Wind Turbine Health Monitoring
In this blog, we will put the enclosure through its paces and see how it holds up against different environmental conditions. The tests are performed on the sensor node enclosure 1554H2GYCL. The following are the series of tests performed:
- Water Leakage Test (Empty Box)
- High Vibration Test (Electronics Included)
- River Water Test (Electronics Included)
Water Leakage Test (Empty Box)
This is the first test that was performed on the enclosure. After mounting all the cable glands and connectors onto the sensor node, the enclosure was submerged in a bucket of water and was checked for any leakage through bubble formation. Here are some snapshots from it.
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High Vibration Testing
The enclosure, containing all the electronics, is mounted on the wind turbine pole and tested against high-speed winds, which generate vibrations peaking more than 6G's. The Hammond mounting brackets do their job well of holding the enclosure in place to get reliable sensor data. The enclosure retains its shape and remains rugged even during strong wind and vibrations. Here is a video of it.
River Water Testing
The final testing was done with the sensor node enclosure dipped and submerged in the river. As the majority of the wind turbines are located near water bodies, this test somewhat simulates a similar weather condition that the enclosure has to withstand when mounted on the real wind turbine. The enclosures lived up to their expectation. No leakage of water into the enclosure was found. The sensor node kept on working even when submerge into the flowing river water. Below are some pictures and videos of the same:
