Development of an embedded thin-film strain-gauge-based SHM network into 3D-woven composite structure for wind turbine blades

Dongning Zhao; Shafqat Rasool; Micheal Forde; Bryan Weafer; Edward Archer; Alistair McIlhagger; James McLaughlin

doi:10.1117/12.2259808

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19 April 2017 Development of an embedded thin-film strain-gauge-based SHM network into 3D-woven composite structure for wind turbine blades

Dongning Zhao, Shafqat Rasool, Micheal Forde, Bryan Weafer, Edward Archer, Alistair McIlhagger, James McLaughlin

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Proceedings Volume 10171, Smart Materials and Nondestructive Evaluation for Energy Systems 2017; 101710C (2017) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2259808
Event: SPIE Smart Structures and Materials + Nondestructive Evaluation and Health Monitoring, 2017, Portland, Oregon, United States

Abstract

Recently, there has been increasing demand in developing low-cost, effective structure health monitoring system to be embedded into 3D-woven composite wind turbine blades to determine structural integrity and presence of defects. With measuring the strain and temperature inside composites at both in-situ blade resin curing and in-service stages, we are developing a novel scheme to embed a resistive-strain-based thin-metal-film sensory into the blade spar-cap that is made of composite laminates to determine structural integrity and presence of defects. Thus, with fiberglass, epoxy, and a thinmetal- film sensing element, a three-part, low-cost, smart composite laminate is developed. Embedded strain sensory inside composite laminate prototype survived after laminate curing process. The internal strain reading from embedded strain sensor under three-point-bending test standard is comparable. It proves that our proposed method will provide another SHM alternative to reduce sensing costs during the renewable green energy generation.

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Dongning Zhao, Shafqat Rasool, Micheal Forde, Bryan Weafer, Edward Archer, Alistair McIlhagger, and James McLaughlin "Development of an embedded thin-film strain-gauge-based SHM network into 3D-woven composite structure for wind turbine blades", Proc. SPIE 10171, Smart Materials and Nondestructive Evaluation for Energy Systems 2017, 101710C (19 April 2017); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2259808

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