AUTOMOBILE AND TRANSPORT

AERONAUTICS, SPACE AND

DEFENCE

HEALTH

Structural monitoring of wind turbine blades SEA ECONOMY

Load measurements and fatigue analysis

ENERGY

International Conference of the International Journal

of Structural Integrity
1 - 4 September, 2014. Funchal, Madeira, Portugal EQUIPMENT AND DURABLE
GOODS

SERVICES

Silvina Guimares, Joo Rio, Miguel Marques, Mrio Vaz, Nuno Ramos, Jos Carlos Matos

Funchal, 3rd of September 2014 International Conference of the International Journal of Structural Integrity ENVIRONMENT 1
 Why?

Wind turbine blades are subjected to loads generated by atmospheric flow and
typically they are the elements with a shorter life cycle;
Wind turbines installation is growing worlwide as is the dimension of the blades
themselves;
7% stoppage causes are due to blade damages;
The cost of the blades can represent 15 to 20% of the total cost of a wind turbine;
Minor damages can cause severe damages for the
entire system.

MONITORING
(damage anticipation)

key aspect in the successful

operation of a wind turbine

Funchal, 3rd of September 2014 International Conference of the International Journal of Structural Integrity 2
 IEC 61400-13:
Measurement of mechanical loads
The IEC61400-13
describes the methodology and techniques for the experimental determination of
the mechanical loads on the wind turbines;
defines procedures for the data acquisition in different operational conditions:
steady-state operation and transient events.

Standard measurement load cases are compared with the respective Design Load Cases

Steady-state operation: Transient events:

Power yield; Start-up;
Power yield plus occurrence of fault; Normal shut-down;
Parked or idling. Emergency shut-down;
Grid failure;
Activation of the protection system
due to overspeed.

Funchal, 3rd of September 2014 International Conference of the International Journal of Structural Integrity 3
 IEC 61400-13:
Measurement of mechanical loads
The standard foresees includes the measurement of the following quantities:
Blade loads;
Meteorological parameters: wind speed and direction, turbulence intensity, air
density;
Operational parameters: power, rotational speed, pitch angles, status.

Concerning specifically blade loads:

Sensors are installed within the root of the blade aiming to quantify:
Flapwise bending moments wind loads
Lead-lag bending moments own weight of the blade

Funchal, 3rd of September 2014 International Conference of the International Journal of Structural Integrity 4
 Proposed
experimental apparatus

Each blade comprises:

4 strain (bragg) sensors 2 flapwise + 2 lead-lag;
4 temperature sensors (for compensation).

The acquisition and transmission

data system is installed at the hub.

Funchal, 3rd of September 2014 International Conference of the International Journal of Structural Integrity 5
 Setup of the
experimental apparatus

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 Measurement results

Lead-lag and flapwise bending moments during steady-state operation

of a pitch-controlled wind turbine
Lead-lag bending moment Flapwise bending moment

Funchal, 3rd of September 2014 International Conference of the International Journal of Structural Integrity 7
 Measurement results

Lead-lag and flapwise bending moments during steady-state operation

of a pitch-controlled wind turbine
Lead-lag
Flapwise
Wind turbine operating at nominal power
(1 minute of data) P=2999 kW, V=19.3 m/s, Pitch=13.0
60000
Bending Moment [kNm]

50000

40000

30000

20000

10000

-10000

Time [s]

Wind turbine operating 30 % below nominal power

(1 minute of data) P=1994 kW, V=10.8 m/s, Pitch=-2.3
70000
60000
Bending Moment [kNm]

50000
40000
30000
20000
10000
0
-10000

Time [s]

Funchal, 3rd of September 2014 International Conference of the International Journal of Structural Integrity 8
 Measurement results

Lead-lag and flapwise bending moments during transient events of a

pitch-controlled wind turbine: normal shutdown and startup
Lead-lag
Flapwise
Normal shutdown
(10 minutes of data) P=1261 kW, V=8.9 m/s, Pitch=-2.6
70000
Bending Moment[kNm]

60000
50000
40000
30000
20000
10000
0
-10000
-20000
0 25 50 75 100 125 150 175 199 224 249 274 299 324 349 374 399 424 449 474 499 524.96 549.96 574.96 599.96
Time[s]

