Wind turbine blade fatigue tests: lessons learned and application to SHM system development

摘要: This paper presents experimental results of several structural health monitoring (SHM) methods applied to a 9-meter CX-100 wind turbine blade that underwent fatigue loading. The was instrumented with piezoelectric transducers, accelerometers, acoustic emission sensors, and foil strain gauges. It harmonic excitation at its first natural frequency using hydraulically actuated resonant system. initially excited 25% design load, then steadily increasing loads until it failed. Various data were collected between during loading sessions. measured over multiple ranges variety acquisition equipment, including off-the-shelf systems specially designed hardware developed by the authors. Modal response, diffuse wave-field transfer functions, ultrasonic guided wave assess condition blade. sensors themselves also monitored sensor diagnostics procedure. summarizes procedures results, focusing particularly on crack detection, concludes considerations for implementing such damage identification systems, which will be used as guideline future SHM system development operating blades.