Research and Development of Nondestructive Detection Technology for Wind Turbine Blades

In addition to withstanding aerodynamic forces, blades also experience other forces such as gravity and centrifugal force during operation, as well as damage from rain, snow, sand, salt spray, lightning and other factors, making the wind turbine blade structure and surface vulnerable. Failure to detect and repair such damage in a timely manner can lead to reduced power generation efficiency, downtime and even accidents. Therefore, damage detection of wind turbine blades is of great significance for ensuring the safe and efficient operation of wind turbines and reducing the cost of power generation over the life cycle of the system. This article provides a comprehensive review of the types and causes of wind turbine blade damage based on relevant literature from both Chinese and international sources. It also systematically introduces existing wind turbine blade damage detection technologies, categorizing them into real-time online monitoring and non-real-time detection, and compares the advantages and disadvantages of each technology. Finally, based on the actual engineering application of wind turbines and the development of non-destructive testing technology, the future development trend of non-destructive monitoring/detection technology for wind turbine blades is proposed.