ASNT NDT Library - AssessingFatigueinMetalSupportTowersinWindPowerPlants

This paper describes an overview assessment of the fatigue state of three identical 100 m metal support wind turbine towers in wind power plants (WPPs) that have been used for 12, 13, and 15 years. A nondestructive testing (NDT) technique, the magnetic coercive force method (CFM), was used to measure the magnetic characteristics of the metal, in particular, its coercive force. The weakest link of the structure is determined by the degree of fatigue, and its correlation with the individual characteristics of each wind turbine structure is shown. Based on the state of the structure’s weakest link, the residual service life of the wind turbine tower is predicted. Within the general aging process, each tower has its own state of metal characteristics, which individualizes the resource forecast. Through the assessment, it was determined that the amount of time worked is not a main deciding factor. Ways to improve the reliability of wind turbine towers during their manufacture are identified, as well as changes in structure design. CFM performed on the towers reveals maturing fatigue fractures and can be used to assess the holistic structure or its parts for priority maintenance based on the state of the metal.

Bezlyudko, G.Ya., B.Ye. Popov, and R.N. Solomakha, 2014b, “The Metal Operational Monitoring using a Non-Destructive Method of Coercive Force, Practical and Philosophical Aspects,” presented at the 11th European Conference on NDT (ECNDT–2014), Prague, Czech Republic.

Bezlyudko, G.Ya., B.Ye. Popov, R.N. Solomakha, and V.V. Karabin, 2014a, “Key Features of the Coercive Force Method as a New Level of Efficiency and a Culture of Tracking Fatigue and Residual Service Life of Metal Structures and Equipment,” In the World of Nondestructive Control, No. 3, pp. 66–73 (in Russian).

Burrows, C.W., 1916, “Correlation of the Magnetic and Mechanical Properties of Steel,” Bulletin of the Bureau of Standards, Vol.13, pp. 173–210.

First World Congress on Condition Monitoring, 13–16 June 2017, London, England.

Forrest, P. G., 1962, Fatigue of Metals, Pergamon Press.

Gebert, N.J., 1919, “A Systematic Investigation of the Corre¬lation of the Magnetic and Mechanical Properties of Steel,” ASTM Proceedings 1919, Vol. 19, p. 117–129.

Morgner, W., F. Michel, and R. Solomakha, 2015, “Nondestructive Material Characterization by Means of Coercimetry,” ZfP – Journal of DGZfP, 144, pp. 40–43 (in German).

Savluk, S.V., R.M. Solomakha, A.A. Lukina, and G.Ya. Bezlyudko, 2017, “Assessment of the Current Fatigue State of a Metal Tower of a Wind Driven Generator Installation on Measurements of the Metal Magnetic Characteristic – Coercive Force,” In the World of Nondestructive Control, No.3, pp. 38–44 (in Russian).

STO 36554501-040-2014: Diagnostic of steel building structures. Magnetic Method, Coercimetric, Research Center of Construction JSC, Moscow.

Vakulenko, K.V., I. Kazak, G.Ya. Bezlyudko, and R. Solomakha, 2016, “Coercivity of Metal as a Measure of Its Damage at Micro Level in Assessing Fatigue as well as Problems of Restoration of Mechanical Properties, In the World of Nondestructive Control, No. 3, pp. 59–61 (in Russian).

Wind Energy Science Conference 2017, WESC-2017, 26–29 June, Copenhagen, Denmark.

Windmesse Symposium, 18 May 2017, Hamburg, Germany.

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