Wind Turbine Blade Sensor Modules Powered by Light Beams
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Solution Overview
Problem
Wind turbine blades face vulnerability to lightning strikes due to internal electrical cables used for sensors and lightning protection systems, leading to costly repairs and electromagnetic interference issues.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of electrically powered modules within wind turbine blades that utilize light beams as an energy source, providing galvanic separation and protection against lightning currents, combined with optical fibers for data communication and power supply, allowing for reliable and compact sensor operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If internal electrical cables are used for sensors and lightning protection, then power supply and data transmission are achieved, but vulnerability to lightning strikes and electromagnetic interference increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an optical fiber as an intermediary medium to transmit power and data between the external environment and sensor modules within the blade. This optical fiber intermediary eliminates direct electrical connections, preventing lightning currents from traveling along cables to damage sensors while maintaining communication and power supply functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the electrical cable system with an optical fiber-based power transmission system. Instead of conducting electricity through metallic cables that are vulnerable to lightning, the system uses optical fibers to transmit power, substituting the electrical conduction mechanism with an optical transmission mechanism that is immune to electromagnetic interference and lightning strikes.
2Loss of information
If electrical cables run through the blade interior, then power and data transmission are enabled, but electromagnetic interference between lightning down conductor and sensor systems occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The optical fiber serves as an intermediary that transmits data and power without being affected by electromagnetic fields. This intermediary medium isolates the sensor modules from the electromagnetic environment within the blade, preventing interference between the lightning down conductor and sensor systems while maintaining reliable data transmission.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent substitutes electrical signal transmission through cables with optical signal transmission through fibers. This replacement eliminates the electromagnetic coupling that causes interference between adjacent electrical systems, allowing reliable data transmission from sensors without susceptibility to electromagnetic noise from lightning protection conductors.
3Volume of moving object
If sensor modules are made physically small to fit in blade structure, then integration into blade is achieved, but protection against lightning current becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The optical fiber intermediary provides galvanic isolation between the external environment and the compact sensor modules. This isolation mechanism protects the small sensor modules from lightning currents without requiring them to be physically large or positioned far from vulnerable areas, enabling both compact size and reliable protection.
Solution Approach 2:
By replacing electrical power and data transmission cables with optical fibers, the patent enables compact sensor module design. The optical transmission system does not conduct electricity, eliminating the need for large protective enclosures or distant positioning, thus allowing small sensor modules to be integrated directly into the blade structure with inherent lightning protection.
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
This solution ensures the reliability and protection of sensor modules from lightning effects, reduces repair costs, and enhances communication speed and redundancy, while maintaining sensor functionality and accuracy.
Implementation Method 1
power supply means converting an energy source to electrical power for the one or more modules, wherein the energy source is light beams transmitted to the power supply means in the blade structure and/or interior from an internal light source
Data Source
AI summary
A wind turbine blade includes one or more electric powered modules powered by light beams so as to provide a galvanic separation between the electric powered modules and a lightning protection system in a wind turbine blade. The modules have a power supply converting an energy source in the form of light beams to electrical power for the one or more modules. A wind turbine and a method for manufacturing a wind turbine blade are also disclosed.