METHOD FOR UPDATING SOFTWARE OR CONFIGURATION OF A COMPONENT OF A WIND FARM AS WIND FARM AND SYSTEM

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a method for updating software or a configuration of a component of a wind farm, as well as to a wind farm and a system for carrying out this method.

[0002] For wind turbines, it is necessary to update their software or configuration frequently or regularly throughout their entire lifetime or operating period. For example, wind turbines are developed for a long lifetime of 30 years, and a multitude of different components are installed in a wind farm containing multiple wind turbines. These components must be updated due to their long lifetime and the changing infrastructure during this time, for example, to meet IT security requirements. Furthermore, operational management tasks, such as bat protection or shutdown to avoid radar reflections, must be adapted to changing requirements due to changing standards, reports generated after installation, or for various other reasons.

[0003] Until now, such updates have been manually installed on-site on the wind turbine or individual components of the wind turbine. A uniform, e.g., time-coordinated, process is generally not possible, as the multitude of components requiring updates come from many different manufacturers. This requires frequent visits to each individual wind turbine to keep them up-to-date and thus meet all requirements of the overall system. On-site updates are therefore highly uneconomical.

[0004] Efforts have therefore been made to perform updates remotely. However, this presents further difficulties. For example, not every component manufacturer can be granted remote access to a wind farm to update the component they supplied. This would give a virtually uncontrollable group of people access to individual turbines or a wind farm, increasing the risk of an attack. If a manual update of components is performed centrally to limit the number of people who may have access to the wind farm, the process becomes error-prone and extremely labor- and time-consuming due to the large number of updates required.

[0005] Document EP 1 788 478 A2 discloses a method for updating software in a wind farm, wherein a network connection is established between the wind farm and a remote control center. A software update is then transmitted from the remote control center to the wind turbine. Document CN 109 683 933 A also describes a software update for a wind turbine. Furthermore, the document SVENSSON AND P KARLSSON J: "Wind Farm Control Software Structure", INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP ON TRANSMISSION NETWORKS FOR OFFSHORE WIND FARMS discloses a software structure for wind farms.

[0006] The object of the present invention is therefore to address the problems of the prior art. In particular, it is intended to enable the updating of software or the configuration of a wind turbine or wind farm at a reasonable cost without compromising IT security. In any case, an alternative to the solutions known from the prior art is to be found.

[0007] For this purpose, a method according to claim 1 is proposed.

[0008] The invention comprises a method for updating software or a configuration of at least one component of a wind farm. The component is preferably a component of at least one wind turbine arranged in the wind farm, or a component of another unit of the wind farm, such as a wind measurement mast, an energy storage device, a wind farm controller, or a wind farm control system. A component is therefore, for example, a controller for a pitch drive, a wind turbine controller, a power control system, or the like. Software comprises, for example, operating software of the component or a program that is called by operating software of a component. A configuration comprises, for example, configuration data with which operation of the component can be adapted to individual circumstances of the component.Configuration data includes, for example, parameter data related to the location of the wind turbine and defined individually for a wind farm or wind turbine. An example of such configuration data could be times that specify certain operating modes. This is required, for example, if a wind turbine or all wind turbines in a wind farm are to be shut down at certain times to ensure noise protection due to their location or proximity to residential areas.

[0009] According to the method, update files for several different components from several wind farms and a list with several entries are first provided. Each update file is assigned to exactly one component type. Multiple components, i.e. components of the same type that are, for example, distributed multiple times within a wind farm or located in several wind farms, can be updated using the update file assigned to the component type. Each entry in the list contains an assignment of a provided update file for a component type. In the next step, an update distributor checks whether the list contains an entry for a component type of a component that is located in the wind farm in which the update distributor is also located.

[0010] If an entry is present, the update file for the component is loaded into the update distribution and made available for the component. If no entry is present, the system checks again after a certain period of time to see if the list contains an entry for the component. An update file contains a piece of software or a software update file, which can also be called a software update. Alternatively, an update file contains a configuration or configuration data, for example, parameters.

