US 2013/0170981 A1 · METHOD FOR ROBUST WIRELESS WIND TURBINE CONDITION MONITORING

Abstract

A wind turbine condition monitoring system and method are disclosed where the wind turbines include a tower, a gearbox coupled to the tower, and turbine blades coupled to the gearbox. The monitoring system includes blade sensors coupled to the blades, a hub node coupled to the gearbox and a controller. The controller is in communication with the hub node and blade sensors, and determines blade positions based on blade sensor readings. The blade sensors and hub node can include multi-axis accelerometers. The controller can wirelessly communicate with the blade sensors directly or through the hub node. Using position information, shadowing areas with obstructed communication can be avoided, node separation can be accounted for to reduce power requirements and/or interference from multiple transmitters can be avoided during node communications.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A wind turbine condition monitoring system for one or more wind turbines, each wind turbine comprising a tower, a gearbox coupled to the tower and a plurality of turbine blades coupled to the gearbox, the condition monitoring system comprising:

a plurality of blade sensors providing blade sensor readings, each of the plurality of blade sensors being coupled to one of the plurality of blades of the one or more wind turbines;
a hub node coupled to the gearbox of each of the one or more wind turbines;
and
a controller in communication with the one or more hub nodes and the plurality of blade sensors;
wherein the controller determines the position of each turbine blade of the plurality of turbine blades based on the blade sensor readings.

2 more elements

A wind turbine condition monitoring method for wind turbines with a monitoring system, each wind turbine comprising a tower, a gearbox coupled to the tower, and a plurality of turbine blades coupled to the gearbox, and the monitoring system comprising a controller, a hub node coupled to each gearbox, and a plurality of blade sensors, the condition monitoring method comprising:

determining shadowing areas where the communication path between one of the plurality of blade sensors and the controller is obstructed when the one of the plurality of blade sensors is in the shadowing areas;
each one of the plurality of blade sensors being coupled to one of the plurality of turbine blades;
configuring each of the plurality of blade sensors to only transmit when outside the shadowing areas;
receiving blade sensor readings at the controller from a particular blade sensor of the plurality of blade sensors when the particular blade sensor is outside the shadowing areas;
and
determining a position of the particular blade sensor based on the blade sensor readings.

3 more elements

determining blade shadowing areas where the communication path between one of the plurality of blade sensors and the hub node is obstructed when the one of the plurality of blade sensors is in the blade shadowing areas;
each blade sensor being coupled to one of the plurality of turbine blades;
configuring each of the plurality of blade sensors to only transmit when outside the blade shadowing areas;
receiving blade sensor readings at the hub node from a particular blade sensor of the plurality of blade sensors when the particular blade sensor is outside the blade shadowing areas;
transmitting hub node signals from the hub node to the controller, the hub node signals including information from the blade sensor readings;
and
determining a position of the particular blade sensor based on the blade sensor readings.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method for robust wireless wind turbine condition monitoring

Life of this patent

Method for robust wireless wind turbine condition monitoring

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20