More information
Description
Currently, the maintenance and inspection of wind turbine blades are made either by suspension on cables or through the usage of elevating metallic platforms, but neither one is flexible enough to permit the conduction of these operations easily and at any given time because they are not shielded from the environment. Between rope access and the elevating platforms, the later represent a more robust solution, but none of the available ones at the market answer to three fundamental problems, which are: • the possibility to adapt to any given shape of the geometry of blades avoiding inaccessible areas; • the possibility to carry maintenance procedures in adverse climate conditions, like rain, snow or very hot days; • lateral stability to wind gusts and smooth transition of obstacles (tower flanges), especially with windy conditions. Due to this reason the blades maintenance is highly seasonal activity lasting 20 to 25 weeks per year. Eptune Engineering, aware of this need in the Eolic market, is solving this problem by developing a suspended platform with a habitat to increase the maintenance season by 10 to 15 more weeks. Eptune Engineering is developing within this project the following innovations: • create a habitat that can sustain harsh meteorologic conditions, by creating a controlled working environment, with controlled temperature and humidity levels; • a sealing system connecting the habitat to the blade that will prevent water and external air to enter the habitat; • a system that will guarantee stability during the elevation/descent of a platform This equipment will contribute for the reduction of the levelized cost of energy by reducing the maintenance cost and for the energy produced by increasing the wind parks availability
Summary of project results
Project APLAT proposes to develop a patented all-weather platform for the maintenance of offshore wind blades. It must be articulated, so that it can easily adapt to any shape of the blade, comprise a magnetic system for attaching to the tower, a lifting system to overcome obstacles and include an external habitat that can create an isolated environment using a patent-pending system that is waterproof and adapts to any blade profile. The project will focus on increasing the technology level of a series of innovative technologies.
This project aims to develop a product that benefits the blue economy through the production of clean and sustainable energy. This increase in energy efficiency is related to a reduction in wind turbine downtimes and seasonal maintenance times. maintenance times.
It was assured the correct prosecution of the project, and the contact/coordination between the partner & promoter. Allocating resources such as personnel, equipment, and technology to various technical tasks. Regularly tracking technical progress and reporting on the status, achievements, and issues to stakeholders. Ensuring all partners are engaged and invested in the project’s success through active participation and feedback that allowed for the definition of the product and its components, in terms of shape, material and dimension, progress with the design of a habitat solution specially created for the APLAT, and the 3D Cad Design.
Mathematical models were developed to simulate the kinematics of the platform and its adaptability to the blade cross section. A 3D model of a wind turbine blade was created to assess the most favourable geometric configuration of the platform. The platform''s geometry was iteratively optimized to ensure access to every position along the blade span and to avoid inaccessible areas. That allowed to produce the first prototype and Establish a network of possible supplier, regarding their products/services quality and price.
One other activitie was focused in defining and detailing the test to perform at this stage and preparing the test specifications and procedures with the participation on the Wind Floating Days (Norway).
Prepared the website page and had made a KO public event of the project to showcase to the general public this project. This was communicated on the common channels such as LinkedIn. Participation in international events to promote the results of the APLAT project was highlighted on the project promoter''s and partners'' webpages. The closing activity was also widely publicised to reach as much entities as possible.The dissemination of the project''s outcomes in Norway was achieved through customized invitations to the project''s closing activity. This event also helped establish contacts for future pilot testing. IDN posted some news on their online channels. The performance of the final solution was demonstrated during the closing activity using the 3D model of the platform. This demonstration showcased the platform''s articulation and its adaptability to different blade cross-sections. The results of the sealing system testing were also revealed to demonstrate the effectiveness of the developed solution in creating an efficient sealing mechanism that enables a controlled environment inside the platform.
Throughout the project all necessary engineering tasks, including platform design, structural analysis, calculations, electronics and control systems, and habitat integration. These efforts aimed to build a prototype of the platform to validate the design decisions and advance the technology readiness level of the product, preparing it for market entry in the near future.
In addition to meeting the product design objectives, the project successfully produced and tested a system prototype to validate key features of the product. We also developed a supply chain and identified potential partners for future production.
This project was critical to showcase tangible results. Although there are still steps to take before achieving full certification and TRL 9.
Summary of bilateral results
The APLAT project included a Norwegian partner, International Development Norway (IDN), which helped us understand and define the Northern European market reality. We engaged with the Norwegian Offshore Wind Association teams and participated in the Floating Wind Days event in Haugesund. This partnership and event participation allowed us to network with potential clients, facilitating a future go-to-market strategy. Additionally, we met potential suppliers and local partners for product production and maintenance.This relationship has endured, and we participated in a Norwegian embassy event at Wind Europe 2024 in Bilbao alongside the Wind Fair. This continued support is invaluable for cross-border partnerships and networking, especially given the current dynamics of offshore wind in Portugal, where Norway can give an important contribution.