Wind condition observation system, wind condition observation method, and program

Abstract

To perform wind observation taking into consideration the movement of structures that may affect the observation of wind conditions in the space to be observed. [Solution] In the control unit 11 of the management server 10 that constitutes the wind condition observation system, the aircraft placement unit 111 places one or more first aircraft, which are aircraft capable of flying in accordance with the movement of the structure, in the space near the structure, the flight data acquisition unit 112 acquires flight data including time series data on the flight position of each of the placed one or more first aircraft, and the wind condition calculation unit 114 calculates the wind conditions in the space near the structure based on the acquired flight data.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a wind condition observation system, a wind condition observation method, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] There is known a technique for calculating wind speed at a drone's flight position based on flight data acquired by the drone itself (for example, Patent Document 1). With this technique, wind speed is calculated based on the distance traveled by the drone, etc., contained in the flight data of the drone that flew over the location where wind speed is to be measured. There is also known a technique for forming a formation of multiple drones to observe wind conditions in a target space (for example, Patent Document 2). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6371895 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 7162800 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] If the space to be observed for wind conditions is located near a structure and at least a portion of the structure is moving, the movement of the structure may affect the wind condition observation. Therefore, it is desirable to conduct wind condition observations that take into account the influence of the movement of the structure. For example, if the structure is a wind turbine built for wind power generation, it is desirable to conduct wind condition observations that take into account the influence of changes in yaw angle, the influence of wake, and the influence of waves in floating offshore wind turbines. For these reasons, there is a demand for wind observation that takes into account the movement of structures that may affect the wind observation in the space being observed.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to enable wind observation that takes into account the movement of structures that may affect the wind observation in the space being observed. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The invention described in claim 1 is a wind condition observation system having an aircraft placement means for placing one or more first aircraft, which are aircraft capable of flying in accordance with the movement of a structure, in a space near the structure, a flight data acquisition means for acquiring flight data including time series data of the flight position of each of the one or more placed first aircraft, and a wind condition calculation means for calculating the wind conditions in the space based on the acquired flight data. The invention described in claim 2 is a wind condition observation system described in claim 1, characterized in that the aircraft placement means further places in the space a second aircraft, which is one or more aircraft capable of flying in accordance with the movement of aircraft other than the own aircraft. The invention described in claim 3 is the wind condition observation system described in claim 2, characterized in that the first and second aircraft fly in a manner to follow the structure or the aircraft other than the own aircraft depending on the state of the image of the structure captured by the own aircraft or the state of the image of the aircraft other than the own aircraft. The invention described in claim 4 is a wind condition observation system described in claim 3, characterized in that the first and second aircraft fly so as to maintain a constant distance from the structure or the aircraft other than the own aircraft depending on the amount of movement of the structure or the aircraft other than the own aircraft. The invention described in claim 5 is a wind condition observation system described in claim 2, characterized in that the wind condition calculation means calculates the wind speed as the wind condition of the space based on the movement speed of the first or second aircraft, which is calculated from the movement amount and movement time of the first or second aircraft among the flight data. The invention described in claim 6 is the wind condition observation system described in claim 2, characterized in that the aircraft placement means, when the structure is a wind turbine used for wind power generation, places one or more of the first aircraft, or a group of aircraft consisting of a combination of the first aircraft and the second aircraft, on the front and back sides of the wind turbine, respectively. The invention described in claim 7 is the wind condition observation system described in claim 6, characterized in that the aircraft placement means is arranged so that the distance between the group of aircraft placed on the front side and the wind turbine and the distance between the group of aircraft placed on the rear side and the wind turbine are approximately constant. The invention described in claim 8 is the wind condition observation system described in claim 6, characterized in that the aircraft positioning means positions the aircraft so that the vertical height of the group of aircraft positioned on the front side is approximately the same as the vertical height of the group of aircraft positioned on the rear side. The invention described in claim 9 is a wind condition observation method including the steps of placing one or more first flying bodies, which are flying bodies capable of flying in accordance with the movement of a structure, in a space near the structure; acquiring flight data including time series data on the flight position of each of the placed one or more first flying bodies; and calculating the wind conditions in the space based on the acquired flight data. The invention described in claim 10 is a program for enabling a computer to perform the following functions: placing one or more first flying bodies, which are flying bodies capable of flying in accordance with the movement of a structure, in a space near the structure; acquiring flight data including time series data on the flight position of each of the placed one or more first flying bodies; and calculating the wind conditions in the space based on the acquired flight data. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, wind observation can be performed taking into consideration the movement of structures that may affect the wind observation in the space to be observed. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of a wind observation system to which the present embodiment is applied. [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a method for calculating wind speed from time-series data of attitude control included in drone flight data. [Figure 3] 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the hardware configuration of a management server that constitutes the wind condition observation system of FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the hardware configuration of a drone that constitutes the wind condition observation system of FIG. 1. [Figure 5] 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of a control unit of the management server of FIG. 3. FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of the functional configuration of a control unit of the drone of FIG. 4. [Figure 7] 10A and 10B are flowcharts illustrating an example of a processing flow of a management server and a drone, respectively; [Figure 8] (A) and (B) are diagrams showing a specific example of a formation of multiple drones arranged in a space near a wind turbine, which is a structure. [Figure 9] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing a specific example of sensing by a vision sensor mounted on the sensing unit of a drone. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a specific example of a wake. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. <Configuration of Wind Condition Observation System 1> FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of a wind condition observation system 1 to which this embodiment is applied. 1, the wind condition observation system 1 is configured by connecting a management server 10, drones 30-1 to 30-n (n is an integer value of 1 or more), and a user terminal 50 via a network 90. ​​When there is no need to explain each of the drones 30-1 to 30-n individually, they will be collectively referred to as "drones 30."

[0010] The management server 10 is an information processing device that serves as a server that manages the entire wind condition observation system 1. The drone 30 is a small unmanned aerial vehicle that has communication functions, information processing functions, and flight functions. The user terminal 50 is an information processing device operated by a user who uses the results of wind condition observation. The network 90 is, for example, a LAN (Local Area Network), the Internet, etc.

[0011] The wind condition observation system 1 forms a formation of multiple drones 30 that can fly by following the movement of a structure or a drone 30 other than the drone itself, and places them in the space near the structure. Here, "placement" refers to hovering the formation of drones 30 in the air. Note that the number of drones 30 placed near the structure is not particularly limited, and may be one. However, in this embodiment, it is assumed that a formation of multiple drones 30 is formed and placed in the space near the structure.

[0012] The "structure" on which the formation of drones 30 is deployed is not particularly limited. It may be a structure that moves partially or entirely. For example, a wind turbine (onshore or offshore) used for wind power generation is a structure that rotates blades and is an example of a "structure" according to the present invention.

[0013] The wind condition observation system 1 acquires flight data of a formation of drones 30 arranged in the space near a structure. The flight data is data related to the flight of each of the multiple drones 30 arranged in the space near the structure, recorded by each of the drones 30. The flight data includes time-series data on the flight position of the drones 30 and time-series data on the attitude control of the drones 30 during flight. The time-series data on the flight position of the drones 30 includes, for example, data such as the distance traveled by the drones 30. Furthermore, the time-series data on the attitude control of the drones 30 during flight includes, for example, changes in the attitude angle of the drones 30.

[0014] The wind condition observation system 1 performs flight control of each of the multiple drones 30 based on the acquired flight data of each of the multiple drones 30. The flight control of each of the multiple drones 30 can be performed individually by each of the multiple drones 30, or can be performed collectively by the management server 10.

[0015] The wind condition observation system 1 calculates the wind conditions at the locations where each of the multiple drones 30 is located based on the acquired flight data of each of the multiple drones 30. The "wind conditions" calculated by the wind condition observation system 1 include information such as average wind speed, instantaneous wind speed, wind speed turbulence, wind direction, and wind direction turbulence. The calculated wind conditions are provided to the user terminal 50, so that the user can view them.

[0016] (Management Server 10) The management server 10 that constitutes the wind condition observation system 1 transmits various types of information to the drones 30, the user terminals 50, and the outside, enabling various types of processing to be performed. The management server 10 also acquires various types of information transmitted from the drones 30, the user terminals 50, and the outside, enabling various types of processing to be performed.

[0017] For example, the management server 10 forms a formation of multiple drones 30 and places them in a space near a structure. Specifically, the management server 10 generates information regarding the placement of each of the multiple drones 30 that make up the formation (hereinafter referred to as "placement information"). Then, the management server 10 generates control information for flying each of the multiple drones 30 (hereinafter referred to as "flight control information") based on the placement information. Then, the management server 10 transmits the generated flight control information to the drones 30.

[0018] Furthermore, the management server 10 acquires flight data transmitted from each of the multiple drones 30 arranged in the space near the structure. Then, the management server 10 is able to perform flight control of each of the multiple drones 30 based on the acquired flight data of each of the multiple drones 30. In this case, the management server 10 performs flight control of each of the multiple drones 30 by transmitting control information for performing flight control of each of the multiple drones 30 to each of the multiple drones 30.

[0019] Furthermore, the management server 10 calculates the wind conditions at the locations where each of the multiple drones 30 is located based on the acquired flight data of each of the multiple drones 30. The wind conditions calculated by the management server 10 include information such as wind speed (average wind speed, instantaneous wind speed), wind speed fluctuations, wind direction, and wind direction fluctuations.

[0020] For example, the management server 10 calculates the wind conditions in the space where the drone 30 is hovering (or was hovering) based on the movement speed calculated from the movement amount and movement time of the drone 30 included in the acquired flight data. Also, for example, the management server 10 calculates the wind conditions in the space where the drone 30 is hovering (or was hovering) based on time-series data of attitude control included in the acquired flight data. Furthermore, the management server 10 transmits data related to the calculated wind conditions to the user terminal 50. The configuration and processing of the management server 10 will be described in detail below.

[0021] (Drone 30) The multiple drones 30 that make up the wind condition observation system 1 form a formation based on flight control information transmitted from the management server 10 and fly in the air near the structure. The drones 30 record their own flight data and transmit it to the management server 10 at predetermined times. The "predetermined times" at which the drones 30 transmit the flight data to the management server 10 are not particularly limited. For example, if the flight data to be transmitted is intended for flight control of the drones 30 and wind condition observation, the drones 30 transmit the flight data they record sequentially to the management server 10 in real time.

