Periodic inspection of wind turbines is essential to ensure the safety, reliability, and performance of wind farms. Over time, the various turbine components, including structural, electrical, and mechanical elements such as welds, are exposed to environmental and operational conditions that can lead to wear, damage, or efficiency losses. Therefore, having accurate information on the condition of the facilities is key to optimising maintenance strategies and maximising asset availability.
At Applus+, we provide advanced wind turbine blade inspection services using latest-generation drones, artificial intelligence, and digital analysis platforms, enabling accurate diagnoses to be obtained quickly, safely, and efficiently.
Our methodology combines drones specifically configured to perform autonomous inspections of up to three blades in a single flight. During the operation, 100% of the inspectable surface of each blade is captured through high-resolution images taken from an average distance of five metres and at an optimised capture frequency to ensure maximum coverage and data quality.
The use of equipment with the highest optical performance makes it possible to obtain ultra-high-resolution images, facilitating the detailed identification of defects and surface anomalies. These images are subsequently processed using advanced artificial intelligence algorithms developed to detect, classify, and prioritise damage quickly and consistently. As a result, it is possible to identify the nature of each defect, determine its severity level, quantify the affected area, and accurately locate its exact position on the blade, providing highly valuable information for maintenance decision-making. All information collected by artificial intelligence is analysed and validated by Applus+ technicians who are experts in blade inspection, ensuring the reliability and accuracy of the results obtained.
In addition, the results are managed through a cloud-based digital platform that provides clients with real-time access to the inspection results, facilitating data access from any location via a web browser and improving collaboration among the different teams involved in asset management.
In addition to its technical accuracy, this solution stands out for its operational efficiency. Autonomous flights make it possible to complete the inspection of a turbine in less than 20 minutes, significantly reducing downtime and limiting turbine unavailability to just 30 minutes. Furthermore, Applus+ has specialised teams capable of carrying out the operation completely autonomously, without requiring support from the companies responsible for maintenance.
With this solution, Applus+ helps wind farm operators improve asset management, optimise maintenance costs, and extend the service life of wind turbines through faster, more accurate, and data-driven inspections.
The following video visually demonstrates the complete inspection process, from the drone's autonomous flight over the wind turbine blades to the detailed analysis of the images through the digital platform, where potential defects are accurately identified and classified:
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