Alpha Wind has launched DragonSky, a blade pitch control solution designed for onshore and offshore wind farms, including those in complex terrain such as mountainous or forested areas. The system uses a drone-mounted LiDAR to perform dynamic, in-operation measurements of rotating wind turbine blades. By reconstructing a 3D model of the rotor in motion, DragonSky captures the aeroelastic behaviour of the entire rotor-turbine assembly under realistic wind, centrifugal, and gravitational loads.
The setup includes a DJI Matrice 350 RTK drone paired with a high-precision LiDAR sensor. While hovering in front of the rotor, the drone enables the LiDAR to scan blade geometry from various distances, depending on turbine specifications, ensuring accurate and tailored data collection.
Key features:
- Inspections can be carried out while the turbine remains in operation
- Results are available shortly after data capture, supporting timely assessments
- Pitch adjustments can be evaluated on site
- No assistance from the turbine manufacturer is required for measurements
- Several blade parameters are analysed, including pitch, tower clearance, twist, and deflection patterns
