Recently, researchers from Purdue University and the Sandia National Laboratory of the Department of Energy have developed a new technology that uses sensors and computing software to continuously monitor the stress on the wind turbine blades, thereby adjusting the wind turbine to adapt to the rapidly changing wind force. Environment to improve power generation efficiency. This research is also part of the work to develop a smarter wind turbine structure.
The experiment was carried out on an experimental fan at the Agricultural Research Service Laboratory of the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Bushland, Texas. When installing the blades, engineers embedded single-axis and three-axis accelerometer sensors into the wind turbine blades. By automatically adjusting the blade pitch and issuing correct instructions to the generator, the intelligent system sensors can better control the wind turbine speed. The sensor can measure two types of acceleration, namely dynamic acceleration and static acceleration, which is essential for accurately measuring the two types of acceleration and predicting the stress on the blade; the sensor data can also be used to design more adaptable blades: The sensor can measure the acceleration generated in different directions, which is necessary to accurately characterize the curvature and twist of the blade and the small vibration near the blade tip (usually this vibration will cause fatigue and may cause damage to the blade).
The research results show that using three sets of sensors and evaluation model software, the stress on the blade can be accurately displayed. Purdue University and Sandia Laboratories have filed a provisional patent application for this technology. Further research is still in progress, and the researchers expect to use the system they developed for the next generation of wind turbine blades. Compared with the traditional blade, the new blade has a larger curvature, which brings greater challenges to the application of this technology. The researchers said that the ultimate goal is to feed sensor data back to the control system, and precisely adjust each component to optimize efficiency. This design can also improve the reliability of the wind turbine by providing critical and timely data for the control system, thereby preventing the catastrophic consequences of the wind turbine.
Post time: Jul-12-2021
