As renewable energy solutions replace traditional power systems, wind turbine installations have expanded worldwide. The falling cost of turbine equipment coupled with design advancements is driving many organizations to utilize renewable energy. A recent report by the Global Wind Energy Council forecasts 235 gigawatts of new offshore wind capacity will be installed over the next decade.

The Challenges of Inspecting Turbine Blades

While wind turbines are a cost-effective and sustainable energy solution, monitoring and diagnosing blade damage is often a challenge. Harsh environmental conditions can accelerate blade wear and tear, which is often difficult to detect. Some wind farms may inspect blades every year, while others inspect only 33% or 25% of their fleet annually, leaving large intervals gaps for defects to grow. By then, the damaged blades may need extensive repairs that involve costly materials and the possibility of bringing the blade to the ground, which translates to extended downtimes. 

Offshore turbines are particularly susceptible to inspection and repair delays. This is due to their positioning in areas that are not easily accessible. Such areas also experience unpredictable weather conditions which further delay inspections, repairs, and maintenance.

Detecting Defects Through Acoustic Emission

Since many small-scale defects are invisible to the naked eye, turbine blades require an efficient, real-time monitoring system to detect issues before they turn into costly malfunctions. One innovative method to detect damage uses acoustic emission (AE) by tracking the blades’ acoustic signals during operation.

AE technology uses a combination of sensors and a central monitoring system to detect blade damage. These sensors listen for the energy released by the blades in the form of acoustic sound waves and transmit this data back to the monitoring portal. The sensors capture blade condition data in formats such as hit-based, average signal level (ASL), and waveform streaming (WFS).

Depending on the type of signal received, the presence and type of blade damage can be determined. ASL signals, for example, can report impact damage to the blade. Deteriorating conditions are detected by comparing the acoustic signals over time to identify the defect.

How Sensoria™ Technology Detects Blade Damage

The Sensoria wind turbine blade monitoring system utilizes AE technology to measure defect growth over time. In the installation of the system, an acoustic data collection system is installed in the hub, while a sensor is installed inside each turbine blade.

This data received to the acoustic data collection system from the blade sensors is transmitted to the Sensoria Insights web-based portal which is accessible from any location through desktop and mobile devices. The portal is used for real-time notifications for impacts and defects, to track the presence and evolution of damage, analyze trends across sites and specific blades and track AE data to determine if the defects are active or stable. This assists in prioritizing which blades need more immediate attention, and which can be scheduled for service at a later time.

Operators use the information to track defects and prioritize repair without impacting operations. The Sensoria Insights portal enhances data visibility, allowing operators to efficiently identify assets with recent events or active defects. Upon identification of a new or active defect, Sensoria Dispatch enables a rapid, hands-on inspection or repair to the affected blade.

Blade Issues Detectable Through Monitoring

The MISTRAS Sensoria blade monitoring system functions 24/7/365 to remotely detect defects on blade components. The system detects the following top issues:

1. Cracking: Cracks can occur over long periods of time or in extreme conditions. If left undetected, they may lead to catastrophic blade failure.
2. Lightning strikes: Wind turbines are easy targets for lightning strikes. With Sensoria monitoring, detection of a lightning strike is captured by a large amplitude and energy signal and displayed on the Sensoria web application for quick identification.
3. Blade skin ruptures and perforations: Lightning strikes, fatigue defects, and severe leading edge erosion are the primary causes ruptures or perforations. Acoustic monitoring can identify these issues allowing them to be addressed before they increase in size and adversely affect performance.
4. High energy impacts: When natural elements or foreign objects collide with rotor blades, Sensoria can detect these occurences. The location and severity of damage can be determined and help lead to appropriate decision-making.
5. Delamination: Wind turbine blades can experience delamination due to numerous causes. Delaminations can be identified early and before any visual indication through acoustic monitoring, hands on tap testing or ultrasonic inspection. If identified early delamination’s can be quickly and efficiently repaired or monitored for growth. 
6. Bond line failure: Deterioration of the bond lines may occur overtime between the blade’s structural elements. Sensoria can identify active disbanding allowing for targeted inspection before defect growth.
7. Other serial manufacturing defects: A leading cause of blade damage is undetected manufacturing defects. If left unattended, this damage worsens during the stresses of turbine operation. Sensoria is able to flag these defects early so that they can be addressed during the manufacturer’s warranty period.

Maximizing Value & Efficiency with 24/7 Blade Condition Monitoring

Sensoria wind turbine blade technology helps wind turbine owners and operators improve efficiency in the following ways:

Site managers and technicians are able to make more informed maintenance decisions with real-time data obtained from the Sensoria Insights portal. Early identification of damage detection assists with maintenance and repair scheduling before problems worsen.

Tracking historical blade conditions and defects through the Sensoria portal gives engineers greater insights into the overall fleet operation. 

Reduces transportation and manpower costs due to fewer trips to remote, harder-to-access turbine locations.

Key Takeaways

Condition monitoring of wind turbine blades is a necessity for their continuous operation. However, periodic physical inspections alone are not enough to prevent catastrophic blade damage. MISTRAS Group’s Sensoria provides an innovative solution to this problem through continuous monitoring for greater insights into blade conditions. By detecting changes in the blades’ acoustic signatures, the solution enables operators to locate and correct issues before they worsen, preventing prolonged, costly downtime.

