A WIND TURBINE STORAGE AND / OR TRANSPORT SYSTEM

Abstract

The present invention relates to a wind turbine storage and / or transport system comprising wind turbine storage and / or transport equipment, and an in-use / non-use system to be arranged in connection with the wind turbine storage and / or transport equipment, the wind turbine storage and / or transport equipment being configured to support and transport the wind turbine component, wherein the in-use / non-use system comprises one or more sensing devices configured to determine the presence of the wind turbine component within or on the wind turbine storage and / or transport equipment.

Description

A TURBINE STORAGE AND / OR TRANSPORT SYSTEM WIND ENERGIZES DESCRIPTION [1] The present invention relates to a wind turbine storage and / or transport system comprising wind turbine storage and / or transport equipment. [2] Wind turbine manufacturers and other heavy equipment manufacturers are transporting components and goods to locations around the world. When transporting heavy components such as towers, blades, and nacelles, expensive and specialized conveyors and other transport equipment are needed to protect them during transit. When the components are later installed on-site, the conveyors are left behind, and manufacturers do not always have a comprehensive view of future transport needs and therefore ship the conveyors to these locations. As a result, the conveyors are left unattended, forgotten, and eventually discarded. [3] The consequence may be that new, expensive, specialized conveyors have to be ordered and produced for new transport sites. This is very costly and not environmentally friendly. [4] An object of the present invention is to overcome, wholly or partially, the disadvantages and drawbacks of the prior art. More specifically, it is an object to provide an improved wind turbine storage and / or transport system capable of determining the status in a convenient manner. [5] The foregoing objects, together with many other objects, advantages and features, which will become evident from the following description, are achieved by a solution according to the present invention by means of a wind turbine storage and / or transport system comprising - a wind turbine storage and / or transport equipment, and - a system in use / not in use to be disposed in connection with the wind turbine storage and / or transport equipment, the wind turbine storage and / or transport equipment that is configured to support a wind turbine component, wherein the system in use / not in use comprises one or more sensing devices that are configured to determine a presence of the wind turbine component within or on the wind turbine storage and / or transport equipment. [6] Applying the present invention, a wind turbine storage and / or transport system is obtained in which the use of the wind turbine storage and / or transport equipment can be optimized. This means that the specific wind turbine storage and / or transport equipment can be inspected so that it can be returned for reuse, and consequently, a higher utilization coefficient for the specific wind turbine storage and / or transport equipment can be obtained. Investment in new wind turbine storage and / or transport equipment can also be minimized accordingly through the application of the wind turbine storage and / or transport system according to the present invention. [7] One or more detection devices can be configured to determine, based on the determined presence of the wind turbine component, whether the wind turbine storage and / or transport equipment is in use or not in use. [8] Additionally, the one or more detection devices may comprise a camera configured to take a photograph and / or video of the storage and / or transport equipment of wind turbines; the camera may be configured to take a photograph and / or video at predetermined time intervals or be triggered by events. [9] The photograph and / or video can then be processed, for example, by image recognition software to determine the presence of the wind turbine component within or on the wind turbine storage and / or transport equipment to determine the status of the specific wind turbine storage and / or transport equipment.

[10] In addition, the one or more detection devices may comprise a contact detector to detect physical contact between the wind turbine storage and / or transport equipment and the wind turbine component and thereby determine the status of the specific wind turbine storage and / or transport equipment.

[11] Furthermore, the one or more sensing devices may comprise a chip radio communication unit configured to establish radio frequency communication between a component chip disposed in the wind turbine component and an equipment chip disposed in the wind turbine storage and / or transport equipment to detect the presence of the wind turbine component within or on the wind turbine storage and / or transport equipment and thereby determine the status of the specific wind turbine storage and / or transport equipment. The chip radio communication unit is configured to communicate with the component chip and the equipment chip at predetermined time intervals or be triggered by events.

[12] The one or more detection devices can be configured to detect the presence of the wind turbine component within or on the wind turbine storage and / or transport equipment at predetermined time intervals or be triggered by events.

[13] In addition, the one or more detector devices may comprise one or more detectors configured to detect a distance and / or load of a wind turbine component, the one or more detectors being configured to detect the distance and / or load at predetermined time intervals or be triggered by events.

[14] The one or more detectors may be an ultrasonic detector, a time-of-flight detector, an infrared detector, a proximity detector, a magnetometer detector, a load cell detector, a strain gauge, a radar detector, a lidar detector, an acceleration detector, a photodetector, or a combination thereof.

[15] In addition, a temperature detector can be arranged in one or more detector devices.

[16] Additionally, the radar detector can be a pulsed coherent radar or a frequency-modulated continuous wave detector, or a combination of both.

[17] In addition, the radar detector may comprise a transmitter that is configured to send radar pulses and a receiver that is configured to receive echoes.

[18] In addition, the radar detector can be configured to turn off the transmitter between radar pulses, resulting in lower power consumption.

[19] The distance can be calculated by measuring the time from when the radar pulse is sent until the radar echo is received.

[20] Additionally, the radar detector can be configured to consume power only while sending the radar pulse and when receiving the echo.

