Retrofitting a German wind farm

A major operator of a wind farm in northern Germany needed a solution for the remote control and monitoring of its wind turbines, which are older Vestas V90 models that are no longer maintained by the manufacturer.

The company collaborated with Bachmann electronic to install Bachmann’s new M100 system — the first time this technology has been deployed in the field.

A Bachmann MC212 controller module was installed in the nacelle of the wind turbine, allowing the plant operator to remotely access real-time data about the turbine’s functioning, something that was not offered by the turbine manufacturer.

Meanwhile, the M100 station was installed in the tower base of the turbine, enabling service technicians to access the wind turbine’s control unit. The system reads the service key switch and shows the remote access on the display, with the highest priority given to onsite service and transmission of information about system status.

A retrofit solution for remote control and monitoring of older Vestas V90 wind turbines gives the operator remote access to the turbine’s functions and real-time data. Image credit: Bachmann electronic.

Communication between the M100 station and the MC212 module in the nacelle takes place via a fibre-optic cable already installed for a Bachmann content management system (CMS) in combination with media converters.

Bachmann electronic and the operator have already begun to discuss the next development steps, including the creation of a prototype for the entire V90 fleet. The solution is then planned to go into series production.

The new M100 system from Bachmann electronic is now in operation for the first time at a wind farm in northern Germany. Image credit: Bachmann electronic.

Top image caption: The UIO106 input/output module plays a key role in the project. Image credit: Bachmann electronic.