A robotic system revolutionises the repair of wind blades

An innovative robotic system to automate the structural repair of wind turbine blades has been developed and validated in real-life conditions

The repair device consists of a composite reinforcement patch applicator, which has been pre-fabricated in accordance with the damage identified on the blade. Pre-prepared flat patches which have not been cured are carried by the device to the damaged area of the blade, where they are applied, adapted to the curvature of the blade and cured by a robotic arm, operated from the ground.

• This avoids the existing repair process, in which the technician carries out the repair to the blade while hanging from ropes and impregnating the reinforcement fibres with liquid resins in precarious and dangerous conditions.
• The patch applicator device has been developed by the TECNALIA technology centre in San Sebastian, and represents a major breakthrough in traditional maintenance methods in the wind power sector.
• The patch applicator not only positions the material precisely, but also carries out key processes, such as vacuum consolidation and pyrometer-controlled thermal curing, ensuring quality and repeatability of the process and eliminating the variability associated with manual processes.

TECNALIA has worked with the ROMAIN, project, which is responsible for other key aspects of the technology, such as damage detection and identification on the blade (Front Technologies, UK), the processing of this data using Artificial Intelligence algorithms (Alerion, San Sebastian) and the development of the robot that carries and deploys the patch applicator from the ground to the damaged area of the blade (Aerones, Latvia).

A necessary change in wind power maintenance

Currently, the maintenance of wind turbine blades represents between 15 % and 25 % of the total maintenance costs of these infrastructures. Despite its importance, the vast majority of structural repairs are still carried out manually, with technicians working at heights and using manual liquid impregnation techniques.

These interventions have several drawbacks: they are dependent on weather conditions, require highly specialised personnel and can lead to inconsistent results in the quality of repairs.

A growing challenge for wind power

The development of automated solutions, such as that of the ROMAIN project, gains even more relevance in light of the growth of the global wind power sector. Challenges are expected to increase as:

• The global wind turbine fleet continues to expand.
• Equipment ages and requires more interventions.
• Turbines are increasingly being installed in marine environments (offshore), where accessibility is more complex than at onshore wind farms, so costs are rising.
• The length of the turbine blades and towers is gradually increasing, which complicates access for technicians, while maximising losses from having the turbine out of operation.

In this context, the introduction of robotic systems not only increases safety and efficiency, but also helps to reduce costs and ensure greater consistency in the quality of repairs.

This breakthrough consolidates the role of robotics in the maintenance of key infrastructure elements and opens up new possibilities to optimise the operation of wind farms worldwide.

Repair patch applicator during validation tests at the La Cabaña wind farm in Albacete, run by EDP

The device is deployed by the robotic arm implemented by Aerones. The repairs carried out were checked by EDP staff six months after application, whereby the proper functioning of the patches was confirmed.

• Watch video: Robotic patch applicator to automate blade repair (Source: ROMAIN project)

European ROMAIN (Robotic Operation and Automated Maintenance for Inspection of Wind Turbines) project, coordinated by EDP Renewables (Portugal) and co-financed by the European Union.