[0022] Furthermore, for example, if the flight data to be transmitted is not intended for flight control of the drone 30 but for wind condition observation, the drone 30 does not need to transmit the flight data it sequentially records to the management server 10 in real time. The flight data sequentially recorded by the drone 30 may be physically collected by the user after the flight ends and transmitted from the user terminal 50 to the management server 10. In this case, the flight data may be recorded, for example, on an external storage medium detachably connected to the drone 30. Details of the configuration and processing of the drone 30 will be described later.

[0023] (User terminal 50) The user terminal 50 constituting the wind condition observation system 1 acquires data relating to wind conditions transmitted from the management server 10 and displays it on a display or the like.

[0024] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a method for calculating wind speed from time-series data of attitude control included in flight data of the drone 30. Here, a method for calculating wind speed from time-series data of drone 30's attitude control will be described with reference to Figure 2. Drone 30 flying in a space near a structure hovers while autonomously controlling its attitude while being affected by the wind flow blowing in that space. Attitude control by drone 30 is performed according to the strength of the wind blowing toward drone 30. Therefore, it is possible to calculate wind speed in the space where drone 30 is hovering based on the time-series data of attitude control included in drone 30's flight data.

[0025] That is, the drone 30 shown in FIG. 2 hovers by controlling the rotation of the propellers while being subjected to air resistance D due to the wind and gravity W against the wind flow blowing toward the drone. Here, the drone 30 shown in FIG. 2 has four propellers. In this case, the rotation speed of the four propellers of the drone 30 is ω i=1,2,3,4 Then, the following formula 1 holds:

[0026]

number

[0027] FIG. 2 shows an x-axis extending horizontally and a z-axis extending vertically. Also, although not shown, there is a y-axis (not shown) that intersects with the x-axis and z-axis and extends from the front to the rear. In FIG. 2, α is the inclination angle as the attitude angle of the drone 30, and T is the resultant force of the vertical and horizontal forces of the drone 30. In this case, when the roll angle (x-axis rotation) of the drone 30 is φ, the pitch angle (y-axis rotation) is θ, and the yaw angle (z-axis rotation) is ψ, the following equation 2 holds true:

[0028]

number

[0029] Also, in Figure 2, k T is a coefficient related to the vertical or horizontal force of the drone 30, and kD is a coefficient related to the air resistance of the drone 30. Of the following equations, Equation 3 represents the balance of horizontal forces on the drone 30, and Equation 4 represents the balance of vertical forces on the drone 30. In Equation 4, m represents the weight of the drone 30, and g represents the acceleration due to gravity. Furthermore, Equation 5 represents the relationship between the wind speed U in the space in which the drone 30 is hovering, the rotation speed ω of the drone 30's propeller, and the inclination angle α, which is the attitude angle of the drone 30.

[0030]

number

[0031]

number

[0032]

number

[0033] In this way, by using the above formulas 1 to 5, the wind speed in the space where the drone 30 is hovering can be calculated based on the time series data of attitude control included in the flight data of the drone 30.

[0034] <Hardware configuration> (Hardware configuration of management server 10) FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the management server 10 that constitutes the wind condition observation system 1 of FIG. The management server 10 has a control unit 11, a memory 12, a storage unit 13, a communication unit 14, an operation unit 15, and a display unit 16. These units are connected by a data bus, an address bus, a PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) bus, etc.

[0035] The control unit 11 is a processor that controls the functions of the management server 10 through the execution of various software such as an OS (operating system) and application software. The control unit 11 is configured, for example, by a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The memory 12 is a storage area that stores various software and data used for executing the software, and is used as a working area for calculations. The memory 12 is configured, for example, by a RAM (Random Access Memory).

[0036] The storage unit 13 is a storage area that stores input data for various software programs and output data from various software programs. The storage unit 13 is configured with, for example, a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), a semiconductor memory, etc. that are used to store programs and various setting data. The storage unit 13 is provided with a database that stores various types of information. An example of the database provided in the storage unit 13 is a database that stores flight data transmitted from the drone 30.

[0037] The communication unit 14 transmits and receives data between the drone 30, the user terminal 50, and the outside world via the network 90. ​​The operation unit 15 is composed of, for example, a keyboard, a mouse, mechanical buttons, and switches, and accepts input operations. The operation unit 15 also includes a touch sensor that forms a touch panel integrally with the display unit 16. The display unit 16 is composed of, for example, a liquid crystal display or an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display used to display information, and displays images, text data, and the like. The display unit 16 displays a user interface, etc.

[0038] (Drone 30 hardware configuration) FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the drone 30 that constitutes the wind condition observation system 1 of FIG. The drone 30 includes a control unit 31, a memory 32, a memory unit 33, a communication unit 34, an operation unit 35, and a display unit 36, which correspond to the control unit 11, memory 12, storage unit 13, communication unit 14, operation unit 15, and display unit 16, respectively, of Figure 3.

[0039] In addition to these hardware components, the drone 30 also includes a flight unit 37 including propellers and motors for rotating the propellers, and a sensing unit 38 including various sensors. The sensors included in the sensing unit 38 include, for example, an angular velocity (gyro) sensor, an acceleration sensor, a vision sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, a magnetic direction sensor, and a GPS (Global Positioning System) sensor.

