Wind turbines maintenance and reparation

    Every technical system requires regular maintenance to ensure a long service life. For systems as complex as a wind turbine, which is exposed to a wide variety of loads, regular inspection of the condition and maintenance of trouble-free operation are of great importance. A distinction is made here between inspection, maintenance and repair. During an inspection, the wind turbine is inspected. This means that the wind turbine is inspected in its entirety once - but purely visually and without taking any action. The inspection of a wind turbine takes about one day.

    Maintenance of wind turbines takes place at certain time intervals, usually once or twice a year. During maintenance, all important mechanical and electrical parts are checked. In addition, minor repairs can be carried out and consumables such as greases, oils or filters can be replaced. On average, about 20 working hours are required for this. 

    Major damage - especially to rotor blades or the tower - is repaired as part of a repair. Depending on the size and complexity of the damage, this can take several days. While mechanical parts tend to be less prone to failure, areas such as electrics, electronics, sensors or hydraulics need to be repaired more frequently. However, these repairs result in less downtime and are relatively easy to fix. Repairing the gearbox, rotor or generator, on the other hand, is very costly. The spare parts are expensive and the repair work requires a significantly longer downtime. Damage also occurs more frequently to the foundation, flanges and tower - mainly in the form of corrosion. Damage to rotor blades is mainly caused by erosion or lightning strikes.