Patent ID: 9255886
Filing Date: 2016-02-09
CPC Classification: F03D,G01M,G01N,Y02E

Claim Text:
1. A system of detecting damage to a wind turbine blade, comprising: one or more fluorescent optical fibres operatively mounted within the wind turbine blade and comprising a fluorescent material having an excitation wavelength such that, upon damage to the wind turbine blade, at least a part of one or more fluorescent optical fibres is exposed to ambient radiation at a surface of the wind turbine blade causing the one or more fluorescent optical fibres to fluoresce; a light detector for detecting a light signal from at least one end of the one or more fluorescent optical fibres only upon excitation of the fluorescent material when the one or more fluorescent optical fibres is exposed to the ambient radiation and outputting a signal indicating damage to the wind turbine blade based on detection of the light signal; and a controller coupled to the light detector to receive the signal.