Developing a measurement setup and investigating impact-induced wave propagation in glassfiber-reinforced plastic using acceleration sensors

Abstract Mitigating the climate change and preserving biodiversity are both crucial to maintain the Earth’s habitability for future generations. While wind energy turbines are urgently needed for sustainable power generation, the threat they pose to already endangered bird and bat species must be addressed. To develop a measurement setup that reliably counts impacts on rotor blades is therefore indispensable to establish effective preventive measures. In this work, we developed a test setup designed to resemble the conditions of a bat or bird strike. Furthermore, we investigated four different sensor types in regard of their feasibility for the intended use case by comparing signal-to-noise ratios, cross-correlations and material related parameters such as wave propagation times and damping factors. The results clearly indicate that two sensors are well suited for further development, and that the proposed setup provides a reliable basis for detailed analysis of the distinct signal characteristics.