Internal Structural Damage Monitor
Ping Monitor root zone internal damage detection
The internal Ping Monitor uses sound emission to detect root zone structural damage.
Sound from wind turbine blades is received by the microphone and processed through different algorithms to identify noise from damage. Then the data is sent to the Ping Cloud for analysis and blade conditions report.
The internal Ping Monitor is self-contained, self-powered via a kinetic power supply, and self-communicating, with no connection to wind turbine systems.
In robust housing to support simple internal installation at the blade access panel, or within the blade depending on preference. With one monitor installed per blade, operators can know which blade has changed damaged levels via Ping Cloud.
The Monitor can be upgraded to include the Lightning Detection System, where lightning events are recorded with a timestamp and location of the strike, and alerts provided within 30 minutes.
Types of damage detected
Transverse crack
A transverse crack often occurs in the trailing edge region of the blade when subjected to excessive edgewise fatigue load.
Internal delimination
Delamination may reduce the critical buckling load of the blade and reduce the overall stiffness and strength of the blade.
Root zone damage
Detect structural transverse cracks, de-laminations and max chord damage.
What is Ping Cloud?
Ping Cloud is a browser-based tool providing access the observations, and associated tools, produced as part of the Ping Monitor services.
The Damage Indicator screen provides an overview of the metrics from the Ping Monitor over time, showing trends in the data sets which identify specific turbines that need further investigation.
(click image to view larger version)
Y: List of turbines
X: Time line
Damage Indicator: Damage indicator scale
The Turbine screen enables operators to drill into turbine specific information with a graphical view of changes to damage indicators over time, a history of alarms and operator entered comments about turbine conditions.
(click image to view larger version)
Y: Damage scale 1 – 5
X: Time line
Green line: Wind turbine damage indicator
Map below: Site map
Ping Cloud allows for the configuration of alert triggers to passively monitor the damage indicators from turbines via email notifications.