According to an embodiment, the one or more stress parameters are monitored at a plurality of positions being distributed along the power cable and each of the positions is associated with a location information. In embodiments, the method further comprises localizing, based on the location information, a location of that section of the power cable that requires the reduction of the stress. In an embodiment, the distance between a first position and a second position of the plurality of positions may be 15 meters, 10 meters, 1 to 3 meters or even below 1 meter. Still, longer distances, e.g., above 15 meters, are also possible.

In embodiments, the method may further comprise providing the location. The location may be GPS-data or the like. Such data may be exemplarily provided for guiding a maintenance operation unit to the location at which the failure may occur or at which the power cable is damaged, i.e., to the location at which maintenance is required.

According to an embodiment, the method further comprises detecting based on the monitored stress parameter a fatigue of the power cable and notifying about the fatigue before a failure of the power cable. In an embodiment, the fatigue may be due to the thermal stress and/or mechanical stress acting on the power cable and is indicative of an expected failure of the power cable.

According to an embodiment, the method further comprises detecting based on the monitored stress parameter that the power cable is detached from an attachment of the power cable and notifying that the power cable is detached.

The notifying may comprise a warning that the power cable is detached and/or fatigues.

In response to such warning a maintenance unit may be sent out to react onto the detachment of the power cable. It may in particular be provided with information where the power cable is detached, e.g., by GPS information, the information being obtained by the monitoring step.

According to an embodiment of the invention, a control system for controlling electrical power transported on one or more power cables of a wind park is provided. Each of the one or more power cables is configured to transport electrical power generated by one or more wind turbines comprised in the wind park. The control system is configured to perform any of the herein described methods.

The control system may for example include a processing unit and a memory, the memory storing control instructions which when executed by the processing unit of the control system, cause the control system to perform any of the methods described herein. The processing unit may for example include a digital signal processor, an application specific integrated circuit, a field programmable gate array, a microprocessor or the like. The memory may include RAM, ROM, Flash Memory, a hard disk drive and the like.

The control system may be a master or central control system.

The control system may comprise a plurality of control systems and a master control system, wherein each of the plurality of control systems may be communicatively coupled with or comprised in one of the one or more wind turbines and further communicatively coupled with the master control system. Each of the plurality of control systems and the master control system may comprise a processing unit and a memory unit. The control system may be configured to perform any of the methods described herein, wherein steps of the method may be performed distributed over the plurality of control systems and the master control system.

The master control system may for example be a control system on wind park level, e.g., a wind park server. The master control system may communicate directly or indirectly with a control system communicatively coupled with or comprised in a wind turbine.

According to an embodiment of the invention, a monitoring unit configured to monitor one or more stress parameters on a power cable, the parameters being indicative of stress acting on the power cable is provided. The power cable is comprised by one or more power cables of a wind park. Each of the one or more power cables is configured to transport electrical power generated by one or more wind turbines comprised in the wind park.

In an embodiment, the power cable may be an inter-array cable, export cable or infield cable.

In an embodiment, the power cable may comprise at least one fiber optic cable and the monitoring unit may be configured to apply an optical measuring method utilizing the at least one fiber optic cable.

Further, other features related to any of the herein described different aspects and embodiments of the invention may correspondingly be comprised by the monitoring unit configured to monitor one or more stress parameters on a power cable.

According to an embodiment of the invention, a wind park is provided. The wind park comprises one or more wind turbines being coupled to one or more power cables and the one or more power cables. Each of the one or more power cables is configured to transport electrical power generated by the one or more wind turbines. The wind park further comprises any of the herein described monitoring units.

According to an embodiment of the invention, a wind park is provided. The wind park comprises one or more wind turbines being coupled to one or more power cables and the one or more power cables. Each of the one or more power cables is configured to transport electrical power generated by the one or more wind turbines. The wind park further comprises any of the herein described control systems, wherein the control system is configured to control electrical power transported on the one or more power cables.

According to an embodiment of the invention, a computer program product (non-transitory computer readable storage medium having instructions, which when executed by a processor, perform actions) for controlling electrical power transported on one or more power cables of a wind park is provided. The wind park comprises a control system configured to control electrical power transported on the one or more power cables of a wind park. The computer program comprises control instructions which, when executed by a processing unit of the control system, cause the control system to perform any of the herein described methods. The computer program may be provided on a volatile or non-volatile storage medium or data carrier.

According to an embodiment of the invention a computer program for controlling electrical power transported on one or more power cables of a wind park is provided, wherein the computer program comprises control instructions which, when executed by a processing unit, cause the processing unit to perform any of the methods described herein. The computer program may be provided on a volatile or non-volatile storage medium or data carrier.

According to an embodiment of the invention, a method of controlling a transport parameter of a medium transported in one or more pipelines of a wind park is provided. Each of the one or more pipelines is configured to transport the medium generated from electrical power generated by one or more wind turbines comprised in the wind park. In embodiments, the method comprises for at least one pipeline of the one or more pipelines: monitoring one or more stress parameters indicative of stress acting on the pipeline to generate a monitored stress parameter, determining, based on at least the monitored stress parameter, whether a reduction of the stress on the pipeline is required, and, when the reduction is required, manipulating the transport parameter of the medium to reduce the stress acting on the pipeline.

