Method and apparatus for remote feature measurement in distorted images

摘要

A method and apparatus for ground or unmanned aerial vehicle based wind turbine blade inspection consisting of a thermal imaging camera configured to detect the presence of defects by acquiring thermal imaging data from a rotating wind turbine blade when it is not exposed to solar radiation heating and analyzing the thermal imaging data with a processor to identify thermal effects associated with latent defects or damage caused by internal friction due to cyclic gravitational stresses and wind loads during normal turbine operation or aerodynamic cooling of the area around a breach in the blade shell by escaping air, or blockage of residual heat flow or thermoelectric emissions from the rotating blade by the presence of delamination or crushing damage to the blade shell. The system permits latent defects to be identified using a ground-based in situ inspection before they become easily visually apparent, which allowing repairs to be made economically while the blade is in place.

主权项

1. A method of remotely inspecting a rotating wind turbine blade in situ, comprising:
imaging a wind turbine blade with a thermal imaging camera while the blade is rotating and undergoing cyclic load due to gravity and variations in wind loads and producing thermoelastic emissions, and when the wind turbine blade has substantially reached thermal equilibrium with ambient air alter sunset; capturing thermal imaging data; and analyzing the thermal imaging data to identify atypical thermal patterns indicative of a flaw in the wind turbine blade.