[0011] This advantageously creates a central location for providing update files for a multitude of different components of the same type, in which the update files for the components are stored. However, the task of retrieving the update file for a component is transferred to an update distributor, which is contained in the wind farm and knows which components require the provided update files. The update distributor then automatically retrieves the provided update files available for the wind farm's components, without manual external intervention. New update files therefore only need to be provided centrally once, and the update distributor ensures that the provided update files are loaded and used to update the component.

[0012] Access to a wind farm from a variety of manufacturers of different components is no longer necessary, minimizing the risk of an attack on the wind farm via a data connection. Furthermore, the susceptibility to errors during updates is reduced by the automated update process.

[0013] According to a first embodiment, the provided list is loaded regularly, i.e. periodically or whenever it receives a new entry, by the update representative. The update distributor knows all components of the wind farm in which it is located. The components located in the wind farm are stored in the update distributor. If components have not yet been stored, the update distributor is preferably configured to check whether an entry exists for the component not yet stored when the component requests an update from the update distributor. According to the invention, the update distributor has a list of component types that can be installed in a wind farm. When the component is requested, it then informs the update distributor of its type, enabling the check.This allows the update distributor to check whether the list contains an entry for a component located in the wind farm.

[0014] Thanks to the regular download of the list, only a small amount of data needs to be downloaded by the update distributor compared to the amount of data corresponding to all the provided update data. The update distributor can then use the list to decide whether a larger amount of data needs to be retrieved.

[0015] According to a further embodiment, at least one of the wind farm's components periodically queries the wind farm's update distribution list to determine whether an update file for the respective component is present in the update distribution list. A periodic query here includes, for example, a query with a fixed frequency, such as daily at a specific time, weekly at a specific time, or with a variable frequency that may depend on other specifications. If an update file is present in the update distribution list, the component downloads it from the update distribution list.

[0016] The components therefore independently, preferably automatically, query the update distribution whether an update file is already available. This ensures that each component can be updated using an automatic update check already provided within the component without any modifications to the component. Furthermore, a data connection with a participant external to the wind farm is no longer necessary.

[0017] According to a further embodiment, the wind farm comprises an update agent. The update agent comprises a component list and periodically queries the update distributor to determine whether update files for the components contained in the component list are available in the update distributor. If at least one update file is available, the update file is loaded by the update agent. The update agent then updates the corresponding component with the update file.

[0018] According to this embodiment, even components in the wind farm that are not themselves configured can periodically request update files from the update distributor because, for example, they are not configured for an automatic update process or cannot communicate directly with the update distributor, yet are still always kept up to date. This is made possible by the update broker. The update broker acts on behalf of all components listed in a component list of the update broker and, on behalf of these components, queries the update distributor to determine whether an update file is available for the components contained in the component list. If this is the case, the update broker takes over the loading of the update file from the update distributor and the installation or updating of the corresponding component.An automatic update process therefore does not have to be implemented in the component itself, so that components without such an update process can also be used in the wind farm.

[0019] According to a further embodiment, the update files include metadata. The update agent extracts installation instructions from the metadata of an update file associated with a component and uses these installation instructions when updating the component with the associated update file. Therefore, each update file itself contains, in addition to a software update or a configuration update, metadata that is automatically transmitted to the update agent when the update file is loaded. The update agent can then extract the installation instructions and thus obtain precise information about how to update the component.

[0020] An update agent therefore only needs to receive an entry for a component in the component list for which the update agent is to be responsible for downloading and updating. Furthermore, the update agent does not need to be provided with additional information on how to update this component each time a new component is to be managed through it. The update agent automatically receives this information, namely the installation instructions, along with the update files for a component. Adding any component to the wind farm that is regularly updated is thus possible with minimal effort, especially without having to laboriously update an update agent yourself.

