Sensoria - Monitoring Sensor Installation Services
Sensoria is an advanced equipment and service solution developed by MISTRAS Group for managing the integrity of wind turbine blades. Sensoria's installation process is designed to be compatible with turbines from all major manufacturers, ensuring minimal alterations to existing structures and providing ease of integration. The system is positioned in the hub of the wind turbine, with an Acoustic Emission (AE) sensor placed in each blade's bulkhead to detect potential damage and relay accurate information to on-site personnel. The innovative design supports various bolting options and power configurations, offering flexibility in different installation scenarios. Safety is prioritized through rigorous pre-installation checks, including certifications and documentation validation for technicians. Sensoria's comprehensive monitoring capabilities enable wind energy organizations to maintain oversight of blade conditions, ensuring operational efficiency and contributing to the overall asset protection strategy.
Sensoria™ can be installed in turbines from all major manufacturers. Our installation teams look for one common denominator when installing the system in any turbine: minimizing alterations of existing structures.
Sensoria™ is an easy-to-install monitoring tool that’s applicable for all wind turbines and enables blade integrity visibility for wind farm personnel. This innovative solution is designed to enhance your ability to check in on the status of your blades at any time, delivering valuable monitoring oversight.
Power can be provided either through a permanent or temporary connection. Information regarding the type of power that’s available in the turbine and location should be determined before installation, or during the initial walk-down.
While Sensoria is an easy-to-install monitoring solution, both the system and sensor installation require the utmost attention when it comes to safety. Before installing Sensoria, there are a series of checks and balances that must be confirmed before kick-off, including:
- Ensuring the crew of technicians have required certifications and training
- Forms and permits allowing personnel to start working on-site
- Validating technicians have current Lock Out Tag Out (LOTO) documentation
- Listing of all installer responsibilities and actions to be performed on-site
The main system is placed in the hub of the wind turbine, while one AE sensor is installed inside each of the individual blade bulkheads. To ensure that the most accurate information is relayed back to on-site personnel teams, both the system and sensors interact with one another to detect damages and other potential issues.
Bolting Options
Sensoria must be securely bolted to the turbine to ensure proper operation. The system can be secured with three bolting options, including:
- Directly bolted to the turbine
- Use of an installation plate
- Attached to a Unistrut frame for stability
- Sensor installation requires access to the inside of the blade by removing the blade bulkhead and requires LOTO. The specific procedures will be farm/site dependent
- Installation of the blade monitoring system requires a minimum of three people on-site
- At least one person on-site is usually placed at the nose cone, hub, or stationed at the nacelle
- Site personnel oversee safe access to hub and operating the rotor for rotor/blade repositioning