Deutsche Windtechnik – fit for the future with new control room

 The specific aim of the conversion was to create the necessary technical and safety conditions for projects in the pipeline. For example, the new control room enables offshore wind farms to be safely integrated and onshore turbines installed outside Europe to be monitored. It also creates the basis for improved proactive error analysis of the system data transmitted which is being driven in collaboration with the Frauenhofer Institute and resolto GmbH as part of the research project "Prognos Brain".

With the aid of eight, centrally suspended large screens, the new control room offers an all-round view of the system data managed in the software system, Rotorsoft, a view that is typical of larger control stations these days. The data are individually analysed and processed at six workstations positioned in front of the screens. When setting up the room, great attention was paid to ergonomics, lighting and sound-absorption - all of them prerequisites which make an important contribution to the creation of an ideal communications atmosphere round the clock.

Proactive error analysis

Torsten Wohlert, Technology Manager, was responsible for converting the control room. "Technical advances in the fields of electrical engineering, electronics, control technology, condition monitoring and IT mean that we have more and more information at our disposal on the particular status of any turbine. We don't want to just administer the information and wait until malfunctions have already occurred. Our aim is to intervene proactively with regard to forecasting errors. Our historical data form the basis for our analysis, and we use them to define certain anomalies which we can incorporate in the analysis", says Torsten Wohlert as he explains the development work in the new control room.

Compatible abroad and offshore

"Our built-in alarm server differs fundamentally from conventional control rooms", continues Torsten Wohlert describing the technical features of the remote data monitoring at Deutsche Windtechnik. "We can react immediately to any malfunctions we register by analysing errors extremely quickly and initiating the steps required to remedy the situation. Our statistics show that we can correct 60 to 70 percent of incoming malfunction reports simply by resetting the system. No turbine should be down for more than two hours!" The 18 employees in the control room team who are trained in turbine technology, monitor and control over 1,800 wind turbines which are all looked after by Deutsche Windtechnik as part of maintenance contracts. The new control room technology will in future enable even turbines outside Europe or offshore systems to be integrated into the data monitoring process. "We see a major requirement for experts, particularly for offshore wind farms and their electrical periphery such as transformer substations or local grids, experts who are qualified to analyse malfunctions as well as to conduct remote troubleshooting and carry out switching operations. There is great potential in this area", adds Matthias Brandt, Chairman of the Board at Deutsche Windtechnik.