[21] In addition, a lens can be arranged in connection with the radar detector, the lens being configured to monitor a direction of the radar pulses.

[22] Additionally, the one or more detector devices may further comprise a communication unit configured to communicate data.

[23] The one or more detector devices may also comprise a positioning unit.

[24] In addition, one or more detection devices may comprise an identification.

[25] The identification can be a unique number or a label for the specific detector device so that it can be identified in the user interface.

[26] The one or more detector devices may also comprise an RFID tag or mark that enables the detector device to be identified locally by an RFID reader or by visual inspection.

[27] Additionally, the one or more detector devices may comprise a power supply. The power supply unit may be a battery pack.

[28] In addition, the wind turbine storage and / or transport equipment can be configured to support the wind turbine component during transport and / or storage of the wind turbine component.

[29] In addition, the in-use / not-in-use system may comprise a storage device configured to store data communicated from one or more sensing devices regarding the status of the storage and / or transport equipment of wind turbines and / or the position of one or more sensing devices.

[30] The storage device can be a cloud-based server deployed using any commonly known cloud computing platform technology, such as Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud Platform, Microsoft Azure, DigitalOcean, Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, IBM Bluemix, or Alibaba Cloud. The cloud-based server can be part of a widely and publicly available distributed cloud network or, alternatively, be limited to a single enterprise. Alternatively, the storage device can, in some configurations, be managed locally, such as a centralized server unit. Other alternative server configurations can be achieved, based on any type of client-server or peer-to-peer (P2P) architecture.Server configurations can thus involve any combination of, for example, web servers, database servers, email servers, web proxy servers, DNS servers, FTP servers, file servers, DHCP servers, to name a few.

[31] The storage device can be maintained by and / or configured as a cloud-based service, either integrated with or external to the cloud-based server. Connection to cloud-based storage media can be established using DBaaS (Database as a Service). For example, the cloud-based storage device can be implemented as an SQL data model such as MySQL, PostgreSQL, or Oracle RDBMS. Alternatively, implementations based on NoSQL data models such as MongoDB, Amazon DynamoDB, Hadoop, or Apache Cassandra can be used. DBaaS technologies are typically included as a service within the associated cloud computing platform.

[32] The storage device may be a server that has one or more drives, such as, for example, solid-state drives, or similar drives. The storage device may also be a combination of a virtual server and a local hard disk.

[33] Data stored from one or more detector devices can be accessed through a user interface.

[34] The system in use / not in use may comprise a control unit.

[35] In addition, the control unit can be configured to process data received from one or more detector devices.

[36] Additionally, the control unit can be configured to communicate data to one or more detector devices.

[37] Additionally, the control unit, based on data from one or more detector devices, can be configured to identify the status and / or position of one or more detector devices.

[38] In addition, the control unit, based on data from one or more detector devices, can be configured to identify the status of the wind turbine storage and / or transport equipment and / or the position of one or more detector devices.

[39] In addition, the communication unit is configured to communicate data comprising one or more of the following - the status of the wind turbine storage and / or transport equipment, the identification of one or more detection devices, - the position of one or more detection devices, and / or - an energy level of the power supply, at predetermined intervals or triggered by events.

[40] The control unit can also be configured to detect the material of the wind turbine component based on measurements from the radar detector. This allows the control unit, when measuring the distance to the wind turbine component, to detect the material of the wind turbine component and also whether one or more of the detector devices are partially covered with debris, leaves, snow, etc., thus ensuring that the intended distances are being measured.

[41] In addition, the control unit can be configured to determine, based on the detected distance, one of the following situations: - one or more detectors are covered, - the wind turbine storage and / or transport equipment is in use, - the wind turbine storage and / or transport equipment is in a stacked position, - the wind turbine storage and / or transport equipment is not in use.

[42] The detector can be configured to detect distances up to at least 100 cm with an accuracy of 5 cm or less.

[43] Additionally, the in-use / not-in-use system determines whether the wind turbine storage and / or transport equipment is in use or not in use based on one or more detector devices that detect either distance and / or load, photograph and / or video taken, physical contact and / or through radio frequency communication between component chips and equipment chips.

[44] Additionally, the distance can be detected from the detector of one or more detector devices to a face of the wind turbine component.

[45] In addition, the one or more detector devices may be arranged so that the wind turbine component is positioned on, above, or in front of the one or more detector devices.

[46] In addition, the one or more detector devices and the control unit can be operationally connected.

[47] Furthermore, the positioning unit can be based on GNSS signals. Additionally, the position can be determined by locally identifying mobile network positions, by using internet network positions, or by using GPS signals.

[48] ​​In addition, the communication unit can be configured to communicate with a low-power, long-range (LR) wireless wide area network (LPWAN), such as NB-IoT, Sigfox, LoRa, ZigBee, Z-Wave, Wireless M-bus, Bluetooth, GPRS, GSM, 3G, 4G, 5G, nG, NFC, or similar wireless technology.

[49] In addition, the communication unit can be configured to communicate by means of a whole or part wireless mesh network (WMN).

[50] Additionally, the communication unit may comprise an operator-directed gateway and / or an open-source-directed gateway.

[51] The communication unit can also be configured to function as a local gateway, so that the communication unit can be configured to communicate even in remote areas.

