Inspection of wind turbine bolted connections using the Ultrasonic Phased Array system

Tools

Mills, Brandon and Javadi, Yashar and Abad, Farhad and Lotfian, Saeid and MacLeod, Charles and Mehmanparast, Ali and Pierce, Gareth and Gachagan, Anthony (2024) Inspection of wind turbine bolted connections using the Ultrasonic Phased Array system. Heliyon, 10 (14). e34579. ISSN 2405-8440 (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e34579)

[thumbnail of Mills-etal-Heliyon-2024-Inspection-of-wind-turbine-bolted-connections]
Preview
 Text. Filename: Mills-etal-Heliyon-2024-Inspection-of-wind-turbine-bolted-connections.pdf
Final Published Version
License: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 logo
Download (7MB)| Preview

Abstract

This study explores the inspection of bolted connections in wind turbines, specifically focusing on the application of Phased Array Ultrasonic Testing (PAUT). The research comprises four sections: Acoustoelastic Constant calibration, high tension investigation on bolts, blind tests on larger bolts, and Finite Element Analysis (FEA) verification. The methodology shows accurate results for stress while the bolt is under operative loads, and produces a clear indication of when it is above these loads and beginning to deform. PAUT emerges as a promising tool for bolt inspection, offering multiple imaging modes for simultaneous stress monitoring and defect detection. The study advocates for PAUT as a robust method to enhance wind turbine safety, longevity, and future in-situ testing.

ORCID iDs

Mills, Brandon, Javadi, Yashar ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6003-7751, Abad, Farhad ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6765-8593, Lotfian, Saeid ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8542-933X, MacLeod, Charles ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4364-9769, Mehmanparast, Ali ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7099-7956, Pierce, Gareth ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0312-8766 and Gachagan, Anthony ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9728-4120;
CORE (COnnecting REpositories)