Mağdenli Transport

With an experience longing to a past of a half century, Mağdenli offers transportation, customs clearance and consultancy services on a global scale and offers complete solutions in almost every sphere of international transportation. The wide range of services of Mağdenli, which has registered its quality with a high number of certificates it has received and many awards it has won; In addition to road, airway, railway, marine, combined, project, transit, fair transports and heavy transport; It also includes agency, consultancy, customs clearance, handling, storage and insurance services.

Mağdenli equipments consist of:

• Total 62 Axles Line Hydraulic Axle Platform Trailers 
• Goldhofer Pst/Sl-E Type Spmt Trailers
• 200 Tons And 300 Tons Capacity Bolster Systems Installed On Hydraulic Axle Platform Trailers
• Various Drop-Deck Systems For Hydraulic Trailers
• Axles Lines
• Side By Side Hydraulic Platform Trailer
• 650 Mt Capacity  Blade Lifter On 12-Axle Spmt
• Extendible Lowbed/Flatbed/Tarpaulin Trailers 
• 100 Ton Capacity Extendible Vessel Deck Hydraulic Platform Combination Trailers
• 650 Ton Crawler
• Demag/Grove/Truck Mounted Mobile Cranes

TORKCHECK Service and Consulting

TorkCheck which is a sister company of  Mağdenli  is  established to be technical and commercial  solution partner to the customers with the  principles such as reliability & honesty,  experience and knowledge. 

The Company, possessing experienced and  qualified teams, operates with the principle  that  all services are performed according to  HSE,  quality & environment  management rules, to be on the site and complete the work as planned.

Services

• Logistics & Crane Service
• Installation
• Major Operation
• Maintenance & Service
• Composite Services
• Check and Report

Installation 

• Mechanical Assembly
• Electrical Assembly
• Finishing Works

TorkCheck always performs each work step in accordance with installation, occupational Health Safety and Environment (HSE) and Quality Management Procedures.

The projects are started on planned date, resume as per schedule and complete before the deadline latest on time.

The challenges which are caused by external factors are resolved in our technical knowledge and experience with the shortest time.

Maintenance & Service

• Periodic Maintenance 
• Service Support 
• Retrofit
• Rope Access

Our qualified teams minimize the operation costs during maintenance services while carrying out all necessary work steps in compliance with occupational health and safety rules and maintenance instructions.

The range of our operations also cover service support & retrofit services to our customers.

Major Operation

• Blade Bearing Exchange
• Generator Exchange
• Gearbox Exchange

Necessary crane & transportation services are rendered under our service in line with customer demandsThe main turbine components; such as blade bearing, gearbox, generator, pitch motor, transformer etc. are replaced by our experienced teams with full occupational health and safety and high work quality in the shortest time.

All operations are performed with our own tools except for specific ones.

CompositeService

• Blade Check & Repair
• Blade Painting
• Composite Material Repair
• Technical Reporting

The cosmetic or structural repair of the blade or another composite component is repaired & painted by our competent professional team.

Experienced technicians accomplish blade caps’ painting and fix all damages in quick and reliable manner caused by a thunderbolt or during installation & transportation.

We also provide a technical report and inspection.  Perform option of manlift or rope access subject to requirement of repair.

Control & Reporting

Our trained technicians check all fastener & bolts by suitable torque equipment, generator alignment, view cable connections by a thermal camera.

The locations which require rope access are observed and controlled by our technicians who possess an IRATA certificate.

High precision electronic steering using spmt

Different make and type blades can be fitted by root internface adapter plate

Computer controlled with accelerometers, inclinators, wind sensors, pressure sensors and gps

Maximum lifting angle more than 80 degrees

Highest stability & maximum safety

6500 lnm blade torque / 650 Mton capacity

With the MetalSCAN MS3500 series, Gastops sets the standard for oil debris monitoring technology for the wind energy industry.

Gastops, a world leader in critical component condition intelligence, today announced the first volume shipments of the MetalSCAN MS3500 online condition monitoring sensors to a major wind turbine manufacturer for their next generation platform, the fourth manufacturer to adopt MetalSCAN technology as standard equipment.

MS3500 series provides the wind energy industry with online access to real-time condition monitoring data which enables the earliest reliable detection of component damage available on the market today.

“MetalSCAN MS3500 replaces the MS3000 series to further enhance the value proposition for the world’s leading wind turbine manufacturers by helping wind energy operators reduce costs and risk. With the MS3500 series, we have introduced key new functionality and connectivity capabilities to support Industrial Internet of Things (IIOT) implementations at a lower price point, all while maintaining the performance and reliability for which Gastops is recognized.” said Cedric Ouellet, Director of Energy & Industrial at Gastops.

The MetalSCAN MS3500 series delivers real-time detection of 100% of ferrous and non-ferrous metal particles generated during component damage. The sensors generate continuous component condition data to provide advance warning of abnormal component wear or debris accumulation exceeding defined limits. This intelligence gives wind energy operators the power to plan maintenance in advance, predict the remaining useful life of critical equipment, and avoid secondary damage that leads to costly component replacements.

“Our MetalSCAN technology was developed to meet the demanding standards of the aviation and defence markets. As with our previous generation of sensors, the MS3500 series packages that advanced technology into a market leading solution that is now more valuable than ever to both wind turbine manufacturers and operators,” said Shaun Horning, President and CEO of Gastops. “We are very excited to be bringing our latest innovations to the renewable energy industry.”