fos4X Realizes Digitalization and Condition Monitoring Project in Offshore Wind Farm

​January 2020 - The German wind farm operator Veja Mate Offshore Project GmbH and fos4X GmbH have realized a joint project in the German North Sea. The aim of the project is a comprehensive condition monitoring campaign as well as the early and data-driven optimization of the maintenance strategy. In addition, an early estimation of turbine life time extension should be made possible through specific load measurement.

The fos4X "retroX" system, consisting of a sensor platform and intelligent software, was installed on strategically selected 10% of the wind turbines in the Veja Mate wind farm. The system enables structural condition monitoring of the rotor blades, recording of loads during turbine life time as well as the detection of yaw and pitch misalignment.

Data Infrastructure and Analysis

A further aspect of the joint project carried out by fos4X is the monitoring, consolidation and orchestration of the entire turbine and subsystem data. The provision of the data to VejaMate as well as further analyses are realized on the fos4X IoT data platform. This provides the operator with essential information for determining remaining life time and continued operation scenarios.

"With fos4X we have found a competent partner for our rotor blade condition monitoring as well as for an extended data infrastructure and analyses".

Stefan Klett, Managing Director, Veja Mate Offshore Project GmbH

Condition Monitoring for Rotor Blades

As an essential part of the comprehensive monitoring campaign in the offshore wind farm, fos4X complements the already installed monitoring systems of other turbine components with its rotor blade condition monitoring system. The installation of the "retroX" system provides Veja Mate with additional information about the structural condition of the equipped rotor blades as well as the loads experienced during life time. This enables initiatives for improved planning and prioritization of maintenance operations.

About Veja Mate

Veja Mate is an offshore wind farm with a capacity of 402 MW located in the German North Sea. The offshore wind farm is located about 95 km northwest of the island of Borkum in the German Exclusive Economic Zone, an area with strong and steady winds. This enables the 67 Siemens SWT-6.0-154 turbines, each with a capacity of 6 MW and a rotor diameter of 154 meters, to produce enough electricity for 450,000 German households per year.​