Detecting salt deposition on a wind turbine blade using laser induced breakdown spectroscopy technique

The study of pollution performance on a wind turbine blade due to lightning is important, as it can cause major damage to wind turbine blades. In the present work, optical emission spectroscopy (OES) technique is used to understand the influence of pollutant deposited on a wind turbine blade in an off-shore environment. A methodical experimental study was carried out by adopting IEC 60507 standards, and it was observed that the lightning discharge propagates at the interface between the pollutant and the glass fiber reinforced plastic (Material used in manufacturing of wind turbine blades). In addition, as a diagnostic condition monitoring technique, laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is proposed and demonstrated to rank the severity of pollutant on the wind turbine blades from a remote area. Optical emission spectra observed during surface discharge process induced by lightning impulse voltage is in agreement with the spectra observed during LIBS.     

Flapwise dynamic response of a wind turbine blade in super-harmonic resonance

The flapwise dynamic response of a rotating wind turbine blade in super-harmonic resonance is studied in this paper, while the blade is subjected to unsteady aerodynamic loads. Coupled extensional–bending vibrations of the blade are considered; the governing equations which are coupled through linear and quadratic terms arising from rotating and geometric effects respectively are obtained by applying the Hamiltonian principle. The lth flapwise linear frequency and the rotational frequency are assumed to be in an almost 3:1 ratio, so super-harmonic resonance occurs when this linear frequency is close to the associated nonlinear frequency. By using the first n, no less than l, linear undamped modal functions as a functional basis and applying the Galerkin procedure, a 2n-degree-of-freedom discrete model with quadratic and cubic terms owing to geometric effect is derived. The generalized displacements corresponding to the discrete system are disintegrated into static and dynamic displacements. Perturbation method is adopted to get analytical solutions of the discrete dynamic system for positive aerodynamic dampings. The coning angle and the inflow ratio are chosen as two control parameters to analyze aeroelastic behaviors of the blade. By assuming that the static and dynamic displacements are of the same order in resonance region, and there is no other resonance except the super-harmonic resonance, the multiple-scales method is employed to obtain a set of amplitude modulation equations whose coefficients depend on two control parameters. The frequency-response equation is derived from the amplitude modulation equations. A method to estimate the functional dependence of the detuning parameter on two control parameters is introduced. The amplitude of the harmonic response is derived from the frequency-response equation after knowing the detuning parameter. Then the stability of the steady motion with respect to control parameters can be determined. The evolution of the dynamic response of the resonance mode with decreasing aerodynamic damping is discussed by means of both perturbation and numerical methods.     

A note on tower wake/blade interaction noise of a wind turbine

Experimental observations on wind turbine tower wake/blade interaction noise are presented. Results for circular, elliptical and square sections of the support tower legs are compared and quantified with respect to the acoustic frequency spectra produced. The results are preliminary ones obtained in a continuing study aimed at constructing a shape that may yield a lower interaction noise.     

Numerical simulation and experimental validation of ultrasonic de-icing system for wind turbine blade

It is widely accepted that wind energy is clean and renewable. However, icing on the blade surfaces of wind turbines is a serious problem in cold regions, which greatly affects its performance. Therefore, it is important to prevent ice accumulation on the surface of wind turbine blade and remove it whenever necessary. In this paper, a new non-thermal method–ultrasonic de-icing for wind turbine blade is proposed. Firstly, baced on the theory of ultrasonic de-icing, the harmonic analysis of the structure of the composite plate-ice layered system is investigated using the finite element method. The simulation results showed that ultrasonic de-icing method is feasible for wind turbine blade de-icing purposes. Secondly, the de-icing experiment of wind turbine blades using piezoelectric actuators is carried out in the freezer at a temperature of −15 °C, results showed that the ice layer can be debonded from the surface of wind turbine blade by the commonly used piezoelectric transducers made by PZT-5. The optimal frequency of ultrasonic de-icing of wind turbine blade is also given; finally, the installation way of ultrasonic transducers on the inner surface of wind turbine blade is given.     

Investigation of the benefits of unsteady blowing actuation on a 2D wind turbine blade

This paper investigates the benefit of unsteady blowing actuation over a two-dimensional (2D) airfoil specially designed for wind turbine applications. The experiments were carried out in Syracuse University’s anechoic wind tunnel, both with and without large-scale unsteadiness in the free stream generated by a 2D cylinder upstream of the airfoil. By analyzing both surface pressure through wavelet analysis and Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) velocity field measurements, we found a drastic change in the flow physics and the aerodynamic loading on the airfoil between steady and unsteady free-stream conditions. When there was no large-scale unsteadiness introduced in the flow, under open-loop flow control conditions with unsteady blowing, the leading-edge separation was delayed and the maximum lift coefficient was increased. For the cases where large-scale unsteadiness was introduced into the flow, the experiments showed that both open-loop and closed-loop control cases were capable of reducing load fluctuations by a measurable amount. However, only the closed-loop control case that utilized dynamic surface pressure information from the airfoil suction side near the leading edge was capable of consistently mitigating the fluctuating load.     

