Optimizing the state of wind turbines, their performance and useful life is the objective of a project in which the Technological and Renewable Energy Institute (ITER) participates next to the Polytechnic University of Valencia (UPV). The society of the Council of Tenerife are working on Aerotwin, a project focused on the development of a comprehensive wind turbine monitoring system that will allow the identification and diagnosis of defects in the main components of these structures (powertrain, generator, tower and foundation), as well as the prediction of their evolution for its predictive maintenance.
Aerotwin is one of the six projects for which ITER has obtained funding within the framework of the 2021 call for aid for public-private collaboration projects carried out by the Ministry of Science and Innovation.
The system will be based on the use of sensors strategically located on the wind turbine. Its main innovation consists in the use of artificial neural networks to control the different elements that make up the mechanical part of the mill, through the electrical values of the generator, and to monitor the state of the tower and the foundation through sensors. These elements do not affect the operation or the structure, allowing the detection of possible anomalies, according to the insular Government.
The Aerotwin project began with a kick-off meeting held on December 2, 2022. This meeting marked the beginning of the objectives and tasks planned for the first quarter. At the end of the project, the consortium formed by ITER and the UPV will validate the Aero-twin system in a real operational environment, using for them the wind turbines that the Institute has in operation around its facilities, in the Granadilla Industrial Estate. .
Once developed, the system is expected to be marketed as a service for companies in charge of the operation and maintenance of wind farms. Among its main impacts, it is expected to have a positive impact on decision-making and the minimization of downtime, thanks to the detection of faults in early phases, as well as the performance of planned and optimized maintenance to save costs. . This becomes especially relevant given that, as the capacity of the turbines increases, the costs associated with downtime and repairs also increase.
The total budget for the project amounts to 482,239 euros, of which 52% corresponds to the contribution of the Institute of Technology and Renewable Energies (ITER) and the remaining 48% to the Polytechnic University of Valencia. The Aerotwin project is funded by the Ministry of Science and Innovation, through the State Research Agency, as well as by the European Union, which provides funds from the EU Next Generation EU Recovery Plan and the Recovery, Transformation Plan and Resilience of Spain (PRTR), as reported by the Cabildo de Tenerife.
