Wind Turbine Blade Inspection with Drone

powered by Cutting Edge AI Technology

The smartest and most efficient way to inspect the wind turble blades with drone

Wind turbines are an essential source of renewable energy because they leverage the wind’s power to generate electricity. To maintain optimal performance and safety, periodically inspection of wind turbine blades is a crucial aspect of maintenance. To meet the high standard requirements of Australian market due to high cost of labour, we are bringing AI-powered autonomous drone systems specifically for wind turbine blade inspection into Australian market. These systems provide a variety of features that make blade inspections safer, quicker, more effective, and less disruptive to energy production. 

High Efficiency

The wind turbine blade inspection efficiency is dramatically improved and cost is significantly reduced. Dynamic inspection can be completed within 15 mins while static inspection can be completed within 25 mins.

Easy & Safe to Operate

Intelligent flight route planning, automonous flying and minimum human interference is required. The wind turbine rotor doesn't need to locked at specific position.

High Precision

Advanced hardware equipment, precise flight routes 100 million pixel camera, millimeter-level defect recognition

Intelligent

Wind turbine attitude analysis, blade defect identification. Automated defect photo analysis and report generation powered by AI

powered by Cutting Edge AI Technology

How the system works?

the autonomous drone system for wind turbine blade inspection represents a significant leap forward in renewable energy maintenance. Combining state-of-the-art drones, onboard sensors, and advanced payloads, this system empowers the industry to maintain its assets efficiently, safely, and cost-effectively, ultimately contributing to the sustainable production of clean energy for generations to come.

The system includes:

Drone, remote control, and GNSS base station: by using RTK technology, the drone can be position at centi-meter level accuracy. The drone is also equipped with advanced flight control systems, GPS navigation, and real-time communication capabilities. 

Onboard sensors and controller: 

  • Laser Range Finder: The laser range finder is a critical sensor that helps the drone maintain a safe distance from the wind turbine blades and trigger the camera to take the photos when the blade is detected. It ensures that the inspection process is carried out with precision and safety in mind.

  • Drone-Based Controller: This controller is the brain behind the drone’s autonomous flight. It processes data from various sensors, executes flight plans, and ensures that the drone follows the predetermined inspection route accurately. It also incorporates obstacle avoidance algorithms to guarantee safe navigation;

Payloads:

  • Cameras: High-resolution cameras capture detailed images of the wind turbine blades. These images provide essential visual data for assessing the condition of the blades, detecting defects, and identifying areas in need of maintenance or repair.

  • LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging): LiDAR sensors play a crucial role in creating 3D models of the wind turbine and its surroundings. By emitting laser pulses and measuring their return times, LiDAR sensors generate precise, detailed maps that facilitate accurate assessments of the turbine’s condition.

Work station:

The work station is used for wind farm and wind turbine information management. It is also the processer for flight planning during static inspection, and the embeded AI algorithm can also analyze the images captured and generate the reports. 

powered by Cutting Edge AI Technology

Introduction for Static & Dynamic Inspection Solutions

We can inspect wind turbine blades with our autonomous drone system in both static and dynamic methods:

 

Dynamic Blade Inspection - Turbine stop & Rotor lock are not required

Inspection condition:

  • No need to stop the wind turbine;
  • Rotor speed requirements: 5rpm – 10rpm
  • Wind speed requirements: less than 8m/s;

Inspection Duration:

15 mins

Defects dimensions

Centi-meter level

Items can be inspected:

  • Pressure side/suction side housing
  • Blade tip & root
  • leading edge/trailing edge
  • hub
  • nacelle and top accessories
  • Tower inspection routes can be added as needed

Static Blade Inspection - Turbine stop & Rotor lock are required

Inspection condition:

  • Wind turbine stopped with rotor locked, but not at a specific position
  • Wind speed requirements: less than 8m/s;

Inspection Duration:

25 mins

2 stages inspection:

Create the turbine model with LiDAR, flight path planning, and then autonomous inspection by following the pre-determined path

Defects dimensions

Milli-meter level

Items can be inspected:

  • Pressure side/suction side housing
  • Blade tip & root
  • leading edge/trailing edge
  • hub
  • nacelle and top accessories
  • Tower inspection routes can be added as needed

