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 across the country with which Doosan Enerbility has signed operation and maintenance (O&M) contracts.

Global wind turbine companies such as Vestas, Siemens Gamesa, and GE Renewable Energy all have similar integrated control centers. In Korea, Doosan Enerbility is the first to establish such a facility. The Wind Power Center is highly significant, as not only manufacturing capabilities but also O&M capabilities determine the competitiveness of turbine companies.

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

The Wind Power Center is equipped with monitors that display the real-time status of wind turbines across the country. In addition to numerical data, on-site situations inside and outside the turbines can be checked through CCTV cameras installed on the turbines, providing video feeds as well.

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

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

For example, if the oil temperature in a wind turbine's gearbox is detected to be higher than normal, the system notifies the field staff so that they can take measures such as replacing the filter or replenishing the oil in advance. Choi explained, "If the oil deteriorates and the gearbox is damaged, repairs can take about 10 days. This not only incurs parts costs but also results in significant losses due to the inability to generate electricity during the repair period."

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

Remote integrated control systems like the Wind Power Center are becoming increasingly important as offshore wind farms grow in size. Large wind turbines are installed at distances from the shore where they cannot be visually inspected, making predictive diagnostic systems crucial. Preventive maintenance not only minimizes repair costs but also reduces the risk of accidents for workers.

The data collected at the Wind Power Center can also serve as essential foundational material for future research and development (R&D) of wind turbines. By analyzing malfunction patterns and reflecting them in design, it is possible to advance the turbines.

The role of the Wind Power Center is also drawing attention from a national security perspective. Most integrated control centers of overseas turbine companies are located at their headquarters or major international bases. This means that during the monitoring process, Korea's wind data could be transferred overseas.

An industry insider said, "Power plants have no choice but to agree to provide data to turbine suppliers for O&M. Given that domestic data may be transferred abroad, government attention is needed."

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