Off-Axis Wind Turbine Load Sensors
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wind turbine load measurement systems require precise alignment of sensors with principal axes, leading to inaccuracies, high costs, and complex installations, as well as limited flexibility in sensor placement due to structural obstacles, which affects calibration and maintenance.
Innovation Solution
The use of off-axis load sensors, specifically three sensors positioned around the rotor blade, allows for measurement of both flap and edge components without alignment with principal axes, enabling more flexible placement and reducing the need for additional sensors, thereby improving calibration and system accuracy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If sensors are aligned with principal axes (flap and edge), then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity and installation difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the measurement system universal by enabling sensors to accurately measure load components regardless of their specific orientation. The calculation method universally handles any sensor configuration by using transformation matrices that adapt to different sensor positions and orientations, eliminating the requirement for precise alignment with principal axes while maintaining measurement accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the measurement parameters from requiring precise geometric alignment to using arbitrary sensor orientations with computational transformation. By changing from a geometry-dependent measurement approach to a computation-dependent approach, the system achieves the same measurement precision without the alignment constraints.
2Measurement precision
If sensors are precisely aligned with principal axes, then measurement accuracy is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates due to placement constraints
Solution Approach 1:
The measurement system becomes universal in handling various sensor placements. The calculation method works with sensors in any orientation or position on the blade, making the system adaptable to different installation scenarios without requiring precise alignment procedures, thereby significantly improving ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs self-adjustment through computational transformation. Instead of requiring manual alignment during installation, the system automatically compensates for any sensor misalignment through mathematical transformations, making the installation process self-correcting and much easier to perform.
3Measurement precision
If four sensors are used aligned with principal axes, then measurement precision is improved, but quantity of substance increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the functions of multiple sensors into a single sensor by using computational methods to extract both flap and edge bending moment components from one off-axis sensor. This consolidation reduces the number of physical sensors required while maintaining the ability to measure all necessary load components with the same precision.
Solution Approach 2:
A single off-axis sensor is made multi-functional through computational transformation, enabling it to provide information about both flap and edge bending moments that previously required multiple dedicated sensors. This universal measurement capability eliminates the need for multiple specialized sensors.
4Measurement precision
If sensors are aligned with principal axes, then measurement precision is improved, but adaptability deteriorates due to structural obstacles
Solution Approach 1:
The measurement system achieves universality by being adaptable to any sensor location on the blade. The calculation method handles arbitrary sensor positions and orientations, allowing sensors to be placed in locations that avoid structural obstacles like internal webs or lightning conductors while still providing accurate load measurements through computational transformation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adapts to different sensor configurations through computational transformation. Rather than requiring fixed sensor positions, the method dynamically adjusts the calculation based on the actual sensor orientation and position, enabling flexible placement around obstacles while maintaining measurement precision.
Data Source
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AI summary
A method of measuring load on a wind turbine, and a wind turbine for such load measuring, are disclosed. The wind turbine comprises at least one rotor blade and at least one load sensor associated with the rotor blade. At least one load sensor is located at a position on the rotor blade remote from both a flap bending moment axis and an edge bending moment axis of the rotor blade. At the position, a flap bending moment component and an edge bending moment component of the load on the rotor blade are measurable. A load value is measured from the load sensor, and the measured load value is used to determine a flap bending moment component of the load and an edge bending moment component of the load, and optionally or additionally an axial force component of the load.