[52] In addition, the communication unit can be configured to receive and transmit data.

[53] In addition, the one or more detector devices may comprise a housing, which may be watertight. The housing may be made of polyurethane (PUR), TBU, or ABS material, or a combination thereof.

[54] In addition, the one or more detector devices can be operable at temperatures from -40 degrees to 60 degrees Celsius.

[55] Additionally, one or more detector devices can be configured to receive data wirelessly from one or more secondary detectors. The secondary detectors can, for example, communicate via Bluetooth and / or other long-range (LR) communication technologies such as LoRa networks.

[56] Secondary detectors may be a humidity detector, acceleration detector, gas detector, temperature detector, vibration detector, UV detector, strain gauge, or a combination thereof.

[57] Secondary detectors can be configured to provide data regarding what impacts and / or loads have been exerted on wind turbine components and / or wind turbine storage and / or transport equipment, as well as where and when these impacts and / or loads have occurred.

[58] For example, the vibration detector can provide data on the impacts exerted on wind turbine storage and / or transport equipment or on wind turbine components. Using this data, it is possible to redesign, for example, the wind turbine storage and / or transport equipment to improve its strength and, consequently, reduce the amount of material used. Furthermore, when the operator can document the impacts and / or loads exerted, this information can be used by classification societies and / or insurance companies to, among other things, obtain a lower insurance premium.

[59] The acceleration detector can provide data regarding the speed and other related loads that have been exerted on the wind turbine storage and / or transport equipment or wind turbine component.

[60] In addition, the humidity detector can provide data regarding when and where humidity increases and / or decreases. This data can be used, for example, to optimize the wind turbine component and thus ensure that humidity does not affect the wind turbine component.

[61] The UV detector can detect the level of UV radiation exerted on the wind turbine component and / or the wind turbine storage and / or transport equipment. This allows for monitoring when different parts of the wind turbine component and / or the wind turbine storage and / or transport equipment need to be replaced to ensure proper operation.

[62] Furthermore, strain gauges can provide data regarding the loads exerted on the wind turbine component and / or the wind turbine storage and / or transport equipment. For example, by measuring the loads using strain gauges positioned at different locations on, for example, a prototype of the wind turbine component and / or the wind turbine storage and / or transport equipment, it is possible to obtain data on which parts and areas of the wind turbine component and / or the wind turbine storage and / or transport equipment are subjected to different loads, so that the wind turbine component and / or the wind turbine storage and / or transport equipment can be sized and designed to withstand these loads in an optimal manner.

[63] One or more detector devices can be configured to enter an idle mode for a predetermined time when the communication unit cannot communicate.

[64] Advantageously, wind turbine storage and / or transport equipment can be a conveyor, cradle, jig, support part, each configured to support a wind turbine component.

[65] Additionally, the wind turbine component may be a wind turbine blade, a wind turbine blade section, a tower section, a nacelle, a gearbox, or parts thereof.

[66] The present invention also relates to an in-use / non-use system configured to form part of the wind turbine storage and / or transport system as described above.

[67] The present invention further relates to a method for identifying the status of a wind turbine storage and / or transport equipment in a wind turbine storage and / or transport system as described above, comprising - to have one or more detection devices for a system in use / not in use in relation to a storage and / or transport equipment for wind turbines, and IVIA / a / ZUZZ / UI 04 / v - determine the presence of a wind turbine component within or on the wind turbine storage and / or transport equipment.

[68] Furthermore, the method may additionally comprise determining, based on the determined presence of the wind turbine component, whether the wind turbine storage and / or transport equipment is in use or not in use.

[69] Additionally, the method may also comprise one or more of the following stages: - detect the position of one or more detector devices that have an identification, - communicate status, identification, position to a storage device at predetermined intervals or be triggered by events, store data regarding status, identification and / or position.

[70] Additionally, the method may comprise making the data available through a user interface so that the storage and / or transport equipment of wind turbines can be monitored in real time or at predetermined time intervals or triggered by events, by means of one or more detector devices.

[71] The invention and its many advantages will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings, which for illustrative purposes show some non-limiting embodiments and in which

[72] FIGURE 1 shows a storage and / or transport system for wind turbines according to the invention,

[73] FIGURE 2 shows a first modality of a detector device,

[74] FIGURES 3 and 4 show different methods for detecting a distance,

[75] FIGURE 5 shows a second modality of a detector device,

[76] FIGURE 6 shows a third modality of a detector device,

[77] FIGURE 7 shows another system for storing and / or transporting wind turbines,

[78] FIGURE 8 shows yet another system for storing and / or transporting wind turbines,

[79] FIGURES 9a-9c show different detection situations, and

[80] FIGURES 10-12 show different wind turbine storage and / or transport equipment with a detector device arranged.

[81] All figures are very schematic and not necessarily to scale, and show only those parts that are necessary to clarify the invention, other parts being omitted or merely suggested.

