Validation of a new structural health monitoring technique of a wind turbine prototype

The aim of this paper is to validate a new proposed technique for Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) of Wind Turbine (WT). This technique, recently published in Ben Hassena et al. [1], is an identification model-based technique derived from a mathematical modeling. The damage identification is based on dynamic analysis, i.e. especially based on time domain responses of the WT. For validation purpose, a new Finite Element Method (FEM) model of a Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine (HAWT) prototype is developed and a modal and steady state transient dynamic analysis are performed. The dynamic behaviors resulting from numerical and analytical models are compared, and thus, we notice good agreements of the results. By presenting modal analysis and time response of a cracked HAWT structure, we demonstrate efficiency of the identification model-base technique to detect damages in WT blades.