Maximising health and safety (H&S) is a driving force for the RTS research and development team. The industry-standard method of inspecting turbine blades is to use mobile access platforms or rope access techniques. Whilst these methods carry their own health and safety regulations, we believe in mitigating unnecessary risk.

We have invested heavily, working directly with the manufacturer, to develop an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) specific to the needs of the renewable wind energy industry. The UAV significantly reduces the H&S risk to technicians during the inspection process of offshore wind turbines. It is capable of taking HD-quality images of the turbine blades, holding GPS location and relaying live imagery to the Base Station and/or Command Vehicle.

One of the additional benefits of the UAV’s camera is its ability to feedback ‘tonal images’ direct to the on-site engineers and to the client in their office. Tonal Imaging is used to give a better visual understanding of stress fractures or ripples in the metals. They also highlight dents and their depth. The tonal photo (right-hand image) shows a clear perspective on the surface conditions of the turbine and it is these that often give the best indication that NDT/Endoscopic investigation should be carried out.

In addition to improving the on-site H&S risk level, this service offers significant costs savings to the client as it significantly cuts the amount of turbine downtime required during the inspection process. Using the UAV, each set of blades can now be inspected significantly quicker, cutting inspection time down from when traditional methods are used. Down time of the turbine is further reduced as there is no rigging/de-rigging of plant or rope equipment required and all three blades of the turbine can be inspected without needing to rotate and lock the hub.

Furthermore, as the UAV removes the need for rope access, method statements and risk assessment documentation can be simplified, saving time for all those involved in the pre-inspection process. As one of the only O&M suppliers offering this remote inspection service, our clients benefit from the safest and most cost effective means of visual blade inspection in the industry.