[0040] Of the sensors mounted on the sensing unit 38, the vision sensor is composed of a two-dimensional vision sensor or the like that senses the data of an image of an object captured by a camera. The vision sensor of the sensing unit 38 senses, for example, the data of an image of an imaged structure or of each of the drones 30 other than the drone itself. A specific example of sensing by the vision sensor mounted on the sensing unit 38 will be described later with reference to FIG. 8.

[0041] (Hardware configuration of user terminal 50) The user terminal 50 includes a control unit, memory, storage unit, communication unit, operation unit, and display unit (not shown) that correspond to the control unit 11, memory 12, storage unit 13, communication unit 14, operation unit 15, and display unit 16 of FIG. 3, respectively.

[0042] <Functional configuration> (Functional configuration of the control unit 11 of the management server 10) FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of the functional configuration of the control unit 11 of the management server 10 of FIG. The control unit 11 of the management server 10 functions as an aircraft placement unit 111 that places a formation of multiple drones 30 in the space near the structure as aircraft placement means, and a flight data acquisition unit 112 that acquires flight data of the drones 30 as flight data acquisition means. The control unit 11 also functions as an information management unit 113 that manages various information, and a wind condition calculation unit 114 that calculates the wind conditions in the space near the structure as wind condition calculation means. The control unit 11 also functions as a transmission control unit 115 that controls the transmission of various information.

[0043] The aircraft placement unit 111 forms a formation of multiple drones 30 and places them in a space near a structure. Specifically, the aircraft placement unit 111 generates placement information and flight control information for the multiple drones 30 that make up the formation. The flight control information includes, for example, information such as the distance to be maintained between the structure and other drones 30. The flight control information generated by the aircraft placement unit 111 is transmitted to the drones 30 under the control of the transmission control unit 115. A specific example of a formation of multiple drones 30 placed in a space near a structure will be described later with reference to FIGS. 8(A) and 8(B).

[0044] The flight data acquisition unit 112 acquires flight data of the drone 30. For example, the flight data acquisition unit 112 acquires flight data transmitted from the drone 30 via the communication unit 14 (see FIG. 3). Also, for example, the flight data acquisition unit 112 acquires flight data via the communication unit 14 that is stored in an external storage medium connected to the drone 30 and transmitted via the user terminal 50.

[0045] The information management unit 113 stores and manages the acquired various pieces of information in a database in the storage unit 13 (see FIG. 3). For example, the information management unit 113 stores and manages the flight data of the drone 30 acquired by the flight data acquisition unit 112 in a database.

[0046] The wind condition calculation unit 114 calculates the wind conditions in the space near the structure based on information including at least the flight data of each of the multiple drones 30 that make up the formation, which is managed by the information management unit 113. For example, the wind condition calculation unit 114 calculates the wind conditions in the space near the structure based on time-series data of the flight positions of the drones 30 that are included in the flight data of each of the multiple drones 30 that make up the formation. Also, for example, the wind condition calculation unit 114 calculates the wind conditions in the space near the structure based on time-series data of attitude control that is included in the flight data of each of the multiple drones 30 that make up the formation.

[0047] The transmission control unit 115 controls the transmission of various information to the drone 30, the user terminal 50, and the outside via the communication unit 14. For example, the transmission control unit 115 controls the transmission of the wind conditions in the space near the structure calculated by the wind condition calculation unit 114 to the user terminal 50.

[0048] (Functional configuration of the control unit 31 of the drone 30) FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of the functional configuration of the control unit 31 of the drone 30 in FIG. The control unit 31 of the drone 30 functions as a flight control unit 311 that controls the flight of the drone 30 and a flight data acquisition unit 312 that acquires flight data of the drone 30. The control unit 31 also functions as an information management unit 313 that manages various types of information and a transmission control unit 314 that controls the transmission of various types of information.

[0049] The flight control unit 311 controls the flight unit 37 (see FIG. 4) to perform flight control of the drone 30, including attitude control of the drone 30. For example, the flight control unit 311 can perform flight control to follow the movement of a structure. Also, for example, the flight control unit 311 can perform flight control to follow the movement of drones 30 other than the drone itself among the multiple drones 30 that make up the formation.

[0050] Specifically, the flight control unit 311 is capable of performing flight control to follow the movement of the structure and the movement of the drones 30 other than the own aircraft based on the results of sensing by the vision sensor of the sensing unit 38 (see FIG. 4). Furthermore, the flight control unit 311 is capable of performing flight control of the own aircraft so that the distance to the structure or the distance to the drones 30 other than the own aircraft is kept constant based on the amount of movement of the structure and the amount of movement of the drones 30 other than the own aircraft.

[0051] The flight data acquisition unit 312 acquires flight data of the drone itself. The flight data acquired by the flight data acquisition unit 312 is used to calculate wind speeds in the management server 10. The flight data acquired by the flight data acquisition unit 312 can also be used for flight control of the drone 30.

[0052] The information management unit 313 stores and manages the flight data acquired by the flight data acquisition unit 312 in a database in the storage unit 33 (see FIG. 4). The transmission control unit 314 controls the transmission of the flight data managed by the information management unit 313 to the management server 10 via the communication unit 34 (see FIG. 4).

