Wind Power LAB Adds Drones to Offshore Wind Blade Inspections

Denmark’s Wind Power LAB has developed a drone-based internal blade inspection concept for offshore wind turbines.

A set of trials was recently executed on both a factory site and on an operational 3.6 MW turbine in collaboration with Ørsted.

According to Wind Power LAB, by applying a drone for the data capture deep inside a turbine blade has an immediate benefit in replacing technicians doing confined space inspections 100m above sea level.

The data collected by the drone is also expected to enable accurate positioning of each defect, which will help to compare defects across portfolios and support blade specialists in their defect assessment.

At the same time, inspection time is reduced to get even more work done while mobilized on the same turbine, the company said.

“Combining hardware and software solutions to solve challenges in offshore wind is our main goal. We are pleased to be key partner in this project, delivering on industry-critical optimisation projects,” said Anders Røpke, CEO and founder of Wind Power LAB.