Embedded radar networks for damage detection in wind turbine blades: validation in a full-scale fatigue test

Simon J, Kurin T, Moll J, Bagemiel O, Wedel R, Krause S, Lurz F, Nuber A, Issakov V, Krozer V (2023)

Publication Type: Journal article, Review article

Publication year: 2023

Journal

Structural Health Monitoring-An International Journal SAGE Publications (UK and US)

DOI: 10.1177/14759217231152815

Abstract

This paper presents the design and experimental realization of a cooperative radar network for structural health monitoring (SHM) of wind turbine blades. For this purpose, 40 FMCW (frequency-modulated continuous wave) radar sensors operating from 58 to 63.5 GHz have been installed in a 31-m-long blade during manufacturing. A subset of 10 sensors is material-embedded in the core material of the blade, and the remaining thirty sensors are placed inside the blade on an inner rotor blade surface. The sensors are distributed over the entire blade based on previous high-frequency electromagnetic simulations. A full-scale fatigue test has been performed under controlled laboratory conditions. In addition, holes have been drilled into the blade by hand to represent a well-defined and relatively small damage. During the experimental campaign, measurements from the complete radar network have been transferred to a base station through a wireless communication link. Finally, it was demonstrated that fatigue as well as artificial damage could be detected accurately using the proposed damage indicator (DI) approach.

Authors with CRIS profile

Thomas Kurin Lehrstuhl für Technische Elektronik (LTE) Fabian Lurz Lehrstuhl für Technische Elektronik (LTE)

Involved external institutions

Fraunhofer-Institut für Windenergiesysteme (IWES) / Fraunhofer Institute for Wind Energy Systems DE Germany (DE) Infineon Technologies AG DE Germany (DE) Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main DE Germany (DE) Wölfel Engineering GmbH + Co. KG DE Germany (DE)

How to cite

APA:

Simon, J., Kurin, T., Moll, J., Bagemiel, O., Wedel, R., Krause, S.,... Krozer, V. (2023). Embedded radar networks for damage detection in wind turbine blades: validation in a full-scale fatigue test. Structural Health Monitoring-An International Journal. https://doi.org/10.1177/14759217231152815

MLA:

Simon, Jonas, et al. "Embedded radar networks for damage detection in wind turbine blades: validation in a full-scale fatigue test." Structural Health Monitoring-An International Journal (2023).

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