Wind turbines located offshore must cope with demanding environmental conditions and are located in places that are difficult to access. For these reasons, constantly knowing its structural health is key to improving its reliability and ensuring the viability of these types of operations.
To meet these challenges a research project has been launched called Winturcon, which aims to develop and validate new methods of detection, location and identification of faults in these types of installations. It relies on the participation of IK4-IKERLAN and the Codalab group from the Polytechnic University of Catalonia.
These organisations will complete the Winturcon project between now and 2017. This initiative has a budget of 160,000 euros. The funding is provided by the State research, development and innovation programme aimed at the challenges facing society in the field of R&D&I, dependent on the Central Government.
The project includes fundamental research on methods of locating and identifying damage with the development of algorithms that take into account practical aspects such as reducing the number of sensors installed in the generators.
This initiative is a continuation of the Aeraulic project, implemented between 2012 and 2014 by IK4-IKERLAN, the aforementioned Codalab group from the Polytechnic University of Catalonia and the Centre of Composite Materials and Smart Structures of the Polytechnic University of Madrid.
Project details
Name: Winturcon
Funding organisation: Spanish Government, Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness
Programme: State Programme for Research, Development and Innovation Aimed at the Challenges facing Society: R&D&I Projects
Project reference: DPI2014-58427-C2-2-R
Project coordinator: Codalab-UPC