AGENDA

• How will the UK harness its onshore wind potential - now that planning constraints have been loosened in England - to help meet net zero targets? 
• How is the UK government working with the offshore wind industry to drive investment into new projects? 
• What does the offshore industry want from ‘allocation round seven?’ 
• Exploring Scotland's offshore wind sector potential

• Challenges for offshore blades: anticipating the impact of climate change on wind patterns and the increased potential for severe damage 
• Advanced repair techniques and technologies for enhancing turbine resilience and reducing downtime 
• How can data be effectively gathered when weather impacts the ability to use drones

• Overcoming the challenges of assessing internal damage in larger blades 
• Data capture and accuracy 
• Which new technologies can address the emerging challenges
• The role of robotics and sensors for optimising internal inspections

Q&A

• The wind energy industry's measurement of three-dimensional wind flow presents growing opportunities for large rotors

• Improved blade pitch aerodynamic control considering inclined wind flow in onshore hilly wind farms

• Optimised blade pitch aerodynamic control to enhance floating turbine performance

• Additional advantages enabled by look-ahead LIDAR technology

• Further benefits of converging beam LIDAR, including integration with turbine blades

Q&A

• This presentation looks to explore various blade damages and the impact on  WTG, both financially and from an engineering perspective.  In doing so the signal processing behind early detection is demonstrated and the benefits and drawbacks of blade damage detection techniques, widely used in industry, is offered.

Q&A

There are fundamental reasons of physics why very large blades are more likely to suffer problems in service. This presentation is a look into the ‘black box’ mystery of blade design - how compromises have to be made between ideal aerodynamic performance, structural strength and stiffness, and the ability to be manufactured to high-quality. And how size really matters. In addition there are the risks of transporting a structure which is akin to a giant egg in fragility by often unwitting transport crews. Where do we expect vulnerabilities and let’s discuss how these can be managed in operation.

Q&A

• What are the biggest concerns around upscaling turbine technology - Growth vs reliability 
• Design approaches to increase blade durability 
• Which financial tools and insurance options can offset costs and mitigate risk 
• How can risks be managed using advanced inspections and pre-installation damage checks 
• R&D: Advances in materials and manufacturing techniques

• What are the latest advances in robotic technology for blade maintenance and repair
• How can robotics technology be integrated with existing maintenance practices for optimal results
• Best Practice

Q&A

• Identifying and mitigating structural damage before installation 
• Best practice and frequency for inspections. 
• How can technology enhance the inspection process and provide better diagnostics 
• Scheduled maintenance - from minor repairs to major overhauls. Best strategies and practice 
• Specifics of offshore blades M&O
  
  Case study: Enhancing Operational Modal analysis 
  
• Introducing blade shape monitoring: How can we derive natural frequencies from blade shape?
• Comparing Acceleration vs Shape sensor in operational conditions.

Q&A with Matiss Sivins

Standardisation: blade operations and maintenance practices

Cost management in blade maintenance and repair

Contracts and contractual language / Working with insurers: tips and strategies.

• What are the current methods and technologies used in bale recycling? 
• Emerging technologies to advance bale recycling and improving efficiency and sustainability

• Implementation of ground-based infrared thermography for blade inspection.
• What can be achieved with thermographic inspections.
• Case study: thermographic inspections in partnership with Statkraft.
• Understanding the potential and limitations of thermography using controlled climate chambers and simulation.

Q&A

• Collecting data from different sources: How to address differences in format or terminology from multiple providers? 
• Solutions for addressing common defects and catastrophic blade failures, as well as handling defective blades 
• How a collaborative approach between producers, R&D, and operators can help mitigate blade damage. 
• How can AI models identify damage and improve diagnosis?

Moderator: Matthew Malkin, Principal Engineer, DNV

Improving maintenance efficiency: automated systems enhance maintenance efficiency, reduce downtime, and improve overall blade longevity

• Lightning protection systems for bigger wind turbine blades - offshore vs onshore 
• The effects of lightning strikes on blade integrity 
• Repair methods for lightning damage 
• Solutions to reduce downtimes

• What deicing technologies and solutions are available? 
• What strategies are most effective for preventing ice-accumulation on turbine blades?

• What are the newest strategies for efficient blade repairs? 
• How to implement industry best practices for high-quality repairs. 
• Which technology advancements can enhance wind blade maintenance? 
• How best to address an emerging issue of longer downtime as well as longer waiting time due to spare parts shortage?

• How do repair strategies differ between internal and external wind blade issues? 
• What are the different approaches and technologies for addressing internal versus external damage in wind turbine blades?

Q&A