How much do wind turbine rotor blades bend during operation and how can this effect be measured precisely without shutting them down? Martina Göring, a geoinformatics specialist and research assistant at the Institute for Applied Photogrammetry and Geoinformatics (IAPG) at Jade University, addressed this question in her doctoral thesis entitled ‘Development and validation of a laser scanner-based measurement method for recording moving rotor blades’. She then developed a novel method and a device that combines laser measurements and photogrammetric images to accurately record deformations in rotor blades.

Göring's concept uses four synchronised laser distance meters and several cameras aligned with the rotor blade. A specially developed algorithm converts the one-dimensional laser data into a three-dimensional coordinate system. This allows complex, dynamic deformations such as twists to be analysed very precisely – without the need for time-consuming marking points.

‘Finding creative solutions to problems that arise in application and developing the right approaches with our measurement technology is a great motivation for me,’ explains Dr. Martina Göring.

In addition to monitoring rotor blade deformations, Göring's work opens up new perspectives for optimising the operating conditions and maintenance strategies of wind turbines. When the highly accurate data is incorporated into deformation analyses, potential damage can be detected at an early stage and energy production efficiency can be increased. Göring's research thus contributes to the further development of sustainable and cost-effective technologies in the field of renewable energies.

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