Robot Inspects Wind Energy Converters
January 20, 2009
The material of wind energy converters must withstand intense forces. Are rotor blades damaged? A new robot inspects wind energy converters more precisely than a human ever could. It detects the minutest damage – even below the surface.
It appears reliably and appears alone. Nimbly and quickly, it pulls itself up a rope meter for meter until it reaches a wind energy converter’s giant rotor blades. Then it goes to work. It thoroughly inspects every centimeter of the rotor blades’ surface. Nothing escapes it. It registers any crack and any delamination in the material and relays their exact positions. In this job, a robot is superior to humans.
The researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Factory Operation and Automation IFF are experts in robotics – regardless of whether to clean facades, inspect sewer lines or assist humans. Their latest helper is RIWEA, a robot that inspects the rotor blades of wind energy converters. Primarily made of glass fiber reinforced plastics, rotor blades have to withstand a great deal: wind, inertial forces, erosion, etc. Until now, humans have inspected wind energy converters at regular intervals – not an easy job. After all, the technicians must closely examine large surfaces – a rotor blade can be up to 60 meters long – in airy heights. “Our robot is not just a good climber,” says Dr. Norbert Elkmann, Project Manager am Fraunhofer IFF and coordinator of the joint project. “It is equipped with a number of advanced sensor systems. This enables it to inspect rotor blades closely.” Are there cracks in the surface? Are the bonded joints and laminations in order? Is the bond with the central strut damaged?
The inspection system consists of three elements: An infrared radiator conducts heat to the surface of the rotor blades. A high-resolution thermal camera records the temperature pattern and thus registers flaws in the material. In addition, an ultrasonic system and a high resolution camera are also on board, thus enabling the robot to also detect damage that would remain hidden to the human eye. A specially developed carrier system ensures that the inspection robot is guided securely and precisely along the surface of a rotor blade. “it is a highly complex platform with sixteen degrees of freedom, which can autonomously pull itself up ropes,” explains Elkmann. The advantage of this system: It can perform its job on any wind energy converter – regardlesss of whether it is large or small, on land or offshore. The robot always delivers an exact log of the rotor blades’ condition, keeping humans safe and not missing any damage.
The Robots are very important beacause they do the work better than humans.
Works on its own with barely any controls.
It checks every crack and misses nothing.
The blades can be up to 60 feet long
Roller bots miss nothing on or offland big or small.
Hi Mrs. Davis
Wind energy converters must hold up in strong weather. That is why scientists have made new robots to inspect the blades. These robots inspect and correct the blades better than any human could. They wont miss even the smallest defect. they have sensors that enable them to help get their job done. hopefully this new technology will make wind power more efficiant.
A robot inspects windmills that make energy. The robot pulls itself up a rope to reach the contraption. It thoroughly inspects each windmill. It then then makes an exact log of every windmill and delivers it to the people. I learned a lot from this article.
1.The robots have sensors for them to get their jobs done.
2.The robots work on its on with not as many controls.
3.The inspection system consist of three elements.
4.A Rotor blade can be up to 60 meters long.
5.Robots do better and harder work then humans
1.)a robot inspects wind energy converters
2.)it inspects every inch of the rotor blades
3.)the blades can be 60 meters long 4.)a robot can do a better job than a human
5.)it pulls itself up a rope meter until it reaches the converters
They have found out how to convert wind with robot machines.
The blades are oproximitly 60 feet long.
It registers any crack and any delamination in the material and relays their exact positions.
A high-resolution thermal camera records the temperature pattern and thus registers flaws in the material.
It can perform its job on any wind energy converter.
1. A new robot insepcets wind energy converters better than a human ever could.
2.These robots dectect the damage very quickly.
3.These wind energy converters can even detect damage under the surface.
4.This system consists of a few elements: A radiator that conducts heat to the top of radar blades. Another element is that is found on these machines is that the robots can record the thermal pattern.
5.These robots also can find damage that would remain hidden to the human eye.
~The rotor blades can be up to 60 meters long.
~The robots inspect wind converters.
~It checks all the cracks and never misses anything.
~The robots work harder than humans.
~They can always get their jobs done.
Rotor blades can be up to 60 meters long.The robots are used to inspect wind converters.They check everything on the wind converters and never overlook things.Some people believe that these particular robots work harder than any human would at this job.The robots always deliver an exact log of the condition that the wind converter is in so that humans are garenteed to be safe.
~They can always get their jobs done.
1.Wind energy converters must withstand intense forces.
2.A robot could inspect them easier than a human could.
3.The robot can work alone and pull itself up a rope.
4.One wind energy converter rotor can be up to 60 meters long..
5.Humans used to inspect the wind converters at intervals and it is not an easy job.