A method of retrieving operational data from a wind farm

Abstract

A method of retrieving operational data from a wind farm (1) via one or more data hubs (4, 6, 10) is disclosed. Operational data from at least one of the wind turbines (2) of the wind farm (1) is collected at a first data hub (4) of the wind farm (1). The first data hub (4) initiates transmission of the collected operational data towards a data recipient (11) arranged outside the wind farm (1) and receives the operational data at the data recipient (11). The first data hub (4) adds transmission information to the operational data prior to transmission of the operational data towards the data recipient (11). The added transmission information is transmitted together with the operational data, the data recipient (11) thus receives the transmission information together with the operational data, enabling the data recipient (11) to trace back the transmission history of the received operational data.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a method for retrieving operational data from a wind farm via one or more data hubs. The method according to the invention allows operational data to be transmitted (to be traced) from the wind farm to a data recipient outside the wind farm via one or more data hubs, without requiring the data recipient to contact or access the wind farm or data hubs. Background Technology

[0002] During the operation of a wind farm, data on the operation of the wind turbines is collected. Sometimes, parties located outside the wind farm need access to this operational data. These parties may include, for example, managers and / or owners of several wind farms, wind turbine manufacturers who wish to collect performance data from a large number of wind turbines, etc.

[0003] To retrieve operational data from a wind farm to a location outside the wind farm, as mentioned above, the data receiver could contact the data collector or data hub within the wind farm to request access to the data and initiate data transmission. This requires an inbound communication channel within the wind farm, which, due to potential security vulnerabilities, is increasingly discouraged by wind farms from contacting data collectors or data hubs in this manner, or the establishment of such inbound communication channels is becoming more common. Instead, data transmission may be initiated from within the wind farm.

[0004] During data transmission, data packets may sometimes be delayed, lost, or corrupted. When this happens, the data receiver may need to investigate how and where the abnormality occurred. However, in setups where the data receiver is not allowed to communicate with the data collectors or data hubs within the wind farm, it is difficult to obtain information about the data transmission.

[0005] US 2017 / 0310483 A1 discloses a method that facilitates the secure collection and management of operational data relating to a power generation system comprising one or more wind turbines. This method facilitates policy-managed access to the operational data, including policy-managed access that implements differentiated privacy. A trusted service may receive operational data from the wind turbines and additional data from a data service provider. User systems may request operational data managed by the trusted service, which is subject to explicit policies enforced by the trusted service. Summary of the Invention

[0006] One object of embodiments of the present invention is to provide a method for retrieving operational data from a wind farm, wherein inbound communication with the wind farm is avoided, while allowing the data receiver to trace the data transmission.

[0007] This invention provides a method for retrieving operational data from a wind farm via one or more data hubs, the wind farm comprising two or more wind turbines, the method comprising the following steps:

[0008] - Collect operational data from at least one of the wind turbines in the wind farm at the first data hub of the wind farm.

[0009] - The first data hub initiates the transmission of collected operational data to data receivers located outside the wind farm, and

[0010] - Receive runtime data at the data receiver.

[0011] In this process, the first data hub adds transmission information to the operational data before transmitting it to the data receiver. The added transmission information is transmitted along with the operational data, and the data receiver receives the transmission information along with the operational data, thus enabling the data receiver to trace the transmission history of the received operational data.

[0012] Therefore, this invention provides a method for retrieving operational data from a wind farm via one or more data hubs. In this document, the term "wind farm" should be interpreted as referring to multiple wind turbines located within a specific geographical area that share infrastructure such as an internal power grid, connections to an external power grid, substations, access routes, etc.

[0013] In this document, the term "operational data" should be interpreted as data collected during the operation of a wind turbine. This operational data may include, for example, the wind turbine's power generation, various sensor measurements (e.g., from load sensors, temperature sensors, vibration sensors), wind data at different locations within the wind farm (such as wind speed, wind direction, turbulence conditions, gust conditions, etc.), and / or any other suitable type of data that provides information about the wind turbine's operation.

[0014] In this document, the term "data hub" should be interpreted as a node on a data transmission path through which operational data passes as it is transmitted from the wind farm to the data receiver. A data hub can take the form of, for example, the wind turbine itself, a data collector within the wind farm, a data substation or relay station that collects data from multiple wind farms, a data analytics center, etc. Therefore, at least some of the data hubs receive operational data from a previous data hub and forward it to subsequent data hubs as part of the transmission of operational data from the wind farm to the final data receiver.

