Turbine maintenance specialist GEV Wind Power has completed the first set of onshore trials for its in-house developed blade maintenance Habitat.
The Habitat was installed on Power Climber and Kaeufer access platforms in varying weather conditions and ranging between 30 metres and 100 metres high, with the deployment demonstrating the flexibility and operability of the Habitat in a real-life environment, the company said in a release.
GEV Wind Power says that the Habitat enables technicians to conduct repairs on remote wind turbines, whilst remaining sheltered from the elements and provides greater scope to schedule repairs throughout the year, mitigating adverse seasonal weather conditions.
The company will also be able to offer a 24 hour working window using fixed lighting within the Habitat.
“With consent recently announced for the development of Galloper Offshore Wind Farm and construction for the East Anglia ONE project planned to progress in 2017, innovations within the wind sector are increasingly important,” Alastair Gadney, projects director for GEV Group, said.
“These trials are a huge leap forward in not only reinforcing the concept of the Habitat, but also proving how it can be applied to a range of turbine and access platform sizes. We are also exploring different configurations of the Habitat, from a simple wind break to a more complete waterproof solution.”
The trials also enabled GEV technicians to test the company’s bespoke blade maintenance App, I-RIS (Intuitive Reporting and Inspection System).
Images: GEV Wind Power