Load monitoring for active control of wind turbines

This review article examines the range of sensors that have been proposed for monitoring wind turbine blade loads for the purpose of active load control over the past decade. Wind turbine active load control requires sensors that are able to detect loads as they occur, in order to enable a prompt actuation of control devices. Loads may be detected based on structural effects or inferred from aerodynamic measurements. This paper is organized into the following sections: wind turbine control, requirements for load monitoring sensors, sensing technologies and field tests of load control. The types of sensors examined in this article include fiber optic sensors, inertial sensors, pressure measurements and remote optical sensing.