Inspecting wind turbines with a drone – so that wind turbines turn safely
You must have your wind turbines inspected regularly. This is required by law. However, the inspection is also an important prerequisite for obtaining insurance cover. You know that. Have you previously had the inspection carried out by climbing teams? Save yourself this time-consuming, expensive and dangerous measure.
Advantages of inspecting your wind turbine with drones:
- Inexpensive check: You save on expensive industrial climbers and possible scaffolding.
- Inspection during operation: downtime costs money. We use drones to fly over your system while it is running.
- Hard-to-access areas at high altitudes: drones easily inspect rotor blades, tower and nacelle from a safe distance.
- Precise and effective: Excellent technology and specially trained pilots deliver very accurate images.
- Recognize changes: We document them for you. This allows you to recognize initial impairments immediately and repair them. In good time.
Is your wind turbine stable? Does it deliver good and sufficient energy?
Damage to the rotor blades, tower and nacelle of the wind turbine rarely occurs suddenly. They creep in. Initially small cracks mill deeper into the material over time. If water somehow penetrates, rotor blades erode or the surface coating flakes off, the wind turbine no longer works effectively.
From below, at first glance, everything looks fine with your system. But is it really? Failure to detect certain defects in good time can be expensive. And dangerous.
What are the main dangers for the wind turbine?
- Lightning strike: If the lightning protection is defective, this can result in massive damage. If the lightning strikes the wind turbine directly, the rotor blades are usually damaged or destroyed. An indirect lightning strike – which occurs slightly away from the wind turbine – leads to overvoltage and defects in electronic areas.
- Fire: Lightning strikes often cause fires. However, overvoltages and faults in the electronics can also cause the wind turbine to catch fire. If it catches fire, this usually leads to a total loss.
- Icing: Frozen rotor blades are significantly heavier. This in turn can lead to the mechanics being overstressed. If the rotor blades are iced up to varying degrees, this leads to unwanted vibrations. In an emergency, the system then switches off automatically (emergency shutdown)
- Loosening of connections, cracks, flaking of the material: Are all seals still holding? The slightest „slippage“ allows water and dirt to penetrate. The same applies to fine cracks and flaking of the material. All this in turn often leads to further defects.
Have it checked regularly whether:
- the connections between the tower, nacelle and rotor blades are correct and tight,
- tower, rotor blades and nacelle are without cracks or flaking,
- Risk of material fatigue (thanks to thermal imaging cameras).
A wind turbine must be serviced at least every four years. As a rule, professional industrial climbers check whether storms, hail, snow, lightning or other influences have damaged the rotor blades and tower. They sometimes abseil down from heights of more than 100 meters. Not entirely without danger. And expensive for you. Because the turbine usually has to be shut down for a day.
- We use our drones to inspect your wind turbines much faster – in just a few hours.
- Another advantage: We detect seal loosening and other defects while the system is still running.
- Thanks to high-resolution zoom cameras and the use of thermal imaging cameras, you get razor-sharp, informative images.
- Our pilots are specially trained in thermography. They evaluate the data and provide you with an exact scenario.
This allows you to take the right measures quickly and effectively to repair the wind turbine at an early stage.
Your wind turbine will only perform to its full potential if it is running smoothly.
Avoid insurance companies not paying out and expensive repairs by having regular inspections carried out.
We use high-resolution zoom and thermal imaging cameras on our drones to inspect your wind turbines.
Simple. Fast. Safe.
What can we help you with?
Write to us at info@drohnenexpertise.de
Or give us a call: +49 152 – 21 76 67 24
Together we will find out whether we can support you in monitoring your wind turbine with our drones.
Frequently asked questions about wind turbine inspections by drone
Why is an inspection with a drone useful?
An inspection with a drone makes sense because it is safer and more efficient than a manual inspection. The drone can reach areas that are difficult for people to access. At the same time, it collects a lot of information in a relatively short time.
What are the advantages of inspecting wind turbines with a drone?
- Safety for inspectors and those involved: An inspection with a drone reduces the risk for inspectors as they no longer have to climb onto the system.
- Time saving: It is faster than a manual inspection.
- Precise data: The drone provides detailed images and measurements, which leads to a more accurate assessment of the condition of the system.
How does the inspection of the wind turbine using a drone work?
Inspecting a wind turbine using a drone is a modern and efficient method of checking the condition of the turbine. The drone images reveal potential damage, which can then be evaluated and repaired. Compared to conventional maintenance, inspection by drone requires fewer personnel and can begin in a very short time.
However, good weather conditions are a prerequisite for a successful inspection. Inspections are not possible during storms or heavy rain, as this impairs the quality of the images and increases the risk of the drone colliding with the wind turbine.
During the inspection, the individual components of the wind turbine are flown over systematically and one after the other, with aerial images being taken from different perspectives. Areas that are considered to be more vulnerable can be inspected more intensively. After the inspection, the collected data is evaluated and processed for further use.
How can damage to wind turbines be detected using drones?
Drones can fly very close to wind turbines. Thanks to zoom and high-resolution images, damage such as cracks, flaking paint, loose seals or damage to rotor blades can be detected very easily.
How meaningful is the data obtained from drone inspections of wind turbines?
The cameras and sensors on the drone provide precise information about the condition of the wind turbine. Thanks to the high resolution of the images and the ability to view the turbines from different angles, damage can be accurately detected.
How long does a drone inspection of wind turbines take compared to other inspection methods?
How long it takes to inspect a wind turbine using a drone depends on various factors. Factors such as the weather, the size of the turbine and the experience of the drone pilot all play a role.
As a rule, however, a drone inspection takes significantly less time than other inspection methods such as a manual inspection by specialists on site. While this can take several days or even weeks, a drone inspection often takes place within a day.
How much does it cost to inspect a wind turbine with drones?
How many individual wind turbine towers does the wind turbine comprise? Should all of them be flown? In what period of time? How many pilots do we need to inspect the entire turbine and evaluate the data? These are all factors that determine how much an inspection will cost. As a rule, inspection with drones is cheaper than other inspection methods, as fewer specialists on site usually work faster.
How often should wind turbines be inspected?
Wind turbines must always operate safely. No screw or seal must come loose. Cracks also jeopardize safety. In addition, wind turbines only work efficiently if they are not defective. How often should a wind turbine be inspected? Regularly. That is important. How often depends on how big the turbine is. And how old. Is it exposed to particularly bad weather conditions? The drone can also be used to check wind turbines outside of the scheduled inspection intervals. .
What legal regulations must be observed when inspecting wind turbines with drones?
Legal regulations must be observed when inspecting wind turbines with drones. This includes the Air Traffic Act. Among other things, it states that drones may only be operated within sight of the pilot. Drones must also maintain certain distances from people, animals and buildings so as not to endanger them. There are also different conditions depending on the federal state and the area in which the drone is to be flown. In many cases, special permits must be obtained and flights must be registered.
There are also special regulations for operating drones in the vicinity of wind turbines. For example, the drone must not fly too close to the rotors. It must be ensured that it does not crash and cause damage. Professional drone pilots know about the legal regulations and when and where they need to obtain permission to fly drones.