Demonstration and evaluation of new turbine blade and online performance monitoring

Research Project, 2018 –

Chalmers research wind turbine is located at Hönö in the archipelago of Göteborg. It has been in operation for several decades and have been rebuilt multiple times to serve different research projects. This turbine was one of the first in operation with pitch control and power electronic equipment for variable speed operation.

Today the wind turbine is under reconstruction, it will soon be in operation with three new carbon fibre blades, new electrical pitch control system, including a new hub. The control computer is also upgraded. The new power electronic converters have been tested in the laboratories of Electric Power Engineering division and are ready to set in operation. During 2019 the turbine tower will be changed from a 18 m steel tower to a 30 m wooden tower from a Swedish company in Göteborg.

The wind turbine is a research facility used by Chalmers researchers. International contacts are also established for evaluation of the blade loads with the new measurement system.

Particular novelties that will be evaluated and demonstrated using the Hönö turbine are:

 Carbon fibre as a blade material for the future (long, slender and light)

 Blade root moment sensors to improve turbine operation and fatigue life assessment

 Assessment of new acoustic methods for structural health monitoring of composite blades

 Evaluation of new aerodynamic Vortex method

 Contribution to the power grid frequency control by operation of the turbine

 Assessment of sensor technology for structural health monitoring of concrete foundation and load transfer from turbine to ground