Ingenieur Develops Solution For Digital Maintenance Of Wind Farms

Anyone who translates to Helgoland by ship will immediately feel the enormous power of the North Sea. The wind, the waves, the weather. In the past, it was the oil platforms, but now there are always new, larger and more powerful offshore wind farms that shape the image of the energy landscape on the high seas. The best example: the Amrumbank West wind farm, 40 km from Helgoland. With its 80 turbines, it produces enough electricity annually for around 300,000 households. Efficient maintenance processes are essential for smooth operation. Project engineer Frank Scholtka from E-On has developed a mobile solution for this, which uses apps and barcode scanners to digitize the maintenance of the turbines. The VDI presents Scholtka's story in its engineering stories campaign:

Turbine maintenance on the tablet

"The energy transition and the digitalization of our society go hand in hand," explains Frank. "We have more and more data that we can use to make the energy transition better." With the help of his apps, the collection of important data is now easier and faster for the technicians on site. The head office now knows exactly when and where a turbine is at a standstill, who is in use when and where, what materials and tools are available and what qualifications are required. “This data helps us to optimize maintenance, upkeep and logistics. We want to increase the availability of the plant.” The construction of a maintenance database plays an important role.

Picture gallery

With the digitalization of maintenance processes, Frank is pursuing a high goal: wind power should not only become an ecological, but also an economical alternative to other energy sources. The technical development is rapid in every respect: “A few decades ago we built wind turbines that were the size of a house. Now they are the size of a television tower. The wingspan of the rotor blades even exceeds that of a jumbo jet.” Ever more powerful, ever more efficient, ever more digital. In the long run, wind power should become profitable without subsidies.

As an engineer, I want to help wind energy grow up

As a child of the Ruhr area, Frank was able to experience the change in the energy industry, away from coal and the like, right on his doorstep. “The issue of my generation is climate change. It is extremely important to me to help shape a green future.” While studying industrial engineering at RWTH Aachen University, Frank was already involved in sustainable energy generation, supported student initiatives on the topic and helped organize lectures and information events. After an internship at E-On Climate & Renewables, he wrote his diploma thesis in the Amrumbank West project and finally came to his current job. In central asset management, he is responsible for the digitalization of maintenance processes and the wind farms in operation in Europe and the USA.Frank is the link between IT development and end users. "As an engineer, I want to support the technicians and the analysts and make their work easier and more efficient." He also makes a valuable contribution in the fight against global warming. "I am not a doctor, I am not a doctor. But as an engineer, I can do my part to do something about climate change.”

About the engineering stories campaign

With its “Engineering Stories” campaign, the VDI wants to make the many large and small developments of engineers known to people outside the technology community. And who could speak for the profession better than engineers themselves? (kj)