Machine Vision Solutions for the Energy Industry

Vision Inspector systems provide incredible value-add to energy engineers design and optimization. Detailed monitoring, measuring, and observing of processes and products while in production/motion is a key strength inherent in Boulder Imaging’s Vision Inspector systems.

Vision Inspector systems create a full spectrum picture of process and products in real-time under highly variable conditions, resulting in successful design and optimal performance.

Case Study: Boulder Imaging Provides Critical Design and Optimization Information to Wind Turbine Engineers

Boulder Imaging’s Benchmark provides real-time motion analysis of wind turbine blades, which allows design engineers to understand how blade oscillations affect the performance of the wind turbine. Benchmark provides wind design engineers with precise measurements on flex and twist of the blade to an accuracy of 1mm and 1/10° of twist.

Benchmark precisely measures the kinematics of the wind turbine blade and how it correlates to wind speed, direction, energy production, and efficiency. The valuable feedback provided to design engineers allows them, in turn, to develop optimally designed wind turbine blades. Design engineers can view unexpected results immediately and make adjustments before wind turbine designs are approved.

Boulder Imaging’s Vision Inspector Benchmark provides GE Energy:

• Inspection of substantial objects (measuring over 30 meters/150’ in length) that reside outside and are exposed to weather and to highly variable lighting (varying with blade rotation, time of day, and season).
• Precise measurements of flex and twist of turbine blades to an accuracy of 1mm and 1/10° of twist.
• Real-time feedback on how wind turbine blades correlate to wind speed, direction, energy production, and efficiency - allowing GE wind engineers to make immediate design adjustments.

Overcoming the many inspection challenges in motion analysis of wind turbine blades provides an example of the strength of Boulder Imaging’s expertise in the utilization of visual technology. Inspection of objects that are substantial in size, while in motion, and in variable weather and lighting conditions requires creative problem-solving. This is the foundation on which Boulder Imaging systems are based.

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