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Fiber-optic sensor for advanced wind energy generation: structural monitoring and pitch control.

Article Excerpt
1. Introduction--Requirement for Optical Monitoring on Wind Turbine Structure

Electricity generation from wind energy is rapidly growing in the U.S., averaging ~32 percent per year for the last five years--2004-2008 [1]. Wind power provided 42 percent of the entire new U.S. generating capacity added in 2008, up from 35 percent in 2007, and has been second only to new natural gas for four years in a row. With the right government policies, this cost-effective source of energy could provide at least 20 percent of the nation's electricity by 2030. This trend in wind energy is driving toward the construction of larger and larger turbines for utility-scale operation, with blade lengths reaching >60 meters and the ability to produce 7+ megawatts of power. As electric utility wind turbines increase in size and initial capital cost, there is an increasing need to incorporate structural health monitoring (SHM) to optimize design, operation and maintenance of the wind turbine.

Conventional electronic sensors are prone to failure given the harsh and exposed environmental conditions under which wind turbines normally operate. Because of their immune to electromagnetic interference, lightning and electric noise, optical fiber sensors have...

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