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.

The configuration of SHM.Foundation individual

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.

Reduction of visual inspections and lifetime extension

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.

Artificial intelligence (AI) enables even more precise results

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.


The advantages of holistic monitoring with SHM.Foundation individual at a glance:

Optimized
lifetime extension

Reduction and optimization
of visual inspections

Preservation of
the asset value

Identification
of black sheep


Knowledge Library

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.

References

Case Study "Structural Health Monitoring Offshore Wind Farm Arkona" 1.93 MB
Case Study "Structural Health Monitoring Offshore Wind Farm Arkona"

Arkona is the most efficient wind farm to date in the Baltic Sea: off the coast of the island of Rügen, 60 wind turbines are located on an area of 39 square kilometers and have a total output of 385 megawatts. An individual structural health monitoring concept developed by Wölfel is designed to ensure that the wind turbines feed into the grid as continuously and efficiently as possible, incur the lowest possible costs for operation and maintenance and meet the requirements of the authorities.

Technical Article "Probabilistic Approach for Detection of Scour on Monopile Substructures Using Measured SHM Data" 826.66 KB
Technical Article "Probabilistic Approach for Detection of Scour on Monopile Substructures Using Measured SHM Data"

Substructures of offshore wind turbines have to reliably withstand environmental conditions, operational and extreme loads during their design lifetime that may exceed the time period of 25 years. Within their lifetime, they may experience damage and structural changes. This study proposes a novel, data-driven approach for the quantification of probability of detection (POD) for the structural change due to scour on a monopile substructure. To achieve this aim, numerical analyses with finite elements are combined with real measured vibration data from an offshore wind farm.

White Paper "How to Use 'Structural Intelligence' for Assessment of Offshore Wind Foundations and Reduction of Inspection Costs" 3.02 MB
White Paper "How to Use 'Structural Intelligence' for Assessment of Offshore Wind Foundations and Reduction of Inspection Costs"

Risk-Based Inspections can optimize inspection cost through prioritisation of high-risk failures and adaption of inspection intervals for low-risk failures. Find out more in our White Paper.


Please contact us personally

________

We would be pleased to support you in solving your problem concerning "Wind turbine vibrations" and advise you on questions regarding our system and service offerings in the areas of structural health monitoring, vibration reduction, sound and noise as well as structural design.

Timo Klaas

+49 40 524715-265
klaas@woelfel.de
Contact form

Study

Industrial engineering in dual study programme, Osnabrück University of Cooperative Education

Acadamic Degree

Bachelor of Engineering (B.Eng.)

Professional Motto

Let the wind do its job!

Working at Wölfel

A family business of colleagues with such deep expertise that we can work at eye level with the leading international OEMs in the wind industry.

Very broad field of work with the opportunity to tackle and implement things.

Great colleagues with fun and joy.

Cool location in Hamburg :-)

Dipl.-Ing. Bernd Wölfel

Study

Civil Engineering, TU Berlin

Acadamic Degree

Dipl.-Ing.

Committee Activity

WAB e.V.

Professional Motto

"Paths are created by walking them." (Franz Kafka)

 

Working at Wölfel

Working independently in a flexible, highly innovative company that makes a little contribution to the energy transition.

Lorena Sproll-Astorquiza

+49 931 49708-761
Lsa@woelfel.de
Contact form

Study

Applied Foreign Languages and Business Administration, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen

Acadamic Degree

Diploma Business Anglicist / Romance Studies

Professional Motto

Work hard, be yourself and have fun.

Working at Wölfel

The wind energy sector is very inspiring. My motivation is to support the world and customers with our products.

Study

Industrial engineering in dual study programme, Osnabrück University of Cooperative Education

Acadamic Degree

Bachelor of Engineering (B.Eng.)

Professional Motto

Let the wind do its job!

Working at Wölfel

A family business of colleagues with such deep expertise that we can work at eye level with the leading international OEMs in the wind industry.

Very broad field of work with the opportunity to tackle and implement things.

Great colleagues with fun and joy.

Cool location in Hamburg :-)

Study

Civil Engineering, TU Berlin

Acadamic Degree

Dipl.-Ing.

Committee Activity

WAB e.V.

Professional Motto

"Paths are created by walking them." (Franz Kafka)

 

Working at Wölfel

Working independently in a flexible, highly innovative company that makes a little contribution to the energy transition.

Study

Applied Foreign Languages and Business Administration, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen

Acadamic Degree

Diploma Business Anglicist / Romance Studies

Professional Motto

Work hard, be yourself and have fun.

Working at Wölfel

The wind energy sector is very inspiring. My motivation is to support the world and customers with our products.