Bringing speed to the field: 40 turbines inspected in two days
In July 2023 a client in Spain needed 40 turbines inspected quickly, at a site where the wind was often too calm or too strong, and with few technicians available, so that repairs could be done before the season ended. Our operations team delivered.
About them
The wind farm had 80 turbines equipped with aero brakes, and very limited availability of technicians to stop the turbines.
The challenge
- Traditional inspections were badly delayed: when it was too calm the blades could not be repositioned, and rope access was often stopped by high winds.
- Scheduling was unpredictable, and there were not enough technicians to stop the turbines.
- Manual reporting meant results took weeks, delaying repairs or pushing them to the next season.
What they did
We adjusted our deployment to cut inspection time and deliver results within a week. Sending two Dhalion Dot systems from the UK to Spain let the local team carry out all 40 inspections in two days.
- 01
Initial need
Speed, because of the deadline and the shortage of technicians.
- 02
Planning
Decision to send two drones to reduce time on site.
- 03
Execution
With two local technicians, our pilots finished all turbines by 16:00 on the second day, one flight per turbine covering 3 blades and 4 sides.
- 04
Results
Data processed through our AI platform, with all results in 4 days, plus an aero brake report and damage prioritisation.
The results
- Technicians were needed on site for two days instead of several weeks.
- All results delivered within days rather than weeks.
- The weather window for repairs grew significantly, avoiding delays of several months.
- Repairs were carried out in time.
- Extra information on the status of the aero brakes was provided.
Repairs before the season ended
Because the field work took two days and the results came back in four, the client had a much longer weather window for repairs. Work that could have been pushed back by several months was done in the same season.
Flexible deployment, autonomous flights and AI processing turned a difficult site and a tight deadline into a fast campaign, with less downtime and more time for repairs.
At a glance
- Location
- Wind farm in Spain
- When
- July 2023
- Service
- Perceptual Robotics inspection service with two Dhalion Dot systems
- Extra
- Aero brake status report
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