Cooling arrangement for an offshore wind energy installation

A cooling arrangement for an offshore wind energy installation, having a heat-absorbing device (10) for absorbing heat generated by at least one of electronic devices and mechanical devices (11) of the offshore energy installation, and a heat-dissipating device (12) coupled with the at least one of the electronic devices and the mechanical devices (11) for dissipating the heat to the surrounding ambient water (14), wherein the heat-absorbing device (10) has a first cooling circuit (18) operated by a fluid coolant (16) which in a heat exchanger device (20) transfers absorbed heat to the heat-dissipating device (12) having an open second cooling circuit (22) operated with the ambient water (14) as the coolant, the cooling arrangement comprising:

• a first opening (24) formed in the second cooling circuit (22) of the heat-dissipating device (12) as an inlet for the ambient water (14) and a second opening (26) as an outlet for the ambient water (14) heated by the heat to be removed, wherein the ambient water (14) flows Through the first opening (24) to the heat exchanger device (20) and following absorption of heat from the heat exchanger device (20) flows back into the ambient water (14) through the second opening (26);
• a plurality of electrodes (36a, 36b, 36c, 36d, 36e, 36f) arranged on inner walls of conduits (30) of the second cooling circuit (22) and spaced apart from each other in an extension direction, each of the electrodes (36a, 36b, 36c, 36d, 36e, 36f) connected with a voltage supply device (38) for generating an alternating high voltage between at least two of the electrodes (36a, 36b, 36c, 36d, 36e, 36f), wherein three electrodes (36a, 36b, 36c) are arranged in an area of the first opening (24) and a corresponding three electrodes (36d, 36e, 36f) are arranged in an area of the second opening (26);
• and
• a pump (28, 29) arranged inside the cooling circuit (22) of the heat-dissipating device (12) for conveying the ambient water (14) through the conduits of the cooling circuit (22), wherein a conveying direction of the pump (28, 29) is reversible so that the ambient water (14) flows through the conduits in an opposite direction, wherein the ambient water (14) flows through the second opening (26) to the heat exchanger device (20) and following absorption of heat from the heat exchanger device (20) flows back into the ambient water (14) through the first opening (24).