Digital Assistance in the Maintenance of Offshore Wind Parks

Abstract

Harsh environmental conditions, time pressure due to tightly calculated maintenance windows, complex technical systems and high quality standards determine the working environment for the maintenance and repair of offshore wind farms. Despite good qualifications and diverse training courses, maintenance technicians are reliant on information from manuals and checklists when performing their tasks and must document their work results in protocols. Both the supply of information and the data acquisition show a multitude of media disruptions. Hence, the processes on site and in the postprocessing are carried out slowly and uncertainly. The assistance system presented is intended to contribute to a consistently digital information flow and to support the technicians in a task-specific manner. Augmented Reality (AR) offers a way of presenting information and interacting with the assistance system during work execution. Using the example of the maintenance of crane systems used in a variety of ways in offshore wind farms, this article shows which potential can be tapped through digital assistance systems and AR applications.