Inspection of wind turbines using a drone
A wind turbine as an instrument of regenerative energy production is an installation that already characterizes our landscape in the Federal Republic of Germany. For companies and municipalities that use wind power, it is an investment that is initially associated with high costs. Maintaining the value of the wind turbine is important. A solid basis for this is to carry out regular maintenance and inspections - for example the precise rotor blade inspection.
The drone is a powerful tool when it comes to bringing the required measurement technology to a building or to its hard-to-reach places. While using a drone benefits from a detailed resolution of the data, the employees are not exposed to any danger. Another advantage relates to the 360-degree recording, which is possible over the entire surface of a wind turbine. If abnormalities occur in the following years, the recordings can be compared with the current data from the drone inspection. This is an invaluable advantage for the expert.
What are the advantages of a regular drone inspection of wind turbines?
The condition of the rotor blades is essential for the smooth functioning of the wind turbine. Ultimately, this results in the energy yield. Wind turbines are equipped with rotor blades that have to withstand enormous forces in daily operation. They have to function fully in strong winds or rain in order to produce energy reliably. As soon as the rotor blades begin to erode, their surface cracks at the coating. If frost then occurs, the energy yield of the wind turbine deteriorates. The safety of the wind turbine would also no longer be guaranteed, which could result in rust damage to the tower or loss of oil in the nacelle. This could also cause environmental damage.
The regular inspection of a wind turbine with a drone is an optimal preparation for larger inspections of wind turbines. Anyone who only has the legally prescribed maintenance and inspections carried out on the wind turbine risks minor damage, which over time and unnoticed can lead to major damage with a high rate of damage costs can develop. So it makes more sense to stop the wind turbine site for a few hours so that the inspection can be carried out with a drone than to risk a costly total wind turbine failure. The drone inspection for wind turbines is worthwhile in any case, as major maintenance measures can be planned reliably and sensibly. This results in precise data and aerial photos in high-resolution quality, which can be recorded from every conceivable perspective. The aerial photo data can be used as often as you like and provide information about damage to the wind turbine.
.
Maintenance and inspection of wind turbines with drones
What is recorded during the drone inspection of wind turbines?
Coating of the rotor blades for cracks and spalling
Damage to the nacelle to avoid environmental damage from escaping oil
Wear and erosion damage to rotor blades
Assessment of the lightning conductors on the wind turbine
Damage to the tower of the wind turbine
Can the wind turbine also be inspected from the inside with a drone?
Thanks to our special Flyabilty Elios 2 drone, we can also carry out inspection flights inside the tower, the nacelle and the rotor blades.
Indoor inspection of a wind turbine with the Flyability Elios 2 drone
Flyability has already successfully tested this method with the energy company Ørsted. An inspection flight was carried out inside a rotor blade with the Elios 2 drone. Using the Elios 2 to inspect the inside of the blade allowed the inspectors to collect 40% more visual data of the blade than would have been possible with an inspection using industrial climbers. With the Elios 2 drone, the rotor blade inspection could be carried out twice as fast as with conventional methods. For wind power operators, every second that a turbine is down means potential lost revenue. Increasing the speed of inspecting a wind turbine therefore also means an increase in revenue for the wind turbine operator.
How does an inspection with drones on a wind turbine work?
During the drone inspection of the wind turbine, aerial photographs are taken, which are used for evaluation and maintenance. Minor repairs can be repaired immediately, alternatively, suspected damage to the wind turbine is analyzed in more detail. This is done, for example, by measuring the depth of the crack on the rotor blades or tapping them. In this way, minor damage can be uncovered with the drone. This can, for example, be an inconspicuous crack in the rotor blade or its surface. This saves the operator of the wind turbine repair costs and downtime. They also benefit from the good conscience of having their wind turbine checked regularly in order to detect and rectify potential damage at an early stage.
In order to inspect the wind turbine with a drone, fewer personnel are usually required than for complex maintenance of the wind turbine. A drone pilot is usually sufficient for the operation. So that the drone can be used without restrictions, the weather must play along. Of course, storms or heavy rain are not good operating conditions. This would reduce the quality of the recordings, but the risk of the drone colliding with the wind turbine is even greater. The drone is ready to use in no time, so the drone inspection can start quickly. If the drone inspection can be carried out as planned, individual components of the wind turbine will be flown over systematically and one after the other, with aerial photographs being taken from different perspectives. Certain areas of the wind turbine can also be flown over repeatedly or more intensively. These are mostly components that the operator of the wind turbine can assume are more vulnerable and require special inspection. The aerial photographs will be evaluated afterwards. The aerial photo data is then processed for further use.
Construction progress documentation using a drone during the construction of a wind turbine
Not only wind turbines and their individual components can be inspected in the best possible way with a drone. The drone is also ideal for documenting the construction progress of a new wind turbine. A drone used for construction documentation offers numerous perspectives that are not possible from the ground. The drone thus represents an enormous relief for the entire ground team, which is used to carry out complex and time-consuming tasks. This can be used, for example, to check the angle at which the rotor blade approaches the hub. Its attachment can thus be processed as smoothly as possible. The drone flight is also ideal for the publication of video recordings of construction progress. Involved business partners or interested citizens can be informed about the progress of the project in this way. In addition, you have the opportunity to take a completely new look at the imposing energy suppliers.