According to an embodiment of the invention, a monitoring unit configured to monitor one or more stress parameters on a pipeline indicative of stress acting on the pipeline is provided. The pipeline is comprised by one or more pipelines of a wind park. Each of the one or more pipelines is configured to transport a medium generated from electrical power generated by one or more wind turbines comprised in the wind park.

According to both the method of controlling a transport parameter of a medium and the monitoring unit configured to monitor one or more stress parameters on a pipeline, the medium may for example be hydrogen in embodiments. Further, in embodiments, at least one fiber optic cable may be comprised in the pipeline and the monitoring unit may be configured to apply an optical measuring method utilizing the at least one fiber optic cable. Furthermore, other features related to any of the herein described different aspects and embodiments of the invention may correspondingly be comprised by both the method of controlling a transport parameter of a medium and the monitoring unit configured to monitor one or more stress parameters on a pipeline. It should be clear, that also such features may be comprised that relate to herein described embodiments and aspects that relate to the protection of power cables. Such features may be adapted, when required, so as to be transferable on the protection of pipelines.

It is to be understood that the features mentioned above and those yet to be explained below can be used not only in the respective combinations indicated, but also in other combinations or in isolation, without leaving the scope of embodiments of the present invention. In particular, the features of the different aspects and embodiments of the invention can be combined with each other unless noted to the contrary.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

Some of the embodiments will be described in detail, with references to the following Figures, wherein like designations denote like members, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic drawing illustrating a wind park configured to perform a method of controlling electrical power transported on one or more power cables of the wind park according to an embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a schematic drawing illustrating a wind turbine of the wind park according to an embodiment; and

FIG. 3 is a schematic flow diagram illustrating a method of controlling electrical power transported on one or more power cables of a wind park according to an embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following, embodiments of the invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood that the following description of the embodiments is given only for the purpose of illustration and is not to be taken in a limiting sense. It should be noted that the drawings are to be regarded as being schematic representations only, and elements in the drawings are not necessarily to scale with each other. Rather, the representation of the various elements is chosen such that their function and general purpose become apparent to a person skilled in the conventional art. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The terms “comprising,” “having,” “including,” and “containing” are to be construed as open-ended terms (i.e., meaning “including, but not limited to,”) unless otherwise noted.

It should be clear that descriptions and explanations herein which are limited to specific wind turbines may be applied to other/all wind turbines of a wind park comprising the specific wind turbines, even if such other/all wind turbines are not shown in the respective figure.

It is noted that a power cable may herein also be referred to as only ‘cable’.

It is noted that a wind turbine may herein also be referred to as only ‘turbine’.

FIG. 1 is a schematic drawing illustrating a wind park 100 configured to perform a method of controlling electrical power transported on one or more power cables 120, 130, 140 of the wind park 100 according to an embodiment. The wind park 100 shown in FIG. 1 is an offshore wind park comprising a plurality of wind turbines 101. It should be clear that the number of wind turbines 101 is not limited to the number shown in FIG. 1. A coastline 155 marks exemplarily a transition between the offshore and the onshore region. The wind turbines 101 are coupled in series of four wind turbines in a first array 110, a second array 111 and a third array 112. It should be clear that the structure of how the wind turbines are arranged and coupled is not limited to the example as shown in FIG. 1 and that embodiments of the invention may be applied on other structures according to which the wind turbines are arranged. For each of the arrays 110, 111, 112, the first and second wind turbines of the respective array are coupled to a power cable 120 having a first diameter and the third and fourth wind turbines of the same array are coupled to a power cable 130 having a second diameter. The second diameter is in the shown example greater than the first diameter. A power flow direction P indicates the direction of the flow of power generated by the wind turbines and is represented by a solid line arrow. The arrays are coupled at coupling point 135 and the power flow is provided therefrom to offshore substation 145 by power cable 140 having a third diameter. The third diameter is in the shown example greater than the diameter of the power cable 130. The power cables 120, 130, 140 may be inter-array cables. The power is provided from the offshore substation 145 via offshore converter station 146 to an onshore substation 160 by power cable 150. The power cable 150 may be an export cable. The power is fed into grid 170 from the onshore substation 160.

The wind park 100 is controlled by wind park controller 104 comprising a processing unit 104p and a memory unit 104m. The wind park controller 104 may be communicatively coupled with a central monitoring unit 108 and a data source 105. The data source 105 may be an interface to request and/or receive external data, e.g., from an external network. A weather forecast from a weather server may be a non-limiting example. Both the central monitoring unit 108 and the data source 105 may also be accessed directly or via the wind park controller 105 by each of the wind turbines 101. Further, wind park controller 104 may be communicatively coupled to each wind turbine controller 103 of the respective wind turbine 101 of the wind park 100. Each wind park controller 103 may comprise a processing unit 103p and a memory unit 103m. The wind park controller 103 may control the operation of the respective wind turbine 101. The wind turbine controller 103 may be instructed how to control the respective wind turbine