- Category: Articles
Optimising Wind Turbine Performance and Availability with Augmented Intelligence
Recently the term ‘predictive maintenance’ has received much attention across many industries. Perhaps this is due in part to the synergies with other rapidly developing areas of technology such as artificial intelligence, cloud computing, the internet of things, and big data analytics.
It is certainly not all hype; in mostareas of industry where operational costs represent a significant proportion of the overall life-cycle cost of a product, a strong business case can be made for the introduction of predictive maintenance. Wind energy can certainly benefit from such innovations, and perhaps the potential reduction in the overall cost of energy would be the final push that is needed to bring the industry through grid parity and beyond. Although the use of condition monitoring in wind turbines is nothing new, recent technical innovations provide the framework that is needed for a more complete implementation of predictive maintenance.
![Figure 1. Optimisation potential through implementation of predictive maintenance i4see figure 1v2](/images/stories/Features/2019Features/OctImages19/i4see-figure-1v2.jpg)
By Christopher Gray, CEO, i4SEE TECH, Austria
- Category: Articles
![Figure 1. Damage annotation SSL Figure 1](/images/stories/Features/2019Features/AugSeptImages2019/SSL-Figure-1.jpg)
In this article, Sulzer & Schmid Laboratories, a Swiss company developing technology solutions for the inspection of wind turbine rotor blades, explains how drone-based technology platforms suitable for large-scale, multi-gigawatt blade inspection campaigns require a specific set of characteristics that will provide the level of scalability and deployability needed to succeed.
By Tom Sulzer, CEO and Co-Founder, Sulzer & Schmid, Switzerland
- Category: Articles
Maximising Blade Performance Through Aerodynamic Optimisation
![Figure 1. CFD image of suction surface root region of a typical blade PC fig 1](/images/stories/Features/2019Features/AugSeptImages2019/PC-fig-1.jpg)
By Nicholas Gaudern, Chief Technical Officer, Power Curve, Denmark
- Category: Articles
![Figure 1. Backfilling a modular precast assembly, Minnesota, USA, 2019 Fig 1 Rute Backfilling a modular precast assembly Minnesota USA 2019](/images/stories/Features/2019Features/AugSeptImages2019/Fig-1-Rute-Backfilling-a-modular-precast-assembly-Minnesota-USA-2019.jpg)
The wind industry is primed for precast tower foundations. The economics point to significant returns to wind farm contractors and owners as the focus changes to longevity and expanding the construction and OEM delivery season.
By David McFeeters-Krone and Chris Fernandes, RUTE Foundation Systems, USA
- Category: Articles
![Figure 1. Optimised for fast assembly as well as for easily bridging contacts – the Han ES Press, the jumpers – central position Harting fig 1](/images/stories/Features/2019Features/AugSeptImages2019/Harting-fig-1.jpg)
New industrial connectors enable the rear mounting of interfaces for switch cabinets. Using this option, all relevant connection steps can be carried out from the inside of a cabinet. Moreover, many installation processes can be shifted to the pre-assembly stage, thus helping to save expensive technician hours in the field. The termination technique can also accelerate processing. For example, the radial cage clamp used by Han ES Press enables a tool-free connection, in addition to offering options for bridging contacts directly on the insert.
By Carsten Edler, Industry Segment Manager Wind Energy, Harting Electric, Germany
- Category: Articles
![Figure 1. Aerial shot of Gemini offshore wind farm showing the wind turbines arranged in rows (courtesy Gemini offshore wind farm) Bryce 1](/images/stories/Features/2019Features/JuneImages19/Bryce-1.jpg)
Offshore wind energy is an emerging technology that is becoming increasingly viable as technical and scientific improvements drive down the levelised cost of electricity making it more competitive with onshore wind technology and other forms of electricity generation.
By Bryce Wade, Canada
- Category: Articles
![Figure 1. Two-bladed turbine on floating platform Seawind figure 1](/images/stories/Features/2019Features/JuneImages19/Seawind-figure-1.jpg)
This article focuses on the main characteristics of two-bladed teetering hinged turbines on top of floating platforms. It highlights how the teetering hinge positively affects fatigue and loads caused by wind–wave interaction and summarises the cost-effective technological choices for the system features and installation method.
By Silvestro Caruso, Chief Technical Officer, Seawind Ocean Technology, The Netherlands
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