Life optimisation tools and technology are helping wind operators answer a long-standing question in asset management: when damage is identified, how long is there before action is required?
Ilosta’s physics-based algorithm software, Crack Map™, helps answer that question by bringing together inspection evidence from multiple sources and modelling how damage propagates on a specific wind asset under its current operating conditions.
Moving beyond standardised assumptions and linear degradation curves, Ilosta gives operators a more dynamic understanding of asset condition, supporting more precise decisions around maintenance, intervention and long-term life optimisation.
The keystone of wind asset life optimisation
Historically, life extension conversations have tended to happen late in an asset’s operational life, often as a wind turbine approaches the end of its design life.
A significant proportion of the UK’s wind assets are now ageing. For the first time at scale, the industry must determine how to safely maintain wind turbines, extend their operational life and keep them turning for longer.
Many of the methodologies used to assess asset life were built around standardised norms and assumptions, with approaches influenced by experience in the oil and gas industry. However, wind assets operate under very different conditions. They are exposed to high-cycle fatigue and contain large mechanical and rotating components, electrical systems, substations and extensive cabling, all of which can be affected by different mechanical and operational faults.
As the wind industry develops, the need for methodologies built around the specific behaviour of wind assets is essential.
The challenge lies in understanding how damage develops on a specific asset over time. A defect identified during a wind turbine blade inspection, non-destructive testing (NDT) campaign or another inspection process provides important evidence about asset condition. However, wind operators require to know how long is left before action is required.
Aligning inspection evidence with Crack Map™
Crack Map™ is Ilosta’s physics-based analytical software for understanding damage propagation. Inspection evidence from multiple sources can be brought together within the platform, including drone imagery, SCADA data, sensor outputs, NDT results and historical inspection reports.
Each source contributes different information about the asset condition. Crack Map™ brings this evidence together and uses physics-based algorithms to model how identified damage is likely to develop over time on a specific asset under its operating conditions.
As new inspection evidence and operational data become available, the model will only continue to develop over time. It creates an asset-specific understanding of damage progression, moving towards propagation curves that reflect the non-linear nature of damage development.
Linking data acquisition with engineering data
The technology used to gather inspection data is also advancing. Drone systems can now capture high-resolution images, while condition monitoring sensors and NDT methods provide additional sources of asset information.
As data acquisition becomes faster, the analytical capability behind it must keep pace.
Ilosta’s software fits within the wider wind asset technology ecosystem. Customers can use different data acquisition methods based on cost, availability and the requirements of a particular situation. The inspection evidence can then be brought into Crack Map™ for further analysis.
That approach allows operators to adapt their inspection strategy as technology continues to improve while maintaining a consistent analytical layer for understanding asset condition.
Supporting precise intervention planning
Understanding how damage develops over time gives operators a stronger basis for planning maintenance and intervention.
Where a flaw is identified, Crack Map™ can model how it would propagate under loading conditions. By supporting a clearer assessment of when action may be required, the software helps operators prioritise intervention.
How does Crack Map™ work in practice?
Situation A: During one UK wind farm life extension assessment, rotor-nacelle assembly components of the turbines had been changed out while the existing towers remained in place. The asset owner needed to establish whether tower replacement was also required. Ilosta provided an engineering-backed assessment to give the asset owner a clear answer on the replacement requirement.
Situation B: In an international scenario following an unplanned structural event, a full NDT inspection campaign was commissioned across a wind site. Ilosta used the inspection data to carry out a dynamic risk assessment and model how identified damage was propagating under real loading conditions.
Life optimisation should begin much earlier than the final years of an asset’s original design life and now we have the tools to make it happen. By building an understanding of structural performance over time, operators can start planning for the long-term operation of an asset from the early stages of its life.
Crack Map™ brings together the available evidence and models how identified damage is developing, ultimately offering insights into the longevity of the asset.
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Understand how Crack Map™ can support your wind asset life optimisation strategy? Contact us to find out more.
