Annual wind-turbine blade and tower inspections by drone may greatly increase the safety, efficiency, and accuracy of an inspection service. What’s more is a drone equipped with high-resolution digital and infrared cameras can save time and costs, inspecting multiple wind turbines in the time it used to climb one. “Thermographic testing that used to require…
PrecisionHawk’s AI & machine learning turns drone data into actionable intelligence
PrecisionHawk, Inc., a provider of drone technology for the enterprise, has announced PrecisionAnalytics Energy, a complete aerial mapping, modeling, and inspection platform that uses the latest generation of artificial intelligence and machine intelligence to automate analysis of their aerial data. PrecisionAnalytics’ customers can reduce costs up to 80% and dramatically improve safety in the field.…
A ground-based habitat for blade repairs
Wind and harsh conditions typical of wind sites can turn blade repairs into a serious safety hazard for wind techs. To mitigate such risks, one company suggests bringing blades down to ground level for safer and faster turnaround time. “Three blades on one turbine can be refurbished and returned to service on the turbine in…
Improving wind-turbine O&M with artificial intelligence
Applying artificial intelligence (AI) to wind-turbine data is becoming more prevalent and there is a growing number of use cases for the technology. Many of these cases involve wind-turbine O&M practices and can result in increased efficiency, better spare-parts forecasting, reduced downtime, and lower unplanned maintenance costs. “The best definition of artificial intelligence is that…
A new idea in wind-turbine gear oil analysis
Over 80% of mechanical failures in oil-lubricated machinery are attributable to particulate contamination. Wind turbines offer no exception. The components lubricants are expected to protect are typically exposed to dust and dirt, given the harsh and variable conditions in which turbines are built. Oil contamination is inevitable at some point, which is why early detection…
A coating for more reliable wind-turbine bearings
It’s been said a wind turbine is only as good as its components, and a turbine’s bearings are extremely important ones. Although bearings are used many places throughout a nacelle, such as on generators and in the yaw and pitch system, those on main shafts and gearboxes are typically most problematic. Not too long ago,…
A new way to repair wind-turbine braking systems
The number of emergency stops during a 20-year service life of a wind turbine is typically between 500 and 1,000 stops. This means a durable and reliable braking system in a wind turbine is essential to its safe operation. Effective wind-turbine brakes must perform two critical functions: maintain the stability of the nacelle when it…
ALLETE repowering two of its U.S. wind farms
ALLETE Clean Energy, a wholly owned subsidiary of ALLETE, has received the 45th set of new wind-turbine blades from international blade manufacturer Tecsis. The blades are for ALLETE’s refurbishment initiative at its Storm Lake and Lake Benton wind facilities in Iowa and Minnesota, respectively. In August 2017, the company announced an $80 million project that…
Romo Wind and eta Blades collaborate to extend lifecycle of aging turbines
Romo Wind’s iSpin technology monitors the performance and the wind site conditions for detailed load and lifetime assessments. eTa Blades re-designs and manufactures lighter and aerodynamically efficient blades for older turbine types. Together, the two companies are joining forces to provide an attractive refurbishment package for aging wind farms. “Based on eTa Blades deep understanding…
Data access restrictions on turbine performance keep wind operator costs high, says ONYX Insight
The long-term success of offshore wind is being put at risk by restrictions on access to wind-turbine performance data that prevent operators from reducing operations and maintenance costs by up to 30%, according to ONYX InSight, a provider of AI driven predictive maintenance services. Better access to turbine data lets operators reduce their operational costs…
Novatus extends 1 GW+ of U.S. wind service agreements with Vestas
Novatus Energy has signed long-term service agreement extensions with Vestas across seven wind projects, totaling 1,043 MW in the U.S. The agreements extend the original Vestas service contracts at the projects from their original 10-year terms, to 20-year terms from their respective project commercial operation dates. “We are excited to extend our working relationship…
Kongsberg launches asset management suite for onshore and offshore wind O&M
Kongsberg’s Renewables Asset Management (RAM) is a suite of applications for operating and managing onshore and offshore wind farms. These applications integrate data and functions from conventionally separate systems into one unified system — with no need for manual data transfer. Automating data transfer has been proven to increase efficiency by up to 40%. Also,…
U.S. renewables market should reset risk benchmark, says GCube
Component vulnerability, defective designs and changing OEM warranties, coupled with extreme weather damage, have significantly increased the frequency and severity of insurance claims in the U.S. renewable energy market over the last five years. In response, insurers and asset owners must reset their benchmark for renewable energy risks, in line with this higher ‘normal’ loss…
Utopus Insights launches IoT-based renewable analytics software suite
Utopus Insights, a New York-based energy analytics software company, has announced the commercial launch of its energy analytics platform and application suite, Scipher. “This launch furthers our effort to provide the digital intelligence necessary for a sustainable energy future. Today, we are announcing advanced digital products for the renewable energy industry at a time when…
New online tool makes bearing selection faster and easier
SKF has updated its online Bearing Select tool, to make the process of selecting and evaluating a bearing faster and easier. To use the new tool, designers access it online and enter relevant values for their design. The software then uses SKF engineering knowledge to evaluate bearing performance and calculate relevant results, such as rating…
New PowerCone retrofit increases wind-turbine AEP by up to 13%
Biome Renewables is introducing a new retrofit turbine device, designed to optimize wind-power generation. The PowerCone attaches directly to a turbine’s hub and co-rotates with the rotor. With no moving parts, the PowerCone’s unique biomimetic design passively channels incoming wind onto turbine blades to help them capture more of the wind that’s already blowing. The…
Digitalization key to reducing wind O&M costs, says ONYX InSight
From micro-electro mechanical sensors (MEMS) for gathering turbine data, to machine learning algorithms that improve data analysis, it is important for wind owners and operators to embrace these technologies to maintain their position in the industry, shares ONYX InSight, a joint venture. The company combines Romax Technology’s 30 years of expertise in software, services, and…
Rope Partner teams up with Gladiators to keep wind turbines clean
Rope Partner, a rope access maintenance, inspection and performance enhancement service provider, announced today a new partnership with Gladiators Cleaning to expand high-quality, safe, and cost-effective wind turbine cleaning services to new and existing clients with patented technology. Gladiators provides wind-turbine power-washing services. “Partnering with Gladiators, we will now be offering internal and external tower cleanings, including blades…
Uptake named a Bloomberg “New Energy Pioneer”
Industrial artificial intelligence provider, Uptake, was named as a 2019 New Energy Pioneer by Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF). The award is in recognition of ground-breaking companies that are fueling the transition to a lower carbon economy and bringing new ideas for business models, technologies, market structures, and commercial opportunities. “I’m proud of the entire Uptake…
GEV & Clobotics offering quicker, less costly blade inspections
A new cutting-edge turnkey blade maintenance solution promises to offer a complete blade inspection to repair solution for the global wind-power industry. The new digital solution is the result of a new partnership between Clobitcs and GEV Wind Power, and is designed to offer greater efficiency, reduced costs, and quick turbine inspections. “Our collaboration means…