Integrated solution for the water level measurement inside monopiles
Project overview
Project name
Water Level Measurement inside WTGs
Location
Irish Sea
Solution
Water Level Measurement (WLM) system
Acteon’s Geo-services business line provided a Water Level Measurement (WLM) system to detect the water level fluctuation inside the Wind Turbine Generator (WTG) monopile foundation - below the airtight platform.
Bespoke monitoring solution in tight schedule
The custom solution measured internal water levels fluctuating nine metres, threatening monopile integrity. Mitigating tight weather windows, COVID restrictions, and SIMOPS, our team successfully installed it during aging turbine maintenance.
All turbines equipped with a WLM system
To support this important project, we provided the design, fabrication, offshore installation and commissioning of the WLM System below the airtight platforms, on the WTGs. We also completed the offshore installation and commissioning of the client Data Acquisition Cabinet (DAQ) and communication network system.
The delivery of the wind farm monitoring system included three phases of installation and commissioning, as all wind turbines needed to be equipped with the monitoring system.
Innovations in action
Bespoke equipment was used, including:
- Vega Sensor (C23) – Wired radar sensor for continuous level measurement. To ensure accurate transfer of data, we integrated and interfaced the Vega sensor with the end operator data acquisition system and all the other equipment provided. Collaboration between the engineering and fabrication teams and the client team simplified the process and avoided the risk of design failure.
- Beckhoff Input Modules (EL3182)
- Sensor Tether Assembly – We designed, fabricated, installed and commissioned a Sensor Tether Assembly to damp the WTG vibration, maintaining the sensor almost static for improved data collection.
The result
This contract was the first project completed by our structural monitoring team in the renewables industry, after an impeccable track record in the Oil and Gas industry. The success of the project’s phase 1 meant we were awarded a second phase, incorporating and upgrading the communication system to the onshore base server.
This project confirmed how relevant our measurement technology and expertise are to the renewables sector. As more wind farms are starting to reach end of life, our knowledge when it comes to monitoring and data acquisition is proving extremely pertinent.
Brian Taylor, Head of Sales UTEC, Acteon's Geo-services business line
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