Project description
A solution for automated inspection of rotor blades
Offshore wind represents an important energy source in the transition to renewable energy. However, monitoring methods to inspect the rotor blades remain costly, time consuming and dangerous. The EU-funded A2Miro project is drawing on experience acquired in onshore wind technology. It proposes a method that uses a helicopter to autonomously inspect the offshore turbine. Its sensor head combines visual and infrared cameras to distinguish defects as small as 0.5 mm. The data analysis software along with the machine learning technology offers valuable knowledge about eventual maintenance needs. The system reduces costs and increases wind energy generation. The project intends to adapt the helicopter for offshore use, perfect its telemetry system, and prepare the product for commercialisation across Europe and the world.
Objective
Offshore Wind is a promising source of energy to accelerate world’s transition to a fossil-free future. However, a pain point hinders industry’s efforts to reduce the cost of offshore wind : inefficient inspection methods for the rotor blades. Currently, industrial climbers use ropes to climb to the rotor blades to perform the inspection 100m above sea, withstanding harsh conditions. Apart from being extremely dangerous, this method is time-consuming, costing: the European offshore wind industry suffers from €75 million in production loss due to downtime per year by 2030.
Leveraging our asset management technology in onshore wind, we have an ambitious plan to expand our offering to the offshore wind industry. A2MIRO helicopter autonomously inspects the offshore turbine and its’ Sensor Head combines visual and infrared cameras to detect defects as small as 0.5mm. Our data analysis software is equipped with machine learning technology to provide our customers deep knowledge about future maintenance needs. A2MIRO’s autonomous inspection capabilities reduce turbine’s downtime, generating cost savings of about €35 million for the offshore wind industry, while enabling the generation of 249,550 MWh additional wind energy. This can power 66,001 households and help avoiding 114,793 tonnes of CO2 emissions. A2MIRO drastically increases HSE in the field as it lowers the need for rotor blade access.
With a feasibility plan developed under a Ph1 grant, we now seek a Ph2 grant to fine-tune our helicopter for offshore use, optimise its’ telemetry system, get the official flight allowance and test it in offshore wind farms. By commercialising A2MIRO in Europe and across the world, we will grow our business by €8 million in cumulative net profits by 2030, generating 17 job positions in our company. Increasing the HSE standards in this business and this cash-flow is vital to keep improving our proprietary technology to enable Europe to remain the offshore wind global leader.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- engineering and technology civil engineering water engineering ocean engineering
- engineering and technology electrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineering electronic engineering sensors optical sensors
- engineering and technology environmental engineering energy and fuels renewable energy wind energy
- engineering and technology mechanical engineering vehicle engineering aerospace engineering aircraft rotorcraft
- natural sciences computer and information sciences artificial intelligence machine learning
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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H2020-EU.2.3. - INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Innovation In SMEs
MAIN PROGRAMME
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H2020-EU.3. - PRIORITY 'Societal challenges
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H2020-EU.2.1. - INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Leadership in enabling and industrial technologies
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
SME-2 - SME instrument phase 2
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) H2020-EIC-SMEInst-2018-2020
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
4020 Linz
Austria
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.