General Electric Renovables Espana, S.l.

Efren Albisu Iso

Pedro Arroyo Beltri

Louis Bond-Smith

Mauro Grammatico

The present disclosure is related to methods () configured for detecting the state of a wind turbine blade (). The methods () comprising receiving () load signals from a wind turbine blade (), determining () an energy of the load signal in a first and second frequency and comparing () said energy to generate a flag signal if the energy in the first frequency is smaller than the energy in the second frequency. A control system () suitable to detect the state of a wind turbine blade () is also provided, as well as wind turbines () including such a control system ().

Determination of a state of a wind turbine blade

A method for operating a wind turbine determines reliability of an azimuth measurement system by measuring loads with load sensors during operation of the wind turbine. Based on the measured loads, in-plane moments generated on the blades at a rotational speed frequency of the rotor are determined. The azimuth measurement system has reduced reliability if the angular phase of the in-plane moments at the rotor rotational speed frequency of the rotor deviates from an angular phase measured by the azimuth measurement system by more than a first threshold value. The method generates a warning signal or changes operation of the wind turbine when it is determined that the azimuth measurement system has reduced reliability.

Azimuth sensors in wind turbines

The present disclosure relates to a method for determining reliability of one or more load sensors in a wind turbine. The method comprises measuring loads with the load sensors during operation of the wind turbine; determining in-plane moments based on the measured loads; selecting the in-plane moments with 1 p frequency; and comparing the selected in-plane moments with theoretical in-plane moments due to a mass of the blade. The method then comprises determining that the load sensors have reduced reliability if the selected in-plane moments deviate from the theoretical in-plane moments by more than a first threshold value. The present disclosure also relates to wind turbine systems incorporating load sensors and methods for on-line determination of correct functioning of load sensors mounted on a wind turbine blade.

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Efren Albisu Iso