Leaky Feeder Beam Steering for Wind Turbine Blade Calibration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for calibrating and inspecting wind turbine blades are inefficient and unreliable, particularly in determining length and phase information, and often require separate calibration of elongated conductors and leaky feeders.
Innovation Solution
A wind turbine system incorporating transmitting and receiving leaky feeders configured to transmit and receive electromagnetic signals, with a processing device that adapts the phase and amplitude of these signals to steer a signal beam for evaluation, allowing for simultaneous calibration and inspection of blades.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If conventional calibration methods are used with separate antennas for transmitting and receiving signals, then calibration can be performed, but the process becomes complex and requires multiple separate operations for different components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the transmitting and receiving functions into a single integrated leaky feeder system. The leaky feeder serves as both the transmission medium and the antenna array, eliminating the need for separate calibration procedures for different components. This merging of functions simplifies the overall calibration process while reducing system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The leaky feeder is designed to perform multiple functions: it serves as the transmission line, the antenna array for beam forming, and the calibration reference. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate calibration equipment and procedures, directly addressing the contradiction between calibration simplicity and system complexity.
2Measurement precision
If separate calibration of elongated conductors and leaky feeders is performed, then each component can be calibrated individually, but the overall calibration time and process complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs simultaneous calibration of the elongated conductor and leaky feeder as an integrated system. By using the leaky feeder's inherent structure as the calibration reference and performing a single unified calibration procedure, the system achieves accurate calibration of all components without requiring separate calibration steps, thereby reducing total calibration time while maintaining precision.
3Measurement precision
If the wind turbine must be stopped for calibration and inspection, then accurate measurements can be obtained, but productivity is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables calibration and inspection operations to be performed continuously while the wind turbine remains operational. The beam forming capability allows selective direction of electromagnetic signals along specific blades, enabling inspection and calibration without interrupting the turbine's power generation, thus maintaining both measurement precision and productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies beam forming technology to direct electromagnetic signals locally along specific blades of interest while the turbine continues to operate. This localized inspection approach allows accurate measurements of individual blades without requiring the entire turbine to be stopped, preserving productivity while maintaining inspection accuracy.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables efficient and accurate calibration and inspection of wind turbine blades, including determining blade position and condition, while allowing for reliable self-testing of the signal path and independent calibration of the leaky feeder path, even when the turbine is in operation.
Implementation Method 1
a leaky feeder ('radiating cable') is a cable or waveguide that is 'leaky' in that it comprises slots in an outer conductor layer, so that electromagnetic signals leak in and/or out through said slots along the entire length of the leaky feeder or parts of it
Implementation Method 2
adapting the phase and/or the amplitude of at least one of the electromagnetic signal and the further electromagnetic signal, to thereby steer (form) a signal beam that results from interference of the electromagnetic signal and the further electromagnetic signal
Implementation Method 3
a receiving leaky feeder, coupled to a receiver (unit), and configured to receive a reflection of the electromagnetic signal
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 4~5
AI summary
There is described a wind turbine (1) comprising: a tower (2); a nacelle (3), coupled to the tower (1); a wind rotor (5), which is arranged at the nacelle (3), and which comprises at least one blade (4); and an evaluation device (100), comprising: i) a transmitting leaky feeder (110), coupled to a transmitter (111), and configured to transmit an electromagnetic signal; ii) a receiving leaky feeder (120), coupled to a receiver (121), and configured to receive a reflection of the electromagnetic signal; iii) a further leaky feeder (130), coupled to a communication associated device (131, 133), and configured to transmit and/or receive a further electromagnetic signal; and iv) a processing device (150), configured to adapt the phase and/or the amplitude of at least one of the signal and the further signal, to thereby steer a signal beam (165) that results from interference of the signal and the further signal, and perform an evaluation operation based on the steering of the signal beam (165).