1. Mark A. Rumsey Wind Energy Technology Department Sandia National Laboratories 505-844-3910 marumse@sandia.gov www.sandia.gov/wind Blade Sensors Sandia is a multiprogram laboratory operated by Sandia Corporation, a Lockheed Martin Company, for the United States Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-AC04-94AL85000.

2. Why Sensors? Technology ImprovementsEstimated COE Improvement Larger-scale 2 to 5MW - (rotors up to 120m)0%  5% Advanced rotors and controls – (flexible, low-solidity, higher speed, hybrid carbon-glass-15%  7% and advanced and innovative designs) Advanced drive train concepts - (Hybrid drive trains with low-speed PM generators and-10%  7% other innovative designs including reduced cost PE) New tower concepts - (taller, modular, field assembled, load feedback control)-2%  5% Improved availability and reduced losses - (better controls, -5%  3% siting and improved availability) Manufacturing improvements - (new manufacturing methods, -7%  3% volume production and learning effects) Region and site tailored designs (tailoring of larger 100MW -5%  2% wind farm turbine designs to unique sites) -44%  32% Sensors are directly involved in: TIO exercise: Thresher: 5/02

3. Current Location of Sensors on a Wind Turbine Nacelle Wind inflow Structural, Mechanical and Electrical Basic control and status Inflow meteorological tower Tower Base Structural, Mechanical and Electrical Main turbine control and status SCADA I/O Blades - No sensors!

4. So What are Doing with Sensors? Sensing Technology Focus –Fiber optic based sensors –Piezoelectric based sensors Goals –Controls –Manufacturing –Reliability Current Efforts –Submitted a DOE STTR with Aither, Inc., to package a low-cost fiber optic interrogator –Close to submitting a WFO with Acellent, Inc., to test a commercial product –Several collaborations with the Sandia FAA-AANC and Structural Dynamics Departments –Working with NASA to explore the feasibility of PZT’s for structural health monitoring –Assembling a structural health monitoring team for wind applications –Exploring possibilities of collaborating with SNL MEMS facility –Expecting to work with award winners of DOE SBIR Structural Health Monitoring solicitations