ALTITEC BLADE REPAIR ATLAS - Wind turbine rotor blade repair and maintenance statistics from a year onsite up-tower.
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2018
ALTITEC
BLADE REPAIR ATLAS
Wind turbine rotor blade repair and maintenance
statistics from a year onsite up-tower.
CONTENTS
Welcome – Understanding Blade Damage 3
Markets 4
Onshore & Offshore 5
Damage Report 6
Internal Repairs 7
Aerodynamic Add-on Repairs 8
External Repairs 9
The Altitec Approach 11
Understanding Blade Damage
The wind industry continues to grow at a rapid pace, with an additional In this report, we analyse this data to shed more light on the priorities
52GW of capacity installed in 2017. Alongside this growth in capacity, the industry should be aware of when it comes to blade O&M, and how
we are seeing the global reach of the industry extend to emerging these can differ, particularly as parts of the global turbine fleet age.
markets in Latin America, Australia and South Africa, among others.
At Altitec, we’re committed to supporting the growth of the wind
Global growth is also resulting in greater blade spans, as OEMs respond industry both in its global expansion and by adopting the latest technol-
to calls for larger turbine technologies and start to bring them online. ogies to enhance blade inspection and repair methodologies.
With all this in mind, the industry’s potential for success over the
coming years is plain to see. From our Altitec Academy training centres in London and Cape Town,
we train the next generation of blade repair technicians, providing
But with this growth come challenges – particularly with regard to them with the skills required to ensure turbine blades across the world
O&M. In order to get the maximum operational and financial benefit operate in peak condition.
from larger turbines, and those in new markets, it is essential that
turbine blades are serviced regularly and to a high standard. Equally, our technicians utilise the latest in rope access and blade repair
technologies. Equipped with ActSafe Ascenders for instance, they can
Leading edge erosion, tip damage and trailing edge cracks are just raise and lower themselves and their equipment with ease, and
some of the issues that will naturally arise over the course of a turbine complete 35% more work when compared with traditional rope access
blade’s operational lifetime, but all can severely limit its functionality. techniques. Adopting technologies such as liquid leading edge
Extreme weather will also be a key factor in a blade’s health, with protection and aerodynamic upgrades has similarly allowed us to
lightning damage in particular a common source of catastrophic develop innovative ways of increasing turbines’ annual energy produc-
damage. But while blade damage is a fact of life for a wind turbine, the tion.
financial and production losses associated with it needn’t be.
I hope this report provides you with some valuable insights into the
Understanding the scope of blade damage is the first step to prevent- importance of turbine blade repair. It should serve as a valuable asset
ing it. In this report we have therefore drawn on a sample of our own to help identify areas where your own O&M practices can be optimised.
inspection and repair data to highlight some of the leading causes of
blade damage across the UK, Europe and beyond. To date, Altitec has
worked on over 5,000 blades and 1,500 turbines worldwide, and, as an
independent service provider, this encompasses all blade types, turbine Tom Dyffort
models and a variety of site conditions, both on- and offshore. Managing Director, Altitec Group
Page 3
Markets
In 2018 Altitec’s blade inspection and repair teams provided maintenance services on sites comprising more than 500 turbines, on four
continents. This maintenance service included turbine rotor blade inspection and the repair and replacement of worn and damaged
blades and blade parts. The wind energy sector continues to grow and expand in all directions, and as it does, Altitec’s team of techni-
cians find themselves working in global markets, both on- and offshore.
Americas
Australia
1%
Location of Altitec 11%
wind farm inspection &
South Africa
repair projects 15%
58% British Islands
and UK waters
For the purposes of this report, and to maintain our
clients’ confidentiality, data are anonymised and
reported on an aggregate level.
15%
Europe
Page 4
Offshore & Onshore
In 2018, Altitec technicians worked on a wide range of wind Working on offshore wind turbines makes the logistics of
farms that varied in their nameplate capacity and the number transporting equipment and materials each day more
of turbines installed. Altitec teams work year round on a mix of complicated. Taller turbines and larger blades can demand
onshore and offshore wind farms in markets across the world.
more time from teams for each individual turbine.
Given their location and vast size, offshore wind farms can be
Additionally, getting teams on-site requires the use of crew
more demanding of technician’s skills than onshore wind farms,
transfer vessels (CTV), and for this reason, on larger offshore
with turbines on offshore wind farms, and thus their blades,
wind farms Altitec often dispatches multiple teams each day, to
being typically much larger than their onshore counterparts.
make best use of the commissioned CTV.
