Uncrewed Systems Technology 047 l Aergility ATLIS l AI focus l Clevon 1 UGV l Geospatial insight l Intergeo 2022 report l AUSA 2022 report I Infinity fuel cell l BeeX A.IKANBILIS l Propellers focus I Phoenix Wings Orca

90 T he global expansion of wind power has accelerated the uptake of uncrewed systems as a safe and cost-effective means of inspecting and maintaining wind turbines. And although UAVs and USVs might become ubiquitous in offshore wind farms, and even work together (see our dossier on TideWise in issue 45, August/September 2022), underwater vehicles for the most part have yet to report any great advances in the industry over the past few years. Some may find that surprising, given that any non-floating wind farm relies on stable, well-maintained foundations – referred to in the industry as ‘piles’ – to keep them upright and working, so naturally they require inspection in order to identify and correct any damage over time. “To be sure, wind farm operators are calling out for underwater autonomy,” says Jan Schmoekel, balance-of-plant engineer at Northland Power, which owns and operates wind farms. “In particular, offshore wind farms – like the Nordsee One field in the German North Sea that I’m responsible for – are most often built on piles. Nordsee One specifically uses monopiles, tripod and tri-pile foundations.” These are simple structures typically made from stone, gravel and steel. They are economical to build and maintain, but as Schmoekel explains, regular inspection is vital for monitoring critical parts such as cable protection systems, scour protection systems (which prevent erosion of the pile from currents and waves) and current cathodic protection anodes (which guard against galvanic corrosion of the monopile). However, ROVs require an extensive and costly spread of ancillary equipment in order to work, particularly with regard to launching, recovering, tethering, operating and maintaining them. They therefore need large, expensive vessels on site – whether owned or hired – to perform these tasks. AUVs require no tether for power or control, nor do they always need a crane for launch and recovery, allowing This hovering AUV’s capabilities are proving an ideal fit for inspecting the foundations of offshore wind farms. Rory Jackson reports Standstill working December/January 2023 | Uncrewed Systems Technology BeeX’s A.IKANBILIS HAUV uses ‘adaptive autonomy’ and a novel thruster arrangement to overcome issues with conventional ROVs and AUVs inspecting wind farms (Images courtesy of BeeX)