Monitoring 24,000 Wind Data Points... AI Prevents Wind Turbine Failures in Advance [In Search of Wind Power Independence] ②

Doosan Enerbility's Jeju Wind Power Center
Managing 80 Wind Turbines Nationwide
Real-Time Analysis of Operational History
Early Problem Detection and Minimizing Breakdowns

Interior view of Doosan Wind Power Center (WPC). Doosan Enerbility

Doosan Enerbility opened the Wind Power Center (WPC) in Ora-dong, Jeju City in September last year. The Wind Power Center is an integrated control center that provides 24-hour real-time monitoring and control of all wind turbines nationwide under operation and maintenance (O&M) contracts with Doosan Enerbility.

Global wind turbine companies such as Vestas, Siemens Gamesa, and GE Renewable Energy all have similar integrated control centers. In South Korea, Doosan Enerbility is the first to establish such a center. The Wind Power Center is significant because, beyond manufacturing capabilities, O&M competency is a decisive factor in the competitiveness of turbine companies.

Currently, the Wind Power Center remotely monitors 80 turbines at 11 wind farms out of the 98 wind turbines installed across the country under contract. It analyzes the operational history and data of wind turbines in real time, enabling early detection of issues and minimizing breakdowns. The goal is to increase the operation rate and utilization of the wind turbines.

The Wind Power Center is equipped with monitors to display the real-time status of wind turbines nationwide. In addition to numerical data, on-site conditions inside and outside the turbines can also be checked via video using CCTV installed on the turbines.

A panoramic view of Doosan Enerbility's Jeju Wind Power Center. Doosan Enerbility

Choi Inwook, head of the Wind Power Center, explained on the 16th, "Here, we monitor 24,000 data points in real time, using artificial intelligence (AI) and analytics programs to provide predictive maintenance." The data accumulated at the Wind Power Center reportedly reaches 24.9 terabytes (TB) annually.

For example, if an abnormal increase in the gearbox oil temperature of a wind turbine is detected, the field team can be notified in advance to replace the filter or refill the oil, preventing further issues. Choi stated, "If the oil deteriorates and the gearbox is damaged, repairs can take around 10 days," adding, "This results in significant losses, not only from the cost of parts but also from the inability to generate electricity during the repair period."

The Wind Power Center is said to improve accuracy by continuously training the AI system with normal operational data from each turbine. Since the normal vibration range of a turbine varies depending on wind conditions such as speed and direction, the AI is used to identify these patterns.

Remote integrated control systems like the Wind Power Center are becoming increasingly important as offshore wind power projects grow larger. Because large wind turbines are installed at distances far from the coast and cannot be visually inspected, predictive diagnostic systems become crucial. Preventive maintenance not only minimizes repair costs but also reduces the risk of work-related accidents for technicians.

The data collected at the Wind Power Center can also serve as a valuable resource for future research and development (R&D) of wind turbines. By analyzing failure patterns and reflecting them in designs, turbines can be further advanced.

The role of the Wind Power Center is also drawing attention from a national security perspective. Most integrated control centers of foreign turbine manufacturers are located at their headquarters or major overseas hubs, meaning that Korea's wind data could be transferred abroad during monitoring.

An official from the wind power industry commented, "Power plants have no choice but to agree to provide data to turbine suppliers for O&M," and emphasized, "Given the possibility that domestic data could be transferred overseas, government attention is needed."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.