Sensor technology protects WKA rotor blades from ice and damage

Details: Released: 20.10.2021; Last updated: 16.12.2023; Hits: 6994

When operating Wind turbines Monitoring the condition of rotor blades is becoming more and more important in order to guarantee system safety and to operate them cost-effectively. The Bladecontrol system from Weidmüller captures the condition of everyone rotor blade. This allows the risk of expensive repairs to be reduced and the wind turbine to be operated more economically.

Contents

Continuous rotor blade monitoring
- Continuous monitoring for gentle operation
- New sensors for ice detection of the rotor blades
New design is based on industry standards

Continuous rotor blade monitoring

The rotor blades of a wind turbine are exposed to a variety of environmental influences. these can Damage to the rotor blade cause that are not visible from the ground such. B. Blade tip damage from lightning strikes, trailing edge cracks, web detachments or blade bearing damage. The sensitive blade control sensors from Weidmüller continuously records the condition of all rotor blades 365 days a year and already detects small changes.

Miniature connectors for safe signal transmission

When using the wind turbines sensor technology Blade control the risk of expensive repairs decreases and the profitability of the entire wind energy system increases. The condition monitoring system can, for example, detect properties such as severe trailing edge damage to the rotor blades in current 3 megawatt wind turbines - more than a year before they show up. In the event of more serious damage, the sensor system sends a signal to the systemscontrol from the wind turbine. This then stops the system immediately and can thus prevent a sheet breakage.

Continuous monitoring for gentle operation

The Accelerometeren in each rotor blade allow precise measurements. They are highly sensitive, multi-dimensional and compactly housed in one module. Bladecontrol brings the data from the rotor blades together in the hub and transmits them to the nacelle. Damage is recognized and classified according to severity. The data obtained are forwarded for further analysis. At the same time, all detected damage is transmitted to the Weidmüller Monitoring Center. Experts evaluate the data and issue specific recommendations for action for the operator.

In addition to direct damage to the rotor blade, Bladecontrol also detects loose parts in the blade and hub, aerodynamic imbalances and pitch misalignments. In this way, necessary repairs can be optimally planned and Avoid follow-up costs. Continuous monitoring enables gentle operation and forms the basis for increased yields and a longer service life.

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Users can use the online Webvis visualization tool Inform about the rotor blade and the condition of the system. An intuitively understandable traffic light logic shows the status of each rotor blade: green means normal function, yellow describes light damage and red stands for severe damage. The same applies to ice detection: green indicates that the system is free of ice, yellow indicates that there is ice, and red indicates that the system is icing up, which means that the system has stopped.

Bladecontrol has been a Ice detector and since 2013 also certified as a monitoring system for the rotor blades damage detection.

New sensors for ice detection of the rotor blades

Falling temperatures lead to longer downtimes for wind turbines in winter. They switch off automatically when ice sensors on the nacelle signal a risk of icing. Bladecontrol uses the most modern sensors for ice detection. The sensors thus allow the Measurement directly on the rotor blade.

The system measures the Degree of icing with a simple physical principle: the ice accumulation changes the natural vibration behavior of the rotor blade due to its additional weight. This reduces the frequency of the oscillation. If ice adhering to the tips of the rotor blade loosens at up to 250 km / h, it can fly up to 400 m. That is why the authorities demand that the systems be switched on from an ice thickness of 1,5 to 2 cm.

Couplings, brakes and monitoring for the wind turbine

Thanks to the highly sensitive sensors and special evaluation processes, Bladecontrol achieves a measurement resolution of the ice thickness in the mm range. There is no danger to the environment in the first place and the risk of not noticing icing or of having to take a non-iced system out of operation is almost zero. Bladecontrol also recognizes when the danger is over. In this way, the wind turbine can automatically be put back into operation at any time of the day or night. The automatic restart is officially recognized and certified by DNV.

When developing the sensors for ice detection, Weidmüller focused on making the service engineer respected. There is no need to work in narrow rotor blade areas and there is more space for de-icing systems inside the blade. Reliable ice detection in combination with rotor blade heating significantly improves the profitability of wind farms, especially in cold regions.

New design is based on industry standards

With the new design, Weidmüller is consistently relying on industry standards, making it more flexible and efficient. As an alternative to the radio connection, the integration of the Evaluation Communication Unit (ECU) can also be integrated into the hub measurement unit via the slip ring in the nacelle.

The system can be installed quickly and easily using simple fastening systems such as industrial magnets. With the switch to DIN-Rail the components are easily exchangeable. A new heating system improves the usability in cold climates.

Because in principle standard products from the Weidmüller product portfolio are used everywhere, which the intensive tests in the in-house laboratories the systems are easily scalable and open to other condition monitoring systems.

Bladecontrol is suitable for new systems in the onshore and offshore area of wind turbines and older systems can also be retrofitted without any problems. There have already been about 4300 systems installedthat run for around 16.000 years of operation.

Weidmüller is exhibiting at the SPS 2021.