Distributed Temperature Sensing: The Future of O&M
ARE MONITORING SYSTEMS THE FUTURE OF O&M?
Monitoring
systems have been utilized by offshore wind facilities in the United
Kingdom for years. Strain gauges, accelerometers and other sensors are
programmed to monitor loads, vibration, fatigue stress, temperature and
corrosion, enabling turbine owners, investors and operations managers to
systematically evaluate and assess the health and the condition of
structures and cables. These condition monitoring systems provide early
warnings of possible failure, giving key stakeholders an opportunity to
take quick action and avoid the high costs of repair and retro-fit.
Domestic wind project owners and operators can learn a lot from these early adopters as there is a clear business case for the implementation of monitoring systems here in the United States. Thermal monitoring systems can be used on existing wind power facilities to analyze collection systems, detect failing assets, verify geotechnical engineering and provide financial due diligence support. On new projects, they can optimize the size of collection system conductor and verify warranties postconstruction.
NOT ALL SYSTEMS ARE CREATED EQUAL
Not all monitoring systems are
equal, so it is important to compare the different features before
investing in this sophisticated technology.
Conventional temperature
control systems have significant limitations with respect to speed,
accuracy and resolution of monitoring. That’s because they only capture
data gathered from individual sensors and gauges, measure single values
at specific locations and take measurements at pre-determined points.