Structural Health Monitoring Of Wind Turbines
Condition Monitoring in the case of structural components, like foundations, blades, and towers, is termed Structural Health Monitoring. Failures of Wind Turbine Structural components can significantly affect the wind turbine operational costs and in some cases can result in a complete loss of the turbine (tower collapse).
Offshore wind turbines are particularly exposed to harsh environments (wind, wave load, stress, corrosion) and higher risk. Therefore it is essential to perform monitoring of the structural components to reduce maintenance costs and avoid catastrophic failures.
The most common sensors for Wind Turbine Structural Health Monitoring are:
- Accelerometers to perform OMA (Operational Modal Analysis).
- Strain gauges to verify design assumptions under applied loads
- Temperature sensors - especially in combination with strain gauges for temperature compensation.
- Inclinometers to monitor the stability of the tower.
- Anemometers - to monitor wind speed and direction.
- Wave radars - to monitor wave height.
Dewesoft can offer a complete SHM solution for monitoring all the necessary parameters (vibration, strain, inclination, temperature measurements) needed to assess the condition of wind turbine structural components.