Posters

Abstract

The Blade is the component of the wind turbine with more impact on the Operational Expenditures (OPEX). Major corrective maintenance and replacements are expected to increase with age representing more than 22% of the total unplanned repairs. The challenges linked to the technology trends do not mean a reduction of the defects nor related damages. Speed of size increasing, design variations, new materials, tight safety margins, and an industry with a strong manual component in its manufacturing cycle, expose the blades to experience damages during the first operational years and a reduction of the fatigue capacity during posterior years. Automatization and digitalization are part of the solution to improve the blade quality, making the design more robust against the expected manufacturing deviations. However, all this process depends on how well the knowledge from the operational experience is internalized by the industry players and especially by the OEMs. DNV from its experience in investigations, Apparent Cause Analysis, Root Cause Analysis, and damage assessments present: * The most common damages that affect the operational blades. * Risk-based monitoring and systematic decision-making strategies. * Generic cases of wind projects, equipped with blades with manufacturing deviations or installed in challenging site conditions without a proper previous assessment that experienced damages during their operational life. * In line with these strategies, the most efficient corrective and preventive measures to help in the asset value recovering. The lessons learned from these cases are collected for collaborating in the knowledge internalization process and improving the blade quality in the wind industry.