[82] FIGURE 1 shows a wind turbine storage and / or transport system 100 according to the invention. The wind turbine storage and / or transport system 100 comprises a wind turbine storage and / or transport unit 1 and at least one wind turbine component 11, such as a wind turbine blade, a tower section, a nacelle, a gearbox, or parts thereof. The wind turbine storage and / or transport unit 1 is configured to support the wind turbine component 11. In FIGURE 1, the wind turbine component 11 is a tower section. According to the invention, a system 101 in use / not in use is arranged in connection with the wind turbine storage and / or transport unit 1.The in-use / not-in-use system 101 comprises one or more detector devices 2 configured to determine the presence of wind turbine component 11 within or on wind turbine storage and / or transport equipment 1. Based on the detected presence of wind turbine component 11, the in-use / not-in-use system is configured to determine whether wind turbine storage and / or transport equipment 1 is in use or not in use.

[83] The system 101 in use / not in use comprises the one or more detector devices 2 mounted on or in the wind turbine storage and / or transport equipment 1, and is also shown in an enlarged view in FIGURE 1. The one or more detector devices 2 may have an identification 3 so that the detector device 2 can be properly identified. The one or more detector devices 2 may additionally have a positioning unit 4, a communication unit 5 configured to communicate data, and / or a power supply unit 6.

[84] The in-use / non-in-use system 101 may also comprise a storage device 7 configured to store data communicated from one or more detector devices 2 regarding the position of the one or more detector devices 2. The stored data from the one or more detector devices 2 may be accessible by means of a user interface 8.

[85] The in-use / non-in-use system 101 may also comprise a control unit 9. The control unit 9 may be part of the storage device 7. The storage device 7, the control unit 9, and / or the user interface 8 may be operationally connected.

[86] The storage device 9 can be a cloud-based server deployed using any commonly known cloud computing platform technology, such as, for example, Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud Platform, Microsoft Azure, DigitalOcean, Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, IBM Bluemix, or Alibaba Cloud. The cloud-based server can be part of a distributed cloud network that is widely and publicly available, or Alternatively, the storage device can be limited to a single company. In some configurations, it can be managed locally, for example, as a centralized server unit. Other alternative server configurations can be achieved based on any type of client-server or peer-to-peer (P2P) architecture. Server configurations can thus involve any combination of, for example, web servers, database servers, email servers, web proxy servers, DNS servers, FTP servers, file servers, and DHCP servers, to name a few.

[87] The storage appliance 9 can be maintained by and / or configured as a cloud-based service, either integrated with or external to the cloud-based server. The connection to the cloud-based storage appliance 9 can be established using DBaaS (Database as a Service). For example, the cloud-based storage appliance 9 can be implemented as an SQL data model such as MySQL, PostgreSQL, or Oracle RDBMS. Alternatively, implementations based on NoSQL data models such as MongoDB, Amazon DynamoDB, Hadoop, or Apache Cassandra can be used. DBaaS technologies are typically included as a service on the associated cloud computing platform.

[88] Storage device 9 can be a server that has one or more drives, such as, for example, solid-state drives, or similar drives. Storage device 9 can also be a combination of a virtual server and a local hard disk.

[89] Additionally, the one or more detector devices 2 may comprise one or more detectors 10 configured to detect a distance and / or a load of a wind turbine component 11. In the present embodiment, two detectors 10 are arranged in the detector device 2 to detect a distance, which will be further described below.

[90] In addition, the one or more detectors 10 are configured to detect distance and / or load at predetermined time intervals or be triggered by events, and the detected distance and / or load can be communicated to the storage device 7 by means of the communication unit 5.

[91] By means of the wind turbine storage and / or transport system 100 according to the invention, it is possible to determine and detect the status of the wind turbine storage and / or transport equipment 1 to which it is connected and arranged. The status could be in use or not in use. This is especially relevant so that operators can determine whether the wind turbine storage and / or transport equipment is actually in use or not. When the in-use / not-in-use system 101 also comprises a positioning unit, the operator can also monitor and determine the position of the wind turbine storage and / or transport equipment 1.Additionally, due to legal requirements in many countries, it is important that owners of wind turbine storage and / or transport equipment be able to document the positions of the wind turbine storage and / or transport equipment in view of tax issues.

[92] Applying the present invention, a system 100 for storing and / or transporting wind turbines is obtained in which the use of the wind turbine storage and / or transport equipment 1 can be optimized. That is, the specific wind turbine storage and / or transport equipment 1 can be viewed so that it can be returned for reuse, and consequently, a higher utilization coefficient of the specific wind turbine storage and / or transport equipment 1 can be obtained. The investment in new wind turbine storage and / or transport equipment 1 can also be minimized accordingly.

[93] Additionally, the storage device can be configured to record data so that historical data from a specific detector device can be accessed and analyzed.

[94] According to the invention, the one or more detector devices 2 may have a positioning unit to provide a position of the one or more devices 2 ML / a / ZUZZ / UI 04!1 detectors in combination with one or more detectors 10. Different detectors can be arranged in the one or more detector devices according to the purpose and circumstances.

[95] Detectors can be an ultrasonic detector, a time-of-flight detector, an infrared detector, a proximity detector, a magnetometer detector, a load cell detector, a strain gauge, a radar detector, a lidar detector, an acceleration detector, a photodetector, or a combination thereof.

