Wind Turbines have an average lifespan of around 20years. And they face some of the harshest operating environments through their life facing the weather and all its operating uncertainties through its lifecycle. Furthermore, a wind turbines lifecycle travails begins the moment its componentised and taken out of its manufacturing process to the installation site all the way to its end of lifecycle.
The quality inspection lifecycle of a Wind-turbine (and its components) begins from the moment it reaches the site, through its entire installation cycle all through to its production. And the quality inspection findings are received through multiple methods and multiple experts through these inspection cycles.
Some of the key challenges faced with this acquisition and process are:
- Multiple data sources and methods of data acquisition
- Inconsistent and incomplete data gathered.
- Data processing methods are still archaic, using excel sheets and Smart Sheets for processing.
- Data de-duplication processing takes immense amount of time
- A single WT during just its installation cycle can generate up to 10000 defects, of which close to 30% could be duplicates
The need is to have a single Digital platform that handles the quality data of the asset. The key features of this quality platform is as below.
The core of such a quality platform is DeepDIVE with ability to deliver a comprehensive quality lifecycle management. Further more, with DeepDIVE’s built in AI engines it is able to deliver powerful tools such as :
- AI processing of data
- Data de-duplication tools to prevent duplications
- AI models that can learn and identify degradation patterns and deliver powerful learning tools for manufacturing, installation and operational process
- Powerful document repository for the asset lifecycle from installation till end of life
- And built in continuous learning to help cumulatively improve the organisations objective outcomes
The key benefits of DeepDIVE’s asset quality management platform is to manufacturers( who need to maintain the asset quality fo their customers) and large scale wind farm owners (who need to keep their wind farms in top operating efficiency and maximise their asset performance through high quality management)
Benefits to the Energy industry cover the following key points: