The Technical University of Denmark (DTU) inaugurated a laboratory, where researchers will complete a modular robot for use in offshore wind turbine platforms. The robot will be used for inspection, and the long-term vision is that it will be able to carry out underwater repairs on foundations and rigs.
There is a great need for a small, flexible, and highly robust robot that can operate under water when inspecting offshore wind turbines and oil rigs. The number of offshore wind turbines in Europe has increased significantly over the last decade and, consequently, the need to monitor, inspect, and repair wind turbine and oil rig foundations. As things stand, an ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle) with relevant personnel must be hired in order to inspect and repair damage to foundations. Such operations are both costly and weather-dependent, as they are only possible in good weather.
As Associate Professor Roberto Galeazzi, DTU Electrical Engineering, explains, the vision is to create a modular robot that will operate easily, without the need for technical experts. The short term goal is to inspect and monitor, for example, the condition of the foundation of a wind turbine under water or an ocean fish farming plant. In the long term, the intention is for the modular robot, which comprises several independent robots (modules), to also carry out repairs on the foundation.
According to Business Area Manager Ole Nørrekaer Mortensen, FORCE Technology, the industry is moving towards developing small AUVs (Autonomous Underwater Vehicles) to replace the current large and heavy ROVs, which requires the equipment used for underwater inspection and repair to be compressed.
“Others are working on similar projects, but our robot differs in one key area. It is modular—which means that each individual part of the robot is able to work alone—or together with other modules. Working in unison, the robots can draw on each other’s functions, thereby becoming fully autonomous. For example, if a robot has problems with his propeller, it can connect with a second module and move using its propeller. The same applies to many other areas—for example in relation to having sufficient battery performance,” explains Roberto Galeazzi.
Using just a single module, the modular robot can install and replace sensors in a subsea docking station placed on the foundations of a wind turbine to provide continuous monitoring. The advantage of the robot is that it can operate independently of the weather conditions, Professor Mogens Blanke from DTU Electrical Engineering, explained.
