Methods and apparatus for sensing parameters of rotating blades

• US 8,718,831 B2
• Filed: 05/09/2008
• Issued: 05/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Infrastructure Technology, LLC (General Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Wang, Dong, Zhang, Hua
• Primary Examiner(s): Shechtman, Sean
• Assistant Examiner(s): GARLAND, STEVEN R
• Application Number:
  US12/118,208
• Publication Number:
  US 20090277266A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,188 Days
• Field of Search: 700/287, 700/292, 735/140.1, 731/47, 736/60, 416/1, 416/31, 416 35- 37, 416/61, 415/1, 415/14, 415/17, 290/44
• US Class Current: 700/287
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 17/00 Monitoring or testing of wind motors, e.g. diagnostics testing during commissioning of wind motors F03D13/30
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 7/0224 Adjusting blade pitch
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 7/0292 to reduce fatigue
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 7/048 controlling wind farms
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2270/20 to optimise the performance of a machine
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2270/309 Rate of change of parameters
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2270/331 Mechanical loads
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/00 Measuring acceleration; Measuring deceleration; Measuring shock, i.e. sudden change of acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/72 Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction

Abstract

A method for monitoring operating parameters of a rotating blade is provided. The blade includes at least one sensor thereon, the sensor operatively coupled to a data acquisition device. The method includes transferring data from the sensor to the data acquisition device, the data relating to blade acceleration measurements, transmitting a signal representative of the transferred data from the data acquisition device to a control system, and controlling blade loads using the transmitted signal.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring operating parameters of a blade of a wind turbine having at least one strain sensor and a data acquisition device operatively coupled to the at least one strain sensor, said method comprising:

supplying power to the data acquisition device, the data acquisition device configured to receive the power generated at the blade by at least one of a vibration of the blade and a pressure change across the blade;

supplying power to the at least one strain sensor from the data acquisition device;

sensing, by the at least one strain sensor, strain data associated with the blade;

transferring the strain data from the at least one strain sensor to the data acquisition device;

converting, by the data acquisition device, the strain data to digital strain data;

transmitting, through radio frequency (RF) transmission, the digital strain data from the data acquisition device to an RFID reader;

storing the transferred strain data in a computer; and

analyzing the stored strain data to determine the strain on the blade.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein the at least one strain sensor and data acquisition device are coupled to an outer surface of the blade.

3. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein the blade is coupled to a hub of a tower supporting the wind turbine, and further comprising analyzing the stored strain data to make one of real-time adjustments and near real-time adjustments in operating characteristics of the wind turbine.

4. A method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising determining from the analyzed strain data when maintenance is necessary.

5. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein analyzing the stored strain data includes performing a finite element analysis of the stored strain data.

6. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein said blade comprises at least one temperature sensor and a second data acquisition device coupled to the at least one temperature sensor, and further comprising:

transferring temperature data from the at least one temperature sensor to the second acquisition device, and transmitting, through radio frequency (RF) transmission, the temperature data from the second data acquisition device to the RFID reader.

7. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag includes the at least one strain sensor and the first data acquisition device.

8. A method in accordance with claim 7, wherein the radio frequency identification (RFID) tag includes a passive RFID tag.

9. A method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising storing the sensed strain data by the at least one strain sensor and periodically polling the at least one strain sensor by the data acquisition unit.

10. A blade having an outer surface, an inner surface, and an axis between the outer surface and the inner surface and configured for mounting to a rotor, said blade comprising:

at least one strain sensor operatively coupled to the outer surface; and

,

a data acquisition device operatively coupled to said at least one strain sensor and to the outer surface, said at least one strain sensor is configured to transfer analog strain data to said data acquisition device, said data acquisition device is powered by energy generated at the outer surface and comprising elements to supply power to said at least one strain sensor and to convert the analog strain data into digital strain data, generate a signal representative of the digital strain data and transmit, through radio frequency (RF) transmission, the signal to an RFID reader.

11. A blade in accordance with claim 10 wherein said blade is coupled to a rotor of a wind turbine.

12. A blade in accordance with claim 10 wherein said at least one strain sensor comprises a first strain sensor and a second strain sensor which are spaced from each other and coupled along a line that extends substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis.

13. A blade in accordance with claim 10, wherein a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag includes the at least one strain sensor and the data acquisition device.

14. A blade in accordance with claim 13, wherein the radio frequency identification (RFID) tag includes a passive RFID tag.

15. A blade in accordance with claim 10, further comprising at least one temperature sensor configured to sense temperature data associated with the blade and a second data acquisition device coupled to the at least one temperature sensor, said second data acquisition device configured to transmit, through radio frequency (RF) transmission, a signal representative of the temperature data to the RFID reader.