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System and method for detecting damage to a wind turbine blade

A technology of wind turbines and blades, which is applied in the control of wind turbines, monitoring of wind turbines, wind turbines, etc., and can solve the problems of overall efficiency reduction and other issues

Active Publication Date: 2013-11-20
VESTAS WIND SYST AS
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  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

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Problems solved by technology

The overall efficiency of extracting energy from the wind is thus reduced

Method used

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  • System and method for detecting damage to a wind turbine blade
  • System and method for detecting damage to a wind turbine blade
  • System and method for detecting damage to a wind turbine blade

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Embodiment Construction

[0061] figure 1 A wind turbine 1 is shown comprising a wind turbine tower 2 on which a wind turbine nacelle 3 is mounted. The wind turbine wheel 4 comprises three turbine blades 5 attached to a central hub 6 and is mounted on the turbine. figure 1 The wind turbines shown in may be small models suitable for domestic or light utility use, or may eg be large models such as those suitable for use in large-scale power plants on wind farms. In the second case, the diameter of the impeller may be 100 meters or more.

[0062] Each blade 5 incorporates a sensor structure 10 comprising a plurality of fluorescent optical fibers 12 each end of which is connected to a light detector mounted within the hub 6 14, such as a photodiode. A controller (not shown) is connected to the light detectors through connections such as wires or cables.

[0063] The sensor structure 10 is configured for detecting delamination in a composite material forming a wind turbine blade shell. Such as figure...

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PUM

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Abstract

A system (10) of detecting damage to a wind turbine blade (5) comprises: one or more fluorescent optical fibres (12) comprising a fluorescent material having an excitation wavelength that is selected such that the material fluoresces upon exposure to ambient radiation at the wind turbine blade (5), wherein the one or more optical fibres (12) are operatively mounted within the wind turbine blade such that upon damage to the wind turbine blade (5) at least a part of the optical fibre is exposed at the surface of the blade causing the optical fibre to fluoresce; a light detector (14) for receiving a light signal from one or from both ends of the one or more optical fibres (12) upon excitation of the fluorescent material and outputting a signal based on the light signal; and a controller coupled to the light detector to receive the signal.

Description

technical field [0001] The present invention relates to a fiber optic system and method for detecting damage to a wind turbine blade during use. The invention finds particular application in detecting delamination of composite materials forming wind turbine blade components, and in detecting wind turbine blade surface erosion or corrosion. Background technique [0002] Wind turbine blades for commercial wind turbines are typically formed from composite materials capable of withstanding the stresses and loads to which the blades are subjected during operation of the turbine. In rare cases, defects can occur within the composite material forming the wind turbine blade, and this can have an adverse effect on the mechanical integrity of the blade. Defects may appear as a result of discontinuities in the material that have been introduced during the manufacture of the blade, eg during lay-up of the fibers forming the composite material. Alternatively, in some cases defects may ...

Claims

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Application Information

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Patent Type & Authority Applications(China)
IPC IPC(8): G01M5/00F03D7/00F03D11/00G01M11/08
CPCG01M5/0016Y02E10/722G01M5/0033F03D11/0091G01M11/085G01M5/0091G01N21/6447F03D7/00F03D17/00G01M11/083G01M11/086G01N21/474G01N21/64G01N21/8806G01M11/0278Y02E10/72
Inventor L·格拉韦德I·S·奥勒森M·汉考克R·克拉文
Owner VESTAS WIND SYST AS