Method for monitoring wind power plants

A method of acoustically monitoring a wind power installation that generates electrical power, wherein the wind power installation includes a plurality of components including at least rotor blades, the method comprising:

• detecting a first operating acoustic spectrum generated by at least one component during operation of the wind power installation at a first power output level;
• detecting a second operating acoustic spectrum generated by the component during operation of the wind power installation at a second power output level;
• comparing the first operating acoustic spectrum to a first reference acoustic spectrum;
• comparing the first operating acoustic spectrum to a second reference acoustic spectrum;
• detecting whether a deviation between the first operating acoustic spectrum and the first reference acoustic spectrum exceeds a first threshold;
• detecting whether a deviation between the second operating acoustic spectrum and the second reference acoustic spectrum exceeds a second threshold;
• communicating audible sounds which caused the deviation between the first operating acoustic spectrum and the first reference acoustic spectrum to a remote monitoring center if the deviation between the first operating acoustic spectrum and the first reference acoustic spectrum exceeds the first threshold;
• and
• communicating audible sounds which caused the deviation between the second operating acoustic spectrum and the second reference acoustic spectrum to the remote monitoring center if the deviation between the second operating acoustic spectrum and the second reference acoustic spectrum exceeds the second threshold.

A method of acoustically monitoring a wind power installation that generates electrical power, wherein the wind power installation includes a plurality of components including at least rotor blades, the method comprising:

• recording a first noise spectrum generated by at least one component during operation of the wind power installation at a first output power level;
• comparing the first noise spectrum to a first reference noise spectrum;
• detecting deviations between the first noise spectrum and the first reference noise spectrum;
• communicating the deviations to a remote monitoring center;
• and
• communicating audible sounds that caused the deviations between the first noise spectrum and the first reference noise spectrum to the remote monitoring center.