[0021] According to the invention, the update data and / or the list with multiple entries are provided by a data storage device. The data storage device is located outside the wind farm. The data storage device is preferably part of a data center. The provision of new update files and the updating of the list are thus possible without access to the wind farms themselves. Preferably, a data connection can be established between the data storage device and the update distributor, which can be referred to as an external data connection and corresponds, for example, to an internet connection.

[0022] According to a further embodiment, a new software update or configuration file of a component that has not yet been provided in the data store in the form of an update file is supplemented with metadata before provision and provided as an update file. Alternatively or additionally, the new software update or configuration file is tested and / or verified. Only then is the configuration file or software update, together with the metadata, loaded or provided as a new update file, preferably in the data store. The metadata of an update file includes, in particular, information about the component for which the update file is intended.Furthermore, the metadata alternatively or additionally includes installation instructions for the update agent, where the installation instructions include how to perform an update of the component to which the update file is associated. The list in the data store is then updated based on the information in the metadata.

[0023] In this way, a new software update or a new configuration file can be easily provided as a new update file that can be accessed by a large number of components of the same type.

[0024] At the same time, testing and / or verification ensure that the use of the update file does not result in errors or damage to the component or the infrastructure associated with the component. Furthermore, the metadata also makes it particularly easy to provide installation instructions for the update agent.

[0025] According to one embodiment, the list is provided by a computer, which can also be called a broker, which preferably does not correspond to the data storage. The computer is located outside the wind farm. A permanent or periodically established data connection exists between the computer and the update distributor. The data connection between the computer and the update distributor exists permanently or is established periodically.

[0026] Thus, there is always, or at least at regular intervals, a connection between two participants in a data network that can uniquely identify each other. Therefore, particularly suitable measures can be taken to make this connection very secure. The update distributor preferably establishes the data connection with the computer on its own initiative in order to retrieve the list from the computer. The update distributor is preferably designed in such a way that it cannot be reached from outside the wind farm, but can only establish a data connection external to the wind farm on its own initiative. A permanent connection to the computer makes it possible to communicate updated lists to the update distributor as promptly as possible, while simultaneously minimizing any security risks.

[0027] According to a further embodiment, the update distributor establishes a further data connection to the data storage for loading the update file. This further data connection is different from the data connection to the data storage. After the update file has been loaded from the data storage, the further data connection is interrupted again. In particular, a broadband data connection configured to load large amounts of data for updates is therefore regularly interrupted so that it is not vulnerable to attack or consume unnecessary bandwidth. The update distributor itself preferably establishes the further data connection on its own and is secured so that no data connection can be established to the update distributor from outside the wind farm. The update distributor is thus particularly protected against attacks on the wind farm.

[0028] According to a further embodiment, the update file comprises a software update. Alternatively, the update file comprises configuration data, which, for example, includes parameter settings. Particularly in the case where the update file comprises configuration data, measures are preferably taken at the wind farm to prevent the import of update files via an on-site interface within the wind farm.

[0029] It can be ensured, for example, that configuration data for a wind farm's components is only used for updates via the data store in the form of update files. This eliminates the possibility of incorrect parameter settings due to arbitrary on-site parameter adjustments. Furthermore, since all configuration files are stored centrally in the data store, it is possible to determine at any time exactly which configuration data is stored in which component. Due to the automatic retrieval of current or new configuration data by the update distributor and, if applicable, an update broker, all components are automatically provided with the most up-to-date configuration.Therefore, a comparison of the configuration data that was actually used for setting with the contractually required configuration data can be carried out at any time and it can be reliably determined at any time whether the contractual obligations have been fulfilled by corresponding configurations.

[0030] According to a further embodiment, at least one entry in the list additionally includes information about at least one wind farm for which the update file can be retrieved. Alternatively or additionally, at least one entry is assigned a counter that, after initialization with a predefined value, is decremented each time the update file is retrieved and stored in the list with its current value. Above a threshold value, for example, a value of 0, the update data can no longer be retrieved.

