Moritz Mälzer

Radar-based detection of birds near wind energy plants: First experiences from a field study

Bats and birds are at risk when they are flying near wind energy plants (WEP). Hence, a protection of bats and birds is postulated to reduce their mortality e.g. due to collisions with the rotor-blades. This paper reports on the first experiences from an experimental field study at a 2-MW WEP that combines a continuous wave 24 GHz Doppler radar, a smart-camera, an ultrasound microphone and an accelerometer. Doppler measurements for the identification of birds in their natural habitat will be presented and validated with the camera-based approach.

Radar-based structural health monitoring of wind turbine blades: The case of damage detection:

Structural health monitoring of wind turbine blades is challenging due to its large dimensions, as well as the complex and heterogeneous material system. In this article, we will introduce a radically new structural health monitoring approach that uses permanently installed radar sensors in the microwave and millimetre-wave frequency range for remote and in-service inspection of wind turbine blades. The radar sensor is placed at the tower of the wind turbine and irradiates the electromagnetic waves in the direction of the rotating blades. Experimental results for damage detection of complex structures will be presented in a laboratory environment for the case of a 10-mm-thick glass-fibre-reinforced plastic plate, as well as a real blade-tip sample.

Field Demonstration of Radar-based SHM of Wind Turbine Blades at a 2 MW Wind Turbine: Installation, Data Acquisition and Signal Analysis

This paper reports on a radar-based structural health monitoring (SHM) system for wind turbine blades. Initial results are presented from a field installation at a 2 MW wind energy plant (WEP) where two FMCW radar systems with high output power are placed at the tower of the WEP. The frequency bands are 24.05-24.25GHz and 33.4-36.0GHz, respectively. The remote sensing inspection takes place when the blades pass the sensor system during normal WEP operation. Here, we present the concept and realization of this innovative SHM system, the synchronous data processing chain as well as experimental data from both radar sensors