System for monitoring wind power plants

A system to acoustically monitor at least one wind power installation, wherein the wind power installation includes a plurality of components including at least a generator, drive train, electronics and rotor blades, the system comprising:

• a remote monitoring center to monitor the operation of at least one wind power installation;
• a first wind power installation including:
• a plurality of sound pick-up devices including:
• a first sound pick-up device to detect an operating acoustic spectrum generated by the rotor blades of the first wind power installation during operation of the first wind power installation, including a first operating acoustic spectrum generated by the rotor blades of the first wind power installation during operation of the first wind power installation at a first output level;
• and
• a second sound pick-up device to detect an operating acoustic spectrum generated by the drive train of the first wind power installation during operation thereof;
• circuitry to compare the first operating acoustic spectrum of the rotor blades of the first wind power installation to a first reference spectrum and to detect if a deviation between the first operating acoustic spectrum of the rotor blades of the first wind power installation and the first reference spectrum exceeds a first threshold;
• and
• communications circuitry to communicate a fault message to the remote monitoring center when the deviation between the first operating acoustic spectrum of the rotor blades of the first wind power installation and the first reference spectrum exceeds the first threshold.

A system to acoustically monitor comprising:

• a remote monitoring center to monitor the operation of at least one wind power installation;
• at least one wind power installation to generate electrical power in response to wind, wherein the wind power installation includes:
• a plurality of components including at least a generator, drive train and rotor blades;
• a plurality of sound pick-up devices including:
• a first sound pick-up device to detect an operating acoustic spectrum generated by the rotor blades of the wind power installation during operation of the wind power installation;
• a second sound pick-up device to detect an operating acoustic spectrum generated by the drive train of the wind power installation during operation thereof;
• and
• a third sound pick-up device to detect an operating acoustic spectrum generated by the generator of the wind power installation during operation thereof;
• circuitry to compare the operating acoustic spectrums of the rotor blades, drive train and generator of the wind power installation to an associated reference spectrum of the wind power installation and to detect if a deviation between the operating acoustic spectrum of the rotor blades, drive train and generator of the wind power installation and the associated reference spectrum exceeds an associated threshold;
• and
• communications circuitry to communicate a fault message to the remote monitoring center when the deviation exceeds the associated threshold.