Dynamic response of a horizontal axis wind turbine blade under aerodynamic,gravity and gyroscopic effects

This work presents analytical and numerical dynamics studies of a horizontal axis wind turbine blade subjected to aerodynamic, centrifugal, gravity, and gyroscopic loads. The blade, assimilated to a long beam of variable cross section, is composed of homogeneous and isotropic material. It is discretized with blade elements of constant sections. Using Finite Element Method (FEM), the assembly of these elements constitutes an approximate model of the blade. The analytical study consists on defining the elementary matrices of rigidity, mass, and gyroscopic coupling between vibration and the blade rotation, as well as the elementary vector of the external loads. The numerical study deals with the resolution of the linear system of equations of the blade motion. Then, it will be possible to calculate its static and dynamic responses for a practical case. The numerical results show that the blade presents cyclic deformations under the considered loadings. These sustained vibrations directly affect the fatigue life of the blade, leading to a significant reduction in the operational efficiency of the wind turbine.     

Superhydrophobic wind turbine blade surfaces obtained by a simple deposition of silica nanoparticles embedded in epoxy

Samples of wind turbine blade surface have been covered with a superhydrophobic coating made of silica nanoparticles embedded in commercial epoxy paint. The superhydrophobic surfaces have a water contact angle around 152°, a hysteresis less than 2° and a water drop sliding angle around 0.5°. These surfaces are water repellent so that water drops cannot remain motionless on the surface. Examination of coated and uncoated surfaces with scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy, together with measurements of water contact angles, indicates that the air trapped in the cavity enhances the water repellency similarly to the lotus leaf effect. Moreover, this new coating is stable under UVC irradiation and water pouring. The production of this nanoscale coating film being simple and low cost, it can be considered as a suitable candidate for water protection of different outdoor structures.     

基于数字图像相关技术的风电叶片静态特性试验研究

进行了风电叶片双轴静载试验,全程采用数字图像相关技术监测其全场三维变形。结果表明,在各工况荷载作用下,风电叶片的三维位移分布具有良好规律,而应变分布则无明显规律。3个方向位移中,平面外位移远大于平面内位移。双轴荷载作用下,风电叶片挥舞方向位移与摆振方向位移均随加载等级增大而增大。在风电叶片全场范围内,挥舞方向位移沿叶片展向逐渐增大,直至叶尖达到最大值。叶片各点的摆振方向位移均为负位移,负位移最大值出现在叶片中部。在叶根至41%叶长(55 cm)区域内,叶片各工况下的展向位移几乎接近于0;而在41%叶长至叶尖区域,当荷载较小时,叶片迎风面纤维的受拉伸长量大于平面外弯曲的展向位移分量而产生正位移;随着荷载增大,叶片平面外弯曲变形的展向位移分量大于迎风面纤维的受拉伸长量而产生负位移。     

Material damage diagnosis and characterization for turbine rotors using three-dimensional adaptive ultrasonic NDE data reconstruction techniques

Damage diagnosis for turbine rotors plays an essential role in power plant management. Ultrasonic non-destructive examinations (NDEs) have increasingly been utilized as an effective tool to provide comprehensive information for damage diagnosis. This study presents a general methodology of damage diagnosis for turbine rotors using three-dimensional adaptive ultrasonic NDE data reconstruction techniques. Volume reconstruction algorithms and data fusion schemes are proposed to map raw ultrasonic NDE data back to the structural model of the object being examined. The reconstructed volume is used for automatic damage identification and quantification using region-growing algorithms and the method of distance-gain-size. Key reconstruction parameters are discussed and suggested based on industrial experiences. A software tool called AutoNDE Rotor is developed to automate the overall analysis workflow. Effectiveness of the proposed methods and AutoNDE Rotor are explored using realistic ultrasonic NDE data.     