[0053] <Processing flow> (Processing flow of management server 10) 7A is a flowchart showing an example of the processing flow of the management server 10. FIG. 7B is a flowchart showing an example of the processing flow of the drone 30.

[0054] 7(A), the management server 10 generates deployment information for a formation of multiple drones 30 to be deployed in the space near the structure (step 701). Then, the management server 10 generates flight control information based on the generated deployment information and transmits it to the drones 30 (step 702). Then, the management server 10 proceeds to the determination process of step 703.

[0055] When flight data is transmitted from each of the multiple drones 30 that make up the formation (YES in step 703), the management server 10 acquires and manages the transmitted flight data (step 704). The management server 10 then calculates the wind conditions in the space near the structure based on the flight data of each of the multiple drones 30 it manages (step 705) and ends the process (END). At this time, the management server 10 calculates the wind conditions in the space near the structure based on time-series data on the flight position of each of the multiple drones 30, time-series data on attitude control, and the like. Information regarding the calculated wind conditions is then transmitted to the user terminal 50.

[0056] (Drone 30 processing flow) As shown in FIG. 7(B), when flight control information is transmitted from the management server 10 (YES in step 711), the drone 30 acquires the flight control information (step 712). The drone 30 then performs flight control of its own aircraft based on the acquired flight control information (step 713). As a result, a formation of multiple drones 30 is formed in the space near the structure. The drone 30 then proceeds to the determination process of step 714.

[0057] When the drone 30 acquires the flight data (YES in step 714), it stores and manages the acquired flight data in a database (step 715). On the other hand, when the drone 30 has not acquired the flight data (NO in step 714), the drone 30 repeats the determination process of step 714. Then, the drone 30 transmits the flight data to the management server 10 at a predetermined timing (step 716) and returns to the process of step 711.

[0058] <Example> Figures 8(A) and (B) are diagrams showing a specific example of a formation of multiple drones 30 arranged in a space near a wind turbine 200, which is a structure. Figure 8(A) shows the side of the wind turbine 200 as viewed from the left side in the left-right direction of the wind turbine 200. Figure 8(B) shows the top of the wind turbine 200 as viewed from the top side in the up-down direction of the wind turbine 200.

[0059] 8(A) and 8(B), nine drones 30-1 to 30-9 (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the "front-side drone group") are arranged on the front side of the wind turbine 200 in the longitudinal direction. Additionally, nine drones 30-10 to 30-18 (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the "rear-side drone group") are arranged on the rear side of the wind turbine 200 in the longitudinal direction. The drones 30-1 to 30-9 that make up the front-side drone group and the drones 30-10 to 30-18 that make up the rear-side drone group are all arranged at approximately equal intervals in the vertical and horizontal directions.

[0060] Note that drones 30-2, 30-3, 30-5, 30-6, 30-8, 30-9, 30-11, 30-12, 30-14, 30-15, 30-17, and 30-18 are not shown in FIG. 8(A). For this reason, only the reference numerals are shown in parentheses. That is, in FIG. 8(A), drones 30-2 and 30-3 are arranged in that order on the rear side of drone 30-1 (to the right in the horizontal direction of FIG. 8(B)). Furthermore, drones 30-5 and 30-6 are arranged in that order on the rear side of drone 30-4, and drones 30-8 and 30-9 are arranged in that order on the rear side of drone 30-7. Furthermore, drones 30-11 and 30-12 are arranged in that order behind drone 30-10, drones 30-14 and 30-15 are arranged in that order behind drone 30-13, and drones 30-17 and 30-18 are arranged in that order behind drone 30-16.

[0061] Furthermore, drones 30-4 to 30-9 and 30-13 to 30-18 are not shown in FIG. 8(B). For this reason, only the reference numerals are indicated in parentheses. That is, in FIG. 8(B), drones 30-4 and 30-7 are arranged in that order on the rear side of drone 30-1 (the bottom side in the vertical direction of FIG. 8(A)). Furthermore, drones 30-5 and 30-8 are arranged in that order on the rear side of drone 30-2, and drones 30-6 and 30-9 are arranged in that order on the rear side of drone 30-3. Furthermore, drones 30-13 and 30-16 are arranged in that order on the rear side of drone 30-10, and drones 30-14 and 30-17 are arranged in that order on the rear side of drone 30-11. Additionally, drones 30-15 and 30-18 are arranged in that order behind drone 30-12.

[0062] In the examples of Figures 8(A) and (B), the drones are arranged so that the distance d1 between the group of drones on the front side and the wind turbine 200 and the distance d2 between the group of drones on the rear side and the wind turbine 200 are approximately constant. Furthermore, the upper drones 30-1 to 30-3 in the group of drones on the front side and the upper drones 30-10 to 30-12 in the group of drones on the rear side are arranged so that their respective vertical heights are approximately the same. This results in the middle drones 30-4 to 30-6 in the group of drones on the front side and the middle drones 30-13 to 30-15 in the group of drones on the rear side being approximately the same vertical height. Furthermore, the lower drones 30-7 to 30-9 in the group of drones on the front side and the lower drones 30-16 to 30-18 in the group of drones on the rear side being approximately the same vertical height.

[0063] Note that the method for maintaining the formation shown in Figures 8(A) and (B) is not particularly limited. For example, the formation may be maintained by using the functions of various sensors in the sensing unit 38 (see Figure 4) provided in each of the drones 30-1 to 30-18 that make up the formation. An example of this will be described below.

