Blade forces

US researchers have developed a technique that uses sensors and software to constantly monitor forces exerted on wind-turbine blades.

The research by engineers at Purdue University and Sandia National Laboratories is part of an effort to develop a smarter wind-turbine structure.

'The ultimate goal is to feed information from the sensors into an active control system that precisely adjusts components to optimise efficiency,' said Purdue doctoral student Jonathan White, who is leading the research with Douglas Adams, a professor of mechanical engineering and director of Purdue's Center for Systems Integrity.

The system could also improve wind-turbine reliability by providing critical real-time information to a control system to prevent catastrophic wind-turbine damage from high winds.

The engineers embedded sensors called uniaxial and triaxial accelerometers inside a wind-turbine blade as the blade was being built.