Elevate your blade performance

Expert condition monitoring for onshore and offshore

Elevate your blade performance

Rotor blade condition monitoring for higher availability & optimal efficiency

The top priorities when operating wind turbines are protecting the investment and optimizing the energy yield. If the rotor blades suddenly come to a stop because of unexpected damage, this can result in a long-term loss of yield. Small anomalies, such as broken screws or defective blade bolts, can escalate undetected into massive damage, which is why it is important to constantly monitor the large components of the system.

The BLADEcontrol® rotor blade monitoring, TwinCap® bolt monitoring for blade bearings and BOLTcontrol bolt breakage detection systems from Weidmüller make it possible. Reliable condition monitoring makes it possible to plan service calls before serious damage occurs. At the same time, maintenance schedules can be optimized, and system stops for maintenance work can be planned for low wind phases. The three systems can be installed in onshore and offshore turbines around the globe.

The typical fault pattern depends on the turbine type. We will be glad to advise you on the right condition monitoring solution for your systems.

Rotor blade condition monitoring for higher availability and optimum efficiency

Protecting the investment and optimising the energy yield are the top priorities when operating wind turbines. If the rotor blades suddenly come to a stop because of unexpected damage, this can mean longterm yield loss. Small anomalies, such as broken screws or defective blade bolts, can escalate undetected into massive damage, which is why it is important to constantly monitor the large components of the system.

The BLADEcontrol® rotor blade monitoring, TwinCap® bolt monitoring for blade bearings and BOLTcontrol bolt breakage detection systems from Weidmüller enable this. Reliable condition monitoring makes it possible to plan service tours before serious damage occurs. At the same time, maintenance schedules can be optimised, and system stops for maintenance work can be planned for low wind phases. The three systems can be installed in onshore and offshore turbines around the globe.

The typical fault pattern depends on the turbine type. We will be glad to advise you on the right condition monitoring solution for your systems.

Rotor blade monitoring with BLADEcontrol®

BLADEcontrol® gets the most out of your system

The planning and execution of maintenance and repair work is particularly time-consuming and costly for offshore installations. With BLADEcontrol® you can anticipate impending damage and react before it occurs. In this way, you achieve higher system availability and minimize the need for repairs.

We will gladly support you with our monitoring expertise. Find out more about the potential of our condition monitoring systems and make your wind turbine more intelligent.

Highly sensitive sensor technology – directly inside the rotor blade

With BLADEcontrol® you can detect even the smallest damage to rotor blades, e.g. blade tip damage caused by lightning strikes, trailing edge cracks, web separation, bonding defects or blade bearing damage. This is achieved by measuring inside the blade at the point where the damage occurs. Your advantages with BLADEcontrol® at a glance

  • Reduction of life cycle costs through reducing repair and downtime costs
  • Yield optimization through early detection of rotor blade misalignment
  • Asset management through continuous condition monitoring
  • Lightning current resistant, high-precision sensor technology
  • Continuous data collection and information on the condition of the rotor blades 24/7
  • Easy access to data, analyses and information via our online platform WebVis

Your rotor blades always in sight – with the new BLADEcontrol® WebVis

Take advantage of our new WebVis. The dashboard provides a quick overview of the entire turbine portfolio. A variety of filter functions, direct switching from one turbine to the next and a time range selection ensure an effective workflow.

Video: Get the job done easily with BLADEcontrol®

Video: Get the job done easily with BLADEcontrol®

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Join our offshore wind service technician and learn how BLADEcontrol® makes his job easier.

BOLTcontrol – Bolt breakage detection system for wind turbines

With BOLTcontrol monitor blade bearing bolts safely, permanently, and easily

The patented BOLTcontrol monitoring system recognizes broken bolts and prevents consequential damage to wind turbines. Blade bolts act as a bolted connection between the hub and rotor blade and are therefore permanently exposed to dynamic loads. BOLTcontrol not only recognizes a broken bolt, but also offers protection against the consequential damage caused by broken bolts.

Solution components of BOLTcontrol

Our BOLTcontrol system consists of detection plates and an evaluation unit. The detection plates and their holding magnets can be adapted to different wind turbines for specific applications. The evaluation unit is available as a control cabinet and DIN rail version.

Your advantages with BOLTcontrol at a glance

  • Maximum safety
  • Protection against consequential damage to the wind turbine
  • Reduction of downtime and repair costs
  • Adaptable to different turbine types

Blade bearing monitoring with TwinCap®

Secure bolted joints with TwinCap®

During the lifetime of a wind turbine, the rotor blades are not the only components that are exposed to risks. Bolted joints are among the most stressed parts of a wind turbine and can crack, become damaged and break over time. The condition monitoring system for blade bearings is designed to detect bolt nuts that are about to break. A broken nut is an indicator of a crack in the outer ring of the blade bearing.

Without condition monitoring, the progression of the blade bearing crack and resulting fastener failure can be severely debilitating and eventually lead to the loss of the blade. Our TwinCap® system monitors the condition of your blade bearings and reliably detects cracks. This helps to avoid expensive damage later on.

Reliable early fault detection of rotor blade cracks

A cracked nut is an indicator of a crack in the blade bearing. The TwinCap® sensors detect cracks in bolt nuts and disconnect the circuit as soon as a nut bursts open. An evaluation unit sends a signal to the control unit about the damage in order to switch it off.

Your advantages with TwinCap® at a glance

  • Early failure detection and communication
  • Easy mounting and wiring with magnets and series connection (Plug & Play)
  • Integrated LED for visual detection of damaged nuts
  • Suitable for offshore applications (Protection class IP68)
  • Suitable for M30 nuts with and without washers

Our whitepaper about blade bearing monitoring with TwinCap® answers the following questions:

  • When and why should you use condition monitoring for blade bearings?
  • What are our TwinCap® sensors and what are their advantages?
  • When is blade bearing monitoring useful for you?

There is no registration required.

Success stories from practical applications

The future of offshore wind lies beyond the shallow coasts. Floating wind turbines can generate electricity at almost any sea depth, offering an outstanding potential for CO2 reduction. We have equipped a prototype of this floating future technology, DemoSATH by the company Saitec, with two newly developed customer solutions: The integrated LED system and the TwinCap® remote maintenance system, which detects damage to the screw nuts in the blade bearing at an early stage.

More solutions for your assets

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Contact us

Contact us

Choosing the right monitoring system for your wind turbine depends on the turbine type. Whether BLADEcontrol®, BOLTcontrol or TwinCap® – we will be glad to advise you on your individual requirements.

Scott Sattler

USA Business Development Manager – Wind

Consulting & Support