Digital data in Wind
During the construction and operation of windfarms, there are lots of data being collected for various purposes. When it comes to the most important elements in the entire structure, the nuts-and-bolts that are holding the turbine structure together and securing electrical conductivity, the documentation so far has been very manual using pen and paper.
In a typical wind turbine today around 10,000 bolts are assembled and all of them are critical to the structural integrity and long-term performance of the turbine, but for how many of them do we have real data records confirming how they were assembled or by whom and with what components.
This poses a few questions such as:
Why is it that digitalization has not reached further to include the bolting operations in construction or service of wind turbines?
What would the benefits be to the wind industry with a wider adoption of digital solutions when assembling bolted joint connections?
What is the current cost of missing data, and for how much longer can the industry afford it?
The smart factory is a term we all know well and is used in reference to the implementation of Industry 4.0 in the manufacturing environment. Significant benefits such as improved quality, higher productivity and cost reductions have transformed industries such as automotive and electronics in recent years through implementation of smart connected assembly solutions. Wind energy is catching up with the use of smart tooling, i.e., tools with inbuilt intelligence for critical assembly, in most new manufacturing plants such as nacelle or gearbox production, and these tools are connected to MES systems to enable traceability, error proofing and process optimisation. But what happens when the turbines are installed in the field?
There is a significant amount of critical bolting operations take place in construction, commissioning and maintenance which have a direct impact on the turbine performance, reliability and cost. However the reality is that in many cases conventional bolting methods, such as conventional hydraulic wrenches, bolt tensioners and rather basic forms of battery or electric tools are still being used. This is primarily due to old work processes remaining in place, outdated tool fleets, and a general lack of awareness exactly how smart factory thinking can really be applied in the field with the technology and solutions available on the market today, not only as stand alone tools, but also with the capability to record, interpret and share data from the bolted joints in the field.
For example, intelligent tightening tools, often referred to as “Smart tools” like the Tensor SRB battery nut runner provides full torque and angle documentation. Smart Tensioning tools like the STS system measures force (kN) as well as the torque and angle applied to lock the nut in place. These tools are designed to guide the operator, control the process, and secure the quality of the joint but they also provide a digital record of the job done. In this article we’ll look at how to unlock the value of the data provided by these tools.
