Where is the US wind industry now? What do project pipelines look...
Where is the US wind industry now? What do project pipelines look like today? To what extent will the talk of the offshore wind boom become reality? How are new regulations like the IRA impacting project development and product innovation? How large will wind turbine blades become? How will deep grid decarbonization impact wind turbine and blade design?
Improving the interpretation of collected data to better inform repair strategies by...
Improving the interpretation of collected data to better inform repair strategies by better managing data in flow, successfully running cross-platform data analysis and appropriately evaluating different pieces of data to how to prioritize and respond.
As of 2022, EPRI began collecting data on wind turbine blade anomalies...
As of 2022, EPRI began collecting data on wind turbine blade anomalies (which includes damages and defects) and failures. The anomaly data in the EPRI blade database is primarily acquired via drone-based visual inspections, and the failure data is primarily obtained from failure reports, repair reports, and root cause analysis (RCA) reports. The collected data includes images, severity ranking, and other vital anomaly descriptors for over 11,000 wind turbines across the globe.
The most recent updates and major findings from EPRI’s blade damage and failure database will be shared, including a breakdown of the most common anomaly types in the database by severity, blade length, and damage location. Empirical blade failure data and Weibull statistics will be shared where applicable.
EPRI’s proposed blade nomenclature dictionary of commonly encountered blade anomalies will be shared, based on the current state of the industry.
The results of this study are intended to be utilized for better understanding of best practices in wind turbine blade O&M. The goal of this presentation is to illustrate the necessity of the development of a structured approach to understanding blade condition, identifying anomalies, and prioritization of repairs driven by data, knowledge, and experience.
Take a look at pros and cons of ending a long-term FSA,...
Take a look at pros and cons of ending a long-term FSA, what strategy we took and how it has worked out so far.
Ensuring that you are on top of your turbine performance is key...
Ensuring that you are on top of your turbine performance is key to intervening before a full-scale shutdown. How can you best evaluate damages? How can you better catalog and track defects? How do you best protect from lightning, ice and other adverse weather? Ensuring you know when it is advantageous to shut the turbine down vs letting damage run. Make sure you are up to speed with using automation, drone-based inspections, blade modifications and predictive maintenance tools to inform proactive repairs.
Assessing what new tools, equipment and solutions are available now like new...
Assessing what new tools, equipment and solutions are available now like new materials, robotics, standardization and automation to reduce downtime when repairs need to be made. Short presentations will be followed by a joint Q&A session.
One challenge facing the wind industry, maintaining blades in operating order, has...
One challenge facing the wind industry, maintaining blades in operating order, has proven to be bigger than expected. With growing backlogs of highly specialized composite repairs and more predictable maintenance issues, It’s apparent a major bottleneck is a lack of qualified composite technicians operating grinders, performing quality scarfs and chamfers.
In this talk we discuss the lifecycle of a blade technician career, and the challenges of hiring, training and retention. Calling for a paradigm shift, we discuss strategies to recognize talent and maximize knowledge and skill attainment. Solutions explored include rural sourcing for talent, mitigating the seasonal nature of the business, and collaboration with blade manufacturers to develop best practices at the repair type or campaign level.
How will scaling blade size for multi-megawatt turbines impact on your ability...
How will scaling blade size for multi-megawatt turbines impact on your ability to get the best AEP? What innovations are needed in the design, manufacture, installation and transport of larger blades? How can you ensure blade lifetime longevity? In what ways will you need to adjust your inspection and repair strategies?
The Big Adaptive Rotor (BAR) Project looks at potential innovative pathways for...
The Big Adaptive Rotor (BAR) Project looks at potential innovative pathways for future land-based wind turbine technology. BAR is led by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and is sponsored by the Wind Energy Technology Office of the US Department of Energy. This talk will describe innovations and challenges faced by the teams working on BAR. The innovations include numerical models predicting the stability and performance of highly flexible blades, downwind rotors to maximize wind farm power, and controlled bending of 100-meter-long blades during rail transport. The challenges of developing predictive numerical models and formulating successful value propositions supporting new technologies such as distributed aero control devices will also be discussed.
Networking and content in one package! Take this opportunity to delve into...
Networking and content in one package! Take this opportunity to delve into the topics that most impact your day-to-day work and really get to grips with solutions to your challenges. Small group discussions with an expert facilitator; choose your topic and get talking!
Blade maintenance standards
Alli Gallagher, Principal Structural Engineer, Wind Fleet Blades & Structures, NextEra Energy
What is the optimal approach to increasing blade OP-excellence and minimizing blade OP-expenditure?
Ken Lee, Fleet Engineering Manager, EDF Renewables
With blades being the least green part of a wind turbine, how...
With blades being the least green part of a wind turbine, how could circularity be achieved in the future? Are new materials the answer? If so, where are we with that research? Is recycling technology for waste management of traditional blades feasible? How would the LCoE be impacted by measures to make blades circular? How will upcoming repowering affect the future of blade disposal? How are US regulations changing?
