Preventative maintenance and Inspections on wind turbine blades leads to a much longer blade life. Annual inspections and a good maintenance program allow you to detect issues such as minor repairs, lightening strikes and touch ups and leading edge repairs so that integrity of the blades last longer to keep the turbines running efficiently. Blade Maintenance is normally conducted during the off peak seasons to minimize downtime for the wind farm.
AES has partnerships with a few companies to provide safe and efficient way to access the blades to conduct repairs.
Blade Cleaning: Blade washing to remove both hydraulic and gearbox oils and other foreign matter.
• Lightning Damage: Once Blade is inspected for structural integrity and repaired back to its original state, also the Lightning Protection System and certified for continuity and resistance per blade specifications.
• Blade Protective applications: Leading Edge protection (3m tape or Paint) to prevent leading edge erosion.
• Blade Balancing: Balancing Blade sets as per the manufacturers’ specified tolerances
• Continuity Measurements: Lightning protection system is inspected and continuity measured and recorded to check as per manufacturer’s limits.
• Leading Edge Erosion: Blade leading edge restored to original state.
• Tip replacement: Repairing the tip due to a lightning strike.
• Hatch & Hub/Blade: Repair blade, Hub and Nacelle Covers and Sections
• Gel Coat: Re-coat either sections and or the complete blade with paint or gel coat.
• Shipping and construction damage: Blades are inspected by technicians and any damage will be repaired before erection.