation (TMO) repeater, i.e. to seamlessly send the received TETRA message to! from outside and ten! into the tower and vice versa. In certain variations of the present system, the repeater 14 is further equipped with an online monitoring system, e.g. connected through a Local Area Network - and configured to send status and / or performance data from the repeater to a remote location. The online monitoring system is preferably a Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) module.

The communication system may also have a built-in radio transceiver, which has a monitoring circuit to monitor the operational status of the repeater, and is configured to send status messages about this operational status of the repeater via the external tower antenna. Thereby, transmission of the standby messages can be carried out independently of the repeater, and thereby also if e.g. the repeater is not operational. In some implementations, transmission of the state messages can be triggered from within the communication system, e.g. in response to a change in state, or at given time intervals / specific times. Alternatively, transmission can be triggered by an outside invitation signal received by the radio receiver. For example, a remote base station can address a specific communication system and invite ten! a status item. In this way, the base station can monitor multiple wind turbine communication systems by inviting each one in sequence.

In another preferred embodiment, the communication system according to the invention operates the system according to the digital Mobile Radio (DMR) standard.

The inventors have found that a very good radio coverage within the wind turbine tower can be achieved by using an internal tower antenna designed to emit circularly polarized radio waves. This polarization is found to minimize disturbing reflections from the tower structure. Such an antenna may preferably be of a flat panel type to minimize space consumption within the wind turbine.

The external antenna 12 is preferably of a circular type to enable radio communication with radio operators outside the wind turbine, regardless of their position relative to the wind turbine.

Figure 2 shows another embodiment of the communication system according to the invention when mounted in a wind turbine. The embodiment relates to that shown in Figure 1b, for which reason only the differences between the two embodiments are described. In this embodiment, the communication system 10 comprises an internal TP antenna 20 in addition to the internal tower antenna 16. The internal TP antenna 20 is located and oriented to emit primarily in a downward vertical direction as indicated by the line 22. antenna 20 enhanced radio communication coverage in the TP in addition to the coverage in the tower provided by the internal tower antenna 16. In this embodiment, the repeater 14 is arranged to transmit external communications received on the external antenna 12 to both the internal tower antenna 16 and the internal TP antenna. antenna 20 simultaneously to provide seamless operation throughout the tower and TP wind turbine structures. Since the volume of the TP is generally considerably less than the volume of the tower, the transmission transmitter power of the internal TP antenna 20 is preferably reduced compared to the transmission transmitter power of the internal tower antenna. In one embodiment, the transmitter power of the internal TP antenna is -20 dB compared to the transmitter power of the internal tower antenna. However, it may also be envisaged that transmitter power reductions of -3 dB, -5 dB, -10 dB, or -15 dB for other wind turbine configurations will be suitable to achieve sufficient power while retaining a low degree of reflection from TP The structure. The inner TP antenna 20 is preferably of the same or similar type as the internal spring antenna 16, for example a circularly polarized flat panel antenna.

Although the present invention has been described in connection with the specified embodiments, it should not be construed as limiting the examples presented in any way. For example, although the system has been described in the context of an offshore wind turbine, its use in connection with onshore wind turbines is also imagined. Further, the system can also be used for wind turbines used without a transition piece, without departing from the scope of the invention. The scope of the present invention is described in the appended claims. in the context of the claims, the terms “comprehensive” or “do not” exclude other possible elements or steps. In addition, the designation of references such as "one" or "one", etc., should not be understood as excluding a plurality. Also, the use of reference designs in the claims relative to elements indicated in the figures is not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention. Furthermore, individual properties mentioned in different claims may be advantageously combined, and the mention of these properties in different claims does not preclude a combination of properties from being possible and beneficial.

Claims (16)

A wind turbine radio communication system (10), wherein the communication system is a two-way digital radio system, the system comprising: - an outside antenna (12) for mounting externally to a wind turbine structure (1), - an internal tower antenna (16) for mounting within in the windmill tower (12). - an internal transition piece (TP) antenna (20) for mounting internally in a wind turbine transition piece (3), and - a two-way digital radio system repeater (14) to communicate with the outside antenna, internal tower antenna, and internal TP antenna, wherein the repeater is configured to transmit radio signals received with the external antenna with the internal tower antenna and / or !! is the internal TP antenna, and vice versa, and - where the internal tower antenna or the internal TP antenna is a directional. , circularly polarized antenna. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the digital two-way radio system is a terrestrial trunked radio (TETRA) system. The communication system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the two-way digital radio repeater comprises a squelch circuit adapted to turn off transmission from the external antenna except while receiving radio transmission within a monitoring frequency band on the internal tower antenna and / or internal TP antenna. The communication system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the external antenna (12) is a radiant antenna. The communication system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the internal tower antenna (16) and / or the internal TP antenna (20) is a flat panel antenna. The communication system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the repeater (14) is a trunk mode operation / trunk mode operation (TMO / TMO) - repeat. The communication system according to any one of claims 2-6, wherein the repeater (14) is a TETRA repeater and optionally the external and / or internal antenna is configured for a Rx / Tx channel separation of nominally 1 4.5MHz. The communication system according to any one of claims 1-6, wherein the repeater (14) and optionally the external and / or internal antenna are configured for a Rx / Tx channel separation of nominally 7MHz. The communication system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the repeater (14) is configured to provide a reduced antenna transmitter power to the internal TP antenna (20) when compared to the antenna transmitter power of the internal tower antenna (16). The communication system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the repeater (14) is arranged to send state messages indicating an operational status of the communication system, preferably via a Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) module! covered by the repeater. The communication system of any preceding claim, wherein the system comprises a two-way digital radio transceiver comprising a monitoring circuit for monitoring an operational status of the digital two-way radio repeat is (14), wherein the transceiver is configured to transmit state messages which indicates the operational status via the external tower antenna. A wind turbine (1) comprising the wind turbine radio communication system (10) according to any one of the preceding claims. The wind turbine of claim 12, wherein the wind turbine is an offshore wind turbine. The wind turbine of claim 12, wherein the wind turbine is an onshore wind turbine. A wind turbine according to any one of claims 12-14, wherein the inner tower antenna (16) is mounted in a lower part of the wind turbine tower (2) and oriented to emit in a generally upward vertical direction (18). The wind turbine of any of claims 12-14, wherein the internal TP antenna is mounted in an upper portion of the wind turbine transition piece (3) or in a lower portion of the wind turbine tower (2) and oriented to emit in a generally downward vertical direction (22).