Navigating the interior of a wind turbine can be challenging. Tight spaces, towering heights, and the constant threat of adverse weather make conditions difficult for those performing a wind turbine inspection.
Envirosight, globally recognized for its innovative pipeline and sewer inspection equipment, is uniquely leading efforts to support inspections for the energy sector. The company’s expertise in developing advanced inspection technologies and solutions can be seamlessly applied to the challenges of wind turbine maintenance. Like the complex networks of pipelines and sewers, wind turbines require thorough inspections to identify potential issues and ensure optimal performance. Envirosight’s equipment, designed to navigate confined spaces and collect detailed data, can be adapted to effectively inspect the intricate components of wind turbines, providing valuable insights into their condition and helping to prevent costly downtime.
Wind farms throughout the U.S. and Canada are currently utilizing and testing the Envirosight ROVVER RX95, a compact, highly-maneuverable, mini crawler designed for inspection tasks in tight spaces. While historically used for pipelines, its capabilities have proven valuable for wind turbine inspections as well.
Regular wind turbine inspection is critical to ensure the safety and performance of these renewable energy sources. Inspectors are primarily looking for defects that could compromise the safety, performance, or longevity of the turbine, including structural defects like cracks or fractures, loose bolts, blade erosion, damage to nacelle components, and more.
Additionally, inspectors may be looking to assess the turbine’s electrical grounding system, particularly in regions prone to lightning strikes. Ice accumulation on blades, especially in cold climates, can also exacerbate the risk of lightening damage. The presence of moisture weep holes at the blade tips is crucial for draining condensation, and blockages can lead to ice formation. Regular wind turbine inspection can help identify and address these issues, but can prove challenging due to several factors:
• Accessibility: Blades (also known as rotor blades) can be extremely long – some up to 350 feet – and very high – some of the world’s tallest wind turbines reach 869 feet. This can make it difficult to inspect the entire blade from the ground.
• Visual limitations: Inspectors must often rely on visual inspection, which can be challenging due to factors like poor lighting, weather conditions, and the sheer size of the blades. Visually identifying defects on blades requires trained inspectors with a keen eye for detail, as defects are often small or hidden.
• Section access: Blades may be divided into two sections, each requiring separate inspections. This can be time consuming and difficult, especially for larger turbines.
• Diverse blade designs: The variety of blade designs and manufacturers can complicate inspection procedures. Different blade configurations may require specialized inspection techniques and tools. Speak with our experts to schedule a demo of our RX95 equipment to see if this technology is right for your project needs.
• Tight conditions: The nacelle – the housing that sits atop the tower containing critical components like the generator and gearbox – is a confined space that can be very hard for an inspector to navigate, and is often filled with equipment and machinery, making it difficult to move around and access components.
• Elevator limitations: Some wind turbines have elevators that can be used to access the nacelle. However, these elevators are often small and uncomfortable, and they may not reach all areas of the component housing unit.
• Safety concerns: Working in the nacelle can pose safety risks, such as falls or electrical hazards.
These issues can make it challenging for inspectors to effectively assess the condition of wind turbines and identify potential problems. With the right techniques and tools, like the small-diameter RX95 crawler, these challenges can be overcome.
The Envirosight RX95 is a small, versatile crawler built for inspecting hard-to-reach areas like a turbine’s nacelle and rotor blades. Equipped with advanced technology and WinCan software that allows it to navigate complex environments and collect detailed data, the RX95 is a powerful tool for wind turbine inspection.
With its ability to move efficiently and precisely in confined spaces such as pipelines and wind turbine towers, it can be operated remotely with a ROVVER X controller, minimizing the need for technicians to enter potentially hazardous areas. This portable crawler system can access areas and pipelines as small as 4 inches in diameter, and maneuver past obstacles with steerable six-wheel drive. Key features include:
• Small size – its dimensions make it ideal for accessing tight spaces within the long turbine blades.
• Maneuverability: its omnidirectional wheels provide exceptional mobility, allowing it to navigate complex and confined environments.
• Inspection capabilities: The RX95 can be equipped with various sensors and a choice of three high-definition video cameras (compact pan/tilt PTP, standard pan/tilt/zoom RCX90, and the axial RAC50). These sensors and cameras allow for detailed inspection of turbine components, identifying potential defects of damage.
A smaller-diameter crawler like the RX95 offers numerous advantages for inspectors working on wind turbines. The RX95’s compact size and agility enables it to examine previously inaccessible areas within wind turbines, such as the interior of the blades, nacelles, and foundations.
The RX95 is paired with the VC500 controller, which offers a user-friendly touchscreen interface, real-time video feed, manual and autonomous control options, data logging and analysis capabilities, and seamless integration with other systems. By allowing inspectors to perform inspections remotely, the crawler reduces the risk of accidents and injuries, creating a safer work environment for technicians.
Equipped with WinCan Web software, the RX95 also collects data more efficiently and accurately than traditional inspection methods, providing valuable insights into the turbine’s condition and supporting informed repair and maintenance decisions.
“The flexibility and multiple configurations offered by the ROVVER X RX95 make it an ideal choice for optimizing wind turbine inspections and maintenance,” said Andrew Wicker, National Sales Manager, Envirosight. “It’s always exciting to serve new applications and market segments with technology that takes inspections beyond that of a traditional pipeline. We know that the energy sector is searching for these types of advanced systems to improve their operations, and we know Envirosight has the right solutions to fit their needs.”
To learn more about the ROVVER X RX95 crawler or to schedule a demo, contact our team today. We look forward to hearing about your wind turbine inspection requirements.
Recently, a rotor blade from a wind turbine at the Vineyard Wind project off the coast of Nantucket, MA broke off, sending debris into the ocean. While the cause of the incident is still under investigation, it underscores the crucial importance of regular wind turbine inspection, repair and maintenance. By identifying and addressing potential defects early, inspections can help prevent catastrophic failures and ensure the long-term safety and reliability of wind turbines.
Tools like the RX95 can play a large role in these inspections by providing detailed assessment of components, identifying problems before they escalate, and help to prevent future accidents.
If you are looking to address the challenge of accessing tight spaces, collecting correct data, and ensuring the safety of your inspectors, we are ready to help. Schedule a free demo of the ROVVER X RX95 crawler today and learn more about how you can improve the efficiency, accuracy and safety of your wind turbine inspection and maintenance processes.
As a full-service manufacturer of robotic pipeline inspection systems, zoom cameras, push cameras and inspection vehicles, we provide customers through North America the best-in-class equipment needed to navigate wind turbines and water systems with confidence.
If you have questions about solutions for wind turbine inspection or about any of our products or services, we want to hear from you. Simply contact us or fill out the form and a member of the Envirosight team will be in touch shortly.