[0064] 9A and 9B are diagrams showing a specific example of sensing by the vision sensor mounted on the sensing unit 38 of the drone 30. FIG. 9(A) shows a specific example of an image of the wind turbine 200 captured by the drone 30-5 shown in FIGS. 8(A) and 8(B) above. The drone 30-5 is part of the front drone group and is the drone 30 positioned in the space near the hub 220 of the wind turbine 200. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 9(A), the hub 220 can be seen near the center of the image of the wind turbine 200 captured by the drone 30-5. The drone 30-5 follows the movement of the wind turbine 200 while adjusting the positional relationship between itself and the wind turbine 200 based on flight control information provided by the management server 10 and the state of the image of the wind turbine 200 captured by itself.

[0065] FIG. 9(B) shows a specific example of an image of the wind turbine 200 captured by the drone 30-14 shown in FIGS. 8(A) and 8(B) above. The drone 30-14 is part of the rear-side drone group and is the drone 30 placed in the space near the nacelle 230 of the wind turbine 200. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 9(B), the nacelle 230 is visible in the image of the wind turbine 200 captured by the drone 30-14. The drone 30-14 follows the movement of the wind turbine 200 while adjusting the positional relationship between itself and the wind turbine 200 based on flight control information provided by the management server 10 and the state of the image of the wind turbine 200 captured by itself.

[0066] In this way, when the structure is wind turbine 200, a formation is formed in the space near wind turbine 200, with a group of drones in front of wind turbine 200 and a group of drones behind wind turbine 200 arranged on either side. It is possible to observe the wind conditions in the space near wind turbine 200 without having to equip each of drones 30-1 to 30-18 that make up the formation with a wind speed sensor or the like for observing wind conditions. In other words, the wind conditions in the space near wind turbine 200 are calculated based on time-series data of the flight positions of each of drones 30-1 to 30-18 that make up the formation, time-series data of attitude control, and the like. As a result, it is possible to grasp the wind conditions in the space near wind turbine 200 in three dimensions.

[0067] According to this embodiment, the wind conditions in the space near the wind turbine 200 can be grasped in three dimensions, making it easy to observe wind conditions that take into account wakes that occur in an area where multiple wind turbines 200 are lined up. "Wake" refers to the effect of attenuation and turbulence of the wind flowing into a wind turbine caused by the rotation of the blades of other wind turbines installed upwind of the wind turbine. The loss of power generation caused by wakes is called "waycross."

[0068] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a specific example of a wake. It is desirable to accurately predict waycrossing before constructing a wind turbine. If waycrossing is not predicted before constructing a wind turbine, there will be a discrepancy between the predicted and actual power generation, making it difficult to make accurate investment decisions. Also, by accurately predicting waycrossing, it is possible to optimize the layout of multiple wind turbines and achieve efficient wind power generation.

[0069] 10 , when wind turbines 201 to 203 are arranged in that order from upwind to downwind of the incoming wind, disturbances in wind speed due to wakes occur between wind turbines 201 and 202, and between wind turbines 202 and 203. Specifically, when the incoming wind flows into wind turbine 201, a wake is generated by the rotation of blade 211 of wind turbine 201, and the incoming wind containing the wake flows into wind turbine 202. Furthermore, when the incoming wind flows into wind turbine 202, a wake is generated by the rotation of blade 221 of wind turbine 202, and the incoming wind containing the wake flows into wind turbine 203.

[0070] Typically, wind conditions at the proposed site for wind turbine construction are observed for one year before the turbine is constructed. This makes it possible to predict the amount of power generated by wind power using the observation results. However, to improve the accuracy of wind power generation predictions, it is necessary to accurately predict the waycross, as described above. Furthermore, to verify the accuracy of wind power generation predictions, it is necessary to actually measure the wake. However, actual measurement of the wake is difficult using conventional technology.

[0071] Typical wind observations are carried out using Doppler LIDAR, which shines a laser in multiple directions at particles moving through the atmosphere and uses the Doppler effect caused by the reflection to observe wind conditions, or wind observation towers (masts). In principle, Doppler LIDAR measures the average wind speed over a certain volume by emitting a laser in a cone shape into the sky, and is not designed for pinpoint observation of the space near structures such as wind turbines. For this reason, even if you try to measure wakes using Doppler LIDAR, you cannot get accurate measurements.

[0072] Furthermore, wind observation towers can pinpoint wind conditions at the location where they are constructed. However, while wind observation towers average about 60 meters in height, the height of the blade tips of wind turbines constructed in recent years can exceed 150 meters. This makes it impossible to use the wind observation results from wind observation towers. Furthermore, wind observation towers are tall in the vertical direction and cannot be extended horizontally, making it impossible to measure wakes that spread horizontally. Furthermore, building a wind observation tower requires overcoming issues such as cost, permits, and land use. For this reason, it is unrealistic to build a wind observation tower for the purpose of measuring wakes near a wind turbine.

