Patent ID: 8157523

Claim:
A method for the operation of a wind energy plant ( 10 ), wherein the wind energy plant ( 10 ) has a rotor ( 11 ) with a rotor axis and at least one rotor blade ( 15 , 15 ′) arranged on the rotor ( 11 ), wherein the rotor blade ( 15 , 15 ′) is adjustable or adjusted around a rotor blade axis with a predetermined rotor blade pitch angle, comprising the steps of: providing a rotor blade adjusting motor for adjusting the at least one rotor blade and a brake device for the rotor blade adjusting motor, rotating the at least one rotor blade ( 15 , 15 ′) into an idle position, activating the brake device of the rotor blade adjusting motor so as to brake the rotation of the rotor blade ( 15 , 15 ′) when a first predetermined rotational position of the rotor blade ( 15 , 15 ′) is reached, capturing the standstill position of the rotor blade ( 15 , 15 ′) reached as a result of the braking procedure, and monitoring the brake torque of the brake device of the rotor blade adjusting motor through the captured standstill position of the rotor blade; wherein the standstill position or the brake standstill position as the actual value is compared with a predetermined brake set point.