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Recurrent non-destructive testing inspections are necessary to prevent damages in wind turbine rotor blades, but so far, there is no established method that detects defects in blades from greater distances – although this becomes increasingly important in the context of hardly accessible offshore wind parks.
Thermography is a promising method for detecting subsurface defects, but various challenges arise when this method is applied on-site to turbine blades in operation. Disturbing influences from the environment easily lead to a misinterpretation of thermograms (i.e. thermographic images), such as thermal signatures caused by reflections, dirt and other superficial inhomogeneities.
This study explores several problems and effects that arise, when (rotating) blades are monitored with thermography.
It will then be demonstrated that a meaningful defect inspection in this scenario is essentially restricted to a procedure following three steps: Firstly, calculating the so-called difference thermograms of all blade pairs for eliminating disturbing reflections. Secondly, identifying potentially relevant signals, which are associated neither with structural features nor with dynamical effects, and the identification of these signals’ allocations (through comparison of all difference thermograms with each other). And thirdly, comparing these signals with (processed) photos for excluding incorrect indications by surface effects. Unlike common thermographic analysis methods, which typically only include an aspect of this procedure, the composition presented in this contribution constitutes an advanced technique for minimizing disturbing influences in thermograms.
The proposed thermographic technique enables the detection of potential subsurface defects within rotating rotor blades from greater distances – such as from the ground, air crafts or vessels.
The paper presents some of the results obtained within a project concerning the validation of the thermographic inspection method applied to rotor blades of wind turbines. Thermographic testing (TT) is a well established nondestructive testing method under laboratory conditions. It is suited to detect typical structural features and also faults and damages within the blade structure. However, the onsite application for wind turbines during Operation is not straightforward. Some resuits of non-rotating blades as well as of rotating blades are presented. The simultaneous recording of all blades in the rotating state allows the application of a reference method suppressing disturbing influences and leading to enhanced thermal contrasts.
Eine Arbeitsgruppe der BAM in der Abteilung für Zerstörungsfreie Prüfung forscht seit 2011 an verschiedenen technischen Fragestellungen, die sich aus dem thermografischen Lösungsansatz ergeben. Zum Beispiel werden spezielle Prüfkörper aus GFK im Labor unter dem Gesichtspunkt untersucht, inwieweit (materielle) innere Strukturen und äußerlich nicht sichtbare Schäden mit Thermografie offenbart werden können. Hierbei werden verschiedene Anregungs- und Auswertungstechniken auf ihre Eignung für diese Problemstellung untersucht. Der folgende Beitrag erläutert einige technische Schwierigkeiten bei der praktischen Anwendung der geplanten Inspektionsmethode und stellt einen erfolgversprechenden Lösungsansatz vor.