Germany has the goal of becoming climate neutral by 2050. Wind power is a key factor here. In many other countries, too, wind energy ensures low CO2 and sustainable energy production. For an economically viable energy supply, it is therefore of great importance to further increase the yields of wind turbines while reducing maintenance costs.
A key technology for this is the Digital Twin, the potential of which the industry is far from exhausting. The ideal scenario is wind turbines and wind farms that determine their maintenance requirements themselves and independently optimise their operating parameters. For example, they can automatically adapt to site-specific and constantly changing weather conditions. In addition, they are able to use their plant status, the currently available service resources and the operation model for an optimal management.
To achieve this goal, the Wind I0 joint project, funded by the Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi), brings together renowned partners from the wind energy sector. The project uses CONTACT Elements for IoT with its data models and methods for Digital Twins to explore concrete use cases. One example is the combination of the wear models of sensitive components with the Digital Gemini to extend their overall lifetime and improve preventive maintenance. The IoT platform provides developers, operators and service technicians with the relevant operating information in a clear and concise manner.
The joint project is coordinated by the Institute for Integrated Product Development at the University of Bremen and managed by Forschungszentrum Jülich.
