Background: Determine the proper positioning of offshore wind turbine foundations
Technically, an offshore wind farm is a major challenge because the foundations must be very robust to withstand harsh marine conditions. This type of wind turbine is designed to withstand corrosion, storms and forces from the sea. It also has specific sensors for enhanced control of the installation. One of the first constraints is the precise positioning of a wind turbine.
One of the first constraints is the precise positioning of a wind turbine. This position is determined by a permanent GNSS (Global Satellite Navigation System) network that continuously records the information sent by the satellites of the different constellations. They make it possible to locate oneself in all points of the terrestrial surface. Using sensors, GNSS stations provide the geodetic data needed to determine a precise position for laying the foundations of wind turbines on the seabed.
Customer problem: reduce the cost of maintenance operations for its hard-to-reach GNSS stations ALLSAT GmbH specializes in GNSS positioning.
It supplied Vattenfall, the Swedish electricity producer and distributor, in November 2012 with two GNSS stations. One serves the FINO3 research platform. The other is assisting with the construction of the Dan Tysk offshore wind farm in the North Sea (operational since 2014). The stations were also used until spring 2017 for the construction of the Sandbank offshore wind farm, which is now in operation.
It was necessary to eliminate costly offshore maintenance operations due to voltage fluctuations and power outages.
GNSS reference stations consist of receivers, antennas and radio modems. These components are designed to receive GPS, GLONASS and Galileo signals in real time for precise navigation and positioning. This can only work perfectly with a DC power supply. In order to eliminate costly offshore maintenance operations due to voltage fluctuations and power outages, ALLSAT GmbH has decided to equip its GNSS reference stations with high-performance outdoor emergency power supplies.
How to answer it? Propose robust and secure equipment
To meet these constraints, a power supply operating 24 hours a day, weatherproof whatever it may be, is necessary. The outdoor products of the SLAT brand offer this type of resistance, especially the EPV640 power supplies. Robust design (IK10), this product is wind resistant thanks to a low Cx. 100% waterproof (IP66), it provides two stable output voltages of 12 V and 24 V. The lithium battery provides a long battery life, and guarantees more than 1,800 full charge / discharge cycles. This power supply can be remotely supervised through a Web / SNMP server connection, which allows ALLSAT engineers to receive real-time status information, an essential feature for overall system management. This secure power supply is particularly suitable for offshore and outdoor constraints.
Offshore wind is booming in our northern European neighbors Since the introduction of the Renewable Energies Act (EEG), the share of renewable energy in electricity consumption in Germany has increased from 6% in 2000 to 32% in 2016. According to the Federal Ministry of Economy and of Energy, it should reach between 40 and 45% by 2025. Offshore wind turbines are in strong development. By the end of 2016, they produced more than 4,100 Mega Watts (MW) on the German network. The Federal Government targets a production of 15,000 MW in 2030. HornsRev3 will provide the grid with a total capacity of 400 MW, representing the consumption of 425,000 homes. The GNSS reference stations for Dan Tysk and Sandbank operated without any incident from 2012 to 2017. Building on this positive feedback, ALLSAT made the decision to equip other large scale projects with SLAT's EPV, such as the GNSS reference station of the HornsRev3 offshore wind farm under construction on the west coast of Jutland. This project aims to significantly increase offshore wind energy production. By comparison, Dan Tysk provides 288 MW, while HornsRev3 will provide the grid with a total capacity of 400 MW, the consumption of 425,000 homes.