RAINBOW
The Rainbow project is an intercluster ICON project, submitted with support from De Blauwe Cluster and SIM.
As erosion causes significant production losses, the RAINBOW project aims to gain a better insight into the erosion of rotor blades due to precipitation and lightning.
This should provide new opportunities for preventive maintenance and improved strategies for inspection, maintenance and repair.
The project partners are focusing on thorough monitoring of the turbines and the energy yield on the one hand and automated inspection of rotor blades with drones on the other. Based on the results, coatings and other protective materials will be tested and validated under realistic North Sea conditions.
All this will also allow for better prediction of wind turbine lifetime and better preparation and scheduling of inspection flights with drones. Ultimately, this will result in longer wind turbine lifetimes and a drastic reduction in inspection, maintenance and repair costs.
Better risk management of erosion and damage to turbine blades will also contribute to higher energy production and lower and more competitive energy prices.
This project is part of:
