The WindMETER Solution: Optical Wind Blade Monitoring System

The WindMETER system is a reliable monitoring solution specifically designed to monitor wind generator blades. It combines sensors and data acquisition hardware to provide real-time measurements, and is designed to integrate and upstream the customer’s system.

The solution consists of a low consumption optoelectronic interrogator, suitable for operation over an extended temperature range, and a set of Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) strain and temperature sensors.

This innovative wind-blade monitoring system is characterized by its long-lasting performance, attained by a built-in standard, which allows all measured data to be auto-calibrated every 10 ms.

The WindMETER can be integrated in a wide array of applications, such as:

• Pitch control;
• Condition monitoring;
• Load assessment;
• Blade design validation; 
• Ice detection.

Optical technologies have become a powerful option for demanding environments such as ones found in multi-watt wind turbine generators.  Due to its intrinsic characteristics, Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) sensor technology matches perfectly the following requirements of structural and condition monitoring of wind turbines:

• Multiplexing different parameters in a single chain
• Immunity to EMI/lightning and electrical isolation
• Embedding capability during blade manufacture
• Signal integrity

HBM FiberSensing's optical fiber sensors and interrogators are optimized for measuring applications with high load cycles, long sensing networks, or ones that require resistance against lightning.