Advancements in Non-Destructive Testing of Wind Rotor Blades

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Advancements in Non-Destructive Testing of Wind Rotor Blades

Nielsen, Steen Arnfred / Troedsson, Morgan

The paper presents a range of automated ultrasonic non-destructive testing solutions for reliable inspection of the wind rotor blade throughout its lifetime. Different aspects of automated testing systems are discussed addressing challenges related to the design, the manufacturing and the operation of wind rotor blades. In the design phase of blade manufacturing a detailed automated testing of pre-production blades gives information about defect types in thick GRP as well as thin CFRP laminates, like dry areas and fibre waviness. In the blade production phase, inspection time is a critical factor and different scanning strategies are discussed. For fast inspection a mobile array scanner was developed and optimised for reliable inspection of wind rotor blades. For installed blades, on-shore as well as off-shore, access to the blade is a major concern. An overview of different access systems and the corresponding automated scanner is discussed. For reliable inspection of wind rotor blades throughout their lifetime it is suggested to apply similar automated ultrasonic methods in the design phase, the production phase and for installed blades.