Asset Condition Monitoring for Offshore Wind Turbines

Learning from the offshore oil industry

Company / Unternehmen: GMA Group / Mistras
Speaker / Referent: Philip T. Cole
Position: Managing Director

Abstract:
The inspection and maintenance of offshore wind turbines attracts significantly higher costs and risks when compared with those installed onshore. A major factor in the delivery of inspection and maintenance services is the weather, over which no-one has yet managed to gain control, resulting in major costs associated with standby and waiting times, and aborted attempts to land personnel on offshore turbines. There is a critical need to have up to date information on the condition of these assets, for both the static and moving parts, to track gradual degradation over time, and to know immediately of any sudden event that might threaten the integrity of the turbine. The availability of good information on the condition of the asset allows management to drive towards eliminating unnecessary inspections, shut down turbines in time to eliminate major consequential damage which often results from minor component failure, and plan the necessary maintenance work in an efficient and timely manner. This presentation discusses experience with more than ten years of offshore structural monitoring, together with a proposed approach for “whole turbine” health monitoring, including the structure, blades, slow moving bearings, transformers and gearbox.