Agenda
Blades USA 2022
INSIGHTS & INNOVATIONS TO OPTIMISE YOUR BLADES’ PERFORMANCE
16TH-17TH FEBRUARY
AUSTIN, TEXAS
Returning as a live event, Blades USA 2022 will provide owner-operators and the blades supply chain with business critical insights on not only the technical innovations, but also the strategic developments within the blade operations and maintenance industry. The two days will include:
- Case study presentations giving practical and actionable insights
- Strategic panel discussions that will give you lessons share and learn from other blade experts from across the USA
- Networking drinks receptions and a networking village to help you reconnect face to face with colleagues and industry contacts
- Content focused roundtables that will provide you with an opportunity for you to not only further engage with key topics but also network with the global industry, striving to overcome the same challenges as you are.
Content across the two days will include:
- High level talks on the future of wind power and blade O&M strategies
- Innovation spotlights that highlight the latest technologies and strategies
- An in depth look at blade design, manufacturing and testing from the suppliers perspective
- Roundtables and drinks reception on protecting blades from extreme weather conditions
- Workshop on Reducing AEP Loss and case studies on how to be proactive with repairs
- Insights in to carrying out proper due diligence for blades
- Quick Fire Presentations and Q&A Panel Discussion on Recycling & Repurposing Blades
Blades USA 2022
DAY 1 – WEDNESDAY 16TH FEBRUARY
9:00 – 9:10
WELCOME REMARKS FROM THE CHAIRPERSON
9:10 – 09:30
KEYNOTE ADDRESS: NEW DRIVERS FOR WIND POWER IN THE USA
09:30-10:30
PANEL DISCUSSION: PREDICTIVE, PREVENTATIVE AND AUTONOMOUS MAINTENANCE: BUILDING A SYSTEM OF CONSTANT CONDITION MONITORING
- To what extent is building a predictive model limited by only using existing experience as an input?
- What is the impact of the constantly evolving and improving blade technology and how are newer composites changing the way in which blades need to be maintained?
- Transparency as the key to get to the next stage of predictive maintenance, what can we do as an industry to foster a more collaborative working relationship across the sector?
- What should a good service contract look like to ensure proper blade care based on site specific parameters?
10:30-11:00
PRESENTATION: STRATEGIC BLADE O&M PLANNING
- Using smart data to make better decisions and avoid high levels of uncertainty in blade degradation
- How to incorporate analytical methods to blade O&M to reduce costs and improve performance
- What software is available to monitor, analyse and offer operational changes to improve performance?
- How should one consider the carbon footprint and logistics of blade transportation throughout the life of a blade?
11:00 – 11:30 NETWORKING COFFEE BREAK AND OPPORTUNITY TO EXPLORE EXHIBITION AREA
INNOVATORS & INSIGHTS
11:30-12:15
PECHA KUCHA STYLE PRESENTATIONS: 6 MINUTES. 6 SLIDES. 6 INNOVATIONS.
- 6 slides. 6 minutes. 6 innovations to help you protect, maintain or repair your blades from the environment.
- Each presenter will only have 6 minutes and 6 slides to demonstrate their innovation.
- Once all have presented there will be a Q&A session and the audience will anonymously vote for which one they think is the best.
12:15 – 13:45: LUNCH BREAK
BLADE DESIGN, MANUFACTURING AND TESTING
13:45-14:15
PRESENTATION: THE FUTURE OF BLADE DESIGN: SUSTAINABILITY, ACCESS AND LONGEVITY
- Will a future blade be 100% carbon or will glass composites remain?
- How are designs changing to create bigger blades and are the new blade composites more difficult to maintain?
- What AEP gains can you expect from recently designed blades?
- What are the O&M risks associated with using newer blades with less data on failure trends?
- How does customer data on common fleet issues translate into a change in future designs?
- Using modeled environmental conditions to assess power performance and structural changes in new blades
14:15-14:45
PRESENTATION: HOW IS BLADE MANUFACTURING CHANGING?
- How are OEMs balancing the risk with trying new technologies and materials with blade performance in field
- How does feedback from in field operations affect the choice of composites used?
- Are carbon fibre composites worse off in lightning storms?
- Could giving owners more insight into the build process improve blade performance and aftercare?
14:45 -15:15
PRESENTATION: BLADE TESTING & DELIVERY LOGISTICS
- With various reports of fleet wide problems, is quality control an issue?
- What testing is currently being carried out after a blade has been built?
- Are newer blades meeting their design life criteria and what can be done to ensure greater longevity?
- How are transporting costs impacting overall blade costs?
- Is there enough infrastructure in place to deliver the growing size and scale of blade transportation required
15:15-15:45: NETWORKING COFFEE BREAK
15:45-16:15
PRESENTATION: OPTIMISING BLADE INSPECTION TO FIND THE BALANCE BETWEEN COST AND FREQUENCY
- Setting up systems for internal and external autonomous inspection
- How to choose inspection intervals that fit your site conditions and resources available
- Can you deal with serious damages outside of the repair season by using smart weather reports?
