With a height of 67m a Vestas V66 wind turbine is located in the wind park Neuenbrook, about 50Km from Hamburg. Two Quadrocopter type md4-1000 are equipped with different camera systems, a SONY Alpha 7R with 36.4 megapixel resolution and a PhaseOne IXU 150 with 50 megapixel resolution.
The systems are quickly ready for a photogrammetric inspection of a rotor blade. This takes about 30 minutes to be fully completed. In only one flight both surfaces and both edges are scanned. Damage caused by lightning strikes, delamination or cracks can quickly be located, since the operator has a permanent live-view on his based station. Currently, the inspections of service technicians of TÜV-Nord have to be performed by rappelling techniques.
These risky and time-consuming inspections can be significantly optimized by the use of md4-1000. Thus, the inspection flights can be performed without a safety risk for humans. Moreover, new strategies are born for services and for preventive maintenances.
The minimum down time within inspection tasks is a key aspect in the operation and maintenance of wind turbines. By using the md4-1000 you can reach a much higher speed while having better results at the same time. Thus, quite shorter inspection intervals are possible, allowing for improved detection of damages.
New assistance systems such as the new landing assistant make the pilot’s job as easy as possible.