Blade defect classifications

Defect typeCoding/Algorithm CategoryDefect descriptionDegree/sizeDefect levelHandling suggestions
Parts missingDSLightning arrester is missingfull quantity1Periodic inspection/repair
Rain cover dislocates/falls offfull quantity1Periodic inspection/repair
Blade power enhancement component is damaged/lostfull quantity1Periodic inspection/repair
surface contaminationWRSurface dust, oil, dead insects, tapeFull Size1Periodic inspection/repair
surface corrosionFSBubbles, blisters, thickness wavesFull Size1Periodic inspection/repair
touch up paintBQTouch up paint tracesFull Size1Periodic inspection/repair
peeling paintDQThe surface finish is peeled off/scratched/damaged/peeled (the fiberglass layer is not exposed)Full Size1Periodic inspection/repair
The front edge protective paint peels off (the fiberglass layer is not exposed)Full Size1Periodic inspection/repair
Gel coat peeling offTLA small area of gelcoat is peeled off/damaged (the fiberglass layer is exposed but not damaged)S≤100c㎡1Periodic inspection/repair
Large areas of gelcoat peeling off/damaged (the fiberglass layer is exposed but not damaged)S>100c㎡2Periodic inspection/repair
small area of leading edge gel coat is corroded and peeled off (the fiberglass layer is exposed but not damaged)L≤10cm1Periodic inspection/repair
A large area of front edge gelcoat is corroded and peeled off (the fiberglass layer is exposed but not damaged)L>10cm2Periodic inspection/repair
Fiberglass corrosionBXCorrosion of small area fiberglass layerS≤100c㎡2Periodic inspection/repair
Corrosion/cracking of fiberglass layer on small size leading edgeL≤10cm2Periodic inspection/repair
Large area of fiberglass layer surface damaged100c㎡3Limited power operation, fault shutdown/repair
Corrosion/cracking of large front edge fiberglass layer10cm3Limited power operation, fault shutdown/repair
Extremely large area of fiberglass damageS>500c㎡4Emergency shutdown/repair, replacement
Oversized leading edge fiberglass corrosion/crackingL>50cm4Emergency shutdown/repair, replacement
Cracked front and rear edgesKLSmall size front and rear edge cracksL≤10cm2
Large front and rear edge cracks10cm3Limited power operation, fault shutdown/repair
Super large-scale front and rear edge cracksL>50cm4Emergency shutdown/repair, replacement
drummingQGThe surface of the small area of glass fiber layer is bulging and delaminating.S≤500c㎡3Limited power operation, fault shutdown/repair
Large area of glass fiber/core material bulging and delaminationS>500c㎡4Emergency shutdown/repair, replacement
crackLWTransverse cracks on the surface of small-sized shellsL≤50cm3Limited power operation, fault shutdown/repair
Longitudinal cracks on the surface of small-sized shellsL≤100cm3Limited power operation, fault shutdown/repair
Transverse cracks in main beamL>1cm4Emergency shutdown/repair, replacement
Root transverse cracksL>1cm4Emergency shutdown/repair, replacement
Bilateral penetrating transverse cracksFull Size4Emergency shutdown/repair, replacement
Longitudinal cracks on the surface of large shellL>100cm4Emergency shutdown/repair, replacement
Broken blade tipYJPSBlade tip damage/casing missingS≤500c㎡3Limited power operation, fault shutdown/repair
Small size aluminum tip edge crackingL≤20cm3Limited power operation, fault shutdown/repair
Aluminum tips fall off and edges of large aluminum tips crackL>20cm4Emergency shutdown/repair, replacement
lightning strikeLJSmall yellow/black burn areaL<30mm2Periodic inspection/repair
Large yellow/black burn areaL>30mm3Shutdown/Repair: Polish the coating to the main body and repair the coating; observe the damage to the main body after polishing to the main body
ice coveringFBBlade surface covered with ice3Limited power operation, fault shutdown/repair
Fracture (structural damage)SHMain beam fractureL>1cm4Emergency shutdown/repair, replacement
Large area of shell tornS>500c㎡4Emergency shutdown/repair, replacement

Photo Examples

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