Instrumentation and Measurement Systems: Aerosense: A Wireless, Non-Intrusive, Flexible, and MEMS-Based Aerodynamic and Acoustic Measurement System for Operating Wind Turbines

Abstract

Wind energy as a renewable energy source has gained in popularity in recent years as a viable means to replacing fossil fuels [1]. Wind turbines form extremely sophisticated systems, operating under extreme and time-varying loads of polymorphic nature (e.g., wind, waves) and under adverse environments (highly varying temperatures and icing conditions). This implies that beyond the operation of mechanical components such as the gearbox, the robustness and resilience of structural components are of the essence but certainly overlooked so far in terms of monitoring. The operation of wind turbines relies on the use of supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems for their monitoring and control [2]. These systems typically measure operational quantities in and around the nacelle [3], such as wind speed and direction, generator temperature, as well as the generated power [4], and are provided as ten-minute averages. Currently, no standard monitoring solution exists that can be easily integrated to assess the performance of critical structural components, such as the blades (e.g., its aerodynamics) [5]. However, the need for this is becoming increasingly important as wind turbine dimensions rapidly increase and blades become more flexible [1]. Such integrated monitoring systems would need to withstand harsh weather and operational conditions on a blade, which is a nontrivial task. This makes published measurements on operating rotor blades in real conditions extremely rare [6]. However, recent advances in electronics, wireless communications, and micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) have enabled the acquisition of data directly on the blade, in a cost-effective and energy-efficient way [7].