[0031] This allows an update file to be specifically deployed for specific components of a predefined number of wind farms, allowing the update file's functionality to be initially tested or verified on a reduced number of components in the field. Only after such a test has been completed is the update file deployed for all components. This enables improved verification of new update files, such as software updates or configuration updates. Errors originating from the update files therefore do not affect all wind farms simultaneously, but only a limited portion. According to a further embodiment, the update distributor reports an error when updating a component to the database and / or the computer.Thus, based on the data in the database and / or the computer, which is stored, for example, as an error log, it can always be assumed that a component is configured with the most up-to-date data, such as the most recent software updates or the most recent configuration data. If this is not the case, there must be an error in the database and / or the computer. A comparison of contractually required configuration data with actually existing configuration data, such as parameter settings, is thus reliably possible.

[0032] The invention further comprises a wind farm configured to carry out the method according to one of the preceding embodiments. The wind farm comprises a plurality of wind turbines and a plurality of components of at least one component type. The wind farm further comprises an update distributor configured to retrieve a list from a data store comprising a plurality of entries, each entry comprising a provided update file for a predefined component type. Furthermore, the update distributor is configured to check whether the list contains an entry for a component type of a component located in the wind farm in which the update distributor is located. If such an entry is present, the update distributor is configured to load an update file for the component and to provide it for the component.According to one embodiment, the wind farm comprises an update agent that includes a component list. The update agent is configured to preferably periodically query the update distributor as to whether update data for the components contained in the component list are available in the update distributor. If an update file is available, the update agent is configured to load the update file from the update distributor and update the component for which the update file was loaded.

[0033] Furthermore, the invention encompasses a system for a wind farm according to one of the aforementioned embodiments. The system comprises a data center configured to provide update files for the wind farm and a list, wherein the list comprises entries, each entry in the list comprising a provided update file for a predefined component type.

[0034] Further embodiments are illustrated in the figures, which show: Figure 1 shows a wind turbine, Figure 2 shows a wind farm, Figure 3 shows a system with a wind farm according to an embodiment, and Figure 4 shows the steps of an embodiment of the method.

[0035] Figure 1shows a schematic representation of a wind turbine according to the invention. The wind turbine 100 has a tower 102 and a nacelle 104 on the tower 102. An aerodynamic rotor 106 with three rotor blades 108 and a spinner 110 is provided on the nacelle 104. During operation of the wind turbine 100, the aerodynamic rotor 106 is set into rotation by the wind and thus also rotates an electrodynamic rotor or rotor of a wind turbine generator, which is directly or indirectly coupled to the aerodynamic rotor 106. The electric wind turbine generator is arranged in the nacelle 104 and generates electrical energy. The pitch angles of the rotor blades 108 can be changed by pitch motors at the rotor blade roots of the respective rotor blades 108.

[0036] In Figure 2A wind farm 112 is shown with, by way of example, three wind turbines 100. The wind turbines 100 can be identical or different. The wind turbines 100 are thus representative of essentially any number of wind turbines 100 in a wind farm 112. The wind turbines 100 provide their power, namely in particular the generated electricity, via an electrical farm grid 114. The currents or power generated by the individual wind turbines 100 are added together, and a transformer 116 is usually provided, which steps up the voltage in the farm and then feeds it into the supply grid 120 at the feed-in point 118, which is also generally referred to as a PCC.

[0037] Figure 2is only a simplified representation of a wind farm 112, which, for example, does not show any power control, although power control is of course present. The farm network 114 can also be designed differently, for example, by also having a transformer at the output of each wind turbine 100, to name just one other embodiment.

[0038] Figure 3shows a system 10 with a wind farm 112 comprising a plurality of wind turbines 100. Each of the wind turbines 100 has a plurality of components 12. The components 12 can be at least partially of the same type or of different types and are connected to a wind farm computer 15, which is, for example, a SCADA system, via an internal data network 14. An update distributor 16 and an update broker 18 are arranged in the wind farm computer 15. The update distributor 16 and the update broker 18 are also connected to the internal data network 14 so that they can send data to the components 12 of the wind turbines 100. The update distributor 16 and the update broker 18 are also connected to one another via the internal data network 14 and can thus exchange data.