[96] Figure 2 schematically shows a first embodiment of a detector device 2. The detector device 2 comprises two ultrasonic detectors 10. The ultrasonic detectors 10 use ultrasonic sound to detect the distance to a wind turbine component 11. Essentially, the ultrasonic detector transmits an ultrasonic sound toward the wind turbine component 11, which is positioned in front of the ultrasonic detector 10. This ultrasonic sound is reflected by a face 12 of the wind turbine component and is returned and received by a microphone. Simultaneously, the ultrasonic detector 10 detects the elapsed time, and based on this time interval, the ultrasonic detector 10 can provide a distance from the ultrasonic detector 10 to the face 12 of the wind turbine component 11. This is also illustrated in Figure 3, where the distance D is shown.

[97] In the present embodiment shown in FIGURES 2 and 3, the detector device 2 detects the distance D between the detectors 10 and face 12 of the wind turbine component 11 in front of the detectors 10. This detection of a specific distance can be communicated, along with the identification and position data of the detector device 2, to the storage device. This data is then processed by the control unit, which can determine, based on the distance, whether the wind turbine storage and / or transport equipment 1 is in use and has a specific position, or whether it is not in use. This information is stored on the storage device and is accessible to the operator via the user interface.

[98] The communication unit is configured to transmit data comprising the identification of the detector device, the position of one or more detector devices, the power supply energy level, and the distance and / or load of one or more detectors at predetermined intervals or triggered by events. Depending on the application of the one or more detector devices, the predetermined intervals can be set to 4 hours, 12 hours, 24 hours, 36 hours, or even longer for some applications. In fact, other time intervals may be selected based on the application and power supply. As mentioned, the communication unit can also transmit data triggered by events.

[99] Another example of a detector is a time-of-flight detector. The time-of-flight detector works substantially the same way as the ultrasonic detector, as shown in FIGURE 3, in that it also detects a distance. However, it uses light instead of sound.

[100] Figure 4 shows another modality of a detector 10. This detector is an infrared detector or a proximity detector and works substantially the same way as the previously mentioned time-of-flight detector. The infrared detector 10 uses infrared light that is emitted toward face 12 of the wind turbine component 11, reflected by face 12, and returned to and received by the infrared detector 10. Simultaneously, the infrared detector 10 detects how much time has elapsed, and based on this time interval, the infrared detector 10 can provide a distance from the infrared detector 10 to face 12 of the wind turbine component 11.

[101] Figure 5 shows another embodiment of the detector device 2. In this embodiment, the detector device is mounted on a wind turbine storage and / or transport unit 1. The detector device 2 comprises a magnetometer detector 10. The magnetometer detector 10 is configured to detect and measure magnetism in different directions. Therefore, when a magnetic wind turbine component is placed on the wind turbine storage and / or transport unit 1, the magnetometer detector 10 detects its presence and communicates this detection to the storage unit.

[102] Figure 6 shows yet another configuration of the detector device 2. In this configuration, the detector 10 is a strain gauge or a load cell detector. The strain gauge or load cell detector is configured to detect the load of the wind turbine component 11, and data is communicated to the storage device based on this load. This data is then processed by the control unit, which can determine, based on the load, whether the wind turbine storage and / or transport equipment 1 is in use or not in use and / or has a specific position if the in-use / not-in-use system includes a positioning unit. This information is stored on the storage device and is accessible to the operator via the user interface.

[103] According to the invention, the one or more detector devices may comprise two or more detectors to provide redundancy. Additionally, a combination of detectors may be used; for example, an ultrasonic detector together with a strain gauge may be comprised in the one or more detector devices, in which embodiment both distance and charge can be detected. Other combinations of detectors are also feasible.

[104] In another embodiment, the detection device may comprise a camera (not shown) configured to take a photograph and / or video of the wind turbine storage and / or transport equipment. The camera may be configured to take a photograph and / or video at predetermined time intervals or be triggered by events. The photograph and / or video may then be processed, for example, by image recognition software to determine the presence of the wind turbine component within or on the wind turbine storage and / or transport equipment, thereby determining the status of the specific wind turbine storage and / or transport equipment. Furthermore, the operator may determine the presence of a wind turbine component by viewing the provided photograph and / or video and thereby determining whether the specific wind turbine storage and / or transport equipment is in use or not.

[105] In yet another embodiment, the one or more detecting devices may comprise a contact detector (not shown) to detect physical contact between the wind turbine storage and / or transport equipment and the wind turbine component and thereby determine the status of the specific wind turbine storage and / or transport equipment.

[106] Additionally, the one or more sensing devices may, in one embodiment, comprise a chip radio communication unit (not shown) configured to establish radio frequency communication between a component chip disposed in or with the wind turbine component and an equipment chip disposed in the wind turbine storage and / or transport equipment to detect the presence of the wind turbine component within or on the wind turbine storage and / or transport equipment and thereby determine the status of the specific wind turbine storage and / or transport equipment. The chip radio communication unit is configured to communicate with the component chip and the equipment chip at predetermined time intervals or be triggered by events.

