REVIEW OF AUTOMATED WIND TURBINE BLADE MAINTENANCE

Abstract

Wind turbines are one of the most popular solutions for generating and using renewable energy. But studies have shown that wind turbine blade maintenance is essential for the longevity of blades and the whole power plant. The maintenance itself is basically cleaning of wind turbine blades from contamination, which consists of dust, salt, and icing on the surface of blades. If wind turbine blades are not properly cleaned by the schedule, then these three factors of contamination—dust, salt, and icing—cause blade deformation, a double-stall effect, and reduce the efficiency of wind turbine power plants by 10 to 40%. Since most of the cleaning is done manually by humans, which is dangerous for human life, takes more time, and requires more equipment and water usage, this article proposes an automated and autonomous wind turbine maintenance system. The studies have found that using SCADA for monitoring blade condition and integrating automated elements for maintenance itself, such as lifting arm, cleaning robots, and guide rails, makes the whole maintenance cheaper, safer, and more efficient, as it is unstoppable and uses less, if any, economic and human recourses.