Wind turbine equipment: ice detection, fire protection, SCADA
Wind turbine equipment: we provide manufacturer-independent advice on SCADA, ice detection, fire protection and obstacle lighting.
Choosing the right plant technology is decisive as early as planning and permitting. We advise you on selecting the optimal equipment for your wind energy project, tailored to the site and to permitting and operating requirements. Whether SCADA systems, ice detection, fire protection or obstacle lighting: with experience and market knowledge, we find the right technical equipment for your wind turbines.
With ice detection, how the system works is what matters. Depending on the manufacturer and method, ice detection systems may use sensors on the turbine or other measurement and evaluation methods; they are intended to distinguish ice, dirt or water from an ice-free condition. It only supplies signals to the turbine control or the SCADA system. A threshold determines at what ice accretion the shutdown signal is triggered, and after an ice-free message the automatic restart can take place. How the wind turbine reacts is determined by the manufacturer and must be demonstrated separately for the respective control system. The manufacturer must prove that the signals are integrated reliably, and design changes must be reported to the inspector. This is exactly where manufacturer-independent advice helps, before requirements are fixed in the contract. The signals are routed via potential-free contacts to the turbine and by bus communication to the control system or the SCADA system.
Obstacle lighting in Austria is changing. Instead of flashing permanently, night marking can be demand-controlled: the lights stay off as long as no aircraft is nearby. The spatial prerequisites and technical specifications are set by Austro Control and must be clarified for the specific project. A valid signal from Austro Control, which is retrieved continuously, is a prerequisite. If it is missing, the marking must be active, and rescue flights can activate the lighting via the control centre. For existing obstacles, the competent authority decides by decision notice, on application by the owner, whether demand-controlled night marking is permissible, and the implementation must be reported to Austro Control for the flight information service. For fire protection, a fire protection concept, a lightning protection system and a fire brigade access and intervention plan are typically part of the documents in permitting procedures.
Our advice is manufacturer-independent. We know the requirements of authorities and experts and support you in communication with the turbine manufacturer. More than 30 years of experience in planning and implementing wind energy projects feed into our recommendation. The selection is closely linked to procurement: it forms the basis for the tender for wind turbines and complements the technical plant reports in permitting. How the equipment proves itself in operation is shown by the power curve and performance measurement. In Germany, shutdown, ice throw and fire protection concepts are part of the application documents; before that, urban land-use planning (Germany) clarifies the question of land. For PV parks, we advise on the equipment of photovoltaic plants.
