Intelligent blade monitoring

LM Glasfiber works continuously to optimise our blades, and not just in the design stage. We are currently working on a load monitoring system collecting load information for the central control of the wind turbine.

This blade load monitoring system uses specially developed software and optical fibres placed within the blade’s laminate. This system continously monitors the load condition of the blade and is thus providing usefu information for further evaluation to increase energy production, load management or at a later stage, optimization of service and maintenance.

Individual pitch

Utilising the process signals from LM BladeMonitoring directly in the turbine’s control system enables individual pitching of the blades and thus increased production and optimum control of the loads during operation. A blade that is upright and away from the shadowing effects of the tower is exposed to quite different loads from a blade that is pointing downwards.

By individually pitching the blades, it is possible to minimise the blade flap fatigue loads by 15–30% and the fatigue loads on the yaw mechanism and tower construction by 10–30%. As a result, the same turbines can be fitted with larger blades, which in turn increases energy production.

Lightning monitoring

In the future we will be able to offer LM BladeMonitoring including monitoring of the effects of lightning strikes. The advanced sensor will measure several important variables.

Optimising service and maintenance

Future possibilities with LM BladeMonitoring also will provide a long-term opportunity for improvements to service checks at major wind farms. By monitoring the condition of the blades on an ongoing basis, the impact of weather conditions can be recorded and analysed at an early stage, thus increasing reliable operation.
LM BladeMonitoring will make it possible to avoid unnecessary routine maintenance of the blades, and repairs can be limited to what is strictly necessary. Any overload of the blades triggers warnings to the turbine’s control system. If no action is taken as a result of these warnings and the overload continues, an alarm will activate and stop the turbine.