Technology

Insensys Independent Pitch Control, Rotor Monitoring and Test & Measurement Systems are all based on the same patented, state of the art, optical fibre sensing technology. This technology has enabled us to develop systems for the Wind Energy industry that have considerable technical and commercial advantages over conventional electrical and fibre optic configurations.

Our technology exhibits the following features:

All solid-state - there are no moving parts, so the systems are extremely robust, compact and very well suited to the harsh environment of a wind turbine.

Time Division Multiplexing (TDM) Technology - our patented TDM technology means that every sensor is identical, so that where sensors are factory-fitted, every blade is fully interchangeable.  Up to 100 sensors can be measured with a single system, each with a very wide strain range (9000 microstrain) so the system is highly expandable and upgradeable with extra functionality.

Longevity - our sensors have been fatigue tested to tens of millions of cycles at strains of up to +/- 4,500 microstrain, with no failures, no diminution in performance or sensitivity and no drift.  This is in stark contrast to conventional electrical strain gauges, which are renowned for delamination, drift and failure after only a few hundred thousand cycles.  This gives our customers confidence to embed our systems in their turbines' control systems, where reliability is paramount.  No Insensys sensor has ever failed in service.

Immunity to interference - Our systems have no electrical connections in the blades or to the sensors, so are completely immune to lightning damage, electrical interference and noise.  All communications to and from the system are digital and incorporate full error detection.  This avoids the problems of conventional analogue technologies whereby electrical noise prevalent in the turbine environment makes the load readings unreliable.

Embedded sensors - Our specially packaged sensors can be embedded during the blade manufacturing process and are designed for easy installation.  No complex extra processes are required - the sensors are installed by the composite technicians on the blade shop floor, and our customers have confidence that the sensors are permanently, robustly, installed and will last as long as the blade.  Alternatively, the sensors may be easily retro-fitted to an existing turbine in less than a day.

Accuracy - Our systems are accurate to within a few microstrain, over -40 to +60 deg C, 0 to 100% humidity, with zero drift.  The resolution is less than 1 microstrain (an extension of 1 part in 1 million).  This means that even very small loads can be easily and reliably measured, which facilitates excellent sensitivity to blade damage, imbalance and ice build-up, using our RMS system.

Our sensor systems and interrogator units have been specifically designed and rigorously tested to satisfy the demanding requirements of wind turbine operation over its operational life of at least 20 years.