Using automated analysis to create inspection workflows and reduce the cost of repairs
16:15 -17:15
PANEL DISCUSSION: HOW CAN THE INDUSTRY IMPROVE DIAGNOSTICS AND STANDARDISATION OF BLADE DAMAGES
- Do certification agencies need to step in to set standardised damage categories across the industry?
- Should the maintenance regime be guided by industry standards, an independent body or by the OEM? How can collaboration and data sharing help?
- Will improved sensor technology be the best way to assess structural integrity of blades?
- Is it possible to have a one fits all solution to monitor blade health? And how can you determine a good monitoring system from a bad one?
17:15-18:00
ROUNDTABLES AND NETWORKING DRINKS RECEPTION: PROTECTING BLADES FROM EXTREME WEATHER
LIGHTNING | ICING | HUMIDITY | HIGH WINDS |
-What opportunities are there to improve lightning protection at the design stage? -How can retrofitting help protect your blades currently in use? -Is blade damage from lightning strikes categorised correctly? | -What can you do to mitigate blade damage from ice? -What new products on the market can lower the minimum temperature requirement to carry out a repair? | -How to ensure humid conditions don’t affect the chemical parameters of adhesives and resins used in blade repair? -How can you factor in humidity and rain when calculating AEP loss? | -Are you better off running or shutting down during extreme gusting wind events? -What is best practice to minimise the risk of damaging your blades? |
18:00
CLOSING REMARKS FROM THE CHAIRPERSON
END OF DAY 1
Day 2 – Thursday 17th February
9:15 – 9:25
Welcome Remarks From the Chairperson
9:25 – 09:45
Keynote Address
Reducing AEP Loss and Proactive Repairs
09:45 – 10:30
Workshop: Calculating Your AEP Loss and Budget Planning
This workshop will provide you with a pro and cons analysis of using different factors when calculating your AEP loss and budget planning.
- Methods of forecasting AEP losses
- How can you reduce factors that cause AEP loss?
- What conversations need to be happening with suppliers to create accurate forecasts for repair costs?
- What percentage of expenditure should an owner allow for costs of repair from detrimental environmental conditions?
- Creating better insurance: using micro level assessments to account for the technology in operation on the wind site
10:30-11:00
Presentation: Planning for Blade Degradation: Leading Edge Erosion and Structural Damage
- What leading edge protection systems are available?
- Educating operators on the best ways to monitor for and deal with leading edge erosion
- What are the energy production and cost implications of poor leading edge protection and maintenance
- How best to deal with blade root damage?
- Creating good contracts with your suppliers to ensure effective support and blade longevity
11:30 – 12:30
Panel Discussion: Unique Damages, Warranties and Preparing for the Future New Damages
- Once we have achieved predictive maintenance, will we lose the ability to react to unique damages?
- Identifying the challenges facing inspection and repair for the upcoming generation of larger turbines
- What are the latest innovations in blade design that are going to change operations and maintenance in the future?
- Trend analysis and sub-component testing: What insight can service companies provide on systemic problems for blades? Will they ever be in a position to share this insight?
11:00-11:30 Networking Coffee Break and Opportunity to Explore Exhibition Area
12:30-14:00: Lunch Break
Due Diligence for Blades, Recycling and Repurposing at End of Life
14:00-14:30
Presentation: Due Diligence: Environmental Impacts, Logistics and Life Cycles
- How to assess whether the blades meet the limitations of the wind site before delivery
- Ensuring that the environmental conditions are accounted for in blade design and protection methods for blade longevity
- Will the blades meet recycling standards when it comes to end of life and is recycling a viable option considering the region and logistics
- What partnership agreements are currently being used in owner to supplier contracts that could be a good example of the way forward
- How can we repower and recycle in an environmentally conscious way?
14:30-15:45
Quick Fire Presentations Followed By Q&A Panel Discussion: Recycling & Repurposing Blades
A series of short presentations showcasing some of the projects and work that is being done to improve the recyclability and sustainability of blades and wider turbines. Each speaker will present for 10 mins and then there will be a joint Q&A afterwards.
- What options are currently available to developers who are looking to recycle or repurpose their blades?
- Can owners do more to reduce the amount going to landfill?
- Is it possible to align secondary use with logistics in the design phase
- Creating repurposing blade data for use in civil and structural engineering
- Are there any repurposing/recycling projects already at scale?
- How can we create the circular economy of blades by mapping blades’ processing options
- The intellectual property challenge of recycling blades
- Who should bear the responsibility?
- What do the contracts for service providers currently stipulate
15:45
Closing Remarks From the Chairperson
End of Day 2 and Close of Conference
