Systems and methods for performing external inspections and internal inspections on wind turbine blades and correlating the external and internal inspections with one another are disclosed herein. A method of inspecting a wind turbine blade includes analyzing an exterior of the blade to produce external blade data, analyzing an interior of the blade to produce internal blade data, correlating a first position of the internal blade data with a second position of the external blade, and displaying an image including the first position and the second position.

Wind turbine ice protection control systems and methods for controlling ice protection measures at a wind turbine are provided. The ice protection control system operates in multiple locations: the first being at least one remote wind turbine site and the second at least one offsite control office location. The ice protection control system includes sensors on at least one wind turbine at least one remote site for sensing internal and external environmental conditions and/or wind turbine outputs. The sensors output data which is received by a network at the wind turbine and then sent to a second network at an offsite location where it is analyzed to determine actions to be taken. In this way, multiple wind turbines at multiple wind turbine remote sites can be controlled by a single control system. Systems and methods for creating, retrieving, and storing sensor data within the ice protection control systems are also discussed.

Embodiments according to the present invention include a device for providing an electrical test signal, for performing a continuity test of an electrical line of an object, including: a communication module configured to receive an activation signal for switching the device from a passive operating mode to an active operating mode, and to obtain a deactivation signal for switching the device from the active operating mode to the passive operating mode. Furthermore, the device includes a signal generator configured to generate the electrical test signal in the active operating mode. In addition, the device includes an energy source configured to supply the communication module and the signal generator with energy. The device also includes a coupling-in module configured to couple the electrical test signal into the electrical line of the object in the active operating mode.

A wind turbine that includes a plurality of turbine blades. Each of the plurality of turbine blades includes a plurality of openings that extend through each of the plurality of turbine blades, the plurality of openings are adapted to be opened or closed, and at least one of the plurality of openings is adapted to be opened to allow air to flow therethrough.

A condition monitoring device for a lightning protection system (LPS) of a wind turbine blade, wherein the condition monitoring device is mountable to a wind turbine. The device includes, a signal generation unit configured to generate and input probe signals into a protection unit of the LPS and/or to at least one tower conducting unit. The device includes a measurement unit configured to detect response signals, which are a system response of the probe signals via a wireless coupling between the LPS and the tower conducting unit. A control unit is configured to control the signal unit and the measurement unit and to process the response signals.

An assembly for determining the electrical angle of a rotor in an electrical machine is provided, such as a wind turbine generator. The assembly includes: (a) an encoder having an encoder wheel configured to contact a surface of the rotor to obtain relative rotor rotation information based on rotation of the encoder wheel, (b) an electrical angle observer configured to provide an absolute electrical angle, and (c) a processing device coupled to communicate with the encoder and the electrical angle observer and configured to determine the electrical angle of the rotor based on the relative rotor rotation information and the absolute electrical angle. Furthermore, a wind turbine generator including such an assembly, and a method of determining the electrical angle of a rotor in an electrical machine, such as a wind turbine generator, are provided.

A load mitigation arrangement of a non-mounted rotor blade, includes at least one actuatable lift-modification device arranged on a surface of the rotor blade; a monitor configured to estimate the magnitudes of loads acting on the non-mounted rotor blade; a controller configured to actuate the lift-modification device on the basis of the estimated magnitudes to mitigate the loads acting on the non-mounted rotor blade. Further provided is a rotor blade assembly, and a method of performing load mitigation on a non-mounted rotor blade.

A wind turbine monitoring device for monitoring a wind turbine including a lightning sensor for detecting a lightning strike on a wind turbine blade includes a lightning parameter acquisition part configured to acquire at least one lightning parameter based on an output of the lightning sensor, a lightning level determination part configured to determine a level of the lightning strike based on the at least one lightning parameter acquired by the lightning parameter acquisition part; and an inspection control part configured to judge whether it is necessary to automatically inspect the wind turbine blade by at least one inspection unit for inspecting the wind turbine blade, according the level of the lightning strike determined by the lightning level determination part.

The disclosure relates to a wind turbine blade inspection system and method based on an unmanned aerial vehicle. The system includes: a collection module, used for collecting blade data and surrounding environment data of blades to be inspected, determining feature inspection points of the unmanned aerial vehicle according to the blade data and the surrounding environment data, and generating inspection paths; an inspection module, used for shooting corresponding blade at the feature inspection points according to the inspection paths to obtain a first inspection image and a second inspection image; an analysis module, used for receiving the first inspection image and the second inspection image, analyzing the first inspection image and the second inspection image to obtain a health state of the corresponding blade, and making a maintenance plan according to the health state of each of the blades.

Evaluating localized atmospheric conditions for selected cloud seeding to enhance localized electrical power generation from wind turbines by receiving, at a computer, wind farm data related to a plurality of wind turbines for generating electrical power at a location. The wind farm data collected from sensors at the location. An atmospheric condition in the atmosphere at the location is assessed by the computer, using the wind farm data and the data of the atmospheric conditions. The computer generates a prediction of an impact of the atmospheric condition on the atmospheric wind speed resulting in a wind turbine power output reduction. A determination is made when to initiate cloud seeding to generate rain at the location and reduce the atmospheric condition. Generating a communication to a control system which includes a recommendation to initiate the cloud seeding based on the prediction.