Advanced Non-Destructive Testing of Blade Manufacturing Defects

Wind turbine blades are one of the most costly and complicated components of the wind turbine. Blades are now approaching 100m in length and are manufactured using carbon and/or glass fibre reinforced plastic composites. Non-destructive testing (NDT) methods are utilized to identify defects so to reduce operational maintenance costs and extend lifetimes.
Ultrasonic testing techniques are the most suitable NDT method with the data/image analysis typically performed by trained NDT experts. The aerospace industry now employs improved, contactless scanning methods, coupled with detection algorithms and machine-learning techniques. The application of similar methods to large wind turbine blades will enable more efficient and cost-effective inspections resulting in overall benefits for clean energy production.
A review of current ultrasonic NDT techniques for composite materials will be conducted and the most applicable for the wind industry identified. These will be tested on small blade samples, provided by industrial partner Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy. Following on from this, processes are to be up-scaled with the aim of developing mature and fully automated inspection, and image analysis, techniques used in large-scale blade manufacturing.

The research challenge and skills shortage to be addressed by the proposed CDT in Wind and Marine Energy Systems is central to the success of UK plans for a high penetration of renewable energy (much of this to be from onshore and offshore wind together with other marine renewable energy sources) and thus to meeting the Government's binding EU obligations to provide 15% of UK energy from non-carbon sources by 2020.
Since this is a Centre for Doctoral Training, the primary impact on UK society in general and UK industry in particular will be through the provision of highly trained engineers, expert in wind and marine energy. Most of the CDT graduates will be expected to take up posts in the growing commercial wind and marine energy sectors, and quickly rise to positions of leadership and influence. Given the continuing importance of research, especially for offshore wind and marine energy technology , it is hoped that some graduates will remain in the Higher Education sector and develop academic careers. This would provide a further, albeit slower impact through an improved research base and capability to deal with the inevitable research challenges of the sector as it develops further commercially.
UK industry, directly and indirectly involved in the wind and marine energy, will be beneficiaries. The proposed DTC will link strongly to all sectors, OEMs, components suppliers, developers, operators and consultants, aligning its research programme in Technology Readiness Levels one to four with their concerns and priorities. The existing extensive network of Industry Partners, that closely engage with the existing DTC in Wind Energy Systems and IDC in Offshore Renewable Energy (IDCORE, will be maintained and built on to ensure this alignment is achieved. Their role will include membership of the Industrial Advisory Board, suggestion and development of topics for the first year 8 week mini-projects and the main 3 year research projects, partnering and providing advice, guidance and support. In this way the research undertaken will be directly driven by industry needs and the research outcomes will help the commercial sector address key issues facing them.
A further impact will be through dissemination of the research outcomes to the wider research community both nationally and internationally. DTC students and supervisors will continue to publish in leading international journals, and dissemination will be supplemented by attending appropriate conferences and through organisations like the European Academy of Wind Energy, the IEC and CIGRE, and most importantly through direct contact with the industrial research leaders. The proposal team has excellent contacts in both the UK power and renewable energy sectors (National Grid, Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE), and Scottish Power/Iberdrola among others) and overseas (EDF, Gamesa, Siemens, EDP, China State Grid, etc.), as well of course with the international research community (NREL, DTU/RISO, ECN, EPRI, CEPRI, Tsinghua University, Zhejiang University, UCD, etc.)
The strong links and support from the wind and marine sectors allied to the UK electricity generation sector will ensure National Impact. In addition, Strathclyde's recently established Technology Innovation Centre (TIC) partnerships with SSE and Scottish Power/Iberdrola will provide an excellent framework to promote diffusion of the ideas generated by the DTC activity into the electricity supply and renewable energy and offshore sectors. In addition good links have been established with the new TSB Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult based in Glasgow and NAREC, with both Universities represented on their Research Advisory Board.