Proven strength of the new ice detection sensor generation

At two Austrian wind farms located in alpine regions at 1,400 and 1,600 meters above sea level, harsh environmental conditions such as cold temperatures, lightning, hail, and mechanical stress pose ongoing challenges for rotorblade-mounted sensor systems. In both wind farms, the turbines are equipped with both our previous and our advanced sensor generation.

In April and June respectively, two separate thunderstorms passed through these wind farms, each with lightning activity. These events provided a clear opportunity to observe the performance and robustness of the new generation of wireless ON-BLADE ice detection sensors compared to the previous generation.

Robust by design: What changed

To meet the demands of increasingly harsh operating weather conditions, not only the design and individual components have been improved. Like the previous generations, the new ice detection sensor generation had to undergo various tests.

• Lightning protection ring: A newly integrated protection ring around the sensor board significantly enhances resistance to lightning strikes.
• Upgraded battery: A more robust battery with longer autonomy, even without sunlight, and increased environmental resistance was introduced.
• Improved transmission: Communication performance was optimized to ensure consistent data flow even in adverse conditions.

Performance in the field

During the April storm at 1,400 meters above sea level, 5 wireless ON-BLADE ice detection sensors from the previous generation failed due to lightning-related effects. Nevertheless, the storm proved one thing above all: the increased robustness of the new generation of sensors. However, all 10 sensors from the newly developed generation remained fully operational.

Only two months later, the ice detection sensors were put to the test again. In June, another thunderstorm struck a second wind farm at 1,600 meters elevation. Again, 10 legacy sensors were affected and went offline, while 10 out of 11 new-generation sensors continued to function reliably.

These two real-world weather events demonstrated a substantial improvement in durability, confirming the enhanced robustness and reliability of the new wireless blade sensors.

Validated by extensive testing

All enhancements were validated through a series of internal tests designed to simulate real-world extremes:

High-voltage flash test

Multiple protection ring designs were tested in a high-voltage lab. Final configurations demonstrated reliable performance under simulated lightning conditions.

Hail impact simulation

The sensor’s physical resilience was verified through lab-based hail bombardment, followed by X-ray analysis. The new generation showed that it can withstand weather conditions such as heavy rain and light hail without any problems.

Bending test

The mechanical flexibility was evaluated. The new generation demonstrated significantly improved bendability and structural integrity.

Field validation

With over 500 sensors installed in cold climate regions and at high-altitude, exposed alpine locations with extreme weather conditions last year, field experience further confirmed the durability gains under a variety of environmental conditions.

Conclusion

The enhanced generation of EOLOGIX-PING’s wireless ON-BLADE ice detection sensors has been carefully engineered to meet the challenges of modern turbine operations, particularly in harsh alpine environments. While the previous generation performed reliably under normal conditions, these events and test results clearly demonstrate that the new sensor generation provides a higher level of robustness and operational reliability.

Key takeaways

• Proven in the field: New-generation sensors stayed online during severe lightning events while legacy units failed.
• Built for extremes: Lightning, hail, and mechanical stress tests confirmed the improved design.
• Future-ready reliability: Engineering improvements build trust in long-term sensor performance for demanding wind farm environments.