Development of a generic wind farm SCADA system

Objective

OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT

To develop a generic wind farm SCADA system with the following advantages over systems currently available; integration of O&M into the database record, inclusion of condition monitoring in records, facility to operate with machines from any wind turbine manufacturer, user definable reporting enabling a user to produce reports with the same format for all his wind farms, common format for data recordings allowing the same data processing to be used for wind farms with different makes of machine.

TECHNICAL APPROACH

The project is being undertaken by a partnership which involves the Danish wind turbine manufacturer, BONUS, two wind farm developers, National Wind Power in the UK, and Italian Vento Power Corporation in Italy, and the wind energy consultants, Garrad Hassan.
SCADA systems are provided by wind turbine manufacturers as part of turnkey wind farm contracts. Such SCADA systems are not independent of the wind turbine manufacturer and are specific to their machines, and there is a potential difficulty in using their performance data for warranty purposes. At present only one company can offer a SCADA system which is independent of the wind turbine and of the wind turbine controller and this system does not meet all the needs of O&M operators, developers and manufacturers. A new approach is required if SCADA systems are to play a fuller part in achieving cost reduction through optimisation of machine operation and improved maintenance scheduling and it is estimated that such benefits can amount to a saving of 1 to 2% of the capital cost of a wind farm. In the present project a comprehensive product specification will lead to stages of software development, hardware development, workshop testing followed with field testing on three of the turbines in the Carno Wind Farm, Wales, which consists of 56 Bonus 600 Mk 3 turbines rated at 600 kW.

The SCADA system will be designed to conform with the MEASNET measuring standards.

EXPECTED ACHIEVEMENTS AND EXPLOITATION

The expected achievement is a generic SCADA system independent of particular wind turbine manufacturers or developers that will enhance the operation and performance of wind farms and be the basis of an industry standard acceptable for warranty of wind farm performance. There is considerable commercial interest in the new SCADA system and it is planned to market the system vigorously. On completion of the project, the system will be immediately extend to accommodate the designs of all major commercial wind turbine manufacturers.

Fields of science

• natural sciences › computer and information sciences › databases
• natural sciences › computer and information sciences › software › software development
• engineering and technology › environmental engineering › energy and fuels › renewable energy › wind power
• natural sciences › computer and information sciences › data science › data processing

Programme(s)

• FP4-NNE-JOULE C - Specific programme for research and technological development, including demonstration in the field of non-nuclear energy, 1994-1998

Topic(s)

• 03040101 - R&D on crucial technical aspects (e.g. unsteady and 3D aerodynamics, noise reduction and propagation, component loads, fatigue, condition monitoring, corrosion, interference with radio waves, lightning strike effects, etc)

Call for proposal

Data not available

Funding Scheme

CSC - Cost-sharing contracts

Coordinator

GARRAD HASSAN AND PARTNERS LTD

Address

Saint Vincent Works, Silverthorne Lane
BS2 0QD Bristol
United Kingdom

Participants (3)

Bonus Energy A/S

Denmark

Address

4,fabriksvej
7330 Brande

Italian Vento Power Corporation Service Srl

Italy

Address

52/m,via Circumvallazione
83100 Avellino (Av)

National Wind Power Ltd

United Kingdom

Address

Furlong Road
SL8 5AJ Bourne End - Buckinghamshire