SHM.Foundation^® individual – Fully configurable system for the comprehensive monitoring of building ground, foundation and supporting structure in the offshore area

With the SHM.Foundation individual monitoring system, the structural behavior of your wind turbines and substations can be recorded, tracked and evaluated in compliance with the guidelines. The focus is on the detailed analysis of maximum and fatigue loads, the acting wind and wave loads, the structural condition and the resulting remaining lifetime, as well as the detection of corrosion and scouring.

Both the necessary hardware and the software for data analysis are individually configured to meet your project requirements. On the basis of our many years of experience, we advise you on the way to the system configuration that is individually suitable for you.

However, we do not only accompany you during conception, installation and commissioning, but throughout the entire monitoring process. Within the scope of signal analysis, we extract the information that is essential for you, compare the recorded stresses with design assumptions, calculate the lifetime consumption, prepare reports for approval authorities and identify optimization potential.

Without a suitable monitoring system, damage can only be detected and monitored by regular visual inspections. These are usually complex and expensive. The monitoring of variables such as displacements, deformations, component stresses or frequencies is therefore unanimously recommended. In numerous offshore projects, however, only the monitoring of ten percent of all turbines has been established so far.

Since each wind turbine has individual characteristics and damage, we take a more comprehensive approach and recommend that all turbines in a wind farm be equipped with a system for monitoring the tower and foundation structure. In offshore wind farms, we generally equip ten percent of the turbines with the comprehensive SHM.Foundation individual system and 90 percent of the turbines with the cost-effective standard SHM.Foundation system. This combination makes it possible to switch from the previously used time-based inspections to condition-based inspection concepts.

Comprehensive monitoring is also useful for onshore wind farms. It enables operation to be optimized at all levels and thus reduces operating costs. An additional advantage is the exact statement about the total consumed lifetime. This means that the assessment of the continued operation of the plant is based on the fatigue loads that have actually occurred. In contrast to the evaluation with conventional methods, the entire potential for lifetime extension can be exploited.

Correlation with EOC/SCADA data compensates for the dependence of the damage indicators on operating conditions. In addition, extended compensation with AI methods can significantly increase the accuracy.

Exploiting the potential of a wind farm in the best possible way – this is not only the overriding goal of manufacturers and operators, but is also essential with a view to achieving the fastest possible energy turnaround. In our white papers in the categories Increase yields, Optimize inspections and Extend service life, you can find out how you can sustainably increase the efficiency of your wind turbines.