Wind Turbine Blade Drone Inspections

One of the most important components of any wind turbine is its blades. These massive structures are responsible for converting kinetic energy from the wind into usable power, so it is essential that they are in good working order at all times. To ensure that this is always the case, many wind farms now utilize drone technology for routine wind turbine inspections. By using drones, companies can quickly and easily check the condition of each blade without having to climb up on tall towers or deploy expensive equipment to reach remote areas. Thanks to drone-based wind turbine inspections, operators can be confident that their turbines are always running at peak efficiency and producing safe, sustainable power for their communities.

For years, wind turbine inspections have been a labor-intensive and time-consuming process, requiring specialized equipment and experienced personnel. However, with the development of drone technology, this process is now faster and more efficient than ever before. By using drone-mounted cameras and sensors, wind turbine inspectors are able to get a detailed view of all key areas of the turbines in a fraction of the time it would take using other methods. Additionally, drone technology gives inspectors access to locations that would be difficult or dangerous to reach. Overall, drone wind turbine inspections are an essential tool for ensuring the safety and optimal performance of these valuable energy sources.

Applications For Drones in Wind:

• Site Selection: Map vegetation, terrain and water features to assist with site selection.  
• Due Diligence & Pre-Purchase Evaluation: Interested asset buyers can request a detailed inspection report of wind blade and turbine health.
• Insurance Risk Assessment: Understanding the condition of assets can help customers request discounts from insurers if the assets are in good condition.
• Insurance Claims Reporting: After a storm or other damaging event, owners can quickly assess damage for insurance claims.

Benefits of Aerial Drone Wind Turbine Blade Inspections:

• Speed: Drone inspections are 90% faster than manual inspections, which enables wind companies to inspect more turbines in the same period of time.
• Accuracy: Complete wind turbine blade inspections accurately the first time with precise aerial drone data and prevent unexpected costs or setbacks later on.
• Safety: Leverage aerial data collection to eliminate the safety hazards of manual tower climbs.

Wind Turbine Inspection Deliverables:

So what is the best solution? Work with a professional drone company that has expertise in this area who can provide the consistent data you need in a safe, efficient and compliant manner. Nationwide professional drone service firm, Skye Link, utilizes an automated flight software that leverages LiDAR to capture data on all wind turbine blades safely and effectively in order to produce client deliverables such as

1. Software Access to 3DX Blade Portal: Open platform for data management and analytics of all wind assets. View & share all inspection data on blade, site, or fleet level

2. PDF Damage Report (Skye Link’s wind inspection reports identify various blade damages such as lightning strikes (most common), small splits along bond joints or cracks in other areas, UV radiation damage, leading-edge erosion, delamination, pitch errors, gel coat degradation, among other wear and tear over time. )

3. Excel .csv file itemizing all findings from inspection campaign as a supplement to pdf reports and fleet management 3DX Blade Software Portal.

Skye Link Wind Turbine Blade Drone Inspection Services

Why Skye Link?

We are a professional drone service company using UAS for wind turbine blade inspections and streamlining the aerial data collection & analysis process.

Collect High-Quality Data:

Our service platform allows us to provide on-demand nationwide drone services for wind inspections by deploying experienced remote pilots with experience flying thermal, LiDAR, visual asset inspection missions to capture high-quality data.

Receive Accurate Inspection Reports & Analysis:

We then process & analyze the data to produce highly detailed actionable wind turbine inspection reports that identify issues with exact GPS locations. With regular inspections conducted over time, our wind turbine inspection solutions offer operational insights over the asset lifecycle enabling effective long-term asset management.

Interested in learning more or request a quote for wind turbine blade inspections? Let’s Connect!

Talk to our professional team to get your questions answered and begin utilizing the power of drones and aerial data to effectively inspect wind turbine blades.