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Wind turbine maintenance: A comprehensive guide

Wind turbine maintenance: A comprehensive guide

Author NameBy Ima Ocon
•
October 6th, 2024
• 9 min read
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Table of contents

  • What is wind turbine maintenance?
  • How often should wind turbines be inspected?
  • Which tests are included in a wind turbine protocol?
  • Why regular wind turbine maintenance is essential
  • Wind turbine maintenance made easy with a digital checklist
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Summary

Our guide provides an in-depth look at wind turbine inspections and maintenance. It covers the key components inspected, testing procedures, and best practices for maintaining wind turbines.

Wind turbine maintenance is crucial for ensuring the efficiency, safety, and longevity of these vital renewable energy sources. Imagine you’re a manager overseeing a wind farm. You notice a drop in energy output, and it’s clear that it’s because of maintenance issues. This guide will explain the best practices and strategies for identifying and resolving common problems so you can get your turbines running at peak performance.

By maintaining wind turbines regularly, you’ll not only prevent expensive breakdowns but also maximize energy production. For instance, a regular inspection might reveal war on a turbine blade. This gives you the chance to repair it quickly before it leads to a major failure.

Follow the strategies outlined below, and you’ll be equipped to maintain your wind turbines effectively, reducing downtime and enhancing overall productivity.

What is wind turbine maintenance?

Wind turbines are one of the primary sources of renewable energy in the world. In fact, in the United States, they are among the largest renewable energy sources and contribute around 122,000 megawatts annually of which one kilowatt-hour only costs 2 to 4 cents, making them one of the cheapest energy sources in the US.

Wind turbines convert wind energy to electricity with their large fan-like propeller blades mounted on a towering vertical structure. Rotating when high-speed winds hit them, these blades produce electricity which is then sent into the electrical grid to be managed and then distributed to consumer households.

Wind turbine maintenance is the process of regularly inspecting, testing, and servicing the components of a wind turbine so it can continue operating properly. A robust maintenance program often includes a wind turbine checklist. This is a document that follows wind turbine protocols and contains all the essential tests and preventive maintenance procedures to ensure that wind turbines are operating efficiently.

Since wind energy is variable all throughout the year, it is critical that the time periods where wind energy is the most abundant are fully maximized. If this is not the case, a significant loss in revenue could incur, which is why it is so important to conduct regular wind turbine maintenance.

How often should wind turbines be inspected?

As capital intensive installations, wind turbines are constructed following the IEC 61400, an international norm that details engineering requirements for wind turbines. Once erected, wind turbines should last for about 20 years, but for them to function well, they need to be inspected regularly and therefore require maintenance check-ups about two to three times per year.

Every five years, there will be a larger and more thorough preventive maintenance with more crews and testing procedures. Although this is the common preventive maintenance frequency, it may be increased depending on the need.

Which tests are included in a wind turbine protocol?

In order to ensure the longevity of a wind turbine and make sure it functions properly at all times, certified testing agencies and technicians pay attention to the following 8 areas when conducting an inspection of wind turbines:

1. Oil analysis

An oil analysis refers to taking oil samples from the wind turbine components that are in a closed system and submerged in lubrication oil like the gearbox or the generator. Since the oil is in a closed system together with the mechanical parts of a wind turbine, byproducts from degradation and friction mix into the oil. The sample oil, after being carefully analyzed, is therefore an excellent indicator for early signs of failure, lubricant condition, and contamination.

2. Wind turbine blade inspection

A wind turbine blade inspection checks the blades for any defects. This part of the inspection is highly important since the blades are prone to damage as they take most of the load and environmental impact. In fact, blade failures are among the most common issues that can delay turbine operations.

A blade inspection involves checking the outside surfaces and the inside of the propeller blades while looking for any defects that compromise its structural integrity like thickness variation and delamination. Aside from a visual inspection, various techniques are being used such as ultrasonic testing which uses low-frequency probes to evaluate bonding, adhesion thickness, varying thickness, and wrinkles.

3. Lightning protection system inspection

Since wind turbines are towering structures, they are prone to lightning strikes. That is why lightning protection systems are a very critical part of a wind turbine that should be tested regularly. Lighting protection systems include an examination of the shielding, the air-termination systems, the down conductor, surge arrester, earth-termination systems, earth electrodes, and bondings.

4. Thermographic inspection

A thermographic inspection is a non-destructive testing method that employs an infrared camera that can detect and capture high-resolution thermal images that show the temperatures on the surface of an object.

Thermographic inspection has been in practice especially in the electrical components of a wind turbine such as the generator and transformers. The images show “hotspots” or hot surfaces that can be caused by issues such as loose connections, insulation problems, or load imbalances.

More recently however, infrared cameras have been put to use to assess propeller blades that are taken back into a laboratory for testing. Defects will show up as thermal spots or blemishes on the images and facilitate inspections.

5. Rotor balance and pitch angle inspection

An imbalance of the rotor can also cause an imbalance in forces acting upon other mechanical components which is often caused by a large variation between the masses of the propeller blades and can indicate manufacturing issues that need to be addressed. This can cause long-lasting damages and greatly decrease the service life of a wind turbine.

