Successful Deployment: Wind Turbine Drone Inspection by Deutsche Windtechnik Impresses at Butendiek Offshore Wind Farm
Bremen, Germany - Deutsche Windtechnik's inspection body is one of the first to carry out a large-scale offshore inspection campaign using automated drone technology at the beginning of June.
The innovative procedure was made possible by further developments in drone technology as well as new specifications from the German Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH), which allow remote optical inspection procedures in addition to the conventional rope access technology. For the inspection, a DJI M300 RTK drone had been optimized with customized camera and sensor technology.
The sequence of the entire inspection procedure is based on the new BSH concept "Requirements for rotor blade inspections by means of remote optical inspection procedures & concretization of the inspection obligation for the rotor blade interior and the lightning protection system". According to this approach, 50 percent of an OWP's turbines can be inspected by drone each year, and 8 percent of these turbines are additionally inspected via rope access technology after a detailed review of the documented image material of the drone inspection by the inspection experts.
According to Jens Landwehr, managing director of the offshore unit at Deutsche Windtechnik, the use of the drone at the Butendiek OWP has confirmed that a lot of time can be saved compared to traditional rope access technology. "Using drone technology to inspect rotor blades enables us to get a more complete picture of the entire exterior of the rotor blade compared to conventional rope access technology. In addition, the ability to determine the exact location of possible damage as well as the support provided by the software help to precisely document the development of the damage, and this can be very helpful for the assessment," adds Team Lead Rotor Blades Tobias Bläs.
Together with the economic advantages due to the lower process and therefore downtimes, Deutsche Windtechnik believes that the method is a suitable alternative to rope access technology in many cases.
Source: IWR Online, 26 Jun 2023
