Stringent Demands for Boosting the Efficiency of Wind Power Plants

Three-dimensional measurement and analysis of rotor blades and their production facility are highly complex and demanding measuring tasks. The nature and scope represent an entirely new dimension in this branch of industry. Consequently, such a task can be coped only by using ultra-modern measuring systems and a correctly prepared measurement strategy. An investigation of suitable measuring systems on the basis of the specific requirement profile for this measurement task indicated that the Leica Geosystems Laser Tracker provides the best preconditions for successful measurements.

Further development of wind power plants and their components with the aim of boosting the useful energy is a very dynamic process. One essential factor is the optimization of the rotor blades, a factor, which has substantial impact on the functionality and efficiency of the plants. A rotor blade length of 38 m has now been reached. In future, lengths of approx. 80 m are to be implemented on the planned offshore plants. These ever-increasing sizes and the requirement for mass production of the rotor blades, which are designed on the basis of aerodynamic principles, true-to-detail, necessitate a quality assurance system whose performance and efficiency must be adjusted constantly. . . . .