WIND & ENERGY - NDT SOLUTIONS
Non-Destructive Testing Solutions on Primary Areas of the Wind Turbines
(Tower, Hub, Nacelle and Turbine Blades)Wind Turbines inevitably go through challenging lifecycles causing deterioration and end up costing wind farm operators an extortionate amount of money to fix and in many cases instigating them to start all over again from scratch. Decommissioning or conducting major renovations are expensive paths to go down, as is operating a turbine below peak performance causing high costs and inefficiencies. To ensure a healthy lifecycle, it’s important that wind turbines are regularly inspected and maintained for as long as they are in operation.
SONOMATIC RAIS team of highly trained technicians provide ACFM and Phased Array Bolt Inspections for wind turbines and their component parts during multiple stages of their lifecycle to ensure the best performance and minimal costs for the operators.
Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) Techniques to Cover all Key Components of the Wind Turbine.
Primary Areas of Wind Turbines that should be Inspected
- Tower
- Hub
- Nacelle
- Turbine Blades
Tower – Key Components - Danger Points
- Ancillary Bolts
- Flanges
- Circumferential Welds
NON DESTRUCTIVE TESTING ON ANCILLARY BOLTS
Phased Array UT can be utilised to look for fatigue cracks and corrosion within the threads.
Benefits include:
- Fast screening of bolts
- Bolts can be inspected whilst in-situ
- Instant results
- Fully recordable PAUT data for auditing, insurance, accountability and archiving
NON-DESTRUCTIVE-TESTING (NDT) ON FLANGES
Phased Array UT is used to look for fatigue cracks propagating from the bolt holes. Alternating Current Field Measurement (ACFM) is used to inspect the Flange Welds.
Benefits include:
- Fast screening techniques
- Early detection of fatigue cracks
- Flange can be inspected with bolts in place
- Fully recordable data for auditing, insurance, accountability and archiving
Pencil Probe in action - allowing a full access Inspection
CIRCUMFERENTIAL WELDS
PAUT and or TOFD (Time of Flight Diffraction) can be utilized to inspect circumferential welds.
Benefits include:
- Fast screening techniques
- Early detection of fatigue cracks
- Fully recordable data for archiving
- Original data can be recalled for comparison with any repeat inspection data to monitor any defect growth
NDT ON HUB
General inspection of the wind turbine hubs.
SONOMATIC can perform either a general visual inspection (GVI) or close visual inspection (CVI) on the wind turbine Hub. Drone inspections are performed by using the most rugged, reliable UAS - made in America by Saxon Remote Systems.
Benefits include:
- Extremely fast and reliable NDT technique
- Ability to detect external damage
- Can be performed by rope access or drones (From within the same Team)
NDT ON NACELLE
Deep penetrating Phased Array UT (PAUT) can be performed on the Main Rotor Shaft.
Benefits include:
- The Shaft can be inspected while in-situ
- Early detection of any fatigue defects
- Fully recordable data for insurance, archiving, auditing etc.
NDT ON TURBINE BLADES
Spar Cap and Shear Web Bonding
Large aperture low-frequency PAUT probes can be utilised to look for lack of bonding on the Spar Cap and Shear Webs
Benefits:
- Rapid screening technique
- Blades can be inspected while in-situ using rope access techniques
- Early detection of delamination’s
- Fully recordable data for archiving auditing, insurance, accountability and archiving