Start-up
(10 minutes of data) P=1572 kW, V=12.0 m/s, Pitch=26.8
70000
60000
50000
Bending Moment [kNm]

40000
30000
20000
10000
0
-10000
-20000
0.03 25.03 50.03 75.03 100.03 125.03 150.03 175.03 199.03 224.03 249.03 274.03 299.03 324.03 349.03 374.03 399.03 424.99 449.99 474.99 499.99 524.99 549.99 574.99 599.99
Time [s]

Funchal, 3rd of September 2014 International Conference of the International Journal of Structural Integrity 9
 Data analysis
Capture matrix
The structural analysis of wind turbines according to IEC61400-13 implies the
definition of a database fed with steady state operation data.
Such is defined with a Capture matrix: nr. of events over wind speed / wind
turbulence intensity
Wind speed
Vin Vr
3.5-4.5 4.5-5.5 5.5-6.5 6.5-7.5 7.5-8.5 8.5-9.5 9.5-10.5 10.5-11.5 11.5-12.5 12.5-13.5 13.5-14.5 14.5-15.5 15.5-16.5 16.5-17.5 17.5-18.5 18.5-19.5 19.5-20.5
I (%) 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
<3 1 - 3 - 14 11 9 8 - - - - - - - - - -
3-5 2 2 - 3 8 7 10 12 12 - - - - - - - - -
5-7 3 5 2 3 2 20 18 23 4 7 3 - - - - - - -
7-9 4 5 3 3 5 17 12 9 10 5 6 2 2 - - 2 - -
Turbulence intensity

9-11 5 4 5 5 8 14 8 8 7 4 5 3 3 4 4 - - -
11-13 6 5 16 10 8 15 8 4 7 - 4 - - - - - - -
13-15 7 5 5 2 8 11 5 3 2 5 - - - - - - - -
15-17 8 5 2 2 3 6 7 2 - - - - Nr.
- of events
- - must -comply
- with-
17-19 9 7 2 4 - 5 6 2 - 3 - - -minimum
- requirements
- - - -
19-21 10 4 2 - - 5 2 2 - - - - - - - - - -
21-23 11 6 2 3 - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
23-25 12 - - - - 2 - - - - - - - - - - - -
25-27 13 - - - - 2 - - - - - - - - - - - -
27-29 14 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
>29 15 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
N of turbulence bins
with at least 3 time 9 3 3 6 10 9 6 5 4 3 1 1
series

Total time series 48 42 35 56 115 85 73 42 24 18 5 5 4 4 2 0 0

Hours 8.0 7.0 5.8 9.3 19.2 14.2 12.2 7.0 4.0 3.0 0.8 0.8 0.7 0.7 0.3 0.0 0.0

Funchal, 3rd of September 2014 International Conference of the International Journal of Structural Integrity 10
 Data analysis
Rainflow cycle counting

Rainflow cycle counting Algorithm applied of the signal in order to count

fatigue cycles

Signal Filtering

Detailing in the
strain range

Funchal, 3rd of September 2014 International Conference of the International Journal of Structural Integrity 11
 Data analysis
N curve
Lead-Lag direction

Sensors at tension-compression R= -1

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 Data analysis
N curve
Flap wise direction
1 sensor at compression-compression R= 10

1 sensor at tension-tension R= 0.1

95% confidence limit

Lower than De filtered

Funchal, 3rd of September 2014 International Conference of the International Journal of Structural Integrity 13
 Data analysis
Miners rule
Forecasting of failures using cumulative damage models for failures caused
by fatigue is a potential application for structural monitoring.
Miners rule is a simple yet effective model.

Funchal, 3rd of September 2014 International Conference of the International Journal of Structural Integrity 14
 Conclusions

The damage induced by the wind conditions (flapwise direction) is

larger than the one induced by weight of the blades and their
movement (lead-lag direction);
There is monitoring technology providing information on the
structural performance of wind turbine blades;
Such information is relevant for the anticipation of potential
damages;
In the here presented case, blade 3 appears to be more resistant to
fatigue than the remaining two;
However and for the observed working conditions, damage in any
blade is not expected.

Funchal, 3rd of September 2014 International Conference of the International Journal of Structural Integrity 15
 THANK YOU

Funchal, 3rd of September 2014 International Conference of the International Journal of Structural Integrity 16