Skip to main content
ARS Home » Plains Area » Bushland, Texas » Conservation and Production Research Laboratory » Livestock Nutrient Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #268653
Title: Characterization of a nine-meter sensor-equipped wind turbine blade using a laser measuring device

Author
item HOLMAN, ADAM - West Texas A & M University
item WHITE, JONATHAN - Sandia National Laboratory
item Neal, Byron

Submitted to: Windpower
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/25/2011
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: A wind turbine blade was measured for physical shape and sensor placement. A laser measurement system was used to create a detailed 3D model of the blade outer surface. Several sensor types were installed on the blade surface and the laser system was used to determine the exact location and orentation of the sensors. The 3D model was used to compare the 'as built' blade to the nominal designed blade. The sensor locations and orentations will be used during the analysis of the field operation of the blades during the research campaign.

Technical Abstract: A nine-meter turbine blade was prepared for an experiment to examine the movement and fatigue patterns during operation on a 115 kW turbine. The blade, equipped with surface mounted fiber optic strain gauges, foil strain gauges, single, and triple axis accelerometers was placed on a calibration fixture consisting of a 115 kW wind turbine nacelle and steel support structure. After the blade was adjusted to the proper pitch, the blade was stabilized using a brace to reduce random movement and compensate for gravity induced displacement. Using a laser tracker unit with 0.049mm volumetric accuracy at 10m, the exterior of the blade was characterized with the spherically mounted retroreflectors (SMRs). Following this, each individual sensor was pinpointed by type and placement. The data collected was then analyzed using the analyzer software and was then compared to the Computer-Aided Design (CAD) drawings for correlation of proper sensor placement. With the data from these measurements and the data collection from the blade sensors during operation, an analysis of blade movement and deteriorization of internal structures will be performed.