[0073] For this reason, in order to measure wakes accurately, it is necessary to obtain data by observing wind speeds at multiple points at pinpoint locations in the space near the wind turbine. Furthermore, the more points observed, the more accurately the wake can be measured. In contrast, the wind condition observation system 1 to which the present embodiment shown in FIG. 1 is applied makes it possible for a formation of multiple drones 30 to hover in the space near the wind turbine and observe wind conditions. This makes it possible to observe wind speeds at multiple points at pinpoint locations in the space near the wind turbine and measure wakes based on the observation data. The same applies to planned construction sites before the wind turbines are built. In other words, it is possible to observe wind speeds at multiple points at pinpoint locations in the space where the wind turbines are to be built and predict wake crossing based on the observation data.

[0074] <Other embodiments> Although the present embodiment has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. Furthermore, the effects of the present invention are not limited to those described in the above-described embodiment. For example, the overall configuration of the wind condition observation system 1 shown in FIG. 1, the hardware configurations shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, and the functional configurations shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 are merely examples for achieving the object of the present invention and are not particularly limited. In other words, it is sufficient for the wind condition observation system 1 of FIG. 1 to have the function of being able to execute the above-described processing as a whole, and the hardware configuration and functional configuration used to realize this function are not limited to the above-described examples.

[0075] 7A and 7B, the order of the steps of the management server 10 and the drone 30 is merely illustrative and is not particularly limited. The steps may not necessarily be performed in chronological order, but may be performed in parallel or individually. The specific examples shown in FIGS. 8 to 10 are also merely illustrative.

[0076] To summarize the above, the wind condition observation system 1 of the present invention only needs to have the following configuration, and can take on a variety of different embodiments. That is, the wind condition observation system 1 is a wind condition observation system having an aircraft placement unit 111 as an aircraft placement means for placing one or more first aircraft (e.g., drone 30), which is an aircraft capable of flying in accordance with the movement of a structure (e.g., wind turbine 200 in Figures 8(A) and (B)), in the space near the structure, a flight data acquisition unit 112 as a flight data acquisition means for acquiring flight data including time series data of the flight position of each of the placed one or more first aircraft, and a wind condition calculation unit 114 as a wind condition calculation means for calculating the wind conditions in the space near the structure based on the acquired flight data. This allows the first flying vehicle to follow the movement of the structure, making it possible to perform wind observations that take the movement of the structure into consideration.

[0077] Here, the aircraft placement unit 111 may be characterized by further placing a second aircraft (e.g., drone 30), which is one or more aircraft capable of flying in accordance with the movement of aircraft other than the aircraft itself, in the space near the structure. This allows the second aircraft to follow the movements of aircraft other than the aircraft itself, making it possible to perform wind observations that take into account the movements of structures.

[0078] The first and second aircraft may also be characterized in that they fly in a manner that follows a structure or an aircraft other than the aircraft itself, depending on the state of the image of the structure captured by the aircraft itself, or the state of the image of an aircraft other than the aircraft itself. This allows the state of the captured image of the structure and the state of the captured image of the aircraft other than the aircraft to be kept constant, making it possible to form a formation of aircraft that follow the movement of the structure and the movement of the aircraft other than the aircraft.

[0079] The first and second aircraft may also be characterized by flying so as to maintain a constant distance from the structure or the aircraft other than the own aircraft depending on the amount of movement of the structure or the aircraft other than the own aircraft. The first and second aircraft can control their own flight using structures or the movement of the first aircraft, which serves as the flagship aircraft.

[0080] The wind condition calculation unit 114 may also be characterized by calculating the wind speed as the wind conditions in the space near the structure based on the movement speed of the first or second aircraft, which is calculated from the movement amount and movement time of the first or second aircraft in the flight data. This makes it possible to calculate the wind speed in the space near the structure simply by calculating the flying object's movement speed, without having to mount a wind speed sensor on the flying object.

[0081] In addition, when the structure is a wind turbine used for wind power generation, the aircraft placement unit 111 may be characterized by placing one or more first aircraft, or a group of aircraft consisting of a combination of first and second aircraft, on the front and back sides of the wind turbine, respectively. This allows for accurate observation of wind conditions on both the windward and leeward sides of the wind turbine, making it easier to understand the effects of the wake.

[0082] The aircraft placement unit 111 may also be characterized by placing the aircraft so that the distance between the group of aircraft placed on the front side of the wind turbine and the wind turbine and the distance between the group of aircraft placed on the back side of the wind turbine and the wind turbine are approximately constant. This allows for accurate observation of wind conditions on both the windward and leeward sides of the wind turbine, making it easier to understand the effects of the wake.

[0083] Furthermore, the flying object placement unit 111 may be characterized by placing the flying objects so that the vertical height of the group of flying objects placed on the front side of the wind turbine is approximately the same as the vertical height of the group of flying objects placed on the back side of the wind turbine. This allows for accurate observation of wind conditions on both the windward and leeward sides of the wind turbine at each height in the vertical direction, making it easier to understand the effects of the wake.

[0084] Furthermore, the wind condition observation method of the present invention can be implemented in a variety of different forms as long as it has the following configuration. In other words, the wind condition observation method of the present invention is a wind condition observation method that includes the steps of placing one or more first flying bodies, which are flying bodies capable of flying in accordance with the movement of the structure, in a space near the structure, acquiring flight data including time series data on the flight position of each of the placed one or more first flying bodies, and calculating the wind conditions in the space based on the acquired flight data.

