Details
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 2164 |
| Number of pages | 23 |
| Journal | Applied Sciences (Switzerland) |
| Volume | 15 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| Publication status | Published - 18 Feb 2025 |
Abstract
The growing significance of wind energy in supplying renewable electricity underlines the increasing importance of wind turbine efficiency. Hybrid towers, integrating steel and pre-stressed concrete in a stacked structure, address traditional limitations in nacelle height but face new vulnerabilities, exemplified by a collapse in September 2021. This highlights the crucial need for continuous monitoring, particularly of the tower structure’s tendons. This study introduces acoustic emission monitoring as a novel approach for the early detection of wire breaks within the highly stressed tendons of hybrid towers. The investigations described focus on evaluating the suitability of this method for the specific use case and developing a generalized monitoring approach. Accordingly, background noise in an operating wind turbine tower was recorded and analyzed over a year-long operational period. Correlation analyses of these data unveiled intricate relationships between operational parameters and noise levels, with wind speed, rotor speed, and blade pitch angle exerting influence. Laboratory experiments were conducted on a full-scale specimen, and wire breaks were artificially provoked to characterize the damage signal and assess its attenuation in relevant structural components. The experimental results were integrated into a stochastic model to determine feasible sensor distances, aiming for a 90% probability of detection at a 95% confidence level. Low attenuation along the tendon was identified, enabling reliable detection over significant distances. Nevertheless, practical considerations suggest a focus on tendon anchorages, with the potential for grouped monitoring in specific areas to optimize sensor deployment. The study proposes a sensor network configuration to enhance the safety and reliability of wind turbine structures.
Keywords
- acoustic emission, classification, full-scale test, hybrid tower, non-destructive testing (NDT), probability of detection, structural health monitoring (SHM), wind energy, wire break detection
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Materials Science(all)
- General Materials Science
- Physics and Astronomy(all)
- Instrumentation
- Engineering(all)
- General Engineering
- Chemical Engineering(all)
- Process Chemistry and Technology
- Computer Science(all)
- Computer Science Applications
- Chemical Engineering(all)
- Fluid Flow and Transfer Processes
Sustainable Development Goals
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In: Applied Sciences (Switzerland), Vol. 15, No. 4, 2164, 18.02.2025.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer review
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Wire Break Detection in Hybrid Towers of Wind Turbines
T2 - A Novel Application to Monitor Tendons Using Acoustic Emission Analysis
AU - Fiedler, Max
AU - Xu, Ronghua
AU - Lange, Alexander
AU - Marx, Steffen
AU - Ostermann, Jörn
AU - Betz, Thorsten
N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2025 by the authors.
PY - 2025/2/18
Y1 - 2025/2/18
N2 - The growing significance of wind energy in supplying renewable electricity underlines the increasing importance of wind turbine efficiency. Hybrid towers, integrating steel and pre-stressed concrete in a stacked structure, address traditional limitations in nacelle height but face new vulnerabilities, exemplified by a collapse in September 2021. This highlights the crucial need for continuous monitoring, particularly of the tower structure’s tendons. This study introduces acoustic emission monitoring as a novel approach for the early detection of wire breaks within the highly stressed tendons of hybrid towers. The investigations described focus on evaluating the suitability of this method for the specific use case and developing a generalized monitoring approach. Accordingly, background noise in an operating wind turbine tower was recorded and analyzed over a year-long operational period. Correlation analyses of these data unveiled intricate relationships between operational parameters and noise levels, with wind speed, rotor speed, and blade pitch angle exerting influence. Laboratory experiments were conducted on a full-scale specimen, and wire breaks were artificially provoked to characterize the damage signal and assess its attenuation in relevant structural components. The experimental results were integrated into a stochastic model to determine feasible sensor distances, aiming for a 90% probability of detection at a 95% confidence level. Low attenuation along the tendon was identified, enabling reliable detection over significant distances. Nevertheless, practical considerations suggest a focus on tendon anchorages, with the potential for grouped monitoring in specific areas to optimize sensor deployment. The study proposes a sensor network configuration to enhance the safety and reliability of wind turbine structures.
AB - The growing significance of wind energy in supplying renewable electricity underlines the increasing importance of wind turbine efficiency. Hybrid towers, integrating steel and pre-stressed concrete in a stacked structure, address traditional limitations in nacelle height but face new vulnerabilities, exemplified by a collapse in September 2021. This highlights the crucial need for continuous monitoring, particularly of the tower structure’s tendons. This study introduces acoustic emission monitoring as a novel approach for the early detection of wire breaks within the highly stressed tendons of hybrid towers. The investigations described focus on evaluating the suitability of this method for the specific use case and developing a generalized monitoring approach. Accordingly, background noise in an operating wind turbine tower was recorded and analyzed over a year-long operational period. Correlation analyses of these data unveiled intricate relationships between operational parameters and noise levels, with wind speed, rotor speed, and blade pitch angle exerting influence. Laboratory experiments were conducted on a full-scale specimen, and wire breaks were artificially provoked to characterize the damage signal and assess its attenuation in relevant structural components. The experimental results were integrated into a stochastic model to determine feasible sensor distances, aiming for a 90% probability of detection at a 95% confidence level. Low attenuation along the tendon was identified, enabling reliable detection over significant distances. Nevertheless, practical considerations suggest a focus on tendon anchorages, with the potential for grouped monitoring in specific areas to optimize sensor deployment. The study proposes a sensor network configuration to enhance the safety and reliability of wind turbine structures.
KW - acoustic emission
KW - classification
KW - full-scale test
KW - hybrid tower
KW - non-destructive testing (NDT)
KW - probability of detection
KW - structural health monitoring (SHM)
KW - wind energy
KW - wire break detection
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85219201236&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3390/app15042164
DO - 10.3390/app15042164
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85219201236
VL - 15
JO - Applied Sciences (Switzerland)
JF - Applied Sciences (Switzerland)
SN - 2076-3417
IS - 4
M1 - 2164
ER -