Turbulence sensor and blade condition sensor system
AssigneeVestas Wind Systems A/S
InventorIb Olesen
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The invention comprises a turbulence sensor and sensor system for determining the condition of a wind turbine blade. A turbulence sensor comprises a sensor membrane provided in the surface of a wind turbine blade. A light source and light detector provided in a sensor cavity in the blade illuminate the sensor membrane and detect the light reflected back. The reflected light is mixed with non-reflected light to give an interference pattern indicative of the quality of the airflow, whether it is laminar or turbulent. The turbulence sensor can be used in a sensor system for detecting the accumulation of unwanted matter, such as dirt or ice, on the blade.
Claims19
A turbulence sensor for a wind turbine component having a cavity, the turbulence sensor comprising:
- a sensor membrane comprising a first surface and an opposing second surface, the first surface being disposed in an external environment and the second surface being disposed in the cavity, the sensor membrane configured to detect turbulence of airflow moving across the first surface, wherein the sensor membrane is integral to a surface of the wind turbine component, and the sensor membrane covers at least part of the cavity;
- a light source located in the cavity and configured to illuminate the second surface of the sensor membrane with a light;
- and
- a light detector located in the cavity and configured to detect the light reflected from the second surface of the sensor membrane, and the light detector is configured to provide an output to a processor, wherein the processor is configured to determine from the output of the light detector a turbulence value for the airflow.
A turbulence sensor for a wind turbine component having a cavity, the turbulence sensor comprising:
- a sensor membrane for detecting turbulence of airflow past a surface of the wind turbine component, wherein the sensor membrane is integral to the surface of the wind turbine component, and the sensor membrane covers at least part of the cavity;
- a light source located in the cavity and configured to illuminate a surface of the sensor membrane inside the cavity with light;
- a light detector located in the cavity and configured to detect the light reflected from the surface of the sensor membrane, and the light detector configured to provide an output to a processor, wherein the processor is configured to determine from the output of the light detector a turbulence value for the airflow across the sensor membrane;
- an adder configured to add the reflected portion of the light from the surface of the sensor membrane to a reference light signal to give an interference pattern that indicates displacement of the sensor membrane;
- and
- the processor configured to analyze variations in the interference pattern over a predetermined period of time to determine whether the airflow is turbulent.
A sensor system for detecting a surface condition of a wind turbine blade having one or more cavities, the sensor system comprising:
- one or more turbulence sensors for giving an output indicating turbulence of airflow of an external environment moving across a surface of the wind turbine blade, each of the one or more turbulence sensors associated with a respective cavity of the one or more cavities and comprising:
- a sensor membrane comprising a first surface and an opposing second surface, the first surface being disposed in an external environment and the second surface being disposed in the respective cavity, the sensor membrane configured to detect turbulence of airflow moving across the first surface, wherein the sensor membrane is integral to the surface of the wind turbine blade, and the sensor membrane covers at least part of the respective cavity,
- a light source located in the respective cavity and configured to illuminate the second surface of the sensor membrane with a light, and
- a light detector located in the respective cavity and configured to detect the light reflected from the second surface of the sensor membrane, and the light detector is configured to provide an output to a processor;
- a memory;
- and
- the processor,
- wherein the processor determines a condition of the surface of the wind turbine blade from the output received from the one or more turbulence sensors.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.