Salamanca drones in Mexico. ‘aracnocópteros’ celebrate their 10th anniversary

24 Feb 2019

These vehicles analyse wind turbine blades to check their condition and extend their useful life.

Almost 10 years ago, the Salamanca-based company Arbórea embarked on a previously unexplored path: the manufacture of unmanned aerial vehicles for various professional uses. Today, this path has led them, among other destinations, to collaborate with Iberdrola in the analysis and inspection of the blades of its wind turbines. Arbórea’s drones, called ‘arachnocopters’, fly up to the blades, 75 or 85 metres long, and, thanks to the software they have, they digitalise them in detail, detect hidden structural problems and predict when and where interventions are necessary to prolong their useful life. In the words of Arbórea’s top manager, Carlos Bernabéu, they achieve “predictive maintenance”.

The advantages are obvious. “Before, you had to climb up to the blades to see how they were. They gain in safety and time when it comes to anticipating failures. They are able to ‘x-ray’ the blades and diagnose very well what is going to happen,” he explains. Iberdrola’s projects “require efficient and digital analysis” to improve the efficiency and profitability of the structures. It is a way of “gaining time” to continue generating clean energy.

Fuente: El Norte de Castilla (Ed. Salamanca)