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Structural health monitoring of wind turbines

Simmermacher, Todd W.

To properly determine what is needed in a structural health monitoring system, actual operational structures need to be studied. We have found that to effectively monitor the structural condition of an operational structure four areas must be addressed: determination of damage-sensitive parameters, test planning, information condensation, and damage identification techniques. In this work, each of the four areas has been exercised on an operational structure. The structures studied were all be wind turbines of various designs. The experiments are described and lessons learned will be presented. The results of these studies include a broadening of experience in the problems of monitoring actual structures as well as developing a process for implementing such monitoring systems.