Design of correlation filters for pattern recognition using a noisy reference

We present the design of correlation filters for detection of a target in a noisy input scene when the object of interest is given in a noisy reference image. The target signal, shape and location in the reference image are assumed to be unknown. Two signal models are considered for the input scene: additive and nonoverlapping. The design of the filters consists of automated estimation of needed parameters from a noisy reference image and maximization of the peak-to-output energy ratio criterion. Two filter variants are proposed. The matching error metric is used to determine the regions of the parameter space where each filter variant performs better. Computer simulation results obtained with the proposed filters are presented and evaluated in terms of discrimination capability, location errors, and tolerance to input noise.     

On the scale-to-scale coupling between a full-scale wind turbine and turbulence

The scale-dependent response of an instrumented full-scale wind turbine is studied under neutrally stratified conditions. The analysis is focused on the linkage between the incoming flow, turbine power output and foundation strain. Wind speed, measured from sonic anemometers installed on a meteorological tower, and foundation strain were sampled at 20 Hz, while the turbine power was sampled at 1 Hz. A wavelet framework and structure function are used to obtain cross correlations among flow turbulence, turbine power and strain across scales as well as to quantify intermittent signatures in both flow and turbine quantities. Results indicate that correlation between the streamwise velocity component of the wind flow and turbine power is maximised across all scales larger than the rotor radius for wind measured at the turbine hub height. The characteristic time lag associated with maximum correlation is shown to be consistent with the Taylor’s hypothesis for turbulent scales smaller than the separation between the meteorological tower and the turbine. However, it decreases with increasing scale size and diminishes to zero at scales on the order of the boundary layer thickness. Turbine power and strain fluctuations exhibited practically the same behaviour at scales larger than two rotor diameters. At those scales, the cross correlation between these quantities resulted ～0.99 and remains still over 0.9 at the scale of rotor radius. Below this scale, the correlation decreases logarithmically with scale. The strong linkage between power and strain for all the relevant scales would eventually allow the analysis of dynamic forcing on the foundation based on the power output. Intermittency on the flow is shown to be transferred and amplified by the turbine, leading to highly intermittent power output.     

Hybrid pattern recognition using the Fraunhofer diffraction pattern

A hybrid pattern-recognition method is proposed. The Fraunhofer diffraction pattern of an object was obtained in a coherent optical system and then it was processed by a digital image-processing system. The shift- and rotation-invariant characteristic values of the diffraction pattern was calculated and the classification of the object was carried out by using those values. The proposed method was tested in a simple experimental system by using some components of an electromagnetic relay as the sample objects to be recognized.     

Multi-spectral temperature measurement method for gas turbine blade

One of the basic methods to improve both the thermal efficiency and power output of a gas turbine is to increase the firing temperature. However, gas turbine blades are easily damaged in harsh high-temperature and high-pressure environments. Therefore, ensuring that the blade temperature remains within the design limits is very important. There are unsolved problems in blade temperature measurement, relating to the emissivity of the blade surface, influences of the combustion gases, and reflections of radiant energy from the surroundings. In this study, the emissivity of blade surfaces has been measured, with errors reduced by a fitting method, influences of the combustion gases have been calculated for different operational conditions, and a reflection model has been built. An iterative computing method is proposed for calculating blade temperatures, and the experimental results show that this method has high precision.     

Low-coherence interferometry based roughness measurement on turbine blade surfaces using wavelet analysis

In this paper, a non-contact optical system, a low-coherence interferometer (LCI), is introduced for the purpose of measuring the surface roughness of turbine blades. The designed system not only possesses a high vertical resolution and is able to acquire the roughness topography, but also it has a large vertical scanning range compared to other commonly used optical systems. The latter characteristic allows us to measure turbine blades surfaces with large curvature without collisions between the lens and the measurement object. After obtaining the surface topography, wavelet analysis is applied to decompose the original surface into multiple bandwidths to conduct a multiscale analysis. The results show that the developed LCI system proofs a good performance not only in obtaining the surface topography in the roughness scale but also in being able to measure surfaces of objects that possess a complex geometry in a large vertical range. Furthermore, the applied biorthogonal wavelet in this study has performed good amplitude and phase properties in extracting the roughness microstructures from the whole surface. Finally, the traditional roughness parameters, such as the mean surface roughness S_a and the Root Mean Square (RMS) roughness S_q, are evaluated in each decomposed subband and their correlations with the scale of each subband are analyzed.     

基于复杂性测度的高温气冷堆模拟机运行模式识别及诊断研究

本文通过对高温气冷堆模拟机在运行过程中的12组状态参数进行分析,研究了反应堆在正常运行状态、 余热排出系统空气侧温度上升和一回路突然泄漏三种条件下系统的复杂度和稳健性等指标的变化. 研究表明,在条件发生改变时,高温气冷堆模拟机系统的复杂度有非常明显的变化,且不同条件下, 对于系统复杂性影响显著的参数也不相同.此外,反应堆模拟机中各系统间耦合计算与相互反馈机理的作用, 在系统的稳健度上也有很明显的体现.这些成果表明,复杂性分析方法在系统状态监测和 危机预警领域可以发挥重要的作用.     

