Asset Performance Monitoring
Assembly Line
Assessing wind turbine performance upgrades using only 10-minute SCADA data
Wind turbine operators and owners are presented a range of performance enhancing retrofit options by OEMs and third parties. Such offerings are accompanied by specific details of the expected performance improvements in terms of AEP (Annual Energy Production).
The SkySpecs Performance team started by collecting 10-minute SCADA data before and after the installation of the retrofits to evaluate the impact on wind turbine performance. For accuracy, they aimed for a timeframe of 12 months or more before and 6 months or more after the installation. Then, using only the 10 minute database, they automatically filtered out periods of abnormal turbine operating using state detection algorithms to ensure strict filtering and optimal data quality without the need for event logs.
When using SCADA data for portfolio-level analysis, it is almost impossible to obtain calibration reports and mounting information for each sensor of each turbine. In many cases, sensors such as nacelle anemometers and temperature sensors do not even undergo any traceable calibration. Due to these limitations, it is not possible to perform a full propagation of uncertainties (Type A+B) in a SCADA- based analysis.