Typically Altitec project teams comprise two technicians, one
The average size of the wind farms Altitec manages as an
working up-tower n the blades, and another providing support
independent blade service provider is 53MW, and they range in
on the ground, managing materials required for repair and
size from sites rated at just a few megawatts and comprised of
ensuring the safety of the technician. Onshore technicans can
a handful of turbines that are part of a larger managed
manage this process efficiently, storing materials and
portfolio, to offshore wind farms rates with capacities of several
equipment in the vehicle they use to visit the site.
hundred megwatts.
Average project size onshore and offshore
Onshore – 32MW Offshore – 398MW
Damage Report
For each project, Altitec technicians provide a daily report on the work completed. Each report records and details inspections, repairs
and replacements performed on-site. The below data illustrates the types of repairs conducted by our technicians, and is based on the
information recorded in these documents.
Altitec classifies repairs into three types: repairs done to the internal structure of the blade; repairs to the external surfaces of the blade;
and repairs to attachments to the blade, designed to make the more aerodynamic and increase annual energy production (AEP).
The average age of the wind farms Altitec worked on in 2018 was five years. Wind farms inspected ranged in age from less than a year
to 14 years old. The majority of repairs carried out by Altitec technicians in 2018 were carried out on wind farms under 5 years of age.
Internal repairs
12%
Repairs by type
31%
External repairs 47%
Aerodynamic
add-on replacements
On wind farms
76%
under 5 years old
Repairs by age
of wind farm
24%
On wind farms
over 5 years old
With an average of 7 repairs per turbine for wind farms younger than 5 years, compared with
an average of 2.2 for those older than 5 years, O&M managers of newer farms need to keep on
top of the health of their blades.
Page 6
Internal Repairs
These repairs typically demand some of the most intensive Extensive damages such as lightning strike damages can often
work from technicians. Internal blade repairs include repairs to mean the turbine blade has to be removed from the nacelle and
the bulkhead brackets and sealing, and repairs to the inner dropped to the ground to be repaired, or replace entirely.
laminations or removing foreign objects and retrofit solutions
to optimize performance or minimize maintenance. However, where possible Altitec aims to make repairs to
lightning damage uptower, and recognises that as turbines are
Repairs to laminations can require extensive preparation of the erected in ever more remote locations, repair, rather than
blade, cleaning and ensuring a safe system for work within replacement may be the best option.
confined spaces, before the actual work of repairing the inner
laminate damage can begin. Internal damages can be the result Internal repairs were chiefly conducted on turbines less than
of sub-optimal manufacturing of, for instance, blade bulkheads. five years old.
Bulkhead
Brackets
23%
Damage type
as share of all
internal repairs Bulkhead 17%
60%
Sealing
Retrofit
Lamination
Page 7Repairs of Aerodynamic Add-ons
Blade attachments are designed to aid the aerodynamic been rigorously tested and proven to improve performance.
properties of the blade and boost performance. Aerodynamic Altitec teams have worked with them extensively and are
additions to blades are particularly important for ensuring that, experienced at positioning and attaching them to ensure
as turbines age, owners continue to realise optimal perfor- optimal effect.
mance from their assets.
In 2018, Altitec teams replaced signficantly more vortex gener-
All wind farms requiring blade attachment repairs were under ators on turbine rotor blades than they did other aerodynamic
five years old. add-ons. Repairs of Aerodynamic Add-ons were conducted
wholly on turbines under 5 years old.
Altitec employs a few main blade add-ons – zig-zag tape,
vortex generators and trailing edge add-ons, all of which have
Others
48%
Share of
attachment
replacements
52%
Vortex
generators
Average add-on replacements per turbine
Vortex generators – 92 Others - 3
Page 8External Repairs
External repairs constitute the vast majority of repairs to Typical surface repairs can include simple scratches and scrapes
turbine rotor blades themselves. External repairs typically of the top coat that may require light patching, or damage to
involve patching and replacement of areas of the blade’s the leading edge of the blade, or its protection, where it faces
surface layers, which, as well as being exposed to the elements, into the weather.
need to withstand the mechanical stresses placed upon them as
the blades flex and twist under loading. The largest portion of external damages are to the gelcoat,
which will require cleaning and sanding before the coat is
Rain erosion is recognised as one of the major causes of turbine applied, left to cure and then smoothed.
rotor blade damage, and early identification and repair can
prevent more costly repairs being required further down the road.
