The Institute of Technology and Renewable Energies (ITER), dependent on the Cabildo de Tenerife, and the Polytechnic University of Valencia (UPV) have joined forces in Aerotwin, a project focused on the development of a comprehensive wind turbine monitoring system which will allow the identification and diagnosis of defects in the main components of these structures (power train, generator, tower and foundation), as well as the prediction of their evolution for their 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 projects in public-private collaboration from the Ministry of Science and Innovation.
The system will be based on the use of sensors strategically located in different parts of the wind turbine. Its main innovation lies 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 by means of sensors, which do not affect the operation or the structure, allowing the detection of possible anomalies.
The Aerotwin project began with a kick-off meeting in December 2022, marking the start 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 Aerotwin system in a real operational environment, using for them the wind turbines that ITER has in operation in Tenerife.
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 stages, 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 project budget amounts to 482,239 euros, of which 52% corresponds to ITER and 48% to the UPV, and is financed by the Ministry of Science and Innovation and Next Generation European funds.