However, an imbalance of forces can also be due to improper or misaligned pitch angles of the propeller blades. This can cause a significant reduction in the power production of wind turbines. Measurements during an inspection can be performed by using laser measuring tools and photometric devices. After analyzing the measurements, the required corrective actions can be taken.

6. Vibration measurement

Due to their rotating components, wind turbines experience vibration, especially on their bearing, shaft, and gearbox. Excessive vibration can cause excessive degradation and significantly reduce the service life of the mechanical components.

It is therefore required to install sensors to measure vibration and check whether it falls within acceptable values. If not, troubleshooting needs to be done to find a possible cause and make necessary repairs.

7. Endoscope inspection

The endoscope inspection is supplementary to the vibration measurements and is performed if the suspected cause of excessive vibration is damaged gear. By inserting a small and flexible video camera that can pass through the gearbox, the device can be inspected for any damages. Some gearboxes, however, don’t have enough access for endoscopes and might need more traditional inspection methods.

8. Foundation and tower inspection

Checking the foundation upon which the wind turbine is built is another important part of any wind turbine inspection protocol. The inspection procedures include checking the general condition of the foundation, concrete integrity, and corrosion. For safety purposes, a foundation inspection also includes an examination of the access equipment such as ladders, stairways, fall protection, anchors, and railings.

Why regular wind turbine maintenance is essential

The benefits of diligent wind turbine maintenance are clear:

  • Improved Performance: Regular maintenance ensures turbines run efficiently and last longer, which directly affects your bottom line.
  • Cost Savings: Regular maintenance helps in detecting and addressing issues before costly breakdowns can happen.
  • Increased Safety: When you identify potential hazards during maintenance (instead of later on, when they get worse), you can avoid catastrophic failures and ensure safe operation.
  • Sustainable Energy Production: Effective maintenance leads to more reliable and sustainable energy generation.

When you neglect wind turbine maintenance, one dreaded scenario is unexpected failure, such as an immediate outage that takes days to repair – or even towers collapsing and leading to injuries. If you’re aiming to keep wind turbines running properly long-term, regular inspections and repairs are crucial. Overall, a comprehensive maintenance program is essential for the reliable and sustainable operation of wind turbines–and your peace of mind.

Wind turbine maintenance made easy with a digital checklist

Regular wind turbine inspections – scheduled or spontaneous, online or offline – have never been easier than with Lumiform, a quality and safety audit software which allows you to collect data with checklists in the field via your smartphone or tablet. 

Reduce errors, maintain equipment and plan ahead with Lumiform so that you can perform wind turbine inspections according to protocols, ensure the longevity of your turbines and continue to source reusable energy safely and securely.

  • Our flexible form builder helps you convert any wind turbine inspection checklist into a digital format – as swiftly as the wind.
  • Lumiform offers a whole library of ready-made templates to choose from, so that you can instantly go digital.
  • With the intuitive and easy-to-use mobile app you and your observers can perform wind turbine inspections with ease and save time.
  • All inspection results are automatically summarized in a report and can be sent to responsible personnel immediately.
  • Automated analyses help you uncover any threats and errors fast and effectively and thus allow you to concentrate on improving maintenance work continuously.

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Choose from our 10,000+ free, customizable templates.
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Frequently asked questions

What are the most common wind turbine maintenance issues?

Common wind turbine maintenance issues include blade erosion since the blades are constantly exposed to high winds, dust, and even rain. Gearbox failures also happen often since the gearbox is subject to high stresses and loads. Other problems you might encounter are generator malfunctions and electrical system problems.

How can I identify early signs of wear and tear in wind turbine components?

To detect early signs of wear and tear, look out for unusual noises coming from the turbine or excessive vibrations. If energy output decreases, it might also be a sign of issues such as blade degradation or generator malfunction. Regular visual inspections and monitoring data analytics help your team notice these signs early, allowing for timely maintenance and repairs.

What are the safety considerations when performing wind turbine maintenance?

Key safety considerations during wind turbine maintenance include using proper personal protective equipment (PPE) and following safety protocols. All maintenance personnel should be thoroughly trained and certified. Regular drills and inspections are also an essential practice for upholding high safety standards.

How do environmental factors impact the maintenance requirements for wind turbines?

Environmental factors such as high winds, extreme temperatures, and exposure to salt water will increase the wear and tear on wind turbines. Since wind turbines are exposed to harsh outdoor elements, wind farm operators must have a robust preventative maintenance program, with more frequent inspections and proactive component replacements.

Author
Ima Ocon
Ima is a writer and editor who specializes in technology, with experience crafting content for companies like Canva and FluentU. She's passionate about startups, remote work, and language learning, as well as the applications of AI in marketing. Currently, she is based in Asia, and she previously studied in Taiwan and Singapore.
Lumiform offers innovative software to streamline frontline workflows. With over 12,000 ready-to-use templates or custom digital forms, organizations can increase efficiency and automate key business processes. The platform is particularly user-friendly, offering advanced reporting capabilities and powerful logic functions that enable automated solutions for standardized workflows. Discover the transformative potential of Lumiform to optimize your frontline workflows. Learn more about the product

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