Damage type as share of all external repairs Average number of external repairs per turbine
8
6.6
11% 3%
7
6
5
14%
4
3
2.4
20% 58%
2
1.6 1.4
1
0.6
0
Gelcoat damages Leading edge protection damages Leading edge cracks
Top coat damages Composite laminate damages
Page 9Aging turbine blades need to be looked after to ensure they five years ago) are nearly four times more likely to require a
maintain performance and continue to provide the best return repair for cracks on their leading edge than turbines on farms
on investment. Equally, a well repaired turbine blade can be as built less than 5 years ago.
good as a new one, if the repair remedies damage and defects
that have been hampering blade performance. With a variety of solutions for repairing leading edge cracks,
including tapes, liquids and softshells, the technicians and
Internal repairs are often limited to newer turbine blades and engineers working on the turbines are able to select from a
required to remedy known deficiencies early on in a wind farm’s life. range of options to make the best repair.
For external repairs, the age of the turbine makes little
difference to whether wind turbines require gelcoat or topcoat
repairs. But older turbines (i.e. those on farms built more than
% of service / repair type
Age Of total turbines Add-ons Gel coat & top coat Leading edge cracks
Over five years old 32% 0% 24% 62%
Under five years old 68% 100% 75% 38%
Page 10The Altitec Approach
Altitec has been a leading provider of blade inspection and The easy-to-use technology allows technicians to move up and
repair services to the wind energy industry for more than a down their ropes without having to rely on muscle power,
decade. Our teams are highly experienced, and all blade which can then lead to increased fatigue and potentially
technicians are graduates of our industry-certified blade repair lower-quality work. Our teams’ use of personal ascenders
training course, the Altitec Academy, as well as being highly ensures the job is done well, on time and safely, thus reducing
proficient in rope access. Combined, this means teams can the amount of turbine downtime and therefore revenue losses
quickly access areas of damage on blades to inspect and repair for the owner and operator.
them, without having to bring large machinery on site.
Operations and maintenance teams, whether or not they are
Blade inspection and repair is a team effort. Turbine blade supported by independent service providers, are firstly
technicians are supported by a team of materials engineers, responsible for ensuring turbines are online and working as
who analyse blade inspection reports and make efficiently as possible. Understanding the scope of blade
recommendations on tailored repairs for each turbine. damage as it can occur on a wind farm is an important first step
Technicians and engineers have access to a library of inspection to meeting these responsibilities.
reports and previous repair solutions to ensure onsite teams are
able to draw on a wealth of knowledge during their work.
Altitec uses technology every day to help its turbine
technicians work more efficiently. With a high degree of care,
our rotor blade technicians are focused on doing the job
properly. To help them do this, teams use personal elevators
from ActSafe, which can cut the time spent manoeuvring into
position by as much as 30%.
Page 11About Altitec
Altitec is an independently operated, specialist rope access blade inspection and
repair business, headquartered in London and Berlin. Since 2010, Altitec technicians
have provided regular inspections on more than 5,000 blades and 1,500 turbines
throughout the UK, Europe and key emerging wind markets around the world.
The firm provides a full range of blade inspection, repair and maintenance services, as
well as an established, industry certified training programme, known as the Altitec
Academy. Altitec holds distribution rights for the Actsafe Ascender in the UK, Baltics,
and Ireland.
Altitec London Altitec Berlin Altitec South Africa
Phone: +44 (0) 20 7474 5034 Phone: +49 (0)30 81032675 Phone: +27 (0)87 943 6265
Fax: +44 (0)20 7084 7742 Fax: +49 (0)30 81032675
uk@altitec.co.uk Altitec South Africa Pty Ltd
Altitec Wind GmbH Unit 5 Royal Cape Park
Altitec Limited In den Engelhöfen 1 Londonderry Road
Unit 4 Datapoint Business Centre Leuschnerdamm 13 Ottery
6 South Crescent 10999 7808
London E16 4TL Berlin, Germany Cape Town, South Africa
The data contained in this report is for information only, and is not intended to represent all turbine
rotor blade damages.
© 2018 Altitec Ltd.You can also read
