Wind turbine having sensor elements mounted on rotor blades

A wind turbine, comprising:

• a rotor having at least one rotor blade capable of rotating with respect to a rotor axis of the rotor;
• a sensor coupled to the rotor to generate sensor signals based on a mechanical load of the rotor, the sensor including at least two-sensor elements pair-wisely mounted on the at least one-rotor blade of the rotor;
• and
• an evaluation unit coupled to the sensor to generate evaluation signals representing the mechanical loads of at least one rotor blade based on the sensor signals generated by the sensor elements,
• wherein the evaluation unit receives additional signals from at least one of temperature sensor, revolutions, and rotor position sensor, wherein the evaluation unit determines influences of temperature, centrifugal force, and gravitation based on the received additional signals.

A method for operating a wind turbine, the method comprising:

• generating sensor signals using a sensor coupled to a rotor having at least one rotor blade capable of rotating with respect to a rotor axis of the rotor, the sensor including at least two sensor elements attached to the at least one rotor blade to generate the sensor signals based on a mechanical load of the rotor blade, the at least two sensor elements pair-wisely mounted at opposite side of a longitude axis of the rotor blade;
• in response to failure of at least one of the at least two sensor elements, switching to a redundant operation mode in which the sensor signals are generated from a remainder of the at least two sensor elements that are operable, wherein signals from at least one failed sensor elements are ignored;
• and
• compensating parasitic influences of temperature, gravitation, and centrifugal force on the remaining at least one operable sensor element.