Predictive health monitoring of wind turbines based on dynamic characterization

The need for an effective and efficient predictive structural health monitoring system for wind turbines, focused on critical structural elements such as blades, tower etc., is paramount in current scenario. This need emerges due to variety of issues including the growing size of wind turbines and their installation at offshore and remote locations, which makes the maintenance and repair work difficult and costly. Main objective of this project is to develop a smart predictive health monitoring solution which will complete the detection of structural failures with effective follow up procedure thus helping wind turbine owner/operator making cost-effective decisions on wind turbine maintenance. The focus of the project is the predictive monitoring of blades as they are the most expensive structural parts of a wind turbine. The major activities in this project are: Firstly, Operational Modal Analysis, a proven technique for dynamic characterization of large structures, is evaluated for its suitability for operational wind turbines. Secondly, sensitivity of modal parameters is assessed to potential structural damages in a wind turbine through numerical simulations. Thirdly, a decision making algorithm with identification, localization and prognostics capabilities is developed using a damage progression model. Finally, a prototype is developed and installed.