[0015] In the method according to the invention, operational data is initially collected from at least one of the wind turbines in the wind farm at a first data hub. The first data hub can simply be one of the wind turbines that collects data from itself or possibly from one or more adjacent wind turbines. Alternatively, the first data hub can be a communication substation (e.g., in the form of a SCADA server) located within the wind farm that collects data from at least some of the wind turbines. In any case, the first data hub is located within the wind farm, thus positioning itself in the enclosed or secure environment of the wind farm for communication purposes. Therefore, the first data hub can communicate with the wind turbines and possibly other units of the wind farm via the wind farm's closed communication network.

[0016] Next, the first data hub initiates the transmission of the collected operational data to data receivers located outside the wind farm. Therefore, the collected operational data is transmitted outside the safe environment of the wind farm to data receivers who need to access it. Thus, data transmission cannot occur via the wind farm's closed communication network. Data transmission is initiated by the first data hub, i.e., from within the wind farm, unless the data receiver requests operational data or otherwise contacts the first data hub or other units within the wind farm. Therefore, no inbound communication with the wind farm is required to initiate data transmission.

[0017] Finally, operational data may be received at the data receiver via one or more other data hubs. The data receiver could be, for example, a data center where data from several wind farms is accumulated and analyzed, for example, to generate statistics on the operation and performance of wind turbines. Such a data center could be operated, for example, by the wind farm manager or owner, or by the wind turbine manufacturer.

[0018] Before transmitting operational data to the data receiver, the first data hub adds transmission information to the operational data. This added transmission information is transmitted to the data receiver along with the operational data. Thus, the data receiver receives the operational data along with the transmission information added by the first data hub. In this document, the term "transmission information" should be interpreted as information relating to the transmission processing occurring at the first data hub (including the reception and forwarding of operational data at the first data hub) (e.g., in the form of the time of operational data reception, the time of (re)transmission of operational data, delay time, the number of (re)transmission attempts, etc.). Therefore, the transmission data forms direct information about how the transmission of operational data was processed or executed at the data hub where the transmission data was added, and thus provides valuable information about the portion of the transmission path or transmission chain that includes that data hub. This will be described in further detail below.

[0019] Therefore, when operational data is received, the data receiver immediately possesses information about the data transmission in the form of the transmission data received along with the operational data. This allows the data receiver to trace the transmission history of the received operational data. In particular, the data receiver will be able to investigate the cause and origin of any delays, packet loss, etc., in the operational data along the transmission chain without needing to contact any unit within the wind farm or any data hub along the transmission chain. This is due to the fact that the transmission information received by the data receiver includes information about each data hub that adds transmission information along the transmission path, relating to the transmission processing at the corresponding part of the transmission path or transmission chain. Furthermore, since the transmission information is always added by the data hubs without requiring the data receiver to request it, and since the data transmission is initiated by the first data hub, this information is readily available to the data receiver.

[0020] Operational data can be transmitted from the first data hub to the data receiver via at least one intermediate data hub, and at least one of the intermediate data hubs can add further transmission information to the operational data.

[0021] According to this embodiment, the first data hub does not directly transmit the running data to the data receiver. Instead, the first data hub transmits the running data and transmission information added by the first data hub to an intermediate data hub. The intermediate data hub then adds further transmission information to the running data, which reflects the transmission processing of the running data at the intermediate data hub and is similar to the transmission information added by the first data hub. The intermediate data hub then transmits the running data, along with the transmission information added by the first data hub and the transmission information added by the intermediate data hub, to the data receiver or a further intermediate data hub. If the intermediate data hub transmits data to a further intermediate data hub, the above process is repeated because this further intermediate data hub also adds transmission information and transmits the data to the next node in the transmission chain until the running data and all added transmission information reach the data receiver.

[0022] Therefore, when the running data arrives at the data receiver, the data receiver also receives the complete transmission history of the running data from the first data hub, through each intermediate data hub, to the data receiver. This complete transmission history includes information about the transmission processing at each step along the way (in the form of each intermediate data hub). This allows the data receiver to easily determine, based on the received information, where possible delays, packet loss, etc., occurred during the transmission process.

[0023] One or more of the intermediate data hubs may be located within the wind farm and / or one or more of the intermediate data hubs may be located outside the wind farm.

[0024] The first data hub can transmit operational data to the intermediate data hub via a dedicated communication connection, while the data receiver can receive operational data from the intermediate data hub via a global communication network.

