Fiber-Optic Defect and Damage Locator System for Wind Turbine Blades

A capability to locate and quantify structural damage is one of the most important requirements for verifying and maintaining the safety and integrity of wind turbine blades. Consequently, a robust and reliable, nondestructive, defect and damage identification and assessment system is needed to guide maintenance and avoid disaster. This project will develop a Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) integrated sensor system capable of providing real time in situ defect detection and location, and quantification of damage. In addition, the proposed system will be capable of validating wind turbine blade structural models, using recent advances in non-contact, non-destructive dynamic testing of composite structures. Commercial Applications and other Benefits as described by the awardee: Wind turbines are increasingly populating the landscape and offer an additional source for electric power. This project will contribute to the optimization of wind turbine performance through early defect and damage detection in wind turbine blades, potentially reducing the cost per watt and enable wind energy solutions to gain greater momentum.