[0039] The update distributor 16 is further connectable via an external data network 20 to a data storage device 22 and another computer 24, which are part of a data center 26. The external data network 20 has, for example, a permanent data connection 28 between the computer 24 and the update distributor 16. This permanent data connection 28 is used to transmit lists 30 from the computer 24 to the update distributor 16.

[0040] The update distributor 16 uses a received list 30 to check whether update files are available for the components 12 of the wind farm 112. If such update files are available, the update distributor 16 establishes another data connection 32 via the external data network 20 to the data storage 22 and loads the available update files 34 into a memory of the update distributor 16.

[0041] The update files 34 and the list 30 are provided in the data center 20 by, for example, a component manufacturer or a wind farm operator feeding a software update 38 or a configuration file 40 for updating a configuration into an input computer 42 of the data center 42 via an external computer 36. In the input computer 42, the software 38 or the configuration 40 is verified, tested, or at least supplemented with metadata, and then an update file containing the software update 38 and / or the configuration file 40 is provided in the data store 22.

[0042] Furthermore, an entry 44 from the metadata is transmitted to the computer 24 for updating the list 30. The computer 24 updates an existing entry in the list or adds a new entry 44 to the list. Thus, update files 34 for the components 12 are present in the update distribution 16 if they are provided in the data store 22.

[0043] The components 12 query the update distributor 16 via the internal data network 14 whether an update file 34 is available for the respective component 12 and, if available, it is downloaded by the component 12 and, in the component 12, either the software or a configuration is updated depending on the update files.

[0044] Some of the components 12 are not configured to query the update distributor 16 for a new update file 34. The update agent 18 is provided for this purpose. Instead of component 12, it queries the update distributor 16 for update files 34 available for components 12 that cannot update automatically. Such components 12 are stored in a component list 35 in the update agent 18. If an update file 34 is available, it is loaded by the update agent 18. The update agent 18 then extracts installation instructions from the metadata of the update file 34 and updates the corresponding component 12.

[0045] For a better overview, the procedure for updating software or a configuration is described in Figure 4described. In a step 50, a new software update 38 or configuration file 40 is specified to the data center 20 from an external computer 36. In a step 52, a software update 38 or a configuration file 40 is tested or verified. In addition, meta information in the form of metadata is added to the software update 38 or the configuration file 40 in order to obtain an update file 34. This update file 34 is made available in a database 22 in a step 54. The meta information makes it possible to determine for which component type the update file is suitable, and in step 56, an entry in a list is created in a computer 24 that names the component type for which the update file 34 is available. In a step 58, the list 30 with several entries 44 is downloaded from an update distributor 16 of the wind farm 112.In a step 60, a check is performed to determine which of the components 12 contained in the wind farm 112 has an update file 34 available in the data storage 22. Subsequently, in step 62, a data connection 32 is established with the data storage 22, and all update files 34 available for the components 12 of the wind farm 112 are downloaded. The update files 34 are then stored in the update distributor 16 in step 64.

[0046] In step 66, such components 12 that are configured to update themselves query the update distributor 16 as to whether an update file 34 is available for the component 12. If this is available, the update file is loaded from the corresponding component 12 in a step 68, and the software of the component 12 is updated with the software update 38 or the configuration of the component 12 is updated with the configuration file 40. Components that are not configured to update themselves are stored in a component list 35 in the update broker 18. Therefore, in a step 70, the update broker 18 periodically queries the update distributor 16 as to whether update files 34 are available for the component 12 contained in the component list 35.In step 72, available update files 34 are then loaded by the update agent 18, and in a step 74, metadata containing installation instructions is extracted from the update files. In step 76, those components 12 that cannot update themselves are then updated by the update agent 18 based on the installation instructions.

[0047] In the event that an error occurs during the automatic update in step 68 by the component 12 itself or in step 76 during the update by the update agent 18, an error is reported to the data center 20 in a step 78.