[0085] The program of the present invention may be configured as follows and may take various forms. In other words, the program of the present invention is a program that enables various computers operating in the wind condition observation system 1 to realize the following functions: placing one or more first flying bodies, which are flying bodies capable of flying in accordance with the movement of the structure, in a space near the structure; acquiring flight data including time series data on the flight position of each of the placed one or more first flying bodies; and calculating the wind conditions in the space based on the acquired flight data. [Explanation of symbols]

[0086] 1...wind condition observation system, 10...management server, 11...control unit, 30...drone, 31...control unit, 50...user terminal, 90...network, 111...aircraft vehicle placement unit, 112...flight data acquisition unit, 113...information management unit, 114...wind condition calculation unit, 115...transmission control unit, 200, 201, 202, 203...wind turbine, 311...flight control unit, 312...flight data acquisition unit, 313...information management unit, 314...transmission control unit

Claims

1. An aircraft placement means for placing one or more first aircraft, which are aircraft capable of flying in accordance with the movement of a wind turbine used for wind power generation, and one or more second aircraft, which are aircraft capable of flying in accordance with the movement of an aircraft other than the aircraft itself, in a space near the wind turbine; A flight data acquisition means for acquiring flight data including time series data of the flight positions of one or more of the first flying bodies and the second flying bodies; a wind condition calculation means for calculating wind conditions in a space near the wind turbine based on the acquired flight data; and The aircraft placement means One or more of the first aircraft or a group of aircraft consisting of a combination of the first aircraft and the second aircraft is arranged on the front side and the rear side of the wind turbine, respectively; The wind observation system further includes a wake measurement means for measuring wake, which is the effect of attenuation of the wind speed and turbulence of the wind flowing into the wind turbine, based on the wind conditions in the space near the wind turbine calculated based on the flight data of each of the first and second aircraft that make up the group of aircraft.

2. The system further comprises a waycross prediction means for predicting waycross, which is a loss of power generation caused by wake that may occur in the wind turbine to be constructed at the planned construction site, based on the actual measured value of the wake and the wind conditions in the space of the planned construction site calculated based on the flight data of the group of flying objects that flew in the space of the planned construction site of the wind turbine. The wind condition observation system according to claim 1 .

3. The first and second aircraft fly to follow the wind turbine or the other aircraft depending on the state of an image of the wind turbine captured by the first and second aircraft or the state of an image of the other aircraft. The wind condition observation system according to claim 1 .

4. The first and second aircraft fly so as to maintain a constant distance from the wind turbine or an aircraft other than the host aircraft in accordance with the amount of movement of the wind turbine or an aircraft other than the host aircraft. The wind condition observation system according to claim 3.

5. The wind condition observation system of claim 1, characterized in that the wind condition calculation means calculates the wind speed as the wind condition in the space near the wind turbine based on the movement speed of the first or second aircraft, which is calculated from the movement amount and movement time of the first or second aircraft in the flight data.

6. the air vehicle arrangement means arranges the air vehicles so that a distance between the group of air vehicles arranged on the front side and the wind turbine and a distance between the group of air vehicles arranged on the rear side and the wind turbine are approximately constant. The wind condition observation system according to claim 1 .

7. the flying object arrangement means arranges the flying objects so that the height in the vertical direction of the flying object group arranged on the front side is approximately the same as the height in the vertical direction of the flying object group arranged on the rear side, The wind condition observation system according to claim 1 .

8. An arrangement step of arranging one or more first flying bodies, which are flying bodies capable of flying in accordance with the movement of wind turbines used for wind power generation, and one or more second flying bodies, which are flying bodies capable of flying in accordance with the movement of flying bodies other than the own aircraft, in a space near the wind turbines; An acquisition step of acquiring flight data including time series data of the flight positions of one or more of the first aircraft and the second aircraft; a calculation step of calculating wind conditions in a space near the wind turbine based on the acquired flight data; Including, In the placing step, One or more of the first aircraft or a group of aircraft consisting of a combination of the first aircraft and the second aircraft is arranged on the front side and the rear side of the wind turbine, respectively; The wind condition observation method further includes a measurement step of measuring wake, which is the effect of attenuation of the wind speed and turbulence of the wind flowing into the wind turbine, based on the wind conditions in the space near the wind turbine calculated based on the flight data of each of the first and second aircraft that make up the group of aircraft.

9. On the computer, A function of placing one or more first aircraft that are aircraft capable of flying in accordance with the movement of a wind turbine used for wind power generation, and one or more second aircraft that are aircraft capable of flying in accordance with the movement of an aircraft other than the host aircraft, in a space near the wind turbine; A function of acquiring flight data including time series data of the flight positions of one or more of the first aircraft and the second aircraft; a function of calculating wind conditions in a space near the wind turbine based on the acquired flight data; A program for realizing the above, a function of disposing one or more of the first aircraft or a group of aircraft consisting of a combination of the first aircraft and the second aircraft on the front side and the rear side of the wind turbine, respectively; a function of measuring wake, which is the effect of attenuation of wind speed and turbulence of wind flowing into the wind turbine, based on wind conditions in the space near the wind turbine, which are calculated based on the flight data of each of the first and second air vehicles that make up the group of air vehicles; A program to further realize this.

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