As the demand for new energy resources increases, wind turbine production is at full scale. Each turbine is an expensive complex machine, robotic in nature, that either mechanically, or by means of a feedback control system, is designed to harvest as much energy from the wind as possible, reliably report its energy production and protect itself from erratic weather conditions.
A large amount of sensor and metered data is transmitted off each turbine, via the scada system to the operation and maintenance centres where it is collected to fill a variety of reports and event logs. In a major effort to compete with conventional generation resources, an enormous R&D effort has gone into increasing plant efficiencies, which has led to implementing feedback control between distribution and generation points, thus adding more information flow for deterministic requirements. Loss of this data in either direction can result in a loss of energy production or incomplete reporting, ultimately reducing revenue.
The challenge is to provide the uninterrupted flow of large amounts of data between turbines, substations and operation and maintenance centres. A network composed of the right kind of managed industrial Ethernet switches featuring robust redundancy protocol, configured in the right geometry, can do the job and be expandable as long as it is correctly applied.
For a wind park, stable operation is essential. The conditions for wind power generation, however, present a unique set of challenges, including temperature differences, humidity and vibrations, whilst security and safety are of the utmost importance. As the conditions at wind energy plants are just as harsh and rugged as in any other industrial environment, the infrastructure components and systems need to be able to cope with extreme stresses. That is why the network, connection and cabling technology offered by Hirschmann are also the components of choice for data communications in wind energy plants.
The trend is towards standardisation and uniform data protocols. Ute Decker, marketing manager for alternative power generation at Belden, comments: “Power station data links to the power grid are progressing well and Ethernet is increasingly being used in place of existing disparate and, in some cases, proprietary solutions. This means, for instance, that inverters are also being equipped with appropriate interfaces.” Decker observes a further trend, namely that more and more data is being recorded, networks are acquiring ever more subscribers and transmission needs to react in real-time. “In this context we find that security, ie, protecting the transmitted data against unauthorised access, is becoming more and more important,” she points out.
In the generation and distribution of wind energy, data is exchanged not only within one or more wind energy plants, but also between them and their substations. There are often separate networks for different tasks. “Besides Ethernet, certain applications also use fieldbuses such as CAN and wireless solutions for condition monitoring, and some remote monitoring facilities make use of existing interfaces such as GSM or DSL,” explains Decker. To ensure reliable data communications, the components and systems need to be particularly robust, and able to withstand both extreme temperatures and high levels of humidity. They also need to be physically sturdy, shock and vibration-proof. Their ability to function must be unaffected even by strong magnetic fields, chemicals, and oils.
The systems and components manufactured by Hirschmann have been designed for precisely these requirements. “The modular and compact industrial Ethernet switches in our Mice, RS, RSB and Mach series have been successfully used in countless wind energy plants for many years,” says Decker, “as have the WLAN access points in our BAT series, the industrial security solutions of our Eagle line, and our network management tools such as Industrial HiVision.”
For more information, contact Vladimir Milovanovic, IAC, +27 (0)12 657 3600, [email protected], www.iaconline.co.za
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