[107] Figure 7 shows another embodiment of the system 100 for storing and / or transporting wind turbines according to the invention. This embodiment is substantially designed as described in relation to Figure 1; however, the one or more detector devices 2 of the system 101 in use / not in use comprise, in this embodiment, a radar detector 10. The radar detector 10 may be a pulsed coherent radar or a frequency-modulated continuous-wave detector, or a combination thereof. The detector device 2 is, in Figure 7, partially uncovered so that the interior of the detector device 2 is visible. During normal use, the detector device 2 is closed.

[108] The radar detector 10 can be a high-precision, low-power, pulsed short-range radar detector. The radar detector can be integrated with a radio and an antenna.

[109] The radar detector 10 may comprise a transmitter (not shown) configured to send radar pulses and a receiver (not shown) configured to receive echoes. To minimize power consumption, the radar detector 10 may be configured to turn off the transmitter between radar pulses. Therefore, the radar detector 10 may be configured to consume power only while sending the radar pulse and when receiving the echo.

[110] The distance to the wind turbine component is calculated by measuring the time from when the radar pulse is sent until the radar echo is received.

[111] Additionally, a lens 20 is arranged in connection with the radar detector 10, the lens 20 is configured to control a direction of the radar pulses so as to determine in what direction a distance should be detected.

[112] Furthermore, by incorporating the radar detector 10 into the detector device 2, no opening or openings for the detector are required in the detector device. Therefore, the detector device housing can be watertight. In addition, the robustness of the detector device can be improved since the radar detector 10 operates via radio band and can function without interference from sound, noise, dust, color, or direct or indirect light.

[113] The radar detector 10 can also be configured to detect materials, for example, by detecting materials with different dielectric constants.

[114] Figure 8 shows another embodiment of the wind turbine storage and / or transport system 100 according to the invention. The wind turbine storage and / or transport system 100 has the same components as those previously described. In this embodiment, the one or more detector devices 2 of the system 101 in use / not in use are connected to a plurality of secondary detectors 21. The secondary detectors 21 can be humidity detectors, acceleration detectors, gas detectors, temperature detectors, UV detectors, or a combination thereof. The secondary detectors 21 can be arranged in close proximity to the one or more detector devices 2 to detect different environmental properties or data and communicate them to the one or more detector devices 2, for example, by means of a Bluetooth connection or other long-range communication technologies, such as, for example, a LoRa network.In this mode, the second detector device (2) transmits additional data from the 21 secondary detectors to the storage device. This data is then processed by the control unit, and the information can be stored on the storage device and is accessible to the operator via the user interface.

[115] Additionally, the one or more detector devices may also include a temperature detector. The temperature detector may detect or measure the temperature of the one or more detector devices themselves and / or the environment. These temperatures may be communicated to the storage device along with the other data.

[116] The one or more 2 detector devices may be operable in temperatures from -40 degrees to 60 degrees Celsius.

[117] Additionally, the one or more detector devices are watertight, thus protecting them from the environment, including weather and humidity. Advantageously, the one or more detector devices are maintenance-free. Furthermore, the one or more detector devices may be made of polyurethane (PU or PUR), thermoplastic polyurethane (TBU), or acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), or a combination or mixture thereof.

[118] As mentioned above, the one or more sensing devices and the control unit can be operationally connected, meaning that data communicated from the one or more sensing devices to the storage device can be processed by the control unit. Primarily, the one or more detector devices transmit data to the storage device and, consequently, to the control unit; however, in some circumstances, the control unit can be configured to communicate data to the one or more detector devices, for example, when updating the configuration, the firmware, or due to an event-driven circumstance, etc.

[119] The positioning unit may be a global navigation satellite system (GNSS). The positioning unit may also be based on the global positioning system (GPS). The positioning unit may determine position by local identification of mobile phone network positions, or by Internet network position, or by a combination thereof.

[120] Additionally, the communication unit can be configured to communicate with a low-power, long-range (LR) wireless wide area network (LPWAN), such as NB-IoT, Sigfox, LoRa, ZigBee, Z-Wave, Wireless M-bus, Bluetooth, GPRS, GSM, 3G, 4G, 5G, nG, NFC, or similar wireless technology.

[121] In addition, the communication unit can be configured to communicate by means of a fully or partially wireless mesh network (WMN).

[122] In one modality, the communication unit comprises an operator-directed gateway and / or an open-source-directed gateway.

[123] In addition, the communication unit can be configured to function as a local gateway.

[124] The identification is a unique number or label for the specific detector device so that it can be identified in the user interface. The identification may also include information about the wind turbine storage and / or transport equipment to which it is mounted and / or connected so that it can be connected and accessed in the user interface.

[125] The detector device may also have an RFID tag or mark that allows for close identification. A barcode or similar label may be placed on the outside of the detector device to ensure proper identification.

[126] Advantageously, the power supply unit can be a battery pack incorporated into the detector device itself. The battery pack is preferably capable of keeping the detector device operational for approximately 7 years and preferably longer.

[127] In this regard, the detector device can be configured to enter an inactive mode for a predetermined time when the communication unit is unable to communicate. In this circumstance, battery life is conserved.

[128] The user interface may comprise an overview section and a mini-application section, providing as output the operating status and position of previously registered detector devices. The control unit is configured to ensure that the data on the storage device can be accessed from the user interface in a predetermined manner so that the operating status, position, and / or power supply level of the previously registered detector devices can be identified.

