Rotor blade and tower inspection by drone
By their very nature, wind turbines cannot function without rotor blades and towers. As both components are exposed to heat, cold and precipitation, regular inspection and maintenance is essential – after all, the turbine should operate safely, efficiently and with minimum downtimes.
Classics with disadvantages
Two classic ways of performing inspections are access by rope and observation with binoculars from the ground. However, both options have their disadvantages: The rope access technique requires elaborate safety measures due to the risk of falling – and is also time-consuming and cost-intensive. Binocular inspection, on the other hand, is faster and less expensive, but is extremely imprecise.
The smart method
A state-of-the-art solution with no drawbacks is the use of a drone. Equipped with high-resolution cameras, the drone can inspect all the rotor blades and towers in a wind farm and thus make an important contribution to preventive maintenance and operational safety.
This is because the drone is launched from the ground by trained personnel. Beforehand, the wind turbine is stopped and the brakes locked; the rotor blades have to be stationary for the inspection. Then all three rotor blade tips are approached in succession, and the drone calibrates itself in the process. In less than 30 minutes, it flies over all the blades and the sides – and uploads the images directly to the cloud so that they can be accessed from any desk. The manufacturer‘s website can then simultaneously generate the report with images and comments. Damage is therefore not only detected early, but can also be reliably monitored if repairs are not immediately possible or necessary.
Leading technology for everyone
From now on, we will check all our rotor blades and towers in this way – and of course offer it to other wind farm operators. In this way, we can also ensure safe operation, minimum downtime and the best possible yield from your turbine.
