Shanshan S Mcneill

US Patent:

20120161446, Jun 28, 2012

Filed:

Dec 28, 2010

Appl. No.:

12/979884

Inventors:

Shanshan McNeill - Houston TX, US
Garrett Moran - Houston TX, US

Assignee:

VESTAS WIND SYSTEMS A/S - Randers SV

International Classification:

F03D 9/00
G01N 21/00
F01D 5/12
G01L 7/00
G01H 17/00
G01B 11/16
G01K 13/00

US Classification:

290 55, 356 32, 356 731, 374141, 73700, 73570, 416 61, 374E13001

Abstract:

Methods and apparatus for measuring a parameter (e.g., temperature, pressure, strain, or vibration) of at least a portion of a wind turbine generator using distributed sensing with optical fiber technology are provided. Fiber optic technology with distributed sensing offers a fast, low cost solution for measuring the parameter at myriad locations along substantial lengths of optical fiber. In this manner, the health or status of one or more components of the wind turbine generator may be monitored during or after the different stages of fabrication, transportation, site assembly, operation, and repair over time. Furthermore, data from multiple wind turbine generators may be sent to a local control station for processing and monitoring an entire wind farm in real time. Data from multiple wind farms may be transmitted from multiple local control stations to a remote station such that multiple wind farms may be monitored from a single location.