Maintenance &  Operation

Regular inspection and maintenance are essential for the operators of offshore wind farms. Even if everything runs smoothly, the foundations and rotor blades have to be inspected on site every now and then and, for example, opened Corrosion, Cracks or crater formation on the bases are checked. The Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH) also expressly prescribes on-site maintenance of offshore wind farms. For this purpose, wind farm operators usually commission external service providers who specialize in assembly and electrotechnical work - even in heavy waves.

There are basically three types of maintenance:
Automatic maintenance, remote maintenance and on-site maintenance.

And in the event of a malfunction?

Assemblies such as electronics, sensors or the hydraulic system are more susceptible to failure than mechanical parts. Gearboxes, rotors or generators are less likely to be defective, but repairs are more complex, especially if a crane is required to replace the components.

Modern electronic Condition monitoring systems (CMS) enable real-time monitoring of wind turbines and their components. Temperature, vibrations, pressure states and other variables are measured. The systems also ensure, among other things, that the turbines can be automatically turned out of the wind when the wind speeds are too high. In some cases, a fault in a system can easily be rectified in the operator's control center on land. All you have to do is do a few Settings in the electronics be changed.

However, other incidents can only pass Maintenance teams on site put in order. If there are high waves, strong wind and fog, this can be a challenge. The safe transport of the service teams on ships to the systems is only feasible on around 20 percent of the days of the year. If the ships do not get close enough to the facilities, the teams can alternatively be transported by helicopter.

The transformer platforms serve as important material stores and accommodations for on-site maintenance work.