Abstract: A wind turbine rotor blade is provided including a reinforcement element embedded in the body of the rotor blade and extending in a longitudinal direction of the rotor blade; a number of piezo-electric transducers arranged between the leading edge of the rotor blade and the reinforcement element; a number of piezo-electric transducers arranged between the reinforcement element and the trailing edge of the rotor blade; and a connector arrangement configured to apply an excitation signal to any one of the piezo-electric transducers, and to transmit a sensed signal from any one of the piezo-electric transducers to an evaluation module. A wind turbine including a number of such rotor blades and a method of measuring strain in a reinforcement element arranged in such a rotor blade is also provided.

Abstract: A wind turbine blade is provided including at least one laminate structure, and at least one connection terminal element, wherein the laminate structure includes a panel core embedded between at least one first laminate layer and at least one second laminate layer, wherein the connection terminal element is arranged in a corresponding opening of the panel core between the first laminate layer and the second laminate layer, wherein the connection terminal element includes at least one first connection portion connected to an embedded electrical conductor embedded in the laminate structure and/or at least one second connection portion adapted to be connected to at least one further electrical conductor arranged outside of the laminate structure.

Abstract: A method for detecting a status of a rotor blade for a wind turbine, the rotor blade including at least an aerodynamic device for influencing the airflow, the aerodynamic device being movable between a first and a second configuration, the method including the steps of: measuring an output signal measured by at least one sensor installed on the wind turbine, moving the aerodynamic device between the first configuration and the second configuration, measuring a change in the induced output signal, post-processing the measured output signal, wherein the post-processing is performed in the frequency domain and includes: deriving a frequency spectrum 1, calculating an upper spectrum interval of the frequency spectrum above a frequency threshold value, comparing the upper spectrum interval with a reference frequency spectrum deriving a status of the rotor blade based on the step of comparing.

Abstract: A method of battery state monitoring includes: (1) providing a battery cell and at least one ultrasonic actuator and at least one ultrasonic sensor mounted to the battery cell; (2) using the ultrasonic actuator, generating a guided wave that propagates in-plane of the battery cell; (3) using the ultrasonic sensor, receiving an arriving wave corresponding to the guided wave; and (4) determining a state of the battery cell based on the arriving wave.

Abstract: Described here is a multifunctional energy storage (MES) composite comprising (a) a stack of energy storage materials and (b) one or more structural facesheets sandwiching the stack of energy storage materials, wherein the stack of battery materials is perforated by (c) one or more reinforcements, and wherein the reinforcements are bonded to the structural facesheets. Also described here is a MES composite comprising (a) a stack of energy storage materials, (b) one or more structural facesheets sandwiching the stack of energy storage materials, and (c) one or more reinforcements perforated by the stack of energy storage materials, wherein the reinforcements are bonded to the structural facesheets.

Abstract: A method of battery state monitoring includes: (1) providing a battery cell and at least one ultrasonic actuator and at least one ultrasonic sensor mounted to the battery cell; (2) using the ultrasonic actuator, generating a guided wave that propagates in-plane of the battery cell; (3) using the ultrasonic sensor, receiving an arriving wave corresponding to the guided wave; and (4) determining a state of the battery cell based on the arriving wave.

Abstract: Described here is a multifunctional energy storage (MES) composite comprising (a) a stack of energy storage materials and (b) one or more structural facesheets sandwiching the stack of energy storage materials, wherein the stack of battery materials is perforated by (c) one or more reinforcements, and wherein the reinforcements are bonded to the structural facesheets. Also described here is a MES composite comprising (a) a stack of energy storage materials, (b) one or more structural facesheets sandwiching the stack of energy storage materials, and (c) one or more reinforcements perforated by the stack of energy storage materials, wherein the reinforcements are bonded to the structural facesheets.