Image and Copy Right by partner Nordex Energy SE & Co. KG
Cross-section of a rotor blade with integrated sensor nodes
SENSITU-RADAR
As in our previous project, PROFI-WIND, the focus of this project is once again the structural health monitoring (SHM) of wind turbine rotor blades. In SENSITU-RADAR, the monitoring will be done in-situ, which means that the radar will be placed directly into the rotor blade to detect cracks or other material weaknesses from inside. Additionaly, the radar will be integrated into a sensor node, where an acceleration sensor as well as a communication unit are installed.
IMST is focusing on developing a radar sensor for this application at the 60 GHz ISM band. One main feature of the radar needs to be a low noise level, so that little cracks can be detected, while the wind turbine is in operation. Another important point is the beam pattern of the radar. To monitor a large area of the rotor blade, a wide beam pattern is desired. Due to the special conditions of this application, this task requires a particlar level of development expertise, which IMST can provide.
Duration: August 2023 ... July 2026
Project partners:
- University of Siegen (Coordinator)
- Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg
- IMST GmbH
- Wölfel Engineering GmbH + Co. KG
- Nordex Energy SE & Co. KG (associated partner)
- BOREAS Energietechnik GmbH (associated partner)
Radar Sensor by IMST
Get in contact with the radar team to learn more about this challenging project.