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
- natural sciencescomputer and information sciencesdata science
- engineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringelectronic engineeringsensorsoptical sensors
- engineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringenergy and fuelsrenewable energywind power
- engineering and technologymechanical engineeringvehicle engineeringaerospace engineeringaircraftrotorcraft
- natural sciencescomputer and information sciencesartificial intelligencemachine learning
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
SME-2 - SME instrument phase 2Coordinator
4020 Linz
Austria
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.