[0025] According to this embodiment, part of the data transmission from the first data hub to the data receiver is carried out via a dedicated communication connection, while part of the data transmission is carried out via a global communication network (such as the Internet).

[0026] The advantage of dedicated communication connections is their high level of security; that is, it is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to gain unauthorized access to data transmitted via such a connection. However, its disadvantage is that data can only be transmitted to the data hub connected to the dedicated communication connection, making it difficult for external parties (such as wind turbine manufacturers) to gain access to the data. Dedicated communication connections can, for example, form part of an internal communication network (potentially wired) within a wind farm. Such an internal communication network allows wind turbines to communicate with each other, with data collectors, power plant controllers, and possibly other units within the wind farm, while preventing external access to the wind turbines.

[0027] On the other hand, communication via global communication networks (such as the Internet) allows data to be transmitted to any unit with access to such networks (though an authorization process may be required). Therefore, operational data can be easily directed to any desired data recipient, and an external but authorized party can thus easily gain access to the operational data. However, global communication networks introduce the risk of unauthorized access to data or data hubs.

[0028] A high level of security is achieved by transmitting some data via dedicated communication connections and others via a global communication network, while allowing legitimate external parties easy access to operational data. For example, operational data collected from several wind turbines within a wind farm can be transmitted via a dedicated communication connection, in the form of an internal wired communication network, to a single data hub within the wind farm. This single data hub can then transmit the operational data via the global communication network to an intermediate data hub outside the wind farm, or to the data recipient. This single data hub can be the only unit within the wind farm connected to the global communication network. This minimizes the wind farm's vulnerability to cyberattacks.

[0029] The transmission information may include information about the processing of operational data at the data hub where the transmission information is added.

[0030] This information could include, for example, information about the time when the running data is received at the data hub—that is, the point in time when the running data arrives at the data hub. By registering the reception time at each data hub in the data transmission chain, it becomes possible to determine where delays or potential packet loss may have occurred in the data transmission chain.

[0031] Alternatively or additionally, transmission information may include information about the time when data is retransmitted from the data hub, i.e., the point in time when the data hub will retransmit the data to the next data hub in the data transmission chain. Similar to the reception time, information about the retransmission time can be used to determine where possible delays or packet losses occurred in the data transmission chain. If both the reception and retransmission times are recorded, a clear picture of the packet transmission history can be easily obtained.

[0032] Alternatively or additionally, the transmission information may include information about the number of attempts to retransmit running data from a data hub (i.e., the number of times a data hub attempts to transfer running data to the next data hub in the transmission chain before achieving a successful transfer to the next data hub). Unsuccessful retransmission attempts introduce latency during data transmission. Therefore, if a large number of retransmission attempts are required at a given data hub before a successful transfer is achieved, this indicates that the data hub is causing latency, and actions can be taken to identify and, if possible, eliminate the cause of the large number of retransmission attempts.

[0033] Alternatively or additionally, the transmission information may include information about latency at the data hub, for example, the time from receiving operational data at one data hub to successfully transferring the operational data to the next data hub. This is also useful information in retrieving the transmission history of operational data, particularly in identifying the data hubs causing latency in the data transmission chain.

[0034] In any case, information about the processing of operational data at the data hub where transmission information is added provides valuable input for tracing the transmission history of operational data.

[0035] Transmission information can be added to the runtime data in the form of metadata. According to this embodiment, when the data hub adds transmission information to the runtime data, the actual runtime data remains unaffected. Instead, the transmission information is included in the form of metadata, so once the data receiver receives the transmission information, it can be easily retrieved from the data packet.

[0036] Alternatively, the transmission information can be added to the header of the runtime data. In this case, the transmission information is also separate from the runtime data because adding the transmission information does not affect the runtime data, and the transmission information can be easily obtained from the data receiver.

[0037] As an alternative, transmission information can be directly added to the runtime data.

[0038] The transmitted information may include a digital signature generated by the data hub that adds the transmitted information. This digital signature may be generated, for example, based on the runtime data.

[0039] According to this embodiment, the data hub that adds transmission information verifies the runtime data by adding a digital signature to the transmission information. This allows the data receiver to verify the correctness of the received runtime data and ensure that the runtime data has not been tampered with.

[0040] The method may also include a step where the data receiver reconstructs the transmission history of the received runtime data based on the received transmission information. This is particularly relevant when two or more data hubs add transmission information to the runtime data during transmission from the first data hub to the data receiver. By piecing together the transmission information added by each data hub, a complete picture of the entire data transmission can be obtained, thus allowing the transmission history to be reconstructed at the data receiver. Attached Figure Description

[0041] The invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0042] Figure 1 The illustration shows a wind farm generating operational data, which is retrieved according to a method based on an embodiment of the present invention.

