Apparatus and method for detecting solid water build-up

Abstract

An apparatus according to an embodiment comprises a wind turbine with a hub supporting a blade, and a sensor disposed and configured to monitor the blade and to produce a respective output signal. A computer processor disposed and configured to receive the output signal of the sensor executes a computer software application to facilitate comparing the output signal to a predetermined value to determine whether solid water is present at the blade and providing an indication of solid water build-up when solid water is present.

1 . An apparatus comprising:
 a wind turbine comprising a hub supporting a blade;   a sensor disposed and configured to monitor the blade and to produce a respective output signal; and   a computer processor disposed and configured to receive the output signal of the sensor and to execute a computer software application to facilitate:   comparing the output signal to a predetermined value to determine whether solid water is present at the blade; and   providing an indication of solid water build-up when solid water is present.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the sensor is mounted on the hub of the wind turbine adjacent a root of the blade and is disposed and configured to monitor a leading edge of the respective blade. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising at least one additional blade and a respective sensor mounted on the hub adjacent a respective root of each at least one additional blade, each sensor being disposed and configured to monitor a respective leading edge of each at least one additional blade. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the sensor is mounted centrally on a nose of the hub and is disposed and configured to monitor the blade. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising at least one additional blade and wherein the sensor is disposed and configured to monitor all of the blades. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 5  wherein the sensor is disposed and configured to monitor each of the blades of the wind turbine one at a time. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the sensor is a first sensor and is mounted on the blade proximate to the hub and the apparatus further comprises a second sensor mounted on the blade proximate to the hub, wherein each of the sensors is disposed and configured to monitor the blade along a respective direction. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 7  wherein one of the first and second sensors is disposed and configured to monitor a leading edge of the blade. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 7  wherein the blade has a higher pressure surface and a lower pressure surface and one of the first and second sensors is disposed and configured to monitor a lower pressure surface of the blade. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 7  further comprising at least one additional blade and a respective pair of first and second sensors mounted on the hub proximate to a respective root of each at least one additional blade. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the wind turbine further comprises a nacelle and the sensor is mounted on the nacelle and is disposed and configured to monitor surfaces of the blade in a windward field of view. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein providing an indication of solid water build-up comprises displaying an image of the blade with a graphical representation of the output signal of the sensor superimposed on the image of the blade. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the sensor is responsive to a reflective characteristic of a surface of the blade. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein providing an indication of solid water build-up comprises triggering an alarm. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the sensor is an infrared sensor. 
     
     
         16 . A system comprising:
 a wind turbine comprising a hub supporting a blade;   a sensor disposed and configured to monitor the blade and to produce a respective output signal;   a computer, including a computer processor, disposed and configured to receive data carried by the output signal from the sensor, to compare the data to a predetermined value to determine whether solid water is present at the blade, and to provide an indication of solid water build-up when solid water is present at the blade.   
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16  further comprising a graphical display on which the computer displays a graphical representation of the data superimposed over an image of the monitored at least one blade. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17  wherein the indication of solid water build-up is a graphical cue. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 16  wherein the sensor is disposed and configured to monitor a leading edge of the blade. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 16  wherein the sensor is an infrared sensor.