They develop a system to power the sensors of the windmills without batteries or electricity sources

2025/01/27 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Energia berriztagarriak
• Energia
• Ingeniaritza

A researcher at the Public University of Navarra has developed a system for powering sensors that monitor wind turbines without batteries or electricity sources. This technology allows these devices to be supplied with energy autonomously, thus overcoming one of the main obstacles in the continuous monitoring of windmills: the electrical supply of the sensors.

The prevention and maintenance of structural faults in wind turbines is becoming increasingly necessary as wind farms age. To ensure the safety and efficiency of these facilities, the key to monitoring structural health is the implementation of a multitude of sensors. These devices continuously measure the vibrations, mechanisms and blades present in the tower and send this information in real time to interpret it and thus allow appropriate interventions. One of the major challenges for this technology is to power these sensors with electrical energy, which is not always available in the specific areas where it is needed.

According to J. Carlos Castellano Aldave, an industrial engineer at the NUP, has designed and studied a family of devices for collecting residual energy from the area in his doctoral thesis. And, he concludes, these devices can provide a reliable and autonomous energy source for the sensors used to monitor the structural health of air generators.

Castellano has developed devices that collect energy from the environment, such as vibrations, heat and sunlight, and convert it into useful electricity. This makes it possible to power small appliances such as sensors. During the testing phase, one of these devices has been installed in a wind tower and its operation is now being evaluated under real conditions to verify its response.