[0043] Figure 2 The illustration shows a method for data retrieval from a wind farm according to an embodiment of the present invention, and

[0044] Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating a method according to an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0045] Figure 1The diagram illustrates a wind farm 1 comprising multiple wind turbines 2 (three are shown). The wind turbines 2 generate electricity by extracting energy from the wind, and this electricity is supplied to the power grid 3. During operation, the wind turbines also generate operational data related to their operation. This operational data may include, for example, electricity production, various sensor measurements, and meteorological data. Sensor measurements may include, for example, measurements from temperature sensors located at different locations within the wind turbine 2, measurements from load sensors (e.g., strain gauges measuring the deflection of the wind turbine blades, tower, etc.), and measurements from vibration sensors (e.g., accelerometers or gyroscopes located at relevant locations within the wind turbine 2). Meteorological data may include, for example, wind direction, wind speed, gust conditions, turbulence conditions, ambient temperature, precipitation level and type, humidity, and air density.

[0046] Operational data from wind turbines 2 is collected by a first data hub 4 located within wind farm 1. The operational data is transmitted from each wind turbine 2 to the first data hub 4 via communication connection 5. Since both the first data hub 4 and the wind turbines 2 are located within wind farm 1, the communication connection 5 can form part of a closed communication network that allows communication between units within wind farm 1 but not with units located outside wind farm 1. For example, the communication connection 5 can be a dedicated connection and / or a wired connection. The first data hub 4 can also receive operational data from sources other than wind turbines 2, such as from a meteorological mast and / or from other data hubs that collect operational data from wind turbines located in other parts of wind farm 1.

[0047] The first data hub 4 is configured to add transmission information to the operating data received from the wind turbine 2, and transmit the operating data and the added transmission information to the first intermediate data hub 6 located outside the wind farm 1 via the communication connection 7. The added transmission information relates to the transmission processing of the operating data at the first data hub 4. The transmission information may include, for example, information about the time of receipt of the operating data at the first data hub 4, the retransmission time of the operating data from the first data hub 4 to the first intermediate data hub 6, the number of attempts to retransmit the operating data before a successful retransmission, and the delay during the transmission process.

[0048] Therefore, the first data hub 4 initiates the transmission of operational data, along with added transmission information, to the outside of wind farm 1. Communication connection 7 can form part of a global communication network (such as the Internet).

[0049] The first intermediate data hub 6 also adds transmission information related to the transmission processing of operational data at the first intermediate data hub 6. Furthermore, the first intermediate data hub 6 may transmit the operational data, the transmission information added by the first data hub 4, and the transmission information added by the first intermediate data hub 6 to the data receiver (not shown) via one or more further intermediate data hubs (not shown). Transmission to the data receiver is performed via communication connection 8.

[0050] When the operational data finally reaches the data receiver, the data receiver also receives transmission information added by data hubs 4 and 6, which form the data transmission chain between wind farm 1 and the data receiver. Therefore, the data receiver easily grasps information related to the transmission processes that occurred at each point in the data hubs along the data chain, enabling the data receiver to reconstruct and trace the transmission history of the operational data.

[0051] Figure 2 The illustration depicts data retrieval from a wind farm according to an embodiment of the present invention. The wind farm may be, for example, a... Figure 1 The wind farm shown.

[0052] Operational data is generated by multiple data producers (e.g., in the form of wind turbines, weather masts, data stations, etc.), as shown in the above reference. Figure 1 The data is generated in a descriptive manner. All nine data producers are located within the wind farm.

[0053] Operational data generated by data producer 9 is collected by a first data hub 4, which is also located within the wind farm. The first data hub 4 adds transmission information to the collected operational data before transmitting the operational data to a first intermediate data hub 6 (in the form of a data center operated by the wind farm owner). The first intermediate data hub 6 may be located outside the wind farm, thus data transmission from the first data hub 4 to the first intermediate data hub 6 can constitute operational data transmission outside the wind farm.

[0054] The added transmission information is related to the transmission processing of running data at the first data hub 4, and may include information such as the receiving time of running data, the retransmission time of running data, the number of retransmission attempts, and delay information.

[0055] The first intermediate data hub 6 also adds transmission information to the operational data, and then transmits the operational data together with the transmission information added by the first data hub 4 and the first intermediate data hub 6 to the second intermediate data hub 10 (in the form of a data center operated by the wind turbine manufacturer of the wind farm).

[0056] The second intermediate data hub 10 also adds transmission information to the operational data and transmits the operational data, along with all the added transmission information, to multiple data receivers 11 that constitute the final destination of the operational data.

[0057] Therefore, data receiver 11 receives operational data via intermediate data hubs 4 and 10, but also receives information related to the transmission of operational data from the first data hub 4 to data receiver 11. This transmission information enables data receiver 11 to reconstruct the transmission history of the operational data, including identifying where and how potential delays or packet loss risks occurred. Furthermore, data receiver 11 can easily obtain the necessary information to make this possible after receiving the operational data; therefore, data receiver 11 does not need to contact units within the wind farm (including data producer 9 and the first data hub 4) to reconstruct and trace the transmission history.

[0058] Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating a method according to an embodiment of the present invention. The process begins at step 12. In step 13, at the first data hub, for example, as shown above... Figure 1 and Figure 2 The described method collects operational data related to the operation of multiple wind turbines within the wind farm. The first data hub is located within the wind farm.

[0059] In step 14, the first data hub adds transmission information to the running data. The added transmission information relates to the data transmission processing that occurs at the first data hub, and it can be referenced above. Figure 1 and Figure 2 The description method has been added.

[0060] In step 15, the first data hub initiates the transmission of operational data to the data receiver located outside the wind farm by attempting to transmit operational data and additional transmission information to the data receiver. Therefore, data transmission is initiated by the first data hub without the data receiver requesting data or otherwise contacting the data hub or other units located within the wind farm.

[0061] In step 16, the success of the transmission of the running data is investigated. If not, that is, if the transmission fails, the process proceeds to step 17, where the number of unsuccessful attempts to transmit the running data is added to the transmission information, and then the process returns to step 15 and attempts to transmit again.

[0062] If step 16 indicates successful transmission, the process proceeds to step 18, where the running data and added transmission information are received by the data receiver. Therefore, the data receiver now possesses the collected running data and the added transmission information.

[0063] Therefore, in step 19, the data receiver retrieves transmission information from the received data and reconstructs the transmission history of the running data based on the retrieved transmission information.

[0064] In step 15, the running data and transmission information can be directly transmitted to the data receiver. Alternatively, the data can be transmitted from the first data hub to the data receiver via one or more intermediate data hubs. In this case, steps 15-17 are repeated at each intermediate data hub, i.e., each intermediate data hub adds transmission information related to the transmission processing at that intermediate data hub, and transmits the running data along with all the added transmission information to the next intermediate data hub, or to the data receiver.

Claims

1. A method of retrieving operational data from a wind farm (1) via one or more data hubs (4, 6, 10), the wind farm (1) comprising two or more wind turbines (2), the method comprising the steps of: - collecting operational data from at least one of the wind turbines (2) of the wind farm (1) at a first data hub (4) of the wind farm (1), - the first data hub (4) initiating a transmission of the collected operational data towards a data recipient (11) arranged outside the wind farm (1), and - receiving the operational data at the data recipient (11), wherein the first data hub (4) adds transmission information to the operational data prior to the transmission of the operational data towards the data recipient (11), the added transmission information being transmitted together with the operational data, the data recipient (11) thus receiving the transmission information together with the operational data, thereby enabling the data recipient (11) to trace back a transmission history of the received operational data, wherein the transmission information comprises a number of attempts of the first data hub (4) to transmit the operational data before a successful transmission is obtained.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, the operational data being transmitted from the first data hub (4) to the data recipient (11) via at least one intermediate data hub (6, 10), and wherein at least one of the intermediate data hubs (6, 10) adds further transmission information to the operational data.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein, the first data hub (4) transmitting the operational data to an intermediate data hub (6, 10) via a dedicated communication connection (5), the data recipient (11) receiving the operational data from the intermediate data hub (6, 10) via a global communication network (8).

4. The method of any one of claims 1-3, wherein, the transmission information comprises information about a processing of the operational data at the data hub (4, 6, 10) where the transmission information is added.

5. The method of any one of claims 1-3, wherein, the transmission information is added to the operational data in the form of metadata.

6. The method of any one of claims 1-3, wherein, the transmission information comprises a digital signature generated by the data hub (4, 6, 10) where the transmission information is added.

7. The method according to any of the claims 1-3, further comprising the step of the data recipient (11) reconstructing a transmission history of the received operational data based on the received transmission information.

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