Last week, Konnexxions joined several consortium partners for the first multi-modal measurement campaign of the Holi-DOCTOR project at Vattenfall’s Prinses Alexia Wind Park.
The campaign marked an important milestone in this NWO-funded research initiative, which brings together vibration, acoustic and infrared monitoring within one holistic framework for assessing the health of wind turbine blades.
Long-distance vibration measurements in real operating conditions
Konnexxions’ contribution focused on long-distance, non-contact vibration measurements using the Polytec VibroFlex Range.
The system is specifically designed for applications where the measurement target is difficult or unsafe to access. During the campaign, it enabled blade vibrations to be measured from a stand-off distance of more than 300 metres, without installing contact sensors or reflective tape on the turbine.
This makes the VibroFlex Range particularly suitable for monitoring large structures such as operational wind turbines.
Its key capabilities include:
- Reliable vibration measurements at distances beyond 300 metres using a 1550 nm SWIR laser
- Fully non-contact measurements without retroreflective tape or sensors on the blade
- QTec® multi-path interferometry for strong signal quality and submicron vibration resolution
- Outdoor-ready hardware developed for demanding field applications
From individual measurements to a holistic monitoring framework
The Holi-DOCTOR project aims to combine different sensing technologies to create a more complete understanding of wind turbine blade condition.
Vibration measurements can reveal changes in the structural dynamic behaviour of a blade. Acoustic and infrared monitoring provide additional information about potential defects and changes in material condition.
By bringing these measurement methods together, the consortium is working towards a more comprehensive approach to blade health monitoring.
Field measurements require preparation and collaboration
Measurements on operational wind turbines are never straightforward.
Weather conditions, the geometry and surface properties of the target, measurement distance and turbine operation can all influence the campaign. Careful preparation and close coordination between the different project partners are therefore essential.
The successful completion of this first measurement campaign provides an important foundation for the next stage of the project: analysing and combining the collected data.
We would like to thank Vattenfall and Roger Groves for hosting the campaign, as well as all consortium partners for the excellent preparation and coordination throughout the day.
The next phase now begins: data analysis.
