TURBINE INSPECTION
FEATURE SPONSOR
THE IMPORTANCE OF WIND TURBINE INSPECTIONS
One major concern when investing in wind turbine projects is related to turbine availability, which results in the risk of lower energy output from the wind turbines due to standstill and repair periods.
Reliability of a wind turbine is essential for a windfarm to perform cost effectively. A minor failure of a component of the wind turbine can cause undesirable down-time and loss of production. Maintenance of wind turbines is costly and one of the approaches to reduce costs is to carry out a full commissioning inspection followed by scheduled maintenance inspections to predict where possible, failures of components as early as possible.
IN-MAINTENANCE INSPECTIONS With the increased number of installed wind turbines and major failures of essential components, the need for in-maintenance inspections cannot be ignored. Some components, although designed to last the entire lifetime of the turbine, fail earlier than expected and cause unscheduled down-time which obviously affects wind turbine availability and the overall profitability of the wind turbine project.
At Windtex Engineering Ltd maintenance inspections involve a team of inspection specialists who can inspect a variety of common components which regularly fail during planned maintenance stoppage. Using a turbine specific system of inspection methods ensures that any unexpected failure from normal conditions is reported as early as possible in order to prevent further damage and down-time to the wind turbine.
The company believes that in- maintenance inspections can massively reduce unplanned wind turbine down- time, providing sustainable running costs with return on investment.
BLADE INSPECTIONS They offer detailed blade inspection via a combination of the latest technology UAV systems and conventional rope access inspection methods. A range of inspection methods which can be
chosen for each specific project is important to give the client choice and flexibility due to budget, geographical location and weather conditions.
UAV Inspection is a quick and safe way of inspecting your wind turbine blades. Thanks to Windtex’s highly skilled operators and latest camera and UAV technology, a complete turbine inspection can be performed within two hours by only one operator without the need to get off the ground. The company’s UAV blade inspection service includes HD imaging, GPS information for providing accuracy of dimensions for each defect recorded. Inspection results are provided on detailed reports with DVD’s for Hi-Res imaging. Ultimately, hands-on rope access inspection gives the client comfort that the wind turbine blade is checked perfectly and that defects are not missed, where a UAV may not identify invisible faults that can only be detected by touch. Windtex Engineering Limited employ blade inspection technicians with a proven and experienced background as they understand the importance of the service they are providing and realise that the technicians’ expertise on site is where they excel.
GEARBOX INSPECTIONS
Wind turbine inspection covers a wide variety of activities. One of the most important areas of concern due to cost and down-time issues is the replacement of a wind turbine’s gearbox, which often fail prematurely, long before they have completed their life span. Some wind projects experience failure rates of up to 50 percent within the space of a few years. This can be for a variety of reasons, material failure, sub-standard components and even mother nature,
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www.windenergynetwork.co.uk
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