[129] Preferably, the user interface will be accessible via the Internet so that data received from the detector devices can be accessed from any remote location.

[130] Additionally, the user interface may include a visual map, preferably a global one, thereby providing an overview of the data from the sensor devices connected to the system. Icons may be provided on the map to symbolize the location / position of the sensor devices. Along with the position information for the wind turbine storage and / or transport equipment, the status (i.e., not in use, in use, etc.) is provided.

[131] Other functions can be provided in the user interface, for example, the option to reserve wind turbine storage and / or transport equipment for a specific time interval. In addition, historical data from the specific sensing device can be analyzed to provide information on the condition of the wind turbine storage and / or transport equipment over time.

[132] Figures 9a-9c illustrate different detection scenarios. In the modes shown, the detectors arranged in the detector device 2 are ultrasonic detectors 10 that detect the distance to a wind turbine component 11. In Figure 9a, the ultrasonic detector 10 is transmitting an ultrasonic sound toward the wind turbine component 11, which is positioned in front of the ultrasonic detector 10. This ultrasonic sound is reflected by the face 12 of the wind turbine component and is returned and received by a microphone. Simultaneously, the ultrasonic detector 10 detects the elapsed time, and based on this time interval, the ultrasonic detector 10 can provide the distance D from the ultrasonic detector 10 to the face 12 of the wind turbine component 11.In FIGURE 9b, the ultrasonic detector 10 is covered by dirt, leaves 13, snow, or similar material, and consequently, the ultrasonic sound is blocked or at least detects only a small distance. Therefore, the detector 2 cannot detect the distance to the wind turbine component 11. In FIGURE 9c, the wind turbine component is not present in the wind turbine storage and / or transport equipment 1. The ultrasonic detector 10 transmits the ultrasonic sound; however, it is not reflected by the wind turbine component or detects it at a large distance.

[133] Therefore, the control unit in FIGURES 9a9c above can be configured to determine, based on the detected distance, one of the following situations: - the one or more detectors are covered as seen in FIGURE 9b, - the wind turbine storage and / or transport equipment is in use as seen in FIGURE 9a, - the wind turbine storage and / or transport equipment is in a stacked position (not shown), - the wind turbine storage and / or transport equipment is not in use as seen in FIGURE 9c.

[134] These statuses / information are then accessible to the operator in the user interface.

[135] Depending on the application, the detector can be configured to detect a distance up to at least 100 cm with an accuracy of approximately 5 cm or less.

[136] In other modalities, the in-use / not-in-use system determines whether the wind turbine storage and / or transport equipment is in use or not in use based on one or more detector devices that detect either distance and / or load, photograph and / or video taken, physical contact and / or through radio frequency communication between component chips and equipment chips.

[137] Additionally, wind turbine storage and / or transport equipment may include a carrier, cradle, jig, or support part, each configured to support a wind turbine component during transport and / or storage. Wind turbine storage and / or transport equipment may be used to transport wind turbine components from one site to another, or within the same site.

[138] The wind energy industry involves transporting and carrying many heavy components, and the wind turbine storage and / or transport equipment used for this transport is quite expensive. By mounting and / or arranging one or more in-use / out-of-use detection devices of the wind turbine storage and / or transport system 101, according to the present invention, on each wind turbine storage and / or transport unit, the operator can monitor the status and / or position of each unit. This monitoring can be performed at predetermined time intervals, continuously, or triggered by events. Through this, operators can collect the storage and / or transport equipment for wind turbines that is free for new storage and / or transport assignments, so the wind industry can save time and especially costs compared to providing new storage and / or transport equipment for wind turbines.

[139] Figures 10 to 12 show different wind turbine storage and / or transport equipment. Figure 10 shows a transport cradle 30 for supporting and transporting, for example, a wind turbine tower. The detector device 2 is positioned in the cradle 30 facing the wind turbine component 11, which is the wind turbine tower section.

[140] FIGURE 11 shows one embodiment of a wind turbine storage and / or transport unit 31 for a wind turbine blade. The detector device 2 is arranged to detect whether the wind turbine storage and / or transport unit is in use or not in use and / or the position of the wind turbine storage and / or transport unit 31. FIGURE 12 shows another embodiment of a wind turbine storage and / or transport unit 32 for a wind turbine blade. The wind turbine storage and / or transport unit 32 also has one or more detector devices arranged on the unit.

[141] The one or more sensing devices can be configured to be mounted directly on the storage and / or transport equipment of wind turbines. The one or more sensing devices can also be integrated into, for example, a transport mat or similar support components.

[142] Additionally, one or more secondary detectors may also be mounted or arranged or integrated into a transport mat or similar support parts. In one embodiment, a UV detector is mounted or integrated into a transport mat so that the amount of UV light to which the transport mat has been exposed can be monitored, and a decision can be made as to when a specific transport mat should be replaced. The one or more secondary detectors may also be mounted or arranged on the one or more detector devices.

[143] The present invention also relates to an in-use / non-use system configured to form part of the wind turbine storage and / or transport system as described above.

