Vestas Wind Systems A/s

Chee Kang Lim

Tian Yong Lim

Jonas Romblad

Li Hong Idris Lim

Teck Bin Arthur Lim

Whye Ghee Kim

Kok Leong Chong

Jia Liang Ang

Yun Chong Gabriel Chang

Tim Behrens

Loh Wuh Ken

The application relates to a wind turbine component having an optical fiber sensor arranged to detect wind speed over the surface of the component. In one embodiment, the optical fiber sensor has a light loss portion that allows some of the light transmitted through the optical fiber to escape. The amount that the optical fiber bends in the air flow across the surface causes the effective surface area of the light loss portion to increase or decrease. With increased or decreased surface area of the light loss portion, more or less light is lost from the fiber. The intensity of the light transmitted in the fiber can therefore be used as a measure of the amount of bending, and therefore as a measure of the air flow's speed. In other embodiments, the optical fiber includes optical gratings, such as Fiber Bragg Gratings.

Wind turbine component having an optical fibre wind sensor

The invention involves a wind turbine comprising at least one blade () in turn comprising a blade body (), lift-regulating means () adapted for movement in relation to the blade body () so as to regulate the lift of the blade, and load sensing means () for determining a load acting on the lift-regulating means (), the wind turbine further comprising an actuation control unit () adapted to control the movement of the lift-regulating means () based on output from the load sensing means (). In addition to output from the load sensing means (), the actuation control unit () is adapted to control the movement of the lift-regulating means () based on the movement of the lift-regulating means ().

Control of wind turbine blade lift regulating means

A sensor system for measuring aerodynamic loads acting on a wind turbine rotor blade is disclosed. The measured aerodynamic loads can be converted to an angle of attack of the resulting wind which flows past the moving rotor blade. The sensor is realized as a trailing edge flap which is elastically moveable relative the main part of the wind turbine blade. By measuring motion of the trailing edge flap or corresponding motions of components of the sensor system, the aerodynamic forces acting on the blade can be determined. Due to the relative small dimensions of the sensor flap and the relative small displacements of the flap, the sensor system only affects the aerodynamic properties insignificantly.

Measuring loads on wind turbine blades

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Singapore, Singapore

Chee Kang Lim