Acquiring clean energy must be safe and affordable, and this requires a different approach. This creates the need to develop an innovative condition monitoring system (CMS) that is free of the aforementioned drawbacks. A reliable and cost-effective CMS should be wireless, yet powered by a remote power source such as a battery or a self-powered system (energy harvester). The WIRELSESS BLADE project is innovative. It demonstrates wireless, RFI-resistant, low-energy sensors that monitor critical areas of a wind turbine blade, such as the blade cap to the maximum chord cross-section. In parallel to the collection of sensor signals, a numerical model of the blade is created, capable of performing near real-time simulations. The combination of the two technologies results in a functional digital twin of the blade. Based on a limited number of sensors, the measurement data is streamed to the virtual model and the result of the simulation is full strain field information. Such a system is referred to as a digital twin. It provides the manager of manufacturing assets with a unique opportunity to optimise operation and maintenance decisions. The digital twin makes it possible to switch to predictive maintenance and thus significantly reduce operation and maintenance costs.