[144] The present invention further relates to a method for identifying the status of a wind turbine storage and / or transport equipment in a wind turbine storage and / or transport system as described above, comprising - to have one or more detection devices for a system in use / not in use in relation to a storage and / or transport equipment for wind turbines, and - determine the presence of a wind turbine component within or on the wind turbine storage and / or transport equipment.

[145] The method may also comprise determining, based on the determined presence of the wind turbine component, whether the wind turbine storage and / or transportation equipment is in use or not in use.

[146] Additionally, the method may also comprise one or more of the following steps: - detect the position of one or more detector devices that have an identification, - communicate status, identification and / or position to a storage device at predetermined intervals or be triggered by events, store data regarding status, identification and / or position.

[147] Additionally, the method may comprise making the data available through a user interface so that the storage and / or transport equipment of wind turbines can be monitored in real time or at predetermined time intervals or triggered by events, by means of the detector device.

[148] Although the invention has been described above in relation to preferred embodiments of the invention, it will be evident to a person skilled in the art that several modifications are conceivable without departing from the invention as defined in the following claims.

Claims

1. A wind turbine storage and / or transport system comprising - a wind turbine storage and / or transport equipment, - an in-use / non-use system to be arranged in connection with the wind turbine storage and / or transport equipment, the wind turbine storage and / or transport equipment configured to support a wind turbine component, wherein the in-use / non-use system comprises one or more sensing devices configured to determine the presence of the wind turbine component within or on the wind turbine storage and / or transport equipment.

2. A wind turbine storage and / or transport system according to claim 1, wherein the one or more detector devices are configured to determine, based on the determined presence of the wind turbine component, whether the wind turbine storage and / or transport equipment is in use or not in use.

3. A wind turbine storage and / or transport system according to claim 1 and / or 2, wherein the one or more detection devices comprise a camera configured to take a photograph and / or video of the wind turbine storage and / or transport equipment, the camera being configured to take a photograph and / or video.

4. A wind turbine storage and / or transport system according to claim 1 and / or 2, wherein the one or more detection devices comprise a contact detector for detecting physical contact between the wind turbine storage and / or transport equipment and the wind turbine component.

5. A wind turbine storage and / or transport system according to claim 1 and / or 2, wherein the one or more detection devices comprise a chip radio communication unit configured to establish radio frequency communication between a component chip disposed in the wind turbine component and an equipment chip disposed in the wind turbine storage and / or transport equipment to detect the presence of the wind turbine component within or on the wind turbine storage and / or transport equipment.

6. A storage and / or transport system for wind turbines according to claim 1 and / or 2, wherein the one or more sensing devices comprise one or more detectors configured to detect a distance and / or a load of a wind turbine component.

7. A wind turbine storage and / or transport system according to any of claims 3 to 6, wherein the one or more detection devices are configured to detect the presence of the wind turbine component within or on the wind turbine storage and / or transport equipment at predetermined time intervals or are triggered by events.

8. A wind turbine storage and / or transport system according to claim 6, wherein the one or more detectors are an ultrasonic detector, a time-of-flight detector, an infrared detector, a proximity detector, a magnetometer detector, a load cell detector, a strain gauge, a radar detector, a lidar detector, an acceleration detector, a photodetector, or a combination thereof.

9. A wind turbine storage and / or transport system according to claim 8, wherein the radar detector is a pulsed coherent radar or a frequency-modulated continuous wave detector, or a combination thereof.

10. A wind turbine storage and / or transport system according to claim 8 and / or 9, wherein the radar detector comprises a transmitter configured to send radar pulses and a receiver configured to receive echoes.

11. A storage and / or transport system for wind turbines according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the one or more sensing devices further comprise a communication unit configured to communicate data.

12. A storage and / or transport system for wind turbines according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the one or more detection devices comprise a positioning unit.

13. A storage and / or transport system for wind turbines according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the one or more detection devices comprise an identification.

14. A wind turbine storage and / or transport system according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the one or more sensing devices comprise a power supply.

15. A wind turbine storage and / or transport system according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the wind turbine storage and / or transport equipment is configured to support the wind turbine component during transport and / or storage of the wind turbine component.

16. A wind turbine storage and / or transport system according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the system in use / not in use comprises a storage device configured to store data communicated from one or more sensing devices with respect to the status of the wind turbine storage and / or transport equipment and / or the position of the sensing device.

17. A system for storing and / or transporting wind turbines according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the wind turbine storage and / or transport equipment is a conveyor, cradle, template, or support part.

18. A wind turbine storage and / or transport system according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one wind turbine component is a wind turbine blade, a wind turbine blade section, a tower section, a nacelle, a drive train, or parts thereof.

19. A system in use / not in use configured to form part of the wind turbine storage and / or transport system of any of claims 1 to 18.

20. A method for identifying the status of a wind turbine storage and / or transport equipment in a wind turbine storage and / or transport system according to any of claims 1 to 18, comprising: - arranging one or more system-in-use / non-use detection devices in relation to a wind turbine storage and / or transport equipment, and - determining the presence of a wind turbine component within or on the wind turbine storage and / or transport equipment.

21. A method according to claim 20, further comprising determining, based on the determined presence of the wind turbine component, whether the wind turbine storage and / or transport equipment is in use or not in use.

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