Rotation-invariant pattern recognition using morphological phase-only correlation

We present a rotation-invariant nonlinear correlator based on the circular harmonic filter (CHF) and the previously proposed morphological phase-only correlator (MPC) [Q. Wang, S. Liu, Opt. Commun. 244 (2005) 93]. We refer to this correlator as a rotation-invariant MPC (RIMPC). Through computer simulation, we compare the output results of RIMPC with those of rotation-invariant MC (RIMC) and CHF when input scene is corrupted by salt-and-pepper noise, white additive Gaussian noise and cluttered background. Our results show that RIMPC yields higher discriminability, sharper and higher correlation peaks and displays better stability against the above three kinds of noise than do the RIMC and common CHF.     

Complex signal analysis for wind turbine planetary gearbox fault diagnosis via iterative atomic decomposition thresholding

The vibration signals from complex structures such as wind turbine (WT) planetary gearboxes are intricate. Reliable analysis of such signals is the key to success in fault detection and diagnosis for complex structures. The recently proposed iterative atomic decomposition thresholding (IADT) method has shown to be effective in extracting true constituent components of complicated signals and in suppressing background noise interferences. In this study, such properties of the IADT are exploited to analyze and extract the target signal components from complex signals with a focus on WT planetary gearboxes under constant running conditions. Fault diagnosis for WT planetary gearboxes has been a very important yet challenging issue due to their harsh working conditions and complex structures. Planetary gearbox fault diagnosis relies on detecting the presence of gear characteristic frequencies or monitoring their magnitude changes. However, a planetary gearbox vibration signal is a mixture of multiple complex components due to the unique structure, complex kinetics and background noise. As such, the IADT is applied to enhance the gear characteristic frequencies of interest, and thereby diagnose gear faults. Considering the spectral properties of planetary gearbox vibration signals, we propose to use Fourier dictionary in the IADT so as to match the harmonic waves in frequency domain and pinpoint the gear fault characteristic frequency. To reduce computing time and better target at more relevant signal components, we also suggest a criterion to estimate the number of sparse components to be used by the IADT. The performance of the proposed approach in planetary gearbox fault diagnosis has been evaluated through analyzing the numerically simulated, lab experimental and on-site collected signals. The results show that both localized and distributed gear faults, both the sun and planet gear faults, can be diagnosed successfully.     

Breakpoint detection of heating wire in wind blade moulds using infrared thermography

In order to manufacture the fibre glass wind blades, one kind of mould embedded with heating wire is used not only for making numerous ‘copies’ of the original sample, and also heating the mould to a certain temperature for curing. The heating wire is embedded in fibre glass as a sandwich structure, and it may break after a long time usage at high temperatures. In this study, a high voltage discharging (HVD) circuit is used to trigger HVD at the breakpoint, which generates heat and therefore causes temperature increase at the corresponding front surface, one infrared camera is used to monitor the temperature evolution. It successfully and quickly detects breakpoints in spar moulds.     

Using a pseudo-functionally graded interlayer in order to improve the static and dynamic behavior of wind turbine blade T-bolt root joints

The large wind turbines blades with multi-ton composite structures are mostly connected to the peach-bearings flanges using T-bolt joints which induce shear and bearing stress fields around the cross bolts. The significant differences between the modulus of elasticity of metallic bolts and composite surrounding materials cause stress concentration around interfaced zones and, also, limit the load capacity of the joints. In the present research, a pseudo functionally graded material (PFGM) as an interlayer is used around the cross bolts to examine the reduction of the stress concentration. Some radial variation of the mechanical properties would be considered for this interlayer. The finite element method is used to analyze the structures. Loadings are applied to the center of the cross bolts analogous to the real cases. Both the static and dynamic loadings are studied. For the finite element of the functionally graded material interlayer, a multilayer alternative material with constant properties in each layer is used. The results show that using an isotropic single layer with an average modulus of elasticity and specific thickness decreases the stress concentration of the composite part up to 47%. The various property models for the interlayer also show that an appropriated model can decrease the stress concentration up to 55%. Dynamic transient analyses would be implemented over the joint structure and improved considering to the practical cases. Using the PFGM interlayer decreases the constant and variable parts of the stresses up to 55% and also causes significant increasing of the joint fatigue life.