Blade Repair - What is it?
Blade repair and inspection is an important part of maintaining healthy blades. The wind industry is growing rapidly and with this comes high demand for wind turbine blade inspection and repair services. It is paramount to ensure blades are well maintained to help reach production and environmental goals on our journey to net zero. Wind Turbines are exposed to very harsh climatic conditions and are often running 24 hours a day. This can cause various wear and tear issues on major components, especially the blades. Blades that are not regularly inspected and maintained are at risk of suffering severe damages and production loss. Here at Bladestar Renewables Ltd, we provide all matters of inspection and blade repair services to all turbine types globally. Bladestar Renewables Ltd have become a global leader in inspecting/repairing structural defects across all blade types ranging including Siemens, LM Wind Power, Enercon and Vestas.
Common Blade Issues
Blade repair can prove difficult because wind turbines are often found in very remote areas of the world to harness the power of the wind. With this, they are also often exposed to very harsh climatic conditions.
- Leading Edge Erosion – The continuous exposure to wind, rain and dust will gradually erode the blade’s surface. Leading edge erosion can range from minor to major erosion, resulting in further damage to the blade shell and altering the blade’s aerodynamics. This will also reduce the efficiency of the blade and result in production loss.
- Lightning Damage – The lightning protection system (LPS) is a critical component of the blade. The LPS system should be regularly checked for continuity to ensure there are no breaks in the cable or anomalies in the system. This LPS cable sends the current through the entire system and earth through the foundation of the turbine often harmlessly. Failure to regularly test this system could result in serious defects occurring in the event of a lightning strike. A faulty LPS receptor or break in the cable could result in the lightning directly striking the blade and often leaving serious damage behind. Blocked drain holes are also an issue when lightning strikes. The water trapped within the tip will turn to steam when the tip is struck, which could result in the tip being blown wide open.
- Shell Cracks – Due to the extreme forces placed on wind turbine blades, they are often succumbed to fatigue/stress cracks. This can often be due to manufacturing flaws which don’t show themselves for years until fatigue sets in and cracks start to appear. The majority of these cracks are easily repairable however the inspection periods are critical to ensure regular checks of cracks to track the propagation of the crack. In severe instances, wind turbines often need to be stopped to protect the turbine from further damage/blade failure.
- Internal Inspections – Internal blade inspections are vitally important to protecting the integrity of the blades. The internal skin of the blade is highly structural and when regular inspections are not complete, these can spiral out of control resulting in structural damage and/or complete blade failure.
Tried and Tested Blade Repair Techniques
Bladestar Renewables Ltd has developed tried and tested advanced blade repair techniques and rolled these out to various top-level energy providers and OEMs. Throughout our lifetime, Bladestar has set out to revolutionise the inspection/repair industry by exposing poor-quality workmanship and reinstating confidence in our clients with world-class inspection and repair services. Our maintenance strategies have proved time and time again that our services are unrivalled, and our clients stand testament to this.
Choosing the Right Blade Repair Service Provider
Selecting the correct blade repair contractor can be an overwhelming task. Many companies claim to be in top position. But can they back it up with what they are promising? Here are a few factors to consider:
- Experience and Reputation: Does the company have a solid track record within the wind industry?
- Certifications: Does the company hold the relevant international certifications to show commitment to Health and Safety, Environmental and Quality?
- Technical Ability: Does the company have evidence that they can execute their promises with hard proof of doing so on previous projects?
- Customer Feedback: Does the company have true testimonials and feedback from other customers that they are willing to put on record?
- Cost: Does the cost of the service exceed your expectations?
Why Bladestar Renewables Ltd is the Right Choice
Bladestar Renewables Ltd ticks all the boxes. Not only are we a blade repair and inspection service provider, but we are a partner in all your blade repair requirements. Having built up a hugely creditable and reputable brand, our services are trusted by some of the largest OEM’s and Energy providers in the country.
Bladestar Renewables Ltd understands the importance of compliance and is UKAS accredited to ISO 9001, 14001 and 45001 including SSIP (Safety Schemes in Procurement).
All technicians are trained in-house to meet our superior standards in Quality. Keeping training in-house enables us to ensure we have the pulse on skillset between all different technicians at different stages of their learning journey. With this, you have peace of mind of receiving top quality during all operations.
Customer feedback is crucial to ensuring that we meet our hunger for improvement. Bladestar Renewables feel that there is always room for improvement, and with this, our targets and objectives are always improving. Customer testimonials are our proof that our systems and process’ are working and that our superior service is unrivalled.
Bladestar Renewables’ costs are competitive within the market, however, our service is far more advanced in terms of competition. Reach out today to discuss the many ways in which Bladestar Renewables can alleviate your blade inspection and repair requirements.
We are trusted by some of the biggest clients in the UK ranging from EDF Renewables, Nadara, Deutsche Windtechnik, Natural Power and many more. We are also more than happy to provide client references to further back up our promise to be the best blade inspection and repair partner you have ever had!