Claims

1. Method for updating a software or a configuration of a component (12) of a wind farm (112) comprising the steps of: a) providing update files (34) for a plurality of different components (12) of a plurality of wind farms (112) and a list (30) with a plurality of entries (44), wherein each update file (34) is associated with one of a plurality of different component types, and wherein each entry (44) in the list (30) denotes an association of a provided update file with one of the plurality of component types, wherein the update files (34) and the list (30) are provided by a data store (22) located outside the wind farm (112), preferably in a data center (20), b) checking, by an updating distributor (16), whether the list (30) contains an entry (44) for a component type of a component which is arranged in the wind farm (112) in which the updating distributor (16) is also arranged, the list (30) being loaded by the updating distributor (16) for this purpose and it being stored in the updating distributor (16) which components are arranged in the wind farm, and c1) if an entry (30) is present, loading the update file (34) for the component (12) into the update distributor (16) and providing the update file (16) for the component (12) in the update distributor (16), and c2) if no entry (30) is present, wait and then check again according to step b).

2. Method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the components (12) periodically queries the update distributor (16) whether an update file (34) for the respective component (12) is present in the update distributor (16) and, in the event that the update file (34) is present, the update file (34) is loaded by the component (12) from the update distributor (16).

3. Method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein an update broker (18) is provided in the selected wind farm (112) and the update broker (18) comprises a component list, wherein the update broker (18) periodically queries the update distributor (16) as to whether update files (34) for the components (12) contained in the component list are present in the update distributor (16) and, in the case that at least one update file (34) is present, the update file (34) is loaded by the update broker (18) from the update distributor (16) and the update broker (18) updates the component (12) for which the update file (34) was loaded.

4. Method according to claim 3, wherein the update files (34) comprise metadata and the update broker (18) extracts installation instructions from the metadata, wherein the installation instructions are used in the update of the component (12) by the update broker (18).

5. Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein a new software update (38) or configuration file (40) of a component type, which is not yet provided as a new update file (34), preferably in the data store (22), in particular in an input computer (42), is supplemented and / or tested and / or verified by meta information and thereupon provided as an update file (34), preferably in the data store (22), wherein the meta data in particular comprise information about the component (12) and / or installation instructions for the update broker (18), preferably in the data store (22), as an update file (34), the metadata comprising in particular information about the component (12) and / or installation instructions for the update broker (18) for which the update file (34) is intended, and the list (30) then being updated on the basis of the information in the metadata.

6. Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the list (30) is provided by a computer (24), which preferably does not correspond to the data store (22), and the computer is provided outside the wind farm (112), preferably in the data center (20), wherein a permanent or periodically established data connection (38) exists between the computer (24) and the update distributor (16).

7. Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the update distributor (16) establishes a further data connection (32) for loading the update file (34) with the data store (22), which is preferably different from the data connection (28) between the computer (24) and the update distributor (16), wherein the further data connection (32) is preferably interrupted again after the update file (34) has been loaded.

8. Method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein a) the update file (34) comprises a software update for a component type, or b) the update file (34) comprises configuration data, preferably comprising parameter settings.

9. Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one entry (44) in the list (30) additionally comprises information about at least one wind farm for which the update file (34) can be retrieved and / or at least one entry is assigned a counter which is counted down each time the update file (34) is retrieved, wherein update files (34) which have a counter threshold value, for example a value 0, can no longer be retrieved.

10. Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the update distributor (16) reports an error when updating a component (12) to the data center (20), in particular the database (22) and / or the computer (24).

11. Wind farm (112) arranged to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the wind farm comprises a plurality of wind turbines (100) and an update distributor (16) arranged to load provided update files (34) from a data center (20) and provide them to components (12) of the wind farm (112).

12. Wind farm (112) according to claim 11, comprising an update broker (18) arranged to load an update file (34) from the update distributor (16), to extract installation instructions from the update file (34) and to update a component (12) of the